True Wisdom Leads to Humility and Peace

 2 Timothy 2:22-26

Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.  Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.  And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.  Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

"Don't have anythng to do with foolish and stupid arguments."  How would your life change if you could take this advice to heart?  How many of your problems and quarrels with other people come from this trap?  If we're honest, don't most conversations on politics turn into this: foolish and stupid arguments?

Sadly, no matter what community you belong to, this will always be a challenge because if there's a community there are people there.  This is a problem that can only be caused by people, you and them.  Others aren't the only source of this problem.  Often times you are.  Just like them, you are a selfish arrogant sinner.  This is why Paul gives Timothy, and us, the advice to avoid foolish and stupid arguments.

Paul is encouraging us to guard ourselves from being drawn into this nonsense.  The guidance he gives us to help guard against this is to remember: you are the Lord's servant, be kind to everyone, and approach the situation as a teaching opportunity.  Essentially, he is telling us to keep our emotions in check and love the other person enough to want to lead them back to Jesus.  We want to instruct them in the truth so as to help them turn away from their sinful attitudes and behaviors.

When these situations come up with other people it is helpful to remember that the quarreling person has been caught in a trap of the devil.  In that moment, he has taken them captive to do his will.  What they need is for us to be compassionate and patient with them.  We need to care enough to lovingly instruct them in the truth to help them escape the trap they have been caught in.  We can not do this if we allow ourselves to get caught up in a quarrel.  Satan loves division, especially in Christ's church.

This teaching of the Apostle Paul is a key way to squash conflicts before they get started:

 Love obstinate people enough to instruct them in the truth with the hope of leading them to repentance.  

The goal is to lead them to Jesus, and remind them they are forgiven for his sake, so they can grow in faith and wisdom.

James 3:13-18

Who is wise and understanding among you?  Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in humility that comes from wisdom.  But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.  Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil.  For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.  Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.

God bless

Jason Fredrick

Awake From Your Slumber

 Romans 13:11-14

And do this, understanding the present time.  The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.  The night is nearly over; the day is almost here.  So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.  Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.  Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

This is an especially relevant message for everyone today: Christians and non-Christians alike.

For Christians, it is time to wake up from your complacency and start living your Great Commission calling.  It is time to stop living like the world and start living the faith that you profess.  It is time to stop making excuses for not engaging with your church.  It is time to stop expecting your pastor to be the only one carrying out the ministry of your church.  It is time to take responsibility for leading your family.

Christian, the church in America is dying because you have been asleep for far too long.  Wake up!  God is not fooled by your empty words.  You cannot placate God.  He knows your heart.

For the non-Christian, it is time to wake up.  Judgement Day, and your personal judgment day, is closer now than it ever has been.  It is time to turn from your self-indulgent perversions.  It is time to stop working so hard to lead people away from Jesus, especially your own children.  It is time to stop trying to make sinful lifestyles normal and acceptable so as to sear your own conscience.  

Non-Christian, you are on the road to hell.  Your arrogant rejection of Jesus Christ and his free gift of salvation is sending you to hell!  Your time is short.  Your condemnation will be forever.  Now is the time to repent and turn away from your wickedness and perversions.

The good news for everyone is simple: Jesus has already paid the price for your sins.  Your sins are forgiven.  Some will joyfully embrace Christ and recieve his free gift of forgiveness and salvation.  Some will set themselves stronger against Christ.  

The time is short.  We are nearer now more than ever.  We will all face our final judment much sooner than we think.  Will you harden your heart and hold on to your guilt?  Or will you turn to Jesus and be found "not guilty" for his sake?

You are reading this today.  You will have no excuse on your last day.

My prayer is that you turn to Jesus.

God bless
Jason Fredrick

Show Us a Sign

 Matthew 28:42

"He's the King of Israel!  Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe."

This is what the Pharisees said to mock Jesus as he hung on the cross.  Their rejection of the Savior was complete.  Throughout Jesus' ministry the Pharisees kept demanding that he show them a sign, even though when he did perform miracles they got angry at him.  These men were so blinded by Satan that they didn't even understand what was happening despite knowing the Old Testament Scriptures as well as anyone in their day.  Jesus had even connected the dots for them many times.  Revealing to everyone how he was fulfilling Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah.  Jesus had even promised them one grand sign that they would not be able to deny, even though they did: The Sign of Jonah-

        

        "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign!  But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.  For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."

- Matthew 12:39-40

This is the same sign that has been given to our generation.  As you know, we are living amongst a "wicked and adulterous generation".  People today still demand signs and "proof", even though the only sign needed has been given to us in God's Word.  All the proof needed to know the Bible is true is all around us.  Including the natural knowledge of God that exists inside every human being, even atheists.  Think about it.  If atheists really believed that there is no God, why would they spend their whole lives trying to convince you of that?  Why would they care?  They care because they are trying to purge the natural knowledge of God from their own hearts, but they can't.  So instead they join with Satan and attack God and his people

The reality is that Jesus is who said he is: the Son of God.  He proved that by being born of a virgin (True Man), living the perfect life that we can't live, dying on a cross to take the punishment for every sin (the punishment that we deserve), and then raising from the dead on the third day.  Jesus has given the Pharisees and us the Sign of Jonah.  His entire life is the only proof needed that he is the Savior of the world.  He has graciously revealed this truth to us in His Word, the Holy Bible.  You can reject it.  You can ignore it.  And all who do suffer the same judgment as the Pharisees: eternal death in hell.  

