FROM A PASTOR’S HEART
August 12, 2004

THE REASON FOR JOY!

Jesus has provided for His people His joy. Any child of God who does not have joy has allowed something or someone to steal from him what the Lord has provided. Jesus told us in John 15:11, “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.” If we do not have fullness of joy, it is because we do not know what the Lord told us or we have allowed it to be taken away.

Regardless of which it is, it is our fault.

Whether we have joy and comfort or misery and heartache depends on where our focus in life is. We are told to set our affections on things above and not on things of the earth. To have our minds on the things of this earth is to prepare for a miserable life. The people written to in First Peter were undergoing severe persecution. They needed the joy that came from knowing God’s truth.

In chapter 1:2, they are reminded that they are the elect of God. The world may persecute God’s people, but God has chosen them. That is enough to bring relief, but the Lord also described to them the inheritance provided for all His people in verses 3-4, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you.”

Anyone who receives news of an inheritance gets exited. The Bible says that God has given us an inheritance, but for some reason, we don’t get too excited about it, but we ought to! This inheritance becomes ours at salvation even though we will not receive the fullness of it until we go to be with the Lord.

Not only does God have an inheritance for us, He is our inheritance. Psalm 16:5 says, “ The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.” When we get saved, we inherit God. The Bible tells us that when we see Christ, we shall be like Him for we shall see him as He is. We are joint heirs with the Lord Jesus and we receive the Holy Spirit as the down payment of full salvation.

Since we have such a great inheritance, we ought to learn about it. Verse three tells us that God is the source of it. He is the one who “hath begotten us again unto a living hope” by Jesus’ resurrection unto an eternal inheritance.

Verse three gives us God’s motive in providing this inheritance. It is according to his abundant mercy. God is a merciful God. Man is in a cursed, depraved, fallen condition damned to an eternal hell and unable to do anything about it. He is enslaved to sin with his heart and mind corrupted by the world, flesh, and Satan. The greatest thing man needs is mercy. God looks on the pitiful sinner and has mercy. He takes him from misery to glory.

The means by which we receive mercy of God which brings the inheritance is by the new birth. That is a reason Jesus said, we must be born again. The new birth gives new life and a “living hope” according to verse three. All man’s hopes and his dreams are gone at his death. But for a child of God, death just brings the fulfillment of our hope.

This inheritance is incorruptible. Everything on this earth decays whether it is a new car, home, or relationship. We live in a polluted world. This is the reason we are to store our treasure in heaven where it will not be corrupted. Nothing can cause this inheritance to fade as things do on earth.

Our inheritance is undefiled. It is not contaminated or touched by sin. It is eternal. Why should we keep our focus on things of the earth which are temporary when we have an eternal, non corruptible, non defiled, non fading inheritance in heaven?

This inheritance is secure. It is reserved in heaven. There is no safer place to keep anything. There will never be an invasion of heaven to steal what we have there. Someone may say, “I can see that our inheritance is safe and secure, but what about me. I’m saved, but how do I know I can make it?” Good question! Verse five describes what God does for those who are elect and chosen, “Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

We have an inheritance which is secure, but we are also secure because it is God, not us, who keeps us for the inheritance. Some may say, “I was saved. Jesus started a work in me, but how can I know that I will make it?” Philippians 1:6 gives a good answer, “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” It was God who started the work and it is God who will finish the work he started.

Some may say, “What if I stumble before I get to the finish line?” Jude 24 answers that, “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy.” You may stumble, but God will see to it that you don’t permanently fall. Who gets the glory for that? God does, not you. If I had to keep myself, then when I got to heaven, I would have a right to brag, but if it is God who prevents me from falling and if it is God who is going to finish the work he started, He gets the glory for it!

Someone will say, “ What is my part in all of this? I know I have to keep the faith.” That is true, but verse five says we are kept by the power of God through faith. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” Even the faith to be saved is a gift of God. If God gives the faith to be saved, he continues to give the faith to stay saved. What a great inheritance we have through our Lord Jesus. How we ought to thank God and praise Him for what he has provided for us. We will thank him for the endless ages to come. Why not start now?

(IMMANUEL CHURCH: Pastor, Arnold Martin)

FROM A PASTOR’S HEART
August 19, 2004

ARE YOU LIKE THE DEVIL?

Lucifer was a holy angel who was transformed into Satan. Why? He began to think that his wisdom, beauty, and power was in some way because of his own effort. He took credit for something God had done. He became displeased with his position and desired things that were not in God’s will for him. Before Lucifer rebelled, there was only one will in the universe--the will of God. Lucifer was to first to have another will. He began to think that he deserved more since he was so magnificent and coveted power and positions outside of God’s will.

