"Persecution"

Victory Can Be Yours!

Article #78 – “Persecution”

               There is trouble in River City and it starts with P but it does not stand for Pool, it stands for Persecution.  Persecution is not a new concept, it began back in the Old Testament against the Israelites and continued through the New Testament.  “Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death.  And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.” (Acts 8:1)   That was regarding the persecution and stoning death of Stephen.  It continues against the Jewish people around the world yet today.  For many years there has been persecution against Christians in China, the Middle Eastern countries, many other countries around the world, and now in America.  We should not be surprised by this as Jesus spoke of it, “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.  If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.” (John 15:18, 19)

               Persecution takes on many faces.  Kelly Shackleford, founder of Liberty Institute, states; “I have been doing these types of cases for almost 25 years now.  I have never seen the levels of attacks like these and how quickly they are now proliferating.  There are children being prohibited from writing Merry Christmas to the soldiers, senior citizens being banned from praying over their meals in the Senior Center, the VA banning the mention of God in military funerals, numerous attempts to have veterans memorials torn down if they have any religious symbols such as a cross, and I go on and on.”  Government is taking God out of the public square, out of public schools, universities, and even out of our military.  It continues and will not stop but only increase in frequency and intensity.  John writes, “Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you.” (1 John 3:13)  The world, is under the dominion of Satan.  Everyone is born into the world and is under the control or dominion of Satan beginning at birth.  We are born separated from God and are subject to Satan, the Prince of this world.  Jesus came to this world to save us from this dominion of sin.  When Jesus spoke to Saul, who becomes the Apostle Paul, on the Damascus road, He was making Paul a minister to the Gentiles and said this to him; “rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to who I am sending you, to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.” (Acts 26:17, 18)

               Those of us who have believed in Jesus Christ have been rescued by Jesus from the dominion of Satan and placed into the dominion of God.  We are still in this world but not of this world.  Because we are no longer of the world, we are hated by the world and will suffer persecution, if, we are ‘standing firm’ in the Lord and His Word.  Prepare yourself and STAND FIRM.

               You, too, can have victory in Jesus!  More to follow.

Lowell Parrish

"Being Tested"

Victory Can Be Yours!

Article #77 – “Being Tested”

               Remember the song in the “Music Man” by Meredith Wilson with Robert Preston.  We have trouble, yes, we have trouble right here in River City.  Yes, we have trouble but it is not ‘pool’ as in the song.  Christianity in this country is being challenged.  We have seen fireworks over the county clerk in Kentucky who has stood firm in her refusal to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.   Severe criticism from many that surprise you that they take such a strong position against her actions.  You can take it to the bank that this situation is only the beginning of what will become a national crises.  Next they will be testing the churches.  They, the LGBT movement, will pick and choose who and where they will strike again.  Do you notice that they test those whom they know for absolute certain that they will refuse services?  That county clerk did not stand in their way of receiving a marriage license.  She just kept them from getting one through her.  Any number of other counties, probably all counties, would have issued licenses without hesitation. 

They have already tested some in the private sector even before the Supreme Court decision.  They have taken to court the bakery business that would not bake their wedding cake and the florist that refused to make their floral arrangements for a same-sex wedding.  Those wanting these services for the wedding ceremony could have gone down the street and found any number of businesses that would have been more than happy to accommodate their wishes.  But, instead, they wanted to promote their lifestyle through the courts.  You can place your bets now that the next thing we hear about is same-sex couples testing the churches.  You know for sure that they will not test the majority of churches because the majority of churches will not only do it but heartily approve of it.  Many churches have sanctioned same-sex marriage and even have homosexuals in their pulpits and leadership positions within their church.  No, instead, they will be testing churches that adhere to the Bible teaching that homosexuality is an abomination to the Lord, “You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination.” (Lev.18:22) and, that marriage is ordained by God as being between one man and one woman. “And He answered and said, ‘Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE,’ and said, ‘FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH?  So they are no longer two, but one flesh.  What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.’” (Matt. 19:4-6)

If you are a person who believes in Jesus Christ for who and what He is, then we have an obligation to honor God and His Word.  He and His Word are the only absolutes that exists in this world and we must look to it for our direction in this life.  And, this life is our training ground, our boot camp, our place of preparation for our eternal destiny which is to be with Him.  Therefore, we must learn what He desires of us through His word, the Bible, and then ‘stand firm’.  Please remember, this does not make us homophobic, it just makes us apposed to their lifestyle because it is not an alternate lifestyle; it is a sin against God.  

You, too, can have victory in Jesus!  More to follow.

Lowell Parrish

"Love the Sinner, Hate the Sin"

Victory Can Be Yours!

Article #76 – “Love the Sinner, Hate the Sin”

               Last week’s article mentioned the county clerk from Kentucky being incarcerated for taking a stand and refusing to issue a marriage license to a same-sex couple.  She stated that it violated her Christian belief and in good conscience could not issue the license or allow one of her deputies to issue one.  Why was that a problem for her and why should it be a problem for all Christians?  Let us look at what God says about marriage.

               In the first chapter of the first book of the Bible it states, “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.  God blessed them; and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it;’.” (Gen. 1:27, 28a) “The man gave names to all of the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him.  So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place.  The Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man.  The man said, ‘This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man.’  For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and become one flesh.” (Gen. 2:20-24)  You can easily see that from the beginning, God’s design was to be marriage between one man and one woman.  The two of them were to be fruitful and multiply. 

               This is so important that Jesus repeated it in Matthew 19:4-6 where He added to the Genesis passage by saying, “So they are no longer two, but one flesh.  What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.” (Matt. 19:6) God intended for marriage to be between one man and one woman and it was to last until they were divided by death.  The words joined together is like being glued or welded together.  If you take two pieces of pine wood and glue it together then try to pry them apart, they will splinter apart but will not separate at the place they were bonded together.  The same is true with a properly welding of two pieces of metal.  You can bend or twist or pull the welded metal pieces apart but they will not break at the point where they were joined.  The same was intended for the man and woman who were joined together in matrimony.  They were not to be separated one from the other, they were now one body.

               This was God’s institution of marriage.  It was between one man and one woman, not man to man or woman to woman.  For one thing, the union between same-sex individuals cannot become one and cannot be fruitful and multiply.  It is not physically possible.  Not only that but God calls homosexuality un-natural and an abomination.  “For their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.” (Rom. 1:26, 27) And, “You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination. (Lev. 18:22)  It is easy to see why every Christian should be opposed to assisting the marriage of a same-sex couple.  We can love them but should not support their sin against God.  Don’t question the clerk and her actions, question God, it is His perfect design.

               You, too, can have victory in Jesus!  More to follow.

Lowell Parrish

"Stand Firm!"

Victory Can Be Yours!

Article #75 – “Stand Firm!”

               The past three articles have been dealing with two terrible decisions made by the U.S. Supreme Court that cast aside what God has ordained from the beginning of mankind.  While this is a sad commentary to Christians, it should not be a surprise to us.  It is part of an ongoing struggle between the forces of good and evil.  We should not be surprised when things get tough as we take a stand for the principles of God.  “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.  Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.” (Eph. 6:12, 13)

               We Christians are to stand firm, as stated in the passage above.  We are to obey governmental authority to the point where it violates the principles of God.  We, those of us who have placed our trust in Jesus Christ, must be able to recognize the difference.  We are responsible to find what those principles are so that we can “stand firm” in them.  When the Israelites fled from the captivity of the Egyptians, people had no standards by which to measure right from wrong.  So, God gave them the Ten Commandments to live by.  Those Ten Commandments that God gave to the Israelites through Moses on tablets of stone were divided into two parts.  The first four commandments were to inform man how they should conduct themselves toward their creator, the last six commandments were to inform man how to live with one another.  Now we have the complete word of God, which includes those original commandments, to guide our behavior toward God and each other.  It is our responsibility to learn from God’s word, the Bible, how He intends for us to behave.   Only then can we formulate a Biblical worldview.

              

               It has not been very long ago we were hearing in the news about the County Clerk in Kentucky refusing to issue marriage licenses for the purpose of same-sex marriage.  She was taking a bold position as she took a “stand firm” approach against the “world forces” as she stated her position that, God’s law was higher than man’s law and she could not issue marriage licenses on the grounds that it violates her Christian principles.  She was boldly following the standards that God has given us all in spite of the U.S. Supreme Court trying to re-define what God has ordain regarding marriage and family.  What was going on was persecution as she took a stand for God and His principles.  This could have become very ugly for her and for others that take the same position on this issue.  It could take the form of job loss, financial loss, and possibly even incarceration. 

The thought of persecution should not come as a shock to Christians.  Christians have been persecuted from the beginning of the church following when Jesus was crucified.  The Bible states; “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” (2 Tim. 3:12)  Therefore, if we are living godly in Christ Jesus, we can be assure that we will face persecution at some time and in some form.  Stand firm!

               You, too, can have victory in Jesus!  More to follow.

Lowell Parrish

"More Immorality"

Victory Can Be Yours!

Article #74 – “More Immorality”

               In the past two articles, we have looked at what has been called the two greatest acts of terror in America by the U. S. Supreme Court.  The first was the legalization of abortion, the second is the legalization of same-sex marriage.  The first caused the destruction in the womb of more than 58 million babies while the second was the destruction of the family.  While this all sounds a lot like politics, it is not.  It is part of a spiritual battle; “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Eph. 6:12)  We will look to Scripture to see what God has to say about it.

               This sin is nothing new as is illustrated in the Biblical account of Sodom and Gomorrah in chapter 19 of Genesis.  That may be the first time it is referred to in the Bible but is not the last.  At the beginning of creation, with Adam and Eve, God instituted marriage and it was between one man and one woman, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.” (Gen. 2:24)  It is clear that God has banned same-sex marriage but, that did not stop the Supreme Court and other courts in the land from trying to redefine morality by legalizing this sin.

               We have had an opportunity to hear or read what the Court had to say about the issue following their ruling, now let us look at a few words that God has to say on the subject.  “You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination.” (Lev. 18:22)  “If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death.” (Lev. 20:13)  Some would say that the Old Testament is no longer valid but, let us hear from the New Testament.  “For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper.” (Rom. 1:26-28)  God obviously does not agree with the actions taken by five of the Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States.

               “No human court has the authority to redefine morality.  But this human court has said murder is not murder; and marriage is not marriage; and family is not family.  They have usurped the authority that belongs only to God, who is the creator of life, marriage, and family.  Any and all attempts to define morality differently than God has is a form of rebellion and blasphemy—blasphemy against God, against His holy nature, and His holy law, and His holy people.” (Quote from, Grace To You)  With God’s clear instructions, as illustrated by the above verses, the Christian community should “stand firm” against this ruling by the U. S. Supreme Court.  God’s law is higher than any ruling by the SCOTUS.  Stand Firm!!!!!

               You, too, can have victory in Jesus!  More to follow.

Lowell Parrish    

"58 Million Murdered"

Victory Can Be Yours!

Article #73 – “58 Million Murdered”

               We concluded last week regarding two great attacks on this, the greatest country in the world.  The first of those was the legalization of abortion causing the death of more than 58 million babies.  God has so much to say about his creation of every person.  “Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward.  Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth.” (Psa. 127:3)  “For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb.” (Psa. 139:13)  “Just as you do not know the path of the wind and how bones are formed in the womb of the pregnant woman, so you do not know the activity of God who makes all things.” (Ecc. 11:5)  There are many more quotes of the same things in the Bible showing us that God has a part in the development of every human.  What is being aborted in the name of “a woman’s right to choose”, is not a fetus but a real baby.

               Numerous philosophers and scientists have shown conclusively that the fetus is a human being from the moment of conception.  As shown above, the Bible, which should be our first and final authority, supports the very same conclusion.  The Bible clearly condemns murder and provides for the protection of all human life, including the life of the unborn, as shown in the following passages: “If a man takes the life of any human being, he shall surely be put to death. (Lev. 24:17)  “If men struggle with each other and strike a woman with child so that she give birth prematurely, yet there is no injury, he shall surely be fined as the woman’s husband may demand of him, and he shall pay as the judges decide.  But if there is any further injury, then you shall appoint as a penalty life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise. (Exodus 21:22-24) “Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed, for in the image of God He made man.” (Gen. 9:6)  It is clear that God intends for life, both in and out of the womb, to be protected and someone to be held accountable for the injury or death of the unborn.  I know, many will say that these quotes are no longer valid for they are Old Testament quotes.  Nonsense, be assured, God does not change, He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow and His word likewise does not contradict itself from old to new.

               In short, while the Bible does not mention abortion, using that terminology, it is clear by implication that abortion is murder, and, don’t forget that Psalm 139 tells us that God created, or formed, our inward parts, He knit us together in our mother’s womb and that all the days ordained for us were written in His book before even one of them came to be.  There is no one anywhere with the authority to change what God has ordained in this matter.  

               From a practical stand point, people wonder what is wrong with such things as; the economy, social security, employment, the need for foreign workers (illegal aliens), the need for greater immigration, and numerous other social problems we face.  It is no wonder to me with 58 million babies murdered over 40 some years.  These babies would have been teachers, preachers, lawyers, leaders of all kinds, and all being wage earners and tax payers for years to come.

               You, too, can have victory in Jesus!  More to come on the other terrorist act by the court.

Lowell Parrish