That's not what Jesus wants.  "He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9)  Jesus paid the price for the sins of all people.  He wants everyone to be saved.  He wants you to be saved.

At Pentecost, when Peter preached his sermon in Acts 2 the people asked, "Brothers, what shall we do?"

Peter responded, "Repent and be baptized, everyone of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins.  And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

This is what Jesus wants.  He wants everyone to repent and be baptized so they receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  That gift is the faith to be able to believe in Jesus as your Savior.  Jesus died for you.  He wants you to be saved.  He loves you.

God bless

Jason Fredrick

It Was Not This Way from the Beginning

 Matthew 19:8-9

Jesus replied, "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard.  But it was not this way from beginning.  I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery."

Moses allowed the Old Testament Jews to divorce because their hearts were hardened to God's Word.  It was not this way from the beginning.  Divorce is a by-product of selfishness.  Selfishness is a by-product of sin.  When God created Adam and Eve there was no selfishness in the Garden of Eden until Eve listened to Satan.  It was ultimately selfishness that Satan used to lure Eve into sin and away from God.

When Eve listened to the devil, and then enticed her husband into sin, Adam and Eve's perfect marriage was ruined forever.  Their sin has damaged every marriage since then.  Now, the challenge for every marriage is trying to overcome sinful selfishness.  This is what Jesus pointed out to the Pharisees in this section of Matthew 19: Moses allowed them to divorce because of their hard-hearted selfishness.

People in our culture don't want to hear this anymore than those Pharisees did.  In America, and countries around the world, people selfishly throw away marriages every day.  Why is that?  It's because they have hardened their hearts to God's Word.  God created marriage.  He hates divorce (Malachi 2:15-16).

Marriage is a commitment.  Whether you're a Christian or not, marriage is a life-long commitment to another person.  This is why it is so important to choose wisely, and not rush into it.  When two people get married they are committing the rest of their lives to each other- for better, or for worse.  Guess what?  The "for worse" will come.  It's not a question of if it will come.  It's a question of when, and how often?

The storms of life are inevitable.  Sadly, too many Americans have created the habit of quitting in their lives.  Quitters quit everything.  It shouldn't surprise us that mothers quit on their pregnancies (abortion) when their parents quit on their marriage (divorce).  Quitting is the legacy of the Vietnam generation.  Quitting is a generational plague just like poverty.  Quitting is a learned behavior.  None of us is born a quitter.  The fact that we exist is evidence of that.  The sperm that fertilized that egg that ultimately became you had to compete with a million other sperm to get their, and get their first.  Nobody is born a quitter.

Unfortunately, our society-and especially schools- enforce the habit of quitting.  In a society that encourages people to just quit if it gets too tough, we shouldn't be surprised that people quit on their marriage.  People quit on themselves every day.

This is not how it was at the beginning.  God did not create people to quit.  Quitting is weakness that is a by-product of sin.  Quitting comes from a lack of faith in God and a weak character.  God did not create Adam weak.  He created Adam perfect.  This is why you can break the habit of quitting of it plagues you.  You can start today by apologizing to someone you have quit on in your life, and then commit to stop quitting.  If you have quit on a marriage, you can't go back and undo all the damage that has been done; but you can repent, apologize, and ask for forgiveness.  You can work to rebuild and repair those damaged relationships with your ex and especially with your children.

Thankfully, Jesus has given us the example of the perfect husband.  He loved his bride (the Church) so much that he sacrificed himself for her.  Jesus is the perfect, selfless husband.  He died to take the punishment for all of our sins of selfishness and quitting.  Jesus is the reason we have the power today to stop quitting and recommit to living the life that he has called us to live.  

Husbands: Love your wives as Christ loved the Church.

Wives:  Respect and submit to your husbands as to the Lord.

God wants your marriage to be a blessing.  God wants to bless your marriage.  Don't quit on it!

God bless

Jason Fredrick

Hagar: Caught in the Middle

 Genesis 16:7-10

The angel of the LORD found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur.  And he said, "Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?"

"I'm running away from my mistress Sarai," she answered.

Then the angel of the LORD told her, "Go back to your mistress and submit to her."  The angel added, "I will so increase your descendants that they will be too numerous to count."

Hagar was the Egyptian servant of Sarai, Abram's wife.  Sarai didn't trust God's promise to give her and Abram a child of their own so she convinced Abram to sleep with her servant, Hagar.  As you can imagine, this led to problems.

When Hagar became pregnant she began to despise Sarai.  When Sarai complained to Abram, he told her, "Your servant is in your hands.  Do with her whatever you think best."

What Sarai thought best was to begin to abuse and mistreat Hagar.  That is why the angel of the LORD found her in the desert in the passage above.

The angel is perfectly aware of everything that Hagar has been through, but look at what he tells her: "Go back to your mistress and submit to her."  This could not have been easy for Hagar to hear, or do; but she did exactly what the angel told her to do.  She returned to Sarai.  

Maybe on her journey back, she reflected on her part in creating the problem.  Genesis 16:4 tells us that once Hagar knew she was pregnant, she began to despise Sarai.  Maybe she not-so-subtly reminded Sarai regularly that she had conceived with her husband.  We don't know exactly what form her disrespect took, but we do know that it was happening.  

When the angel told her to return to her mistress and submit to her authority, he wasn't telling Hagar to go back and endure her abuse.  He was telling her to go back and serve Sarai in humility and respect.  He was teaching Hagar to submit to the authority that God had placed over her in her life.