The and consequence of this sinful pride is given in Isaiah 14:12-15, “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.”

What happened to Satan can happen to anyone who disobeys God’s will as revealed in His Word. Pride does the same thing to the soul that cancer does to the body. It will lead to total destruction if not cut out. Sinful pride is the attitude of independence from God. When pride controls a person’s life, there is no sense of need for consulting of God or His word before decisions are made. When pride comes in, a person will fail to recognize that all they are and all they have has been given to them by God. Pride will do to us what it did to Lucifer. It can make us think that what we have is by self effort.

One indicator of pride in our life is when we are not thankful to God for what He has done for us. Instead of Lucifer being thankful to God, He became discontent and then wanted more than God was giving. When we fail to continually thank God for who He is, what He does, and all He provides, pride will slip into our heart and produce dissatisfaction. We then want more!.

Pride is revealed when we are irritated when corrected. All of us make mistakes and need correction. Correction received reveals humility. If irritated by it, pride is present. Pride is revealed when we fail to consult God in our problems and needs. We feel we can handle the problems and do not need God.

Pride provokes God, "Everyone that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord" (Pro 16:5). Pride causes rebellion. Had there been no pride, there would have been no devil. If no devil, there would have been no fall. If no fall, there would not be any sin. If no sin, there would be no disease or death. All suffering, sorrow, and sin is rooted in the mother sin of pride.

Pride calls God a liar. God tells us what is right and best, but pride will cause a person to say, “I have a better way." When pride comes in, obedience goes out. Pride causes God to do what He does not want to do. He wants to lead, guide, protect, and provide for us, but the Bible says, "God resisteth the proud."

Pride brings punishment, "Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord: Though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished" (Pro 16:5). Pride comes from the heart, "There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man" (Mark 7:15). When you see a hole in an apple, it was not caused by a worm that bore a hole from the outside. The worm was in the apple and it bored a hole to the outside. The same is true with pride. It is born in the heart. As a person develops, the pride works its way to the outside.

We are born with a self centered nature and desire to be our own little god. We don't like people telling us what to do. This reveals pride and proves the depravity of man. Pride promotes dissension. Every war and every quarrel is caused by pride, "Only by pride cometh contention” (Pro 13:10). God has given principles to handle situations, but we are too proud to learn and obey them.

When a man and woman gets married, two kingdoms come together under one roof. The result is war. Both are selfish by nature and want their own way. With differences of opinion, there will be contention, and soon war comes. It may be a cold war with neither speaking or a hot war with pots and pans flying.

Pride causes dishonor. People filled with pride want honor, but God says, "For them that honor me I will honor, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed" (1 Sam. 2:30). Proud people want honor, but God sees to it that they will get shame. As surely as night follows day, so will shame follow pride. "Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honor is humility" (Proverbs 18:12). "A man's pride shall bring him low: but honor shall uphold the humble in spirit" (Proverbs 29:23).

A proud person is conceited. "Conceit is a disease that makes everybody sick except the person who has it." The proud and conceited person is the sickest of all because he is blinded to his own sinful pride. The cure for this sin is a humble submission to the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus said, "He that is greatest among you shall be your servant." Pride is a sin that must be recognized, repented of and only then can be cleansed and forgiven!

(IMMANUEL CHURCH: Pastor, Arnold Martin)

FROM A PASTOR’S HEART
September 23, 2004

THE FULFILLING LIFE!

Our decisions and behavior are based on what we think and believe. If our minds are filled with truth, our decisions and actions are better; therefore, we will have a better life. This is why error, lies, and deceit are so deadly. It was error in the mind of Eve that caused her to eat of the forbidden fruit. It was error in the minds of those people who delivered our Lord to be crucified. Truth is life giving. Jesus said “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63).

We are the products of the decisions we make. If our decisions are based on truth, we can have the most contented, successful, and useful lives possible. The only source of this kind of truth comes from Scripture. Jesus said in John 10:10, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

All true Christians have spiritual life, but all do not have abundant spiritual life. A person in a coma has physical life, but not abundant physical life. Our God life provided spiritual life at salvation. He has also provided for abundant life, but one does not insure the other. Many Christians have their minds filled with error which causes them to make wrong decisions and promotes wrong behavior, and then they wonder why things are not going well for them.

