Christ and Common Sense

Thoughts from a Central Valley Pastor

Category: Christ (Page 8 of 9)

The Bible and Global Warming

September 24, 2021 /

In 2006 Al Gore starred in a documentary called “An Inconvenient Truth.” In it he made the unsubstantiated claim that there is a strong scientific consensus that the earth is warming primarily because of human activity. His argument was that as more humans populate the earth, more carbon dioxide is created in the atmosphere, which results in higher temperatures around the world. The documentary used sensationalized images to create a sense of doom and gloom that gave people a justification for regulating human activity on the earth. Global warming activists have used this theory to curtail human innovation, placing the environment as a higher priority than the needs of people.

There are many scientific theories surrounding global warming, and scientists around the world are far from reaching a consensus on the issue. The Answers Research Journal published a paper in 2010 that proves this point. It is titled “A Proposed Bible-Science Perspective on Global Warming” and it reveals there are many scholars who disagree with Al Gore’s theory on global warming (https://answersresearchjournal.org/bible-science-global-warming/). The issues related to global warming are more complicated than is often presented in the media. Instead of reducing the issue to sensationalized images of polar bears floating on icebergs, the discerning reader needs to study the science behind many issues including glaciers, carbon dioxide, climate, and temperature. The Christian reader also needs to look to Scripture to make a determination about this issue. 

As a Christian, we are called to be discerning about issues that are presented to us (1 John 4:1). We are called to look to God’s word to understand how to live a godly life here on the earth (2 Tim. 3:16-17). Many Christians are unaware that there are passages in Scripture that address the theories presented by global warming. I will just focus on two main passages. 

The first issue that the Bible addresses is that, contrary to global warming activism, humans take priority over the environment. In Genesis chapter 1 God creates man and woman in his image and gives them this command, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Humans are thus commanded by God to rule over the world that he created. The environment is not more important than human life. Instead, human life takes highest priority, and the rest of God’s creation comes second. 

The second issue the Bible addresses is the destruction of the earth. Global warming activists predict massive flooding and a dramatic disruption of the atmosphere. However, the Bible makes it clear that God already brought a global flood that destroyed the earth with water, as described in Genesis chapters 6-7. God destroyed the earth because of the unprecedented level of wickedness that existed on the planet. 

After destroying the earth, God reestablished human life through Noah and his family and made a promise to Noah that He would never again destroy the earth by water (Genesis 9:11-17). God gave the rainbow as a sign that “never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” (Gen. 9:11). God further promised in Genesis 8:21-22, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.”

The last sentence is especially relevant to the theory of global warming. God’s word states that the earth’s atmosphere will continue to function according to God’s design until “the earth remains.” 2 Peter 3:10 says, “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.” This means that God has already established a time when the earth will be destroyed, not by water but by fire at the time of Christ’s return, and then the earth will be remade (Revelation 21:1). We need not fear the doomsday predictions of global warming activists because the Bible already tells us that God will determine the end of the earth, not human activity. Instead, we must listen to God’s word and ask ourselves, “Are we ready for Christ’s return?”

Four Restraints Against Evil

September 24, 2021 /

One of the best messages I heard this last year was an explanation of how God has given humanity four restraints against evil. The reason I thought it was so memorable was because of its biblical clarity and timeliness. It was a timely message because this last year has been filled with the most disruption to our society that I have ever experienced. The message brought clarity because it showed how the Bible explains what happens to a society when God’s societal restraints have been removed. 

Pastor John MacArthur has preached on these four restraints on several occasions. I was able to find a manuscript of his sermon from February 22, 2015. This article is a summary of that message. 

The first point of the message is that the greatest evil in the world is sin, which resides in the heart of every human being. God’s work makes it clear that all humans are born into sin (Rom. 3:23). Jesus said, “That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man.  For from within, out of the heart of man, proceed evil thoughts, acts of sexual immorality, thefts, wickedness, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting, and wickedness, as well as deceit, debauchery, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness.  All these evils proceed from within and defile the man.” (Matthew 15:18-19 ESV) 

In order to protect against the wickedness of the human heart God has given each human a personal restraint called the conscience. The conscience allows every person to know right from wrong because God has written the law on the hearts of all people (Romans 2:15). Romans 1:18-23 explains how God is just for judging people for their thoughts and actions because each of them has a conscience that tells them there is a God and that there is right and wrong. 