Paul says it this way:  

Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord.  Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men...-Colossians 3:22-23

It wasn't fair to Hagar that she was used in this way, but God didn't allow her to disrespect the authority in her life just because she had been treated unfairly.  As I stated earlier, Hagar's attitude and actions didn't help anything.  It was only after she began to despise Sarai that Sarai began to mistreat her.  Hagar played a part in her problems.

The same is true for each of us.  We have contributed to most of the problems and challenges we are faced with in our lives.  Like Hagar and Sarai, I would bet that most of your problems are the symptom of a relationship problem.  Where are you not submitting to the authority in your life?  

How's your relationship with your boss?

...with your spouse?

...with your government leaders?

Maybe you have been caught in the middle of somebody else's agenda like Hagar, but that doesn't give you an excuse to disrespect those who have been placed in authority over you in your life (see Paul's quote from Colossians 3 above).  This is your opportunity to show God's love through your attitude in this situation.  God expects us to glorify him by submitting to the earthly authorities he has placed in our lives.  Thankfully, Jesus did it perfectly to pay for all of the times that we don't.

God bless.

Jason Fredrick

What You Believe About the Bible Matters

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Does the Biblical account of Noah really matter?

Does it matter if we believe it to be true history?

It's so hard to even imagine a flood that covers the entire world, so doesn't it make more sense to just explain Noah's flood away in some way that makes sense to human "wisdom"?

These are all questions that haunt the Christian church today.  Too many so-called Christians will tell you that it doesn't really matter what you believe about the Flood.  The Bible says differently.

Many so-called Christians will tell you that the book of Genesis isn't true, literal history.  The Bible doesn't give us that option

It is hard to imagine a flood that covers the entire world.  Human wisdom and imagination are minuscule compared to the infinite power of the Lord God Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.

If this is the case, if the historical Biblical account of Noah and the Flood are true, then what is its significance?  Is it only important for proving the idiocy of molecules-to-man evolution? 

The account of Noah and the Flood is significant for a number of reasons:

1. It shows us God's patience.  He wants all people to repent and be saved.

Then the LORD said, "My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and twenty years.

The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.  The LORD was grieved that He had made man on the earth, and His heart was filled with pain.- Genesis 6:3,5-6

When God decided to judge the earth with the Flood, He gave the people 120 years to repent of their wickedness and turn back to Him.  All of the people who perished in the Flood (the whole word -8) had no excuse.  Over the course of these 120 years Noah was building the ark.  Noah was a righteous man who walked with God, so it is reasonable to believe that he was preaching and warning the people about the coming judgment the entire time that he was building the ark.

God gave those people a "time of grace" of 120 years, and he gave them a preacher who warned them of the coming judgement.  That is infinite patience and love.  Even though these people were totally wicked, God was still willing, and desiring, to forgive them.  God also displayed His final act of patience with these people by keeping the door to the ark open for seven days after Noah and his family had  entered it.  God wanted all of the people to be saved.

God is still that patient with us.  The reason He doesn't bring the Final Judgment on our world is because He wants more people to hear about Jesus, to repent, and be saved.  But just like in Noah's day, His patience will come to an end one day.  And when His judgment begins it will be too late for last minute conversions and repentance.  It will be just like in Noah's day when the rain began to fall.  The ark was closed up and it was too late for people to change their mind.

2.  The Flood symbolizes baptism which saves us.

For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.  He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, through whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built.  In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also--not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God.  It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God's right hand--with angels, authorities, and powers in submission to Him.- 1 Peter 3:18-22

An important thing to note here is that the water of the Flood is symbolic.  Baptism is not.  Baptism is real.  It works every time.  It saves by the Holy Spirit working through the water and God's Word to create saving faith in the person being baptized.  EVERY TIME!  Baptism saves!

3.  God's covenant with Noah, and us, after the Flood was over.

The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in His heart, "Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood.  And never again will I destroy all living creatures as I have done.

"As long as the earth endures,

seedtime and harvest, 

cold and heat,

summer and winter,

day and night

will never cease"

-Genesis 8:21-22

Then God gave the rainbow as a sign of this covenant.  It is a reminder to us and Him of this promise to never destroy the world again with water (Genesis 9:12-16).  Because of this promise from God we don't have to be scared when natural disasters strike.  We don't have to be scared of Satan's lies of Global Warming, or Global Cooling, or Global anything else.  God is in control of His creation.  We are not in danger of our world being destroyed at the hands of people, because people are not powerful enough to override God's covenant.  He will sustain our world until the Final Day.  The day of Final Judgment.  On that day the world will not be judged with water, like in Noah's day, but with fire.

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief.  The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.

Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be?  You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.  That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.  But in keeping with His promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. 

-2 Peter 3:10-13

There are more lessons than this that you can pull out of the account of Noah and the Flood in Genesis 6-9.  There is a lot in those four chapters of Scripture.  I have focused here on what I believe to be the three most important lessons.  All three of these points show how the Flood points to, and connects His people to Jesus.

So, after all of this, does it matter what you believe about Noah and the Flood?

Absolutely!  If you reject the account of Noah as being true, literal history, you reject the entire Word of God.  If God's Word isn't trustworthy in these four chapters of Genesis, then it isn't trustworthy anywhere else.  To reject the authority of any of the Bible is to reject all of it.  To reject the Bible is to reject the One who has given it to us- Jesus (John 1:1-5).  To reject Jesus is to reject our Savior from sin.

