PART SEVEN OF POST
WOULD JESUS BE WELCOME IN YOUR CHURCH TODAY--- PART SEVEN(IT IS NOW 8:45 P.M. AND I HAVE TALKED TO VIRGIL FOR AWHILE AND I HAVE BEGUN MY THIRD POINT SEVERAL PARAGRAPHS DOWN)
July 6, 7:33 p.m. This will be the beginning of the third point in my planned five point message. Before I begin I just want to make sure that everyone knows my email address as well: clarkmatthews1@aol.com. If you are new to this blog and you want to read the points I have thus far made: please go to previous posts and begin with the first one.
As I get ready to type on this point I would like to make sure that everyone honestly understands how God expects us to understand Scripture. Naturally, I am only writing to those who are converted (born-again) and I trust every person reading this has already settled that matter with Jesus the Christ. For we know that the natural man (lost) can never understand Scripture. (I Corinthians 2:14) Now, for the saved believer please read Isaiah 28:10. NOW, PLEASE DO EXACTLY THAT!
To rightly divide the Word of Truth takes verse-by-verse comparisons. It is okay to take single verses and even a part of a verse and teach doctrine... as long as that verse or part thereof does not contradict other verses or clear Bible teaching.
Let me give you an easy to understand example of what I am writing. Two different people from two different states sent an email to me about my comments against our present president, Obama. Both comments were similar. As Christians we are not to judge. Now let me ask you some questions. How many of you voted in the last presidential election? How many voted for Obama? How many of you voted for McCain? Did you draw straws to see who to pull the lever for? Or, did you as all reasonable people do... did you "judge" between the two men? If you are honest then of course you made a judgement on both of these men: one you counted as worthy, and the other you counted as "dung"... as I did Obama. I'm just kidding... maybe. Anyway, my point is that we have to judge and Christ did not condemn that, as I'm going to show you from the Bible, it is just that He wants us to "judge fairly."
Matthew 7:1 "Judge not, that ye be not judged." Now that seems pretty cut-and-dried doesn't it? It seems that we are not to judge! However, if you stop reading at that point and you are not following Isaiah 28:10, then you are either understanding and (or) espousing false teaching: for the Bible also states; I Corinthians 2:14-15 "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (Now, pay very close attention to the first eight words of verse 15.) "But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man." Which is it... Judge nothing... or judge all things? Of course it is always and forever-more that we are to judge all things!!! Now, let's do what Isaiah 28:10 teaches and read the following verse in Matthew 7:1 and read verse two... that's fair, isn't it?
Matthew 7:2 "For with what judgment ye judge, (Wait a minute... I thought He just said not to judge, why then are we being told, "For with what judgment ye judge:" Do you see what I mean by making sure you read all verses that go with a teaching and not a "sound bite" only. now let's look at the complete verse. Matthew 7:2 "For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again." Continue to read the rest of that particular teaching through to verse five and you will see that we are to always judge... but make fair judgements!
Look, whenever I say a man like Clinton, or Obama are evil men because they wantonly, actively, and vigorously pursue the deaths of millions of un-birthed babies through legislation, where is that wrong "judgement" on my part? Isn't it true that they did and do this? The last book I had published is 546 pages and much of it exposes evil men like these, and I won't rehash that in a few thousand word blog, you can buy it and read, or download it for free.
Though I have in my lifetime done much wrong that I will kneel before Christ and give account for: I tell you beforehand that I will happily stand before God and acknowledge my part in judging and exposing the actions of evil men like our present president.
(My dogs need some attention: I will publish this part and in a little while I will be back to begin work on my third point.)
If I began tonight by saying that no one should drink alcohol until they become drunken. A person who drinks alcohol could rightly say, "That's easy for you to say, because you don't drink alcohol, therefore you couldn't possibly get drunk." And they would be right.
Or, if I said no one should use tobacco in any form. Again, a person who uses tobacco could rightly say, "That's easy for you to say, because you don't use tobacco." Again, they would be right. And that type of reasoning actually makes such messages a little harder: because it is difficult for me to understand how such things could exercise control over someone since they do not interest me. However, tonight's point is different, for I am right in the middle of it.