Humans are able to twist their God-given conscience in two ways. They can create a new morality and convince themselves it is right. We can clearly see this with the issue of abortion. People are trying to convince themselves that the mother can choose one life over another. The other way to twist the conscience is by rejecting God’s law that defines right and wrong. This can be done by teaching people to ignore their conscience. This is why we hear our society proclaim that “Guilt is bad” when guilt for sin is actually the result of a keen conscience. 

If someone has a twisted conscience, then they have removed the restraint of their God-given conscience, and they feel free to commit all kinds of evil against themselves and others. 

The second restraint against the human propensity towards evil is the family. One of the reasons God gave marriage to humanity was so people would be born into families where the father and mother would invest countless hours into training up the children so they would have a keen conscience that would guide them the rest of their lives (Deuteronomy 6). MacArthur put it like this, “The family is the divinely-given institution for formation of restrained sinners, who by multigenerational morality and wisdom with instruction and discipline in love develop into good citizens who benefit others, enjoy God’s creation, and are thankful to Him.”

If a society begins to see the degeneration and failure of families, then that society will see the rise of wickedness in society because the restraint against evil has been weakened.

The third restraint is civil authority or government authority. God has ordained governments to have authority on the earth so that they will punish bad behavior and encourage good behavior (1 Peter 2:14). The main purpose of human institutions is to enforce moral behavior. The government as an entity is used by God to protect citizens from uncontrolled chaos and anarchy. 

There are many examples of countries descending into chaos when the government is removed. I worked in Albania several years after the country descended into anarchy in 1997. Many of the police and military in the country left their posts, and for a short time the country was governed by “self-rule.” The Bible records a similar time in the book of Judges when it says, “Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” (Judges 21:25) 

The fourth restraint is a spiritual restraint. It is the restraint that true, biblical churches bring to the evil in society. These churches are a restraint against evil in society because they are filled with people who teach the truth. Pastors of these churches proclaim how people can be saved from their sin. These are the churches that the gates of hell can not overcome because through the gathering of believers and the preaching of God’s word, people are changed from sinners into saints (Romans 10:9-10). 

Pastor MacArthur’s message was a sobering one. Over the last century our country has been on a trajectory to remove these four restraints from society. If families are broken, then people will not be taught the natural restraints found in a nurturing home. If the government becomes corrupt, then morality will not be enforced. If the country is filled with false churches, then people will not be restrained spiritually from their sin, and the country will descend into chaos. 

Thankfully, God has made his promise to believers in Matthew 16:18 when Jesus said, “I will build my church.” We can have hope knowing that he is in control. As Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” 

Standing Firm

September 3, 2021 /

Earlier this year I wrote an article arguing that the local church is essential. No matter what the government says, God’s word makes it clear that believers are called to continue gathering together for fellowship (Hebrews 10:24-25). The government can tell Christians to stop stepping over the entrance of the church, but if the government decides to draw that line in the sand then they are the ones who have over-stepped their God-given jurisdiction. Romans 13 makes it clear that God ordains governments to reward good behavior and to punish bad behavior. But we must not forget that God is the one who ultimately defines what is right or wrong, not the government. As Christians, we must never forget that gathering together to worship God is always good. 

The County of Los Angeles did not agree with that last statement and so in August of last year they sued Grace Community Church for refusing to enforce Covid-19 guidelines such as in-person meetings, wearing face coverings and physical-distancing requirements. The church immediately sued the state and county for restricting their constitutional rights for religious freedom. 