If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.  Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.  How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?  For we know him who said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," and again, "The Lord will judge his people."  It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. -Hebrews 10:26-31

Jesus died for every sin of every single person.  We are forgiven because of His death.  We have eternal life through His resurrection.  We know all of this because God has told us through His Word, the Bible.  All of God's Word is important.  All of God's Word is true.  What you believe about the Bible matters.  It matters a lot.

God bless

Jason Fredrick

Sibling Rivalry

Genesis 4:2b-5

Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil.  In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD.  But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock.  The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering He did not look with favor.  So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

We all know how this story ends:  Cain kills his brother out of jealousy and envy.  Sadly, this attitude is not foreign to us today.  Whether it's in our actual family or in our church family, sibling rivalries are real.  In the family, siblings are constantly competing for mom and dad's attention and favor.  In the church, brothers and sisters compete for honor and recognition.  

In the family, mom and dad need to recognize when this is going on and address it so that it doesn't get out of control.  Unfortunately, in some families, parents actually feed this destructive attitude, playing siblings against each other.  Sometimes, even playing their children against their spouse.

The same is true in the church.  The pastor and elders need to recognize when this is happening and address it.  Unfortunately, sometimes in the church the one jealously competing for recognition is the pastor.  This is just as destructive in the church as it is in the family.

The reason Cain's offering was not acceptable to God had nothing to do with his brother.  It had everything to do with his own heart.  Instead of hearing God's rebuke and repenting, Cain decided it would be easier to get rid of his brother who was making him look bad.  Cain's bad response only made things worse.  Cain's bad response seems to have established his family's legacy:

Lamech [Cain's great-great-great grandson] said to his wives,

"Adah and Zillah, listen to me; 

wives of Lamech, hear my words.

I have killed a man for wounding me,

a young man for injuring me.

If Cain is avenged seven times, 

then Lamech seventy-seven times."

-Genesis 4:23

It is amazing how sins of fathers get passed along from generation to generation.  We aren't told much about Cain's family history, but it seems like his rejecting God was a curse on his family for generations...possibly forever.  Certainly we see that Cain's grandchildren had their selfish attitudes reinforced.  They were willing to resort to violence and murder when their own egos were bruised.  Much like Cain, Lamech does not repent for committing murder, but instead he tries to justify himself.  This is the generational legacy that rebellion against God establishes.  This is why God later says to Moses that He will punish the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Him.  

If you are caught in a sibling rivalry anywhere in your life, today is the day to humble yourself and start working to resolve it.  Turn to the Lord.  Repent for your selfish contributions.  Apologize to all you have hurt.  Ask God to give you a humble and loving heart.  He loves you.  He sent His Son to die for you!  You don't have to compete with anyone for His attention.  He is able to pay attention to each and every one of us.  After all, His attention and approval is the only one that matters.

God bless

Jason Fredrick

Quote of the Week: Letters to the Church

Don't you see the weirdness in calling people CHRISTian when they aren't servants?  I know we can't force people to serve, but there has to be something we can do.  No team puts up with players who refuse to contribute.  No army puts up with soldiers who don't carry their own weight.  Why do churches continue to put up with Christians who refuse to serve?  Why don't we treat selfishness as a sin that needs to be confronted?  If Scripture commands us to serve one another, isn't it a bit strange that we give people a free pass?...
We confront sexual immorality in our churches because we are commanded to live holy lives.  The adulterous person does not represent Christ well.  But neither does the consumer.  It's a sin that has to be confronted if we want to give the world an accurate representation of the body of Christ.  And if we really love our brothers and sisters, shouldn't we be encouraging them to repent?
(Letters to the Church, Francis Chan, pp. 97-98)

Your Life is an Open Book to God

Proverbs 5:21-23

For your ways are in full view of the LORD, and He examines all your paths.

The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare them; the cords of their sins hold them fast.

For lack of discipline they will die, led astray by their own great folly.

This can be a little scary to think about.  Everything we do, everyday, is in full view of God.  Even the things we think we are doing in secret.  There are no secrets with God.  He knows it all.  He sees it all.  This even means our thoughts, what's going on in our heart and our head.  How does that make you feel when you take a moment to reflect on your day?  God saw all of those sins that know one is supposed to see or know about.  You may be able to hide those things from your spouse, your boss, your co-workers, and the rest of the world; but none of it has been hidden from God!

I don't even have to list out secret sins.  You are already thinking of yours.  

For most of us the majority of our secret sins occur in our thought life.  How would you feel about having all of your thoughts for a 24-hour period recorded and available on YouTube?  It would show words and video.  Would you have any friends left after that?  Would you still be married after your spouse saw it?

Many of these sinful thoughts we're not even aware of.  Judging others.  Looking at someone lustfully.  How about all of those thoughts you have while you are driving?

God sees, and hears them all.  Our lives, thoughts and actions, are like a never-ending YouTube video to Him.  He never turns it off, and we can never block Him from it.  Every aspect of our lives is lived out in full view of Him.

This is how the wicked are ensnared by their evil deeds.  They think that they are "getting away with it" so they arrogantly don't repent.  Their sins bind them tighter and tighter.  They think they are smarter than God- somehow they can trick Him and hide their wickedness from Him.  

The more they think they are getting away with their sins, the more they push the envelope.  They get bolder.  They get more wicked.  They get more extreme.  