So, you would think this point would be my easiest so far. I mean it is somewhat easier to teach people a truth about some need for improvement in their lives, when you also need the very same type of improvement. However, you also run the risk of being labeled a hypocrite for not "practicing what you preach." So, I take that risk in the hope that what I say might be of benefit to another.
I am keenly aware that tonight, as I am figuratively pointing my finger at you, there are three fingers pointing back at me. This sin I am speaking about this evening is "ever before me" and it is not a secret sin. It is open for the world to see. In fact, unless you are literally blind, it is quite obvious. I was thinking today that even a blind person might under the correct circumstance also easily figure it out. Perhaps, they might want to give me a hug... then they would know: else, they might attempt to pass me in a narrow aisle... then they would know. Or, God forbid they might have to help me up if I have fallen... "Help me, I have fallen and I can't get up." When "the girls" were young they used to have "Weeble Wobbles," need I say more?
Please remember that even if at times I treat this subject lightly, I really am serious. And I also want you to know that I am not trying to (on purpose) offend, after all I am one of you and we share the same condition: because of that you all are my "peeps." And... seriously... who wants to make one of their "peeps" mad?
Remember again that I wanted to have a message where I exposed some sacred cows within the church. If need be, go back and read an earlier blog or look up that term so you can be sure you know what it means. In that way you will see that this point fits in rather well with something that is obvious, but never spoken of. Tonight's subject, more than any other so far will be that "elephant in the room." (pun intended) The hardest decision I had to make though was whether to include this at all in my five part message, and it has nothing to do with the fact that I am involved in it. It has to do with whether I can with assurance declare this as sin... and please don't get ahead of me with verses that just popped into your mind, I will type the reason for that in a little while.
You see, when I decided to write a message and say that I had five points, it wasn't that I had five points at that time: it is just that I knew that I could easily come up with five points to talk about. In fact I could probably come up with two dozen or more on this subject. So, each day as I drive to work I am thinking about and discarding or keeping different thoughts I have. A couple of days ago when I knew that I was about to finish my second point I started coming up with my third one.
Saturday I settled on this one and I started thinking it through from all angles, then yesterday I had a new thought that made me reconsider whether or not a lot of what I had planned to write was even sin or not, in light of the Bible.
After careful consideration I felt that as long as I am able to put into words my thoughts, then "yes" it is sin and something that needs to be dealt with. Tonight, at no extra cost to you I am even going to give you a brand-new axiom. I know it's new because I made it up for this blog. Although, I make no pretense about having any original thought. So, somewhere out there I am sure this has been said before. To explain where I had the idea for this I need to give you a brief history.
Several years ago I was taking flying lessons. Early on, probably after six or seven hours of flight we were about 5,000 feet in the air when he had me to start practicing stalls. The reason for this is so that you will be prepared as a pilot if the engine on your plane stalls in mid-flight. I would pull back on the yoke and the nose would point upward and as speed decreased, the engine would stall... then I would push the yoke forward and force the nose of the plane toward the ground... as the plane began to accelerate I would restart the engine. Now, as I was doing this I was instructed to be looking at the ground and to be trying to find a suitable spot to land. This was in case the engine failed to start. It is imperative that you have as much air between you and the ground as possible. At this point you are hoping that the wings have caught some air and you are in control of a glider and not a rock, apparently it is hard to fly a rock.
Probably after four or five stalls in quick succession he said to me what all instructors have said to all students. He said, "There are old pilots, and there are bold pilots, but there are no old, bold, pilots."
Now to my axiom. Years ago and at sundry times I have taken a lot of young people to visit the elderly in nursing homes. We would take gifts, cards, stuffed animals, etc. and we would read, pray, talk, and just be a companion for a brief time to the aged and lonely. Because of my keen powers of observation (lol---private joke) I noticed something... and here is my axiom: "There are old people, and there are fat people, but there are no old, fat, people."