Many Christians were confused about who was in the right, the state or the local church? Now the issue has been clarified considerably. Just this week, the LA County Board of Supervisors recognized they could not force churches to follow the health departments guidelines. The

board voted to pay the church $800,000 for legal fees (half will be paid by the county and half by the state). In total, the county will end up paying $1,350,000 in legal fees for suing the church. The board released the following statement, “After the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that some public health safety measures could not apply to houses of worship, resolving this litigation is the responsible and appropriate thing to do.”

I would completely agree with that statement. The county learned an expensive lesson about over-stepping their jurisdiction. The first amendment clearly states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” As Christians we are to respect and uphold our country’s laws, but if they ever go against the law of Christ, as revealed in Scripture, then the outcome is simple. We must always obey God’s law over human law or run the risk of sinning against our conscience. 

That issue of conscience also came into play with pastor James Coates and the Alberta Health Services (AHS) in Alberta, Canada. You may remember that he was put in jail because he could not agree with the stipulations of bail, which required him to stop leading his congregation. He knew, before God, that he had to stay in jail because he could not willingly agree to stop preaching the gospel. 

On April 7, 2021 the AHS requested local law enforcement to seize the property of GraceLife Church. When church members continued to occupy the building the AHS ordered triple fencing to be placed around the entire campus. This did not stop the church from meeting. Instead, they found secluded locations where they could meet without being disturbed by the government. 

On July 1, 2021 the church was able to move back onto their property because the AHS rescinded the restrictions that had previously been placed upon them. Pastor Coates sued the health department, but in June a judge dismissed the case stating that James Coates’ religious freedom rights had not been violated. Pastor Coates plans to appeal the decision. 

Covid-19 has forced Christians around the world to confront their fears. Do we fear God and his command to continue gathering together? Do we fear a virus? Do we fear the government? 

The leaders of Grace Community Church and GraceLife are to be applauded for standing firm in the face of opposition. Their conviction to gather as the local church will always be a cherished belief of true believers. Throughout history Christians have continued to meet in times or war and plague and states of emergency. The apostle Paul gave us the right perspective when he wrote, “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18) 

Citizens of Heaven

August 27, 2021 /

The struggle of living a holy life in a fallen world can be overcome if believers find their identity in Jesus Christ, instead of some cheap substitute. 

In an interview about his book Dangerous Calling, Paul David Tripp said, “The normal human struggle is “I look for identity horizontally, when I was hardwired by God to get it vertically.” This is a simple concept, but it is incredibly profound. If a Christian understands that his identity is wrapped up in Christ, then he is mentally equipped to resist the desires of the world, the flesh, and the devil.

The apostle Paul understood this. He wrote, “Whatever gain I had I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” (Philippians 3:8 ESV) Paul was able to write “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” because his identity was centered upon the person of Jesus Christ. Instead of finding purpose in legalistic religious tradition, Paul was consumed with serving Jesus Christ and bringing glory to his heavenly Father.

This really hit me when I was preparing for our church family’s sermon series on Philippians. I was struck with how much time Paul spent helping his readers understand their identity as followers of Christ. He mentions more than a dozen illustrations that help create a vivid picture of how a Christian is supposed to see themselves. 

One of the most powerful illustrations is found in Philippians 3:20, “But our citizenship is in heaven and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.” 

Jesus Christ is our king and we are his citizens. This can be difficult for us to grasp because there is no flag for Heaven. God does not have a political embassy on Pennsylvania Avenue. 

A day is coming when his spiritual kingdom will be gloriously established as a physical domain here on the earth, but until that day comes we have to live as spiritual citizens of heaven. 

This is difficult to do because we are surrounded by a society that constantly distracts us from our spiritual citizenship. As Americans this can be a great struggle because we are taught to ground our identity in our homeland. We are taught to salute our flag and pledge our allegiance to the great ideals that this country was founded on. And I agree that our constitution has a wonderful standard for protecting the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, but as Christians we must never forget that those ideals pale in comparison to what awaits us in heaven. 