This is the lack of discipline that will destroy them.  Their pride and arrogance is their great folly.  It will destroy them.  Unrepentance kills.  They continue to reject Jesus' free gift of salvation because they truly believe that they don't need it.  They believe that they are fooling God.  Even when they are confronted with their sins, they harden their hearts and dismiss the person who loves them enough to confront them. 

It is for this reason that they will die.  They reject eternal life and salvation, and instead fight for their sins.  Sadly, God will let them keep them.  It's too bad that their pride and selfishness has blinded them to the fact that Jesus has already freed them from those chains.  They are free to live a life of freedom and joy.  Instead they choose to remain shackled by the chains of sin.  They choose to remain a slave to Satan and their sinful flesh.

This is why John the Baptist came preaching his sweet message:  Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is near!

And then after we repent, we have the message of hope from Peter on Pentecost:

Repent and be baptized every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.  And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off--for all whom the Lord our God will call.-Acts 2:38-39

God wants everyone to be saved.  That's why He sent Jesus to pay the price for ALL sin.

He wants us to turn from our folly and wickedness, and "Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is near!"

Happy Advent!

Jason Fredrick

Quote of the Week- The Theology of the Cross

What a horrible burden the soul carries around, whether recognized or not, when it refuses to repent.  That pain, however, is not the cross of God's sending, but the self-inflicted wound of the sinner who still holds fast to his sin.

(The Theology of the Cross- Deutschlander, pp.27-28)

God Is Patient

Do you ever wish that God wasn't patient?  Do you ever wish he would deliver swift justice like he did in the days of Moses?  Jonah certainly wasn't happy about God's patience.  Like Jonah, sometimes God's patience can be really inconvenient for us.

Instead of thanking God for his patience and the opportunities they afford, too often we miss those opportunities because we are busy doing God's job of judging "sinners".  Sadly, our faith, which is a gift from God, can make us vulnerable to arrogance- especially if we were given faith as a small child and that is all we have ever known.  The only difference between us and those people we are judging is that we have been loved enough that someone shared Jesus with us; those people you are judging need the same amount of love.  God is patiently waiting for you to love them.  He doesn't want anyone to perish.

Thankfully, God is patient.  I know that I try that patience everyday.  If I am honest with myself, I see that I am no better than the atheist, the prostitute, or the drug dealer.  I sin everyday and rebel against God's commands for my own selfish reasons.  Thankfully, God is patient...and merciful.  He loves me.  He loves you.  He loves all of those "sinners" that we judge everyday and withhold his saving Word from.

Today, let's remember that "God so loved the world...".  And accordingly, let's tell the world, "Jesus died for them.  Their sins are forgiven."  Amen.

It's Time to Break Free!

Do you ever feel like you're not living up to your full potential?

Is life just one long continuous struggle for you?

Do you ever wonder why you can't make yourself do the things you know you need to do?

Do you know what causes all of these problems?

Here's the short list:  pain, regret, guilt, fear, anger...If you are struggling with one of the issues listed above, most likely it's because you're holding on to one of these.

If you find yourself blaming others or circumstances for your problems, you are hanging on to one of these killers.  

If you have developed the habit of making excuses, you are inflicted with at least one of these diseases.

If you want to push through your mental and emotional barriers, it's time to get honest with yourself.  Which one are you infected with?  Pain, Regret, Guilt, Fear, or Anger.  All of these diseases are terminal.  If you don't get honest about which one(s) you are infected with, it will kill you.  

It will kill every relationship you have.  

It will undermine and sabotage every endeavor you pursue.

It will keep you from making the impact in the world that you are capable of.

So which one is it?  Write it down.  Name it so you can begin to confront it.  Start taking actions to lean into it instead of avoiding it.  Start today.  

Who do you need to confess a sin to, and ask for forgiveness?

Who do you need to have a difficult conversation with?  ...an argument with?

What do you need to let go of and forgive yourself for?

What hurt do you need to let go of and stop being angry at the person or people who hurt you?

The biggest reason why most people live with their problems and struggles is because they actually believe that dealing with them will be more painful.  It probably will be...at first.  This is where you have to simply toughen up and be willing to take the pain.  Avoiding it isn't resolving anything.  It's just holding you back.  The longer you wait to confront whatever it is you need to confront, the more painful it will be.  Therein lies the answer.  Waiting another ten years to deal with it isn't going to make it fix itself.  Waiting doesn't empower you to let go and move on.  In fact, waiting does the opposite.  Waiting gives your problem more power over you and robs you of your power to fix it. 

The great thing is, you don't have to do this alone.  Odds are high that you already have someone in your life who can help you with this.  The first step is humbling yourself and asking for help.  Be honest about your struggle and don't hold back.  Be totally honest and transparent.  Don't worry about being judged or what they are going to think of you.  If you talk to someone who cares about you, they will have mercy on you and want to help because they love you.  Who can you talk to about this?

The best place to start, no matter what your challenge is, is God's Word.  Even if you haven't read the Bible in years, or ever, it is still the best place to start.  If you don't own a Bible download the You Version app or the Bible Gateway app onto your device.  Then just open it to Luke 15 and start reading.  This is the best place to start if you are totally out of ideas on how to address you issues. Don't stop there though.  Take the next step.

The next step, once you have begun to go to God's Word for answers is to join a Bible study group.  This group will help you understand more completely how God can help you.  They can help you understand how God, in fact, already has done everything necessary to help you.  It is because Jesus Christ died on the cross for all of your sins that you can let go of all of your worries, your anger, and your fears.  In Christ, you are free from all of your guilt because He has payed the price for all of your sins and wrong-doings.  You can forgive yourself, because Jesus has already forgiven you.  This is what a good Bible study group will help you understand.