Of course what I am talking about in this blog is being overweight and that being sin before God. And that is where my thoughts stalled Saturday as it dawned on me as I was searching my mind for verses that supported this position and I could find nowhere in the Bible where being overweight is condemned: what is condemned is gluttony... and I will prove to you that they are not necessarily one and the same thing. Simply put: gluttony is excess in eating or drinking. Perhaps this generation and for the first time in history could well be overweight and still not eat to excess. It could well be moderate eating, but poor choices in what is eaten.
So, here was my dilemma: Is it sin if we give thanks for food God permits, eat moderately, and the outcome is being overweight? And, sadly to say I believe the answer is "yes." Let me show you why.
In the past, before processed foods, the only way people could get fat was to be gluttonous. That's why the Bible condemned it as all things were to be done in moderation. Let me give you an illustration of today. Let's say a person has an 18 hour day and at 6:00 a.m they get a sandwich, side, and coke from McDonald's. Six hours later they get a sandwich, side, and coke from McDonald's lunch menu. And at five o'clock they get another sandwich, side, and coke (My wife and Missy just pulled in out front and I have to help carry in groceries... back in a little.)
I'm back! After their five o'clock meal they stay up until 10:00 p.m. and they eat nothing else. Now, let me ask you an honest question. Does any person reading this believe the person has been gluttonous in their 18 hour day. Here is what they have had in total: three sandwiches, three sides, and three (medium) cokes.
On purpose I did not choose any sandwiches, sides, or drinks that were exceptionally high in their calorie count as I went to the online calorie counter: here is what I found; three sandwiches, sides, and medium drinks have as a calorie count for the day of 3,650 calories!
Therefore, eating in moderation but eating the wrong type of foods can lead to obesity which is only stated as sin if it comes because of voluminous eating. So, can I still honestly before God call this type of eating in moderation and leading to obesity: sin. The answer is yes. Let me tell you why.
In the past 18 months I have seen more doctors than I would have ever hoped to see in ten lifetimes. The last appointment with my regular doctor she told me some things, that, to say the least, were eye-openers. We were talking about chronic obesity and she said that being overweight leads to a "fatty" liver... and that she said can develop into cirrhosis of the liver. Did you get that? As far as the body is concerned, you can get your sustenance from a bottle encased in a brown bag, or, you can be overweight and the body's response is identical: death from cirrhosis. She went on to say that being overweight leads to diabetes, which can lead to amputations, blindness, and even death. Then she said that being overweight leads to heart-disease. Wait a minute. Do you mean that the body behaves the very same way as far as your heart is concerned if you are a pack-a-day smoker or a cheeseburger a day eater.
Look, let me ask all preachers a question. Why is smoking cigarettes wrong? The Bible nowhere mentions tobacco or its use. Unless of course you believe that when God said that upon meeting Isaac... Rebekah... lighted off the camel. Genesis 24:64b. (Sorry, that's my feeble attempt at a joke.)
Now, you are right to decry tobacco use, and the only reason is that it is harmful to the body! And it is right to decry being overweight, regardless if you got there by moderate eating, or gluttonous eating: it is because being overweight is harmful to the body!
Perhaps it would be a good thing that the next time you see someone who is overweight that you do not automatically jump to the conclusion that they consume Big Macs like M&M's. And it might also be a good thing to see someone using tobacco and alcohol and imagine that it has at least the same hold on them that fast -food has on you.
Dr. Hutson used to tell a funny story about his poor food choices. And I sometimes believe that in our hectic lives we choose badly because it is the easier thing to do: but easier is not usually right. He said that he so often ate at McDonald's that he had developed arches between his shoulder blades.
If you are reading this and you have a weight problem... regardless how you got there: pray and ask God to help you make better decisions on what you place into this "temple."
I hope you take this in the way it is intended... to be of a help.
Perhaps tomorrow evening I will start my fourth point... as soon as I figure one out... just kidding, and to show you that I am kidding, my fourth point is a much neglected New Testament teaching that causes many prayers to go unanswered.
posted by Robin Johnson @ 7:27 PM
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