We know that one day Christians will be like our Lord, but what about now? Is it possible to live the abundant life now? Is there more to Christianity than what we see in the average Christian today? Absolutely! Listed below are some characteristics of a person living the abundant Christian life.

1. Abundant life is one with stamina. A sick person may want to dig a ditch, but not have the energy to do it. He has life, but not enough stamina. The same is true in the Christian life. Many Christians are spiritual invalids. They have a hard time obeying the least commandments. They are easily discouraged and have few victories in their lives. These people continually have the pastor coming to them and saying, “Please come to church. Please read your Bible. Please pray. Please do right.” We must have stamina if we are to have abundant life.

2. Abundant life comes with an enlarged life. We must enlarge our sphere of living. Most people live in a very small circle. They get up in the morning, eat, go to work, come home, eat, watch t.v., go to bed, get up, and go to work. Most of their lives are consumed with their own self. People with abundant life will be more like our Lord. How much time did Jesus spend on himself? Minimal! His life was invested in the lives of others. When we get concerned about others and work to make their lives better, our own lives will be greatly enriched. No one is happy who lives a selfish life. Abundance of life comes as we get concerned about others.

3. Abundant life is produced when our powers are exercised. The power of an adult is in a child, but those powers are not developed. There must be growing and maturing in the physical life just as there is in the spiritual life. The disciples were complaining and trying to figure out who would be the greatest in the kingdom before Pentecost. After Pentecost, these men were not thinking of themselves. Their lives were stretched. They were thinking of others, and they were bold and filled with humility. If you live for self, you will end up a sad, lonely, and miserable person.

4. Abundant life will produce increased energy. Our spiritual energy comes from our motives. The motive of a Christian is, “For the love of Christ constraineth us” (2 Cor 5:14). Constrain means to holds in place. It is the love of Christ that motivates us to do what our Lord wants. It is t hen that the truth of John 14:21 comes into force, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.”

We are told in Romans 5:5, “...the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” The love of God is in every believer, but as we obey the Lord, we have God’s love and Jesus more revealed to us. This is the motivation that brings increased energy to our lives.

5. Abundant life has overflowing joy. Joy is a product of the Holy Spirit in the life of an obedient believer. Galatians 5:22 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy...” Many Christians do not have love nor joy, and neither will they have abundant life. The more you are controlled by anything other than the Holy Spirit the less joy you will have. Joy is produced in the life of an obedient believer.

6. Abundant life brings greater sensitivity to our feelings. A person in a coma has little feelings because he has little physical life. The more abundant your physical life, the more sensitive you are to hurt and pain. The same is true in the spiritual life. The more abundant life you have, the more sensitive you will be to the Lord and to sin. When a person with abundant life commits a sin, it will greatly disturb him. He will not be satisfied until it is confessed and forsaken.

Many Christians have their spiritual senses dulled because of a failure to learn and obey God’s word. They can sin with little remorse. They may have spiritual life, but they are Christian invalids with little joy, peace, or usefullness. Proverbs 9:10 tells us how to have wisdom and understanding which are necessary for our feelings to be as sensitive as they should, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.”
Sin destroys our spiritual sensitivity. Psalm 119:11 tells us how to prevent sin, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” Jesus came so that we might have abundant life. First, you must receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Secondly, you must read and obey the Word of God which is the source of every blessing of God including abundant spiritual life.

(IMMANUEL BAPTIST CHURCH: Pastor, Arnold Martin)

September 30, 2004
FROM A PASTOR’S HEART

GOOD FOOD FOR A HUNGRY SOUL!

When a person gets hungry, he knows that physical food will satisfy that hunger. The food he eats may be good or bad. Candy will satisfy our hunger as well as soup beans. Continued feeding on bad food causes physical problems. We are what we eat physically, but few know that we are what we eat spiritually.

We also have hunger pains of the soul which cry out to be satisfied. If we satisfy those spiritual hunger pains of the soul with bad spiritual food, we end up in a unhealthy spiritual condition. Spiritual hunger is placed in all of us by our Creator for peace, contentment, acceptance, joy, love, and fulfillment. If we don’t know what is the right kind of spiritual food to satisfy these hungers, we will get the bad stuff which causes us greater harm.

All people have spiritual hunger, but all do not know what to do about it; therefore, we get frustrated, depressed, and have anxiety attacks. We start consuming all kinds of spiritual things to satisfy the hunger. Our Creator tells us where good food is for our hungry souls in John 6:63, “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”

There is a similarity between physical and spiritual food. If we get any benefit from physical food, we must eat and assimilate it. Food on the table may look good, but it will do us no good until we eat it. We could even put it in our mouth and chew it, but until swallowed and assimilated, we get no benefit from it.