This doesn't mean that you don't have to resolve past conflicts with others.  This means that through Jesus you have the power and ability to forgive those who need to be forgiven, confess any wrong doing to anyone you have wronged, and ask to be forgiven by anyone that you have hurt or wronged.  This won't be easy, but it will change your life.  It will free you from the emotional baggage you have been carrying around.

Most importantly, as the Holy Spirit empowers you to look to Jesus and trust in Him, your eternity will change.  As you continue to study God's Word and grow in faith you can be assured that you are a redeemed child of God and the cares, concerns, and fears of this world don't have any real power over you.  You can be assured that because of what Jesus has done for you, you will spend eternity with Him in heaven.

Now get started!  Stop waiting!

God bless
Jason Fredrick

Learn to Love Discipline

Proverb s 12:1

Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.

Do you love discipline?  Do you even like discipline?

Most people do not.  

I love the results of discipline, but I cannot honestly say that I love discipline.

One thing that I have learned is that self-discipline is preferable to external discipline.  The reality is that you will be disciplined; it will come from three different sources: Yourself, God, and the world (God's natural laws, i.e. The Law of Cause and Effect).  So, if you are going to be disciplined anyways, doesn't it make sense that you would discipline yourself as much as possible?

Let's look at what Solomon said above:  Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge...
Wisdom and real, beneficial, knowledge is tough to acquire.  It takes discipline.  There are so many distractions in our life that we have to be intentional about learning and self-improvement.  The reality is that discipline can be painful or uncomfortable sometimes.  It can seem like we have to give up something that we really love, and maybe you will.  The reality and purpose of discipline is that there is something better available for us, something that we want most, something that is perfectly aligned with God's plan for our lives, and ultimately there is a right and wrong way to live our lives.   It takes discipline to walk the narrow road, and it is the narrow road that leads to life- eternal life in heaven.

This needs to be our motivation for self-discipline.  We want to discipline ourselves to walk that narrow road as a way to say, "Thank you" to Jesus for everything that He has done for us.  This doesn't just mean curbing our sinful actions and desires; it also means disciplining ourselves to develop and use all of the gifts He has given us.

This is why Solomon said, "...but he who hates correction is stupid."  When we look at discipline in this light, won't we love it?  Won't we want more of it?  Anyone who doesn't is stupid.  Anyone who hates discipline hates being led back to Jesus, and His plan for us.  Sadly, because of our sinful nature we are all guilty of being stupid at times.  Fortunately, Jesus loves us enough to be patient with our stupidity and to continually discipline us.

What's the best way to learn to love discipline?  Results.  The results of discipline help us to learn to love it.  When we see how Jesus pulls us closer to Him through discipline, we love it and want more of it because we want to be closer to Him.  When we see our health and fitness improve because we discipline ourselves with regular exercise and a healthy diet, it motivates us to love that discipline.  When we have better ideas and greater understanding from the discipline to read an hour every day, we learn to love that discipline.  When we see the positive impact our lives and our efforts have on the people God has placed in our lives, we love how Jesus has disciplined us over the years.  Eventually, we even become thankful for all the discipline we have received over our lifetime.

It's interesting that Solomon is saying here that knowledge comes from discipline and correction.
Anyone who loves discipline and correction ultimately loves knowledge.
Anyone who hates discipline and correction hates knowledge, and is therefore stupid.

Proverbs 15:10  Stern discipline awaits him who leaves the path; he who hates correction will die.

Matthew 6:13-14  "Enter through the narrow gate.  For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.  But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."

My prayer for you is that Jesus will continue to love you with His discipline.

God bless
Jason Fredrick

The Stupidity of Sinful Habits

Proverbs 26:11

As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.

This bit of wisdom really paints a picture, doesn't it?

Every time you return to your addictive, sinful habit, you are the dog.

Have you ever seen a dog puke a pile, and then come back a few minutes later and lick it up?  This is what you and I look like to God every time we return to pornography, or cigarettes, or cocaine, or gambling, or shopping, or junk food, or...you name it.  You know what yours is.  

I will share one of mine with you.  Pornography.  Pornography is a temptation I have to battle almost every day.  The challenges with pornography are that it's so easy to access in our internet age and also that it is so prevalent in our culture today.  "Sex sells".  Maybe it is so prevalent because it is so easy to get.

For me, the challenge is very difficult because of how young I was when I was first exposed to pornography.  I was somewhere between 10 and 12 years old.  There is never a good time for someone to be exposed to the depravity of pornography, but 12 years old is way too young.  I was way too immature, spiritually and emotionally.  One exposure was all it took for me.  It grabbed ahold of me and dominated my life for the next 20 years!  Being so immature, I didn't even begin to battle it until I was introduced to Leadership Development at age 32.  Before then I lived my life entirely for myself.  The entire decade of my twenties was marred by sex addiction.  It was the primary motivator for most of my daily choices.  I would go almost anywhere, anytime to indulge.    

The problem with any addiction or compulsive behavior is the damage it leaves in its wake.  I hurt a lot of people in those 20 years, caring about nobody but myself.  The number of damaged and destroyed relationships from that time is almost uncountable; none of us can ever really know the exponential damage of the ripple effect.  I do know that I hurt my family daily in those years.  The shame and guilt of my "secret sin" robbed me of my self-confidence and self-esteem.  I hated myself, and everybody around me paid the price.  I was argumentative.  I swore constantly.  I would say mean and hurtful words to anybody at anytime.  

