Christians should not be superstitious!

Hey Friends,

A Happy Friday 13th to everyone who reads this. Many folks who are Paraskevidekatriaphobics will stay home from work today because they are afflicted with a morbid, irrational fear of Friday the 13th.

Those who suffer from Triskaidekaphobia will also probably have a rough day because they have a fear of the number 13.

Basically every culture or civilization has dealt with many different types of superstitious beliefs. A little internet research will result in superstitious beliefs like: Don’t let a black cat cross your path, don’t walk under a latter, don’t spill the salt, cross your fingers etc. etc. Some folks believe 13 is an unlucky number because Judas was the 13 person at the Last Supper.

According to gotquestions.org:“Superstition is based on the ignorant faith of an object having magical powers. Another word for superstition is “idolatry.” The Bible does not support the idea of things occurring by chance, but nothing is done outside of God’s sovereign control. Either He causes or allows everything in keeping with His divine plan (Acts 4:28; Ephesians 1:10).”

I have never really been a person who entertained the idea of being superstitious. However, over the years I have been shocked by the number of Christians I have encountered who seem to be caught in in different levels of superstition. From “finger-crossing,” to “reading horoscopes,” Christians should never even dabble in these ungodly things. Why?  Because the Bible teaches that two of the most important attributes of God, spoken of in the Bible are God’s Sovereignty and God’s Providence. 

When we say, “God is Sovereign,” we are saying that God has supreme authority over the universe and has the absolute right to do with His creation what He wills. God is in charge of all that takes place in the universe.

When we speak of the “Providence of God,” we are saying that God is in the business of working all things together in the universe to accomplish His will.

This is what Paul is talking about in Romans 8:28 when he tells the church at Rome that “All things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose!”

Why would a Christian have to be superstitious when God is working all things together for their good? When we act in ways that are superstitious, what we are saying to God is, “I don’t trust you or your Word.”

We, as Christians, are supposed to be different than the world. So, stop worrying about black cats, broken mirrors and spilling the salt. Stop knocking on wood and start trusting God and His Word to lead and guide your life.

Never think that your horoscope or the stars can tell you what your day is going to be like and instead, read the 66 love letters God has written to you in His sacred and Holy Word. If we truly want the world to see Jesus in us, we need to stop being so much like the world. We can do it if we will simply rely and depend on God and His Word. Have a great weekend,

Living Life to the Full,

Pastor Scott

JUSTICE HAS BEEN REPLACED BY TOLERANCE

Hey friends,

I hope you had the opportunity to enjoy and celebrate the 4th of July; also know as Independence Day. It must have been a time of great fear and trepidation as the original signers of the Declaration of Independence penned their names on this sacred document. I am sure each family represented at the signing knew of the risk of this declaration, but they also believed that the hope of a greater reward in the future was worth the risk.

My family and I celebrated Independence Day in Billings, Montana at an event called, "Celebrate Freedom." We feasted on Hamburgers, Bratwurst, Ice Cream and Ice Cold Lemonade. We also waited until 10:15 p.m. for the sun to completely go down to achieve the perfect darkness for viewing fireworks.

As I watched the fireworks I thought about what our country used to be and what our country has become. We were once a nation that feared the God of the Bible and wasn't afraid to invoke His name at school functions, city council meetings or simple picnics in the park. We were a nation of morals and principles the were grounded in God's Holy Word. We were once a nation where you could call sin "sin," and were not labeled a bigot or accused of being intolerant. We were a nation that showed honor to both our military hero's and our elderly. We were a nation that believe in hard work and its reward. We were a nation that stood for "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." One of the most important virtues we believed in as a nation was the biblical virtue of justice.

Sadly, our nation (generally speaking) has become a nation that no longer fears God. In fact, you can choose your own God if that you makes you happy and others have no right to judge you or criticize your God. Our nation has become a nation where invoking Gods blessing, guidance, or protection can be offensive to some, so it is no longer allowed for the rest of us. Our nation has become a nation that believes all "Love relationship" should be seen as equal and validated by the state. Our war hero's and elderly are treated like "second class" citizens. Our nation has become a nation that encourages free-loaders and rewards those who will not work for a living.

I believe the cause of much of this I have described is the lack of reverence for the biblical virtue of "justice" that has been replaced in our nation by the ungodly worship of the unbiblical virtue of "tolerance."

Tolerance has become the cure for any thing that troubles our culture.  When immoral behavior or judgment between what is right and what is wrong rears it ugly head, we simply are told to cover that with a large amount of tolerance, and the world will be a better place. When a philosophy or worldview is shared that is different than a biblical world view, we are urged to never disagree or judge another person's worldview, but to simply invoke the virtue of tolerance. When some shares that your view and their view of the world are diametrically opposed, yet both are still true, we are called to simply acquiesce to the virtue of tolerance.

Paul Copan in his book, True for You, But not for Me, writes, "Contrary to popular definitions, true tolerance means ‘putting up with error’ - not ‘being accepting of all views’…It is because real differences exist between people that tolerance becomes necessary and virtuous."

Almost 48 years ago, I was born into a world where the culture's motto was, "If it feels good do it." Today or cultural motto is, "Judge Nothing; Tolerate Everything." I speak just as one person who fears the God of the Bible when I ask, "Isn't about time we re-evaluated this whole "tolerance" movement?"  Do we really want our children and grandchildren growing up in a world where morality and virtue have been supplanted by tolerance and wickedness?

I am not an expert on constitutional law, however, I do not believe that or nation is at a place morally or ethically where our founding fathers envisioned us being over two hundred years after signing their declaration.  

After all this, I simply want to encourage all God-fearing followers of Christ to simply live like a God-fearing follower of Christ. Stand up for the morality and virtue spoken of in God's Word. Don't be afraid to call sin, sin! Be a light in your community that points people to the grace, mercy,  forgiveness and love that is found only in Jesus Christ. Some people will still hate, you, call you a bigot and will claim you are intolerant. However, if you life your life as a follower of Christ, Jesus will someday say to you, "Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into your rest!

Living Life to the Full,

Pastor Scott