Spiritual food is as necessary to our well being as is physical food. We are both body and soul. Most people are only concerned about the body and totally neglect the soul. Many experts estimate that over one half of the hospital beds are filled with people who have fed themselves with the wrong spiritual food which produced mental problems. They fed their bodies but neglected their souls.

Scripture tells us that our spiritual condition is bad. It tells us that we are sinners under the wrath of a holy God. The good news is that Jesus is God’s cure for our sinful condition and that He died as our substitute on the cross. We can receive Him as our Lord and Savior and have eternal life. We know this will meet the greatest spiritual need we have. The “eating” of this spiritual truth satisfies the greatest hunger of our souls and saves us from God’s eternal wrath. Until this spiritual problem is solved, everything else we do is like rubbing salve on a cancer.

We eat physical food because we feel the hunger pains. As we eat, the pains leave. If we eat good food, we will have physical health. We also have hunger pains in our soul that cry out for satisfaction. If we take in good spiritual food, it leads to happiness, peace, contentment, fulfillment, and joy. There is also spiritual junk food which leads to misery and heartache here and eternal death later. The person who has filled himself with physical junk food will push away a delicious and nutritious dinner because his hunger has been satisfied by the junk food. In a similar manner, a person who continues in his sin will push away the Word of God because he is filled and bloated with the stuff of the world. To these people, the true Bread of Life will have no appeal.

The hunger of the soul is spiritual and cannot be satisfied with physical things. There is no physical thing that can satisfy a person who is lonely, depressed, discontent, or unfulfilled; however, If God’s truth is not in his mind, he will try to find something or someone he thinks will satisfy the hunger. Neither can do the job. Physical things cannot satisfy spiritual needs just as spiritual things cannot satisfy physical need.

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People accumulate things, jump from one relationship to another, and experiment with alcohol and drugs in an effort to satisfy their spiritual hunger. They try to use physical things to satisfy spiritual needs. Physical things never has nor will they ever satisfy the spiritual needs God has placed within a person.

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When hunger pains hit in our stomach, we eat food which the body will digest. The digested food then supplies energy and nutrients to the body. If it is good food, the appetite will be satisfied and good physical health is promoted.

The same is true with spiritual hunger. The greatest spiritual need of the soul of man is to have his sins forgiven and to be made right with his Creator. You can know this and know that receiving Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior will solve that problem. You can believe all the right things about Him. You can know He died for your sins and that if you do not get saved you will spend an eternity separated from God in a lake of fire. You can believe He loves you and died as a substitute for your. All this truth is like the food on the table, but it does no good until it is taken into the soul.

Jesus said, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” (John 6:51). If we eat the bread Jesus provided, we will have spiritual life. How do we that? Believing the gospel is taking into our mind the truth that Jesus came to die in our place. If we believe, eat, swallow, and take this truth into our soul, that is eating the spiritual bread Jesus provided. This is trusting Jesus and receiving Him as Lord and Savior.

This receiving in our mind this spiritual food brings salvation to the sinner and will produce growth to the Christian. As we take God’s word into our minds and obey it, the Holy Spirit will “digest” it to transform us into the image of God according to 2 Corinthians 3:18. The Bible says, “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” It is not my faith or my believing that will change my life. It is Christ in me. John 14:20 says, “At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.” Learning, believing, and obeying what God says is eating His food which will satisfy our hungry souls.

(IMMANUEL BAPTIST CHURCH: Pastor, Arnold Martin)

October 8, 2004
FROM A PASTOR’S HEART

WHICH IS THE RIGHT WAY?

Chapter 7 of Matthew tells us about two gates which lead to two roads which lead to two destinations. One gate is narrow and hard to find. One is wide and easily seen and entered. One destination leads to eternal damnation while the other leads to eternal life with all the joy and happiness God can give. One tragic thing about the road which leads to eternal damnation is that those people who are on it are deceived. They are on a road leading to death thinking they are safe and secure on a road which leads to eternal life.

Matthew 7:13-14 says, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” There is a command from God to enter the narrow gate which leads to the narrow road with a destination of eternal life. The is the simple command of God to obey the Gospel and be saved.

Even though the wide gate leads to destruction, the sign over that gate says the same things as the sign over the narrow gate. Both signs would say, “This Way To Heaven!” Both groups of people think as they enter these gates that they are on their way to heaven. The wide gate is easily entered. You can take with you any belief you want and any habit you want. The people on that road are very understanding and liberal. They will welcome you on that road regardless of what you believe or practice.

The strait gate is harder to find and harder to get in. It is like revolving doors. You can’t take a lot of baggage through those doors. There had to be some things you let go if you entered that door. The Bible says that there will be few who find this door. This gate doesn’t look very appealing to most people.

When a true Gospel message is preached and the plea is made to enter this door, to many it will not sound very appealing. Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without faith it is impossible to please him.” Faith is believing and obeying what God says. You can’t have faith until you know what He says. It sure is not pleasing to God for a person to know what He says and fail to obey Him. When we find out who Jesus is and what he desires and commands, the faithful and obedient heart will say, “I believe on the Lord Jesus. Since I believe, I will obey. If he wants me to give up this habit, so be it. If it pleases Him for me to start this or stop this, I will obey.” The believing on Jesus leads to salvation. The obedience to his commands reveals a genuine and saving faith.

Many who see this strait gate which leads to a narrow road feel repulsed by it. They think, “Hey, that would be a boring life. I can’t give up my parties. I don’t want to stop what I’m doing in order to enter that gate. That sounds like a depressing life to me.” They turn aside and see the sign on the wide gate that leads to the broad way.

The gate is decorated. It sure looks good. There is no repentance to enter that gate. The promise to those who enter is the same as on the strait gate. Both gates promise the way to eternal life. That wide gate sure is more appealing and much easier to enter than the narrow.

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The people on the narrow road are those who are truly saved. They will be the ones persecuted for their stand on Bible principles. They are the ones the unsaved world will think of as rebels against the status quo. The true church always has been the persecuted church. If you want to recognize the true church in a town, look for the one which is the most talked about.

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Satan will not persecute a church which is made of members on the wide road. He already has them deceived. They think they are right with God and will meet the Lord when they do leave this earth, but Satan has pulled the wool over their eyes. The Bible says that Satan is a liar and the Father of lies.

How can a person know if he is on the broad road? Verse 16 tells us, “Ye shall know them by their fruits.” Look at the fruit of the teachers and of their disciples. If a tree does not bring forth good fruit, God will cut it down. The Bible is very plain about what the fruit of the Christian ought to be. A Christian is a Holy Spirit indwelt person. The Spirit of God will produce a change in his life if he is obedient. Galatians 5:22 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.”

Verse 21 says those on the broad road will make professions but they do not have faith, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” It is not the sayers but the doers of the will of God who are saved. Those who hear the God’s word and obey it is like the man in verse 24-25, “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.”

Those who will not obey Scripture are like the foolish man in verse 26-27, “And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.”

There are people who are not saved and know they are not. They need to come to Jesus Christ and receive Him as their Lord and Savior. Those on the broad road leading to hell who think they are safe and secure are in a much worse condition. Please, “ ”Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves” (2 Cor 13:5). They right way is with Jesus!
(IMMANUEL BAPTIST CHURCH; Pastor, Arnold Martin)

FROM A PASTOR'S HEART
October 14, 2004

THE ABORTION I BELIEVE IN!

A story in 2nd Samuel 13 illustrates an abortion that should have taken place. Amnon developed a "love" for his half sister Tamar. Verse 2 says, "And Amnon was so vexed, that he fell sick for his sister Tamar; for she was a virgin; and Amnon thought it hard for him to do any thing to her." This man nursed the thought in his mind about how great it would be to have a sexual relation with his half sister.

When the thought came to his mind, he knew it was wrong, but he continued to think about and meditate on it in his mind. After a while, this thought began to control his emotions. He wanted this illicit relationship so badly that it literally made him sick because he could not have it.

Verse three says, "But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab ... a very subtil man." This friend of Amnon helped him to devise a plan so he could get what he wanted. The plan worked and Amnon ended up with Tamar in his room. Amnon says in verse 11, "Come lie with me, my sister." She refused and pleaded with him to not do such a sinful thing, but the emotions were too great in Amnon that he could not be stopped. Verse 14 says, "Howbeit he would not hearken unto her voice; but, being stronger than she, forced her, and lay with her." This man raped his half sister, the daughter of King David!

The result of this fulfilled fantasy is given in verse 15, "Then Amnon hated her exceedingly; so that the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater than the love wherewith he had loved her. And Amnon said unto her, "Arise, begone." His sinