Christ and Common Sense

Thoughts from a Central Valley Pastor

Month: October 2022

Preoccupied with the Supernatural

October 15, 2022 /

I have lived in many different places, but I’ve never lived in a place where so many people are preoccupied with haunted houses and supernatural superstitions. I’ve had several conversation with people here in Kings county who think there are many buildings that might be haunted. This is strange to me and I am sure there is some reason why it is such a common theme, but I still don’t know for sure what the reason is. I would be curious to hear from our readers what they think the reasoning is.

My hunch is that there is a connection between celebrating Dia de los Muertos and a fascination with death and the afterlife. Usually, I wouldn’t consider this topic worth mentioning except that we are now in October and I can tell that many in our community are looking forward to Halloween and the different traditions that surround it.

One of the traditions that seems particularly strange to me is that of haunted houses. Some Christians see no problem with going to haunted houses. They might justify them thinking there is nothing wrong with kids having fun walking through a scary home or a macabre maze. Some people say they enjoy being scared because of the adrenaline rush or the sensation of being in danger. The thoughtful Christian needs to take a moment to consider what the Bible says about the spirit world, so they can make informed decisions for themselves and their children.

There are many passages in the Bible that warn God’s people about dabbling in the occult. Leviticus 19:31 explains why, “Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the LORD your God.” As believers, we are to seek the Lord, not be fascinated with darkness.

The term “haunted house” does not appear in the Bible, but there is a historical account of someone going to a home that was visited by the spirit of the prophet Samuel.1 Samuel 28:3-25 records how king Saul made the fateful decision to visit a witch who was located outside of ancient Israel, in the city of Endor. The king told his servants to find a spirit medium because he wanted to have her predict the outcome of the next day’s battle against the Philistines. He had to travel outside of Israel because he had made a decree that all witches be removed from the land. 

The Bible records how king Saul disguised himself so that no one would know he was going to the witch. He and two other men made the trip to her home in the dead of night. Once they arrived they had to promise her that she would not be punished for connecting them with the spirit world. She asked them, “Who should I bring up for you?” And Saul said, “Bring up Samuel.” She did what they wanted and when the spirit of the Samuel came up king Saul fell facedown on the ground. 

The Bible’s account goes on to reveal that the prophet Samuel was actually the one who spoke first. He said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” Saul told him that he was in great distress and he needed to know what was going to happen in the battle. Samuel rebuked Saul for consulting him and he gave him news that completely terrified Saul. Samuel said, “The Lord will deliver both Israel and you into the hands of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The Lord will also give the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines.” 

Saul’s response was one of abject horror. He realized that he had just heard his own death sentence. He and his sons would die on the battle field the very next day. 1 Samuel 31 records how Samuel’s prediction came true. The Philistines attacked the Israelites and were able to kill three of Saul’s sons. King Saul was wounded by an arrow and as the fighting grew fierce around him he decided to end his own life. His visit to the witch’s home in Endor led to him having his mind filled with terrifying thoughts that had a dramatic impact on his own life. 

Whenever I read this story I wonder how Saul’s life would have been different if he hadn’t visited the witch’s haunted house. The Israelites would have still been defeated, but Saul wouldn’t have dreaded the outcome. He could have entered the battle with his head held high, trusting in God regardless of how the fighting ended. He never should have gone to the witch’s home because he knew it would fill his mind with evil and wickedness. 

The Bible makes it abundantly clear that Christians need to be careful about what they fill their minds with. Philippians 4:8-9 says, “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Instead of being entertained by rooms full of evil and the occult, Christians should fill their minds with what is true and good. 

From a spiritual perspective, nothing good will come from visiting a haunted house, whether it is filled with an actual spirit or fabricated fears created to scare people for a cheap thrill. The Bible gives a helpful contrast, “So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.” Christians are to fill their minds with what is good and flee from what is evil. 

Praising God for Our Pastors

October 7, 2022 /

The Bible encourages believers to honor the leaders of the local church. The apostle Paul encouraged the church in Ephesus by writing, “Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.” (1 Timothy 5:17 ESV) And in his letter to the church in Thessalonica Paul wrote, “We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.” (1 Thess. 5:12-13) It is important to note that showing your appreciation for a pastor should never detract from a believer giving praise and glory to God for providing leadership for the church. 

One way modern church families can show their gratitude to God for their pastors is by celebrating Pastor Appreciation Month. Starting in 1994, churches have been using the second Sunday in October as a special day to show their love and appreciation for members of the clergy. Focus on the Family is credited with initiating the tradition of celebrating pastors in a special way. Their goal was “that every pastor (including staff ministers) and his or her family would feel appreciated by those they serve.” Ideally, churches should be finding ways to show their appreciation to their leaders throughout the year. 

Focus on the Family developed a guide to Pastor Appreciation Month that can be downloaded in English and Spanish at their website, https://www.focusonthefamily.com/church/celebrating-pastor-appreciation-month/. The guide includes some great ways to thoughtfully show your appreciation for those who serve the local church. I will use the rest of this article to mention some of the best ways to encourage your church leaders. 

Praise God for good leadership

The main goal of pastor appreciation month should be to bring glory to God. He is the one who has created the church and he is the one who is guiding the leadership of the church to appoint pastors and elders. If a church chooses to announce pastor appreciation month, they should make sure that their praise is being directed to God. One way to maintain focus on God while thanking your pastors and elders is to say it in the context of giving glory to God. You can say, “We are grateful to God for calling you to serve our church family” or “We praise God for all the work that you do.” This will be a healthy safeguard against taking the focus away from God. James 1:17 says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” Praising God should be the primary aim of showing appreciation for pastors.

Communicate with your pastor

This is a basic point, but since we live in such a busy, fast-paced society, it is important to slow down long enough to think about your church leaders and find a way to tell them how much you appreciate the way they serve your community. A great way to do this is by praising God for using your pastor in the life of the church. Writing a personal note or sending a Thank You card is a great way to show your appreciation. If you don’t have time for that then a quick email, text message or phone call will go a long way. Some pastors save their encouraging text messages and look at them throughout the year. 

Bless your pastor

This is what many people think of when they think about pastor appreciation month. This is a nice way to show you appreciate your pastor, but it should not be an expectation. Your love for those who serve in the church should not be measured by the amount of gift cards or financial gifts he or she receives. If the church gives a financial gift, they should not announce the dollar amount when it is given because the amount is not as important as the purpose of the gift. If more than one person preaches at your church then you should consider giving a gift to everyone who teaches so that extra pressure is not placed on one individual. If there is a team of elders, you might want to consider finding a way to show your appreciation to all the elders and the staff. 

These are just a few of the ways that you can praise God and show appreciation for our church leaders. 

John MacArthur’s Letter to the Governor

October 1, 2022 /

I have never heard of a pastor writing an open letter to the sitting governor of a state. I am sure it has happened in the past, but for a letter of this magnitude to be written is a historically significant event, if only because of how rarely it occurs. As such, I think it is important to make my readers aware of what has happened so they can be informed and pray accordingly. 

The letter was published on September 29, 2022 at www.gracechurch.org/news/posts/3592. The following is a portion of an open letter from Pastor John MacArthur to Governor Gavin Newsom. The letter was written in “response to billboard advertisements placed across the country by Newsom’s campaign shamelessly misquoting Mark 12:31 in support of abortion.” 

Almighty God says in His Word, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people” (Proverbs 14:34). Scripture also teaches that it is the chief duty of any civic leader to reward those who do well and to punish evildoers (Romans 13:1–7). You have not only failed in that responsibility; you routinely turn it on its head, rewarding evildoers and punishing the righteous.

The Word of God pronounces judgment on those who call evil good and good evil (Isaiah 5:20), and yet many of your policies reflect this unholy, upside-down view of honor and morality. The diabolical effects of your worldview are evident in the statistics of California’s epidemics of crime, homelessness, sexual perversions (like homosexuality and transgenderism), and other malignant expressions of human misery that stem directly from corrupt public policy. I don’t need to itemize or elaborate on the many immoral decisions you have perpetrated against God and the people of our state, which have only exacerbated these problems. Nevertheless, my goal in writing is not to contend with your politics, but rather to plead with you to hear and heed what the Word of God says to men in your position.

“Let all kings bow down before Him, all nations serve Him” (Psalm 72:11).

“He who rules over men righteously, who rules in the fear of God, is as the light of the morning when the sun rises” (2 Samuel 23:3–4).

“It is an abomination for kings to commit wicked acts, for a throne is established on righteousness” (Proverbs 16:12).

What God said to Cyrus is a truth you should take to heart: “I am the Lord, and there is no other; besides Me there is no God. I will gird you, though you have not known Me; that men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun that there is no one besides Me. I am the Lord, and there is no other” (Isaiah 45:5–6).

“In mid-September, you revealed to the entire nation how thoroughly rebellious against God you are when you sponsored billboards across America promoting the slaughter of children, whom He creates in the womb (Psalm 139:13–16; Isaiah 45:9–12). You further compounded the wickedness of that murderous campaign with a reprehensible act of gross blasphemy, quoting the very words of Jesus from Mark 12:31 as if you could somehow twist His meaning and arrogate His name in favor of butchering unborn infants. 

You used the name and the words of Christ to promote the credo of Molech (Leviticus 20:1–5). It would be hard to imagine a greater sacrilege.Furthermore, you chose words from the lips of Jesus without admitting that in the same moment He gave the greatest commandment: “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30). You cannot love God as He commands while aiding in the murder of His image-bearers.Psalm 50:16–19 speaks to people who pervert the Word of God for their own sinful ends: But to the wicked God says, “What right have you to recount My statutes And to take My covenant in your mouth? For you hate discipline, And you cast My words behind you. When you see a thief, you are pleased with him, And you associate with adulterers. You let your mouth loose in evil And you harness your tongue for deceit.”

My concern, Governor Newsom, is that your own soul lies in grave, eternal peril. “Each one of us will give an account of himself to God” (Romans 14:12). One day, not very long from now, you will face that reality. Nothing is more certain. “It is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). You will stand in the presence of the Holy God who created you, who is your Judge, and He will demand that you give an account for how you have flouted His authority in your governing, and how you have twisted His own Holy Word to rationalize it. As you look over the precipice of eternity, what will your answer be? When you look ahead of you and see that nothing awaits you but eternal misery—the just punishment for your sins—what will all the clever rationalizations and political talking points avail for you then? And by then it will be too late for any remedy or redemption. “It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31).

My plea to you, Sir, is that you would not let it come to that—that you would not go to that day of judgment apart from receiving forgiveness and righteousness through faith in Christ alone. In Psalm 50, after rebuking the wicked for uttering God’s words in a profane way, Scripture makes this promise: “Now consider this, you who forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there will be none to deliver. He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving glorifies Me; and he who orders his way, I shall show the salvation of God” (Psalm 50:22–23).So there is salvation for those who repent. Christ purchased full redemption for all who will turn from wickedness, forsake their evil thoughts and actions, and trust fully in Him as Lord and Savior.Our church, and countless Christians nationwide, are praying for your full repentance. 

Please respond to the gospel, forsake the path of wickedness you have pursued all your life, turn to Christ, ask for forgiveness, and use your office to advance the cause of righteousness (as is your duty) instead of undermining it (as has been your pattern). “Seek the LORD while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the LORD, and He will have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.” (Isaiah 55:6–7)Governor Newsom, “now is the acceptable time, behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). For the Master, John MacArthur Pastor-Teacher 

As I wrote earlier, this is a significant event. John MacArthur is not one to waste time pursuing political messages for personal gain. He is driven by his conviction and his belief in the sufficiency of Scripture. He is sounding the alarm and graciously calling the governor to repentance. 

From my perspective this is a case of stolen valor. The governor has tried to drape himself and his campaign in a religious uniform by quoting scripture to support his view of abortion. This is an affront to God’s holy word and to the Catholic beliefs that the governor claims to support. Kathleen Domingo, the executive director of the California Catholic Conference said, “It is unconscionable that these ads distort Scripture to support abortion, specifically in states that have already dramatically limited abortion in favor of supporting life,” (https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2022/09/23/unconscionable-california-gov-newsom-cites-jesus-on-billboards-promoting-abortion/) 

I will not be surprised if the governor does not reply to pastor John’s letter because technically the campaign posters he authorized only pertain to his reelection campaign, not his current role as governor. That is what I was told by the governor’s office when I called last week. The person who took my call ended the call abruptly after saying, “This conversation is no longer constructive.” Clearly she was referring to the governor’s office’s perspective. I disagree with her viewpoint. I believe the need to hold a sitting governor accountable is an important role for every citizen, especially if the governor has made the mistake of misquoting a religious document that many of his constituents hold in a higher regard than any civic document. 

We Were Warned About This

October 1, 2022 /

The apostle Paul gave a prediction that has proved true over and over again. He said, “The time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” (2 Timothy 4:3-4) 

We are living in such a time. The world is full of false teachers who try to infiltrate churches. Many are successful and those who don’t disrupt churches internally, often start new churches that allow them to invent new ways to mislead people.

The need for discernment is great because now politicians are cutting in on the false teaching.

They are seeking to use God’s holy word to convince people to support their causes. It doesn’t matter if the causes are abhorrent and completely opposed to the teaching of Scripture. If they can find a verse and pull it out of context, then their hope is there will be some people who will be fooled by the veneer of spirituality and vote to support their “religious” cause. 

One verse that has been ripped from it’s original context is Luke 12:48. This passage takes place at the Sermon on the Mount, when Jesus was talking to the crowds about the Kingdom of Heaven, not about the need to raise taxes. But that doesn’t stop some politicians from quoting the following words to justify the need for a tax increase, “Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required.” The original context is not referring to sacrificing for the local government. It is referring to sacrificing spiritually for God! 

At the root of this problem, there seems to be the belief that governments can replace God’s influence in the world. While living in Albania I learned that one of the strategies of Enver Hoxha’s brutal regime was to replace the Ten Commandments of the Bible with the 10 Commandments of Communism. I talked to a pastor who remembered going to a room in a government building where he had to agree with the newly invented moral code. This type of false teaching is easy to discern for those who know Scripture, but for the generations that grew up in the atheistic society, they would have had nothing to compare it to. 

Our society is becoming less moral and people are not only becoming less literate, but more importantly, they are becoming less Biblically literate. Once this happens their ability to discern between truth and error is considerably weakened. I believe this is one reason why we are seeing more politicians trying to use Scripture because they know less people understand it is being used out of context. 

An example of this was when Nancy Pelosi tried to use Matthew 25:35 to support a massive $40 billion aid bill that included billions of dollars in weapons and security costs. She said, “So when you are home thinking, ‘What is what this is all about?’ – just think about ‘when I was hungry, you fed me’ in the Gospel of Matthew.” If people had actually stopped to find the quote and read what Jesus said, they would realize what a twisted use of Scripture that was. 

More recently, the governor has decided to venture into the detestable practice of misusing Scripture for political gain. One of the political ads for his 2022 campaign for governor tries to use Mark 12:31 to support his view on abortion, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no greater commandment than these.” 

The ad doesn’t even include the first commandment which states, “‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

It is clear from the context that love is not defined by men or women in the passage. It is defined by God! How is someone supposed to love God? With all their heart and with all their soul and with all their mind and with all their strength. If someone is not doing the first part of the command, they will not be able to do the second, which is about loving others. 

The context of the campaign ad is completely opposed to the message of Scripture because it implies that someone can love others by supporting abortion. Excuse me? How is it possible to 

take a quote from a book that teaches that life begins at conception and use it to support abortion? Just read Psalm 139:13-16 the next time there is any confusion about the abortion debate, “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.” 

To the discerning Christian, using any Scripture to support abortion immediately signals the existence of false teaching. Not only that, it signals the need to pray for those who are misusing Scripture. In Matthew 18:5-6 Jesus gave a stern warning to those who would seek to mislead the children of God. It says, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.” Jesus’ harshest words were saved for those who knew the teaching of Scripture and yet chose to use it for personal gain. My prayer is that all who read this will recognize that we have been warned and if we must be honest with ourselves. If we have sinned, may we seek repentance and forgiveness. God is able to forgive. 1 John 1:9-10 says, “If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 

Taking a Tour of the Creation Museum

October 1, 2022 /

This article is a continuation of last week’s story about my family’s trip to Kentucky to see two of Answers in Genesis (AiG) attractions: the Ark Encounter and the Creation Museum. We have already looked at the former so this week I will give a summary of the latter. 

The Creation Museum is located less than an hour north of the Ark Encounter. I was expecting a smaller campus that would be made up of a parking lot and several buildings. I had no idea  the grounds of the Creation Museum would be so nice. It reminded me of other botanical gardens I have visited in southern California and Europe. The different gardens, the lake, zip lines, and a large playground provide an enjoyable context to the actual museum. 

The Creation Museum starts with an exhibit about dragons. This is somewhat surprising because the Bible has so little to say about them. Clearly someone at AiG is fascinated with these mythical beasts. Personally, I think it works as a creative way to draw visitors in to a museum which is like no other on the planet. 

The main hallway has an impressive interior with a huge skeleton of a wooly mammoth. The entrance opens up to a planetarium, gift store, and a 3D theater. Someone at our church was kind enough to give us guest passes to the museum so we were able to see the exhibits and the planetarium for free. 

The Planetarium is unlike anything I have ever experienced. It is a large room with a concave ceiling that doubles as a projector screen. Instead of hearing about a universe that is billions of years old, the planetarium show explains that God created all the stars and planets on the fourth day. The projector shows awe-inspiring images of galaxies and stars that exist all over the universe. The show ends with a dramatic depiction of a camera zooming in on the earth from the very farthest part of the universe. Watching the solar system stream past my eyes was a powerful reminder of how limitless l the creator of the universe is. There is no way to grasp how many stars exist, which is a fitting illustration of how there is no way to grasp the grandeur of our God. I wish every church could have a similar exhibit to show people just how small we are in comparison to the world that God has made. 

After seeing the planetarium we started in on the exhibits. We saw some fascinating depictions of the six days of creation. I never get tired of trying to grasp how God could have created the world in such a remarkable way. The museum does an excellent job of giving a literal interpretation of Scripture. It highlights the importance of marriage as a supernatural institution that God gave to humanity from the very beginning. There is also a powerful exhibit that casts doubt on the evolutionary theory that humanity evolved from apes. The exhibit is done in a very tasteful way that does not lambast other theories. It reveals an alternate explanation that is much more positive and encouraging than the popular view that dehumanizes people into a type of animal. 

My daughters really liked the exhibit called the “Miracle of Life”. It shows detailed images and models of how a human life comes into existence. Seeing high definition images of a baby boy or girl at 30 days after conception is incredibly powerful. The museum is planning on expanding that section in the coming months and I think it will become one of the most visited sections of the museum. 

My sons really enjoyed the section on insects. It is remarkable to see beetles, bugs, and insects from all over the world. The amount of detail required to design each of them is difficult to grasp. Once again the glory of God is seen in his creation. I was especially impressed with the butterflies and moths. Some of the colors are so vibrant it seems impossible that they could come into existence naturally. The same is true with the camouflage of some of the insects. There is no way to explain the perfect complexity of the designs by saying it came from evolutionary changes over time. I much prefer the Creation Museum’s explanation of an infinitely powerful God who lovingly created an earth with unique qualities and colors. 

After finishing the exhibits and viewing the gift store, we took time to walk around the garden. I was grateful that AiG has invested in top quality playgrounds at both locations because all of our kids spent a considerable amount of time running, jumping, and riding down the slides and zip lines. If we had more time I would have loved to go on the climbing courses and zip lines that are available about both locations. 

Sola Deo Gloria

In summary, my main takeaway from both parks was that they exist to glorify God. The Ark Encounter is a dramatic landmark that shows a strong belief in a literal interpretation of Scripture. I agree with Ken Ham’s statement that the first eleven chapters in Genesis are foundational to the rest of Scripture. If a non-literal interpretation is chosen for the beginning of the Bible, then the confidence of the reader is quickly eroded. Visiting the Ark is an encouraging exercise in faith building. It reminds the visitor that Biblical faith is not blind. Those who believe in the Bible are not trusting in fairy tale depictions of the Flood. They are using scientific observation to study what has been revealed in the Bible to interpret what can be seen in the world around us. 

The same thing is true at the Creation Museum. When the visitor sees the universe depicted on the screen there is no doubt that someone greater that humans had to create it. How else could something so expansive come out of nothing? The Creation Museum gives a reasonable case for how a creative God made the universe and that is not something that can easily be dismissed by believer and skeptic alike. 

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