Like I said before, at age 32 God threw me a lifeline.  He brought Leadership Development into my life.  That turned out to be the tool He used to bring me out of all of that.  Today, 10 years after starting my Leadership journey, I am married; I have an incredible son; and all of my relationships are better and stronger than at any time in my life.

In my teens and twenties God let me go my own way- daily returning to my folly.

In my thirties and forties He has brought me back to the path that I was supposed to be the whole time.  My life has literally been that of "The Lost Son" (Luke 15:11-31).  

The Takeaways

The first takeaway from my story is: God is Faithful.  He was always with me, always watching over me.  It is only by His grace that I am not demon-possessed or suffering eternal judgment in hell.  It is only by His grace that I was able to leave behind that life of selfishness and depravity.

Secondly, persistent sin destroys.  Because of my willful, sinful, selfish lifestyle I faced several years of demonic attack.  Also, I think I have made it clear that I hurt countless people and destroyed relationships.  The same is true for you.  Your "secret sin" that you think that no one knows about is ravaging the people who love you most.  Whether either of you realizes it or not, it is.  By you daily returning to your folly you are playing with fire.  The people who will be burned the worst are the people you claim to love the most.

Finally, you can put your folly behind you.  God loves all of His children, including you.  In fact, He loves you so much that He sent His son, Jesus, to pay the price for ALL of your sins.  He is powerful enough to pull you out of the pit you have fallen into.  He wants to help you, stop resisting Him!  You will never be totally free of the temptations, Satan knows our weaknesses; but God is powerful enough to help us resist Satan's  lies and temptations.

I still battle temptations to look at pornography, almost everyday, but now, I battle them instead of indulging in them.  God is powerful and God is love and can help you leave your folly behind.  Through the power of the Holy Spirit you can finally stop being the dog.

God bless

Jason Fredrick

King Solomon: Abuse of Blessings

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Proverbs 5:7-8

Now then, my sons, listen to me; do not turn aside from what I say.

Keep to a path far from her [the adulteress], do not go near the door of her house,

The heading of Proverbs 5 is, "Warning Against Adultery".

Adultery is when a married person engages in sex with someone who is not their spouse.

A Fornicator is someone who is not married, yet is sexually active.

Both adultery and fornication are breaking the Sixth Commandment:  Thou shall not commit adultery.

Solomon was a man who was well acquainted with the allure of sexual sin.  He had 700 wives and 300 concubines (1 Kings 11:3).  1 Kings 11:3 ends with the sentence, "...and his wives led him astray."  So with those credentials Solomon is sufficiently qualified to give warning against the destructive power of sexual sin.  

Solomon was the wisest man to ever live.  He knew better than to intermarry with the princesses of the surrounding nations.  Yet even he had to find out for himself the truth that Jesus spoke in the Garden of Gethsemane, "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.  The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." (Mark 14:38)

What were some of the results of Solomon's selfish, sexual sins?

• His foreign wives seduced him into worshiping false gods (Ashtoreth, Chemosh, and Molech- 1 Kings 11:33).
• Because of his idolatry, God allowed internal rebellion and civil war to tear Israel into two nations.
• Solomon's line was left only two of the tribes of Israel to rule over.

Now that we understand what adultery did to Solomon, what is this Proverb all about?

We have clearly established that we should listen to him, and it would be utter foolishness to turn aside from his warning.  In verse 8 he is very adamant about totally avoiding the adulteress at all costs.  He doesn't just say, "Keep away from her."  NO!  He says, "Keep to a path far from her.."  Those three little letters make a huge difference.  He is warning us to to stay so far away from her that we couldn't possibly be tempted or led astray by her.  This is how powerful the lure of sexual sin is:  we are to stay far away from it.  Only a fool thinks that he can flirt a little, or make subtle innuendos, or repeatedly put himself in one-on-one situations with married women and not get burned.  Solomon warns against this because he got burned by it 999 times.  Apparently he was wise, but he wasn't very smart.  That's a hard way to learn a lesson.  How much dumber would we be if we don't learn the lesson from him?  He repeated it 999 times and we can see how things turned out for him- not so great.  Read Ecclesiastes if you need to find out just how meaningless and empty a lifetime of sexual sin is in the end.  By contrast read the Song of Solomon and see how amazing and fulfilling sex is within the boundaries of marriage.  There is no comparison!

King Solomon is a great example of how a person can be abundantly blessed by God and still screw it up.  Solomon had everything a person could possibly want in this life:  power, fame, wealth, virility, and wisdom.   He didn't want for anything.  But because he was a sinner, Satan was able to use all of those gifts to lure Solomon into selfish self-fulfillment.  Sadly, how many of us have not been blessed as richly as Solomon, yet have been led astray by the same trap.  Satan is very cunning and knows how to do what he does.  I encourage you to learn these lessons from Solomon, don't keep repeating them.  

Graciously, it appears that Solomon did turn back to the Lord before his death; and like Solomon, God will forgive your rebellion.  Jesus payed the price for all of your sins and foolishness when He died on the cross.  

1 John 1:7

But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.

God bless

Jason Fredrick

Fix Your Folly!

Proverbs 6:1-5

My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, if you have struck hands in pledge for another,

if you have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth, 

then do this, my son, to free yourself, since you have fallen into your neighbor's hands:  Go and humble yourself; press your plea with your neighbor!  