I think one reason I have been so impacted by this is because I have spent almost half of my life outside of the United States. Whenever I have travelled elsewhere as an adult I have understood that I am an American traveling abroad. I am just visiting. I know these other countries are not my home. I am just a passing through. This mindset has helped me grasp what Paul was talking about in Philippians. As a Christian, my citizenship is in heaven. I am just a sojourner on this world. I am grateful for the time God gives me in the United States, but I know it pales in comparison to what God has in store for us when the Eternal State is established on the earth. Revelation 21:23 says, “And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.” 

When life is difficult here on the earth I find great comfort knowing this is not my eternal home. I  can give up the fleeting pleasures of this world because I know lasting treasure is only found in heaven. I pray this will be an encouragement to you today. Remember as a Christian you are a citizen of heaven and that can give you the peace needed while living on this tumultuous earth. 

Christians with Conviction

August 12, 2021 /

“…for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.”  — 2 Timothy 1:12


The Apostle Paul was a man who was fully persuaded about the importance of the Person and work of Jesus Christ. Though he was facing execution for his proclamation of the gospel and his faith in Jesus Christ, he knew that “for me to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21) 


Acts 18:4 says that Paul “… reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.” Verse 13 of that same chapter records the complaint of some religious leaders concerning the Apostle Paul. “This fellow persuades men to worship God contrary to the law.”  Acts 19:8 says that Paul “…went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God.


Without question, the apostle Paul was a man of intense conviction!  Those to whom this apostle spoke were never left trying to guess what he stood for. Paul made no attempts to “razzle dazzle” people with ambiguous rhetoric.  No double talk, no evasive dialogue to side skirt the issue. When this man spoke, all who were present soon knew of his allegiance to Jesus Christ.


How refreshing!  Especially in a day were so many who profess to follow Christ are so unpersuaded about what they believe, why they believe it and their commitment to live it out. Some of the blame for that may be that many pulpits are rather ambiguous when it comes to a clear presentation of who Jesus really is and why He came. The purity of the gospel of Christ is being exchanged for a kind of psychological counseling session or it’s cheapened by today’s pop theology into a gospel that promises you the moon if you just know the proper “keys” to getting what you want from God. This distorted version of the gospel has grown rapidly in popularity over the years even though much of what is being taught does not mesh with the clear teaching of scripture. 


Today what is needed in the body of Christ, are clarion voices that will not give way to these seducing doctrines. Jesus’ church needs believers who are absolutely persuaded about who Jesus truly is, what He truly is like and what He came to accomplish. His church needs men and women who have a deepening knowledge of Whom they have believed and are absolutely persuaded to keep that which they have committed to do for the great cause of their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! People who not only know what they believe but are committed to living it out in every strata of life.


Too many congregations today are top heavy with tag-a-long, do as you please believers. Never really persuaded about, nor committed to, anything in particular. They never live out their faith in such a way so as to persuade a lost person about their need to trust Christ. These people are salt that has lost its saltiness (Luke 14:34), candles that are hid under a basket (Luke 11:33). They are characterized by shallow convictions which stem from a shallow understanding of the Person of Christ and the work He came to accomplish.


The writer of the book of Hebrews urges all believers to “draw near [to Christ]…in full assurance of faith…” We are to be confident, absolutely persuaded, of who Christ is, what He is like and what He desires in terms of our commitment to His kingdom.


Paul prays for the church at Ephesus that “the Father of glory would give them the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him [the Person of Christ];and that the eyes of their understanding would be enlightened; that they would know what is the hope of his calling…[the work of Christ].”


Find someone who is absolutely persuaded about the Person and work of Jesus Christ, and you’ll find someone who is committed to His calling upon their life.

Pastor Frank Caudell has served as an associate pastor at South Valley Church in Lemoore for over twenty years. You can contact him at frank@svcclemoore.org. 

Feminism vs. Femininty

August 6, 2021 /

Feminism steals from women the beautiful design of femininity that God intended for them to pursue. Instead of rebelling against God’s wonderful design, women can discover the beauty that comes from living the way God intended.


Rebecca Lemke is an author and blogger who writes about her struggle to live as a woman of God in a godless society. I was struck by an article she wrote titled, “Feminism tried to steal my femininity.” In it she describes how, “Feminism, not the patriarchy, was what tried to steal my choices and my femininity.” She included the following quote as an accurate summary of her thoughts on feminism, 
“I think there is a fundamental understanding that lies at the root of feminism. This has impacted women of all ages, but I think it has especially impacted these young girls. This sense that freedom is the ability to do whatever I want, whenever I want, and that the earlier I can experience this total freedom, the better. But we know that freedom is the ability to do what you ought to do, to do the good, to choose the good.” – Coleen Carrol Campbell (emphasis added)


Jesus Christ told his disciples, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32) What a beautiful concept! The truth will set you free. The truth doesn’t restrict and burden God’s people. It liberates them to live the way God intended. The truth about femininity is that God has designed women in a wonderful way and he wants them to pursue the high calling He has given them. If a woman will repent of her sin and trust that Jesus Christ died on the cross to save her then she will be saved (Acts 2:38). If a Christian woman will commit her life to Christ, then she will seek to live the way God intended her to live. 


The Bible explains that the essence of femininity is to receive what God has given. God created Eve to be a helpmate for Adam (Genesis 2:18). She was to receive this calling and purpose and find great fulfillment in pursuing her calling as a servant of God by helping her husband in his unique purpose and calling. Unfortunately, Eve wanted to have more than God gave and so she fell into sin and took what had not been given to her. 


Mary, on the other hand, is a positive example of femininity in the Bible. When Mary was visited by the angel Gabriel, she responded the way God intended. She said, “I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”(Luke 1:38) Her reply is the essence of femininity. She was ready to receive what God had given her, and she flourished as a result. 


Elizabeth Elliot paints a picture of femininity in a chapter entitled “The Essence of Femininity.” She writes, “Think of a bride. She surrenders her independence, her name, her destiny, her will, herself to the bridegroom in marriage. This is a public ceremony, before God and witnesses. Then, in the marriage chamber, she surrenders her body, her priceless gift of virginity, all that has been hidden. As a mother she makes a new surrender—it is her life for the life of the child. This is most profoundly what women were made for, married or single (and the special vocation of the virgin is to surrender herself for service to the Lord and for the life of the world).” Taken from Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (1991). 


Feminism is at odds with the calling that God revealed for women in His word. The Oxford Leaners Dictionary defines feminism as “the belief and aim that women should have the same rights and opportunities as men; the struggle to achieve this aim.” Bell Hooks wrote that “feminism is a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression.” The last word of Hooks definition reveals how much modern feminism has been influenced by critical theory, which is a philosophy that divides the world into the oppressed and the oppressor. 


According to feminism, men are the oppressors and women are the oppressed. And any God who describes a purpose and roles for women that do not fit with the feminists ideals of equality is thus also considered to be oppressive. This makes the feminist ideology incompatible with Scripture. As Elisabeth Elliot writes, “The feminist theology of Christians (I cannot call it “Christian feminist theology”) is a Procrustean bed on which doctrine and the plain facts of human nature and history, not to mention the Bible itself, are arbitrarily stretched or chopped off to fit.” 
Feminism steals from women the beautiful design of femininity that God intended for them to pursue. Instead of rebelling against God’s wonderful design, women can discover the beauty that comes from how God intended both men and women to live. 

The Myth of Critical Race Theory

August 3, 2021 /

Many people refer to Derrick Bell as the father of Critical Race Theory (CRT). He worked tirelessly to promote a racially driven philosophy of law during his tenure as the first African American professor at the Harvard School of Law (1971-1990). He wrote books and articles. He spoke at conferences and even staged protests to seek to legitimize CRT in the American consciousness. Those who agreed to the presence of systemic racism in the United States were said to have “woken up” to the endless oppression of minority groups. Those who disagreed were dismissed as narrow-minded racists. 

One political scientist named Adolph Reed Jr. heard Derrick Bell speak at a Harvard conference in 1991. He remembered that Bell made the audacious claim that African Americans had made no progress in society since the end of the Civil War. Mr. Reed dismissed Bell’s comments as “more a jeremiad than analysis.” A jeremiad is a “long, mournful complaint” made against a perceived injustice. In Bell’s case his complaint was negated by the fact that he was a tenured African American Harvard professor. 

We shouldn’t be surprised that Derrick Bell’s teaching was lacking in logical clarity. You see the philosophy he believed in did not require it. Critical Race Theory is not like other social sciences that encourage analysis and critique. No, CRT is the opposite of analytical. It is subjective. It does not try to explain why something exists. It merely declares that systemic racism is real and then looks for ways to support it. Common sense is not needed with CRT. The only sense that is needed is one that looks for racism under every stone.  

The Oxford dictionary of Critical Theory defines the theory like this, “The word critical should thus be understood to mean the opposite of analytical. It refers to a set of concepts whose reach is always greater than their grasp. Critical Theory is interested in why human society failed to live up to Marxist enlightenment and became what it is today, unequal, unjust and largely uncaring.” This pessimistic perspective on society feeds off a victim mentality. As long as people buy into the myth of the oppressed and the oppressor it can survive, but when the bubble of critical theory bursts, the subjective foundation of CRT crumbles. 

The apostle Paul warned the church in Ephesus about false teachers who would promote “myths and endless genealogies.” He warned Timothy that they “do not understand either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.” (1 Timothy 1:7 ESV) The Bible reveals CRT to be a myth because the Bible teaches all humans belong to one race, the race that God created in His image (Genesis 1:27). If proponents of CRT would accept the bible’s unifying outlook on humanity then the divisive worldview of CRT would come to an end. 

When Max Horkheimer (1895-1973) coined the term “critical theory,” Darwinian thought was very much in vogue. Race was not seen as a social construct, but as a scientific category that separated one group of people from another. Geneticists did not know that 99.9% of human DNA is shared by all humans, regardless of differences of skin color or ethnicity. The myth of racial division was maintained because people had been taught to think in terms of the color of their skin and not the content of their character. 

Thankfully, geneticists are now calling for “race” to be disbanded as a category. Michael Yudell, a professor of public health at Drexel University in Philadelphia wrote, “It’s a concept we think is too crude to provide useful information, it’s a concept that has social meaning that interferes in the scientific understanding of human genetic diversity and it’s a concept that we are not the first to call upon moving away from.” 

As with any myth, there comes a time when truth makes it fade away. I for one am tired of people referring to each other by the color of their skin. We need to realize race is not a helpful category for humans. Darwin had no problem referring to people by their skin color because he thought certain people came from chimps and others from gorillas! He promoted referring to people like animals because he thought that is where we came from! 

I won’t be surprised if evolutionists continue to use racist terminology to describe people, but Christians should not. According to the Bible, there is only one race, the human race. We believe humans are made in the image of God! Let’s honor Him by referring to his creation in an honorable way. That will help bring an end to the myth of Critical Race Theory by reminding everyone that we all come from one race, the race of Adam and Eve! 

Waiting-Expectantly

August 3, 2021 /

At the end of the day, a father’s great delight is to be greeted with “Daddy!” A child’s excitement and anticipation of his or her father’s arrival is so encouraging. Their chatter and smiling faces are the highlight of any day. One may want to play catch and another may want to read a story. Most of all, children want to spend time with their dad. They desire his attention, love, and praise.

The Apostle Paul wrote to Titus about another reunion that will happen one day, “Looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus.” (Titus 2:13, Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)) This event is called the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Vance Havner, a prominent twentieth century Southern Baptist pastor and evangelist said, “We are not just looking for something to happen; we are looking for Someone to come! And when these things begin to come to pass, we are not to drop our heads in discouragement or shake our heads in despair, but rather lift up our heads in delight.” Jesus Christ’s return is imminent. Believers are to be expecting it.

“Looking for” in the Greek New Testament (GNT) has several facets of meaning. The first is to accept or receive someone or something to yourself. The second facet is to patiently wait for that expected event. The third is to look forward to the arrival of a future event. The GNT uses “looking for” to refer to the believer’s persistent outlook of the Lord Jesus’ return.  (Luke 2:25, 38; Mark 15:43).

The phrase “looking for” is in the present tense with continuous action indicating we are to always be looking for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. It carries the concept of patience with expectation of Christ’s return. We do not know when Jesus Christ will return. However, we know it is imminent, meaning it can take place at any time.

Some have made the mistake of trying to predict when Jesus will return. That is a waste of time. Scripture tells us we will not know when He will return, but we must be ready. Matthew 24:36 says, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.”

At the time of Jesus Christ’s ascension, the angels prophesied the Lord would return to earth in the same manner that He went to Heaven. Acts 1:11 records the following, “They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.” Paul described Christ’s appearing as the blessed hope and glory. The Lord’s return will bring happiness and be filled with great expectations. Jesus will come with high honor. He is called the great God and Savior, Christ Jesus.

The Bible says, “Our Savior gave Himself for us” (Titus 2:14). He sacrificed Himself by enduring personal loss for mankind. This phrase adequately describes Jesus Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross. Romans 5:8–10 says, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”

Jesus Christ’s gift of salvation had two purposes. The first was to “redeem us from every lawless deed” (vs. 14b). The Greek word “redeem “means to liberate a captured person by paying the price demanded for his return. Jesus sacrificed Himself for us. 1 Peter 1:18–19 says, “knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.” Everyone was in open defiance to God’s law because of Adam and Eve’s disobedience in the Garden of Eden. This is the reason for Christ’s redemption of believers.

The second purpose was for Christ to purify or cleanse a people for Himself. Jesus is purifying a people group for His own possession. His chosen ones are zealous and enthusiastic for performing good works. It carries the aspect of being militant in serving God. Believers are obliged to do good works. Ephesians 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”

The reason believers are to wait expectantly for Jesus Christ’s return is that “the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men” Titus 2:11 (LSB). It is by God’s grace that Jesus died for us. We have been offered the free gift of salvation because of God’s mercy. His grace is unmerited and undeserving favor.

It is important to stress that the phrase “to all men” does not refer to universal salvation. In reality it designates the whole entity of humanity. It is a reference to the whole and not to the individual parts. The gift of salvation is offered to all of humanity, but each individual must respond separately. John 3:36 says, “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” Have you received Christ? God’s word says “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.” (John 1:12)

Therefore, believers are to be anxiously waiting for the Lord’s return. We are to always be continually looking for Jesus Christ, obeying God’s Word, and patiently serving our Lord. So, perhaps He will come today! We are to be waiting expectantly! (All Scripture references are from the NASB95 unless otherwise noted). 

A Story of Perseverance

June 18, 2021 /

Can you guess which church is the oldest protestant church in California? Is it Immanuel Presbyterian Church of Los Angeles? First Baptist Church of San Francisco? Or St. John’s Lutheran Church of Sacramento? If you guessed the church just down the street from Fisherman’s Wharf then you are correct! 

The First Baptist Church of San Francisco (FirstSF) has been in continual existence for 171 years (founded in 1849)! The current pastor, Ben Day, is the 22nd pastor to shepherd the congregationy. I wrote him an email this week, and he was kind enough to write back. He wrote this, “The members at FirstSF regularly speak of the faithfulness of God towards our church. They know that it is only because of God and Him working through faithful members that the church has been able to serve in the heart of SF for so long.”

He also wrote this, “A church that hopes to experience God’s faithfulness towards them must be faithful to God. While God is certainly faithful to us in times when we are unfaithful, we should not use that as a license to be unfaithful. In the letters to the seven churches in Revelation 2-3, Jesus makes it clear that he will remove the lamp stand of the churches that aren’t faithful to Him. This means being faithful to His Word.”

I was struck by what a powerful testimony FirstSF can be for true believers here in California. The churches that are faithful to God’s word will last. They will survive the fires, pandemics, and political turmoil of this age. Pastor Ben reminded me that Covid-19 is not the first pandemic that their church has survived. They have pictures from the Flu pandemic of 1918 with people in their congregation worshipping outside with face coverings. FirstSF also survived the great earthquake and fire of 1906! Even though their beautiful sanctuary burned down, they were able to trust in God and rebuild in their current location. 

It is sobering to consider what God has brought their church through. And it is encouraging to know they don’t give credit to created beings. No, they give credit to the Creator God and his amazing faithfulness to them! He is the one who has brought them through those devastating difficulties and he is the one who can bring them through any trial that may come their way. 

This weekend I am preaching on the need for our church to persevere, and I have been meditating on these questions, “How long will our church last? Will we be faithful to the commands of Scripture? Will God allow us to keep the lamp stand for this generation and those to come?” We don’t know when our Lord and Savior will return, but it could be very soon! Are we going to be found faithfully defending the truth? Will we “Keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ?” (1 Tim. 6:14)? 

These are weighty questions that deserve careful thought and consideration. Every church in California needs to consider if they are being faithful to Scripture. If not, they must repent and return to God. If they are being faithful, they must cry out to him to sustain them through the continual temptations of life and the attacks of the enemy! May God protect His church as she awaits the return of Christ! Maranatha! 

Pastor Tim is the teaching pastor at Grace Baptist Church Lemoore. The church is celebrating 42 years of God’s faithfulness! You can read more of Pastor Tim’s articles at www.christandcommonsense.com.

Surprised by the Narrow Gate

June 11, 2021 /

One of the most surprising conversations I’ve ever had was with a professing Christian who believed all religions lead to heaven. I remember it was my freshman year of college and I had travelled back to Thailand to visit my parents. As part of my trip I had to go to the immigration office and that meant waiting in a long line for the paperwork to get processed. While waiting I struck up a conversation with a self-described “seeker” who had traveled from the U.S. to southeast Asia on a religious pilgrimage. We talked for a long time about his travels and life. He told me about his fascination with Hinduism and Bhuddism. I asked him what he thought about Jesus Christ, and this friendly ex-pat told me he was a Christian. I remember being surprised because I had never met anyone who was so confused. He told me a phrase I have unfortunately heard many times since then, “I think all religions lead to God.”  

I wasn’t sure how to respond to such relativistic thinking, but I knew I had to say something. Looking back I think it would have been helpful to ask him a few diagnostic questions to show him the error of his ways, but instead I said, “Sir, I am a Christian and I know the Bible says there is only one way to heaven and that is through belief in Jesus Christ.” I wanted to press the point home so for the first time in my life I told someone to stop calling themselves a Christian. I said, “Please do us all a favor and stop calling yourself a Christian. You are only going to confuse other people and you are going to hurt the reputation of those who are true believers.” 

I thought he would get upset, but he didn’t. Clearly, he had never studied the Bible enough to know you can’t use it to create your own spiritual mash-up of religions. I’m not sure how many other people he had talked to about his views, but I wanted to make sure he didn’t leave our conversation thinking Christianity had room for his philosophy of life. 

As I reflect back on that conversation I know the most surprising part was not that he was a professing Christian, it was that I was emboldened enough to tell him he was wrong. I did not consider myself an evangelist or an apologist. I just wanted to make sure he knew he couldn’t get away with such intellectual dishonesty. 

I’ve prayed for the man and I have often wondered how God used that conversation in his life. I hope he was surprised enough to go back and study the Bible for himself. I hope he read Jesus’ teaching in John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”  Or he could have read Acts 4:21, “Salvation exists in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” 

That conversation took place more than twenty years ago. Now, that man’s relativistic attitude has turned mainstream. I have heard dozens of people say they are Christians when the Bible would say they are not. They think they can be a Christian and say “All roads lead to heaven” because no one has shown them the folly of their ways. They need Christians to lovingly tell them about the exclusivity of Jesus Christ. You can’t create a piecemeal version of spirituality that adds other religions to the Bible. Other religions can add teaching under their umbrella of philosophy, but Christianity has no umbrella. There is a narrow gate that leads to life, and Jesus urged the crowds listening to him, “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matthew 7:13-14) May we all strive to enter by the narrow gate to heaven which is only through Jesus Christ.

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