Allow no sleep to your eyes, no slumber to your eyelids.

Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.

In the NIV (1984), the title of this section is "Warnings Against Folly".  To start this section Solomon has made a list of bad choices that we are all susceptible to, and he warns against them.  He also graciously tells us how to fix the situation when we have wandered into one of these acts of folly.  Let's look at each one individually.

First, putting up security for your neighbor.  In our society this is commonplace.  People do this without even thinking about it.  This would be any variation of co-signing for a loan, or investing with someone where you could become financially liable for that business while having no oversight of that business.  When you do this you open yourself up to the repercussions of every bad decision that person makes. You can never be 100% certain of a person's character, or how they will respond if their plans fall apart.  When you put up security for someone you have just jeopardized your own financial security.  You have made yourself financially responsible for any, and every bad financial decision that they make.  If your neighbor defaults on that loan guess who the bank is coming after to get their money- the co-signer.  If your neighbor makes a bunch of bad business decisions and his business fails, guess who his creditors are coming after- every "investor" who took on any amount of liability.  In any relationship money changes things.

Second, striking hands in pledge for another.  This can be a tricky one.  This would be vouching for someone.  This is putting your character and reputation on the line to give someone else credibility and influence.  Have you ever given someone a reference or a referral?  The gamble with this is that you are putting your good name at the mercy of someone else's character and integrity.  Solomon says not to do it all!  At best, I would recommend being extremely cautious about whom you are vouching for.  I personally take it as an honor when someone will put their reputation on the line for me.  So I take that as a challenge to step up my game even more.  Unfortunately, not everybody takes that approach.  Too many people don't even think about how their performance reflects on every person who gave them a reference or referral.  That's why I said this is a tricky one.  You want to try to help people when you can by giving them a reference, but you also don't want to jeopardize your own reputation by endorsing someone who is prone to character failures.

Finally, if you have been trapped by what you have said, ensnared by the words of your mouth. This is the one that I have been most susceptible to much of my life.  This is speaking without thinking.  This is being so arrogant that you run your mouth about things that you don't have a clue about.  This is speaking without giving any thought at all to the feelings of the person with whom you are speaking to.  This is the folly that destroys relationships.  This is the best way that I know to get people to resent you and never want to be around you.

Here's how James, the brother of Jesus, explains it:

Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts.  Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.  The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body.  It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. (James 3:5-6)

So, if you find yourself caught in one these three follies, how do you fix it?

Then do this, my son, to free yourself, since you have fallen into your neighbor's hands:  Go and humble yourself; press your plea with your neighbor!

You must recognize that you have made a mistake, or even sinned.  Then you must humbly approach your neighbor and work out how to rectify the situation.  If it's a contract that you need to get out of, then figure out how to get out of it legally.  If you've allowed someone to use you as a reference and you are no longer comfortable with that, go talk to him and explain why.  If your mouth has gotten you into trouble, apologize and beg for forgiveness.  

Press your plea!  Don't leave until you have come to a satisfactory solution or conclusion to the mess that you have created.  Solomon says to not even sleep until the matter has been resolved.  This is how you resolve conflict, or potential conflict, that you have created.  You have to take responsibility.  You have to address it head on.  Protecting yourself against the damage of folly is a High Importance, High Urgency task.  Nothing else matters until you have remedied the folly that you have fallen into.

This takes courage, but if you humble yourself and lead with God's Word you can fix your folly.

God bless

Jason Fredrick

Unrepentance Kills

Proverbs 29:1

A man who remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed- without remedy.

Unrepentance kills.  Unrepentance and rebellion is a sign that there is no faith in a person's heart.  Repentance is a fruit of faith.  It is not a good work that we do to earn forgiveness or salvation.  

Notice here:  "many rebukes".  When someone is caught in a sin he needs to be rebuked with God's Law.  Only the law convicts us of our sins.  We do not give the gospel to someone who is arrogantly rebellious.  We do not "cast our pearls before swine".  

If you have received "many rebukes" (many is two or more) for a sin that has ensnared you, it is time to turn to the Lord and repent.  Your arrogance is not cute or cool.  It is killing you.  Pride and arrogance are tools Satan uses to keep people locked in their sin.  He loves watching people play the fool as they fight for their right to reject Christ's gift of salvation and ignorantly embrace his (Satan's) lies that guarantee eternal damnation in the fires of hell.

This Proverb also makes it very clear that God's patience will run out with the unrepentant sinner.  That's why it is so sad when someone hardens their heart to rebukes with God's Word, "they will be destroyed".  The writer of Hebrews says it this way in Hebrews 10:26-27,31:

If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.

It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

The good news is that if you are reading this, it's not too late.  Confess your sin, repent of your sin and ask God to forgive you.  Your sins have already been forgiven.  Jesus died on the cross to pay for the sins of all people.  Through the blood of Jesus Christ all your sins are forgiven.  

My prayer for anyone caught in this situation is that the Holy Spirit works faith in your heart and leads you to repentance; and through that gift of faith you stop rejecting the forgiveness and salvation that Jesus won for you with His life, death and resurrection.

Ezekiel 33:11,14,16

As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live.  Turn!  Turn from your evil ways!  Why will you die, O house of Israel?
And if I say to the wicked man, 'You will surely die,' but he then turns away from his sin and does what is just and right-
None of the sins he has committed will be remembered against him.  He has done what is just and right; he will surely live.

God bless

Jason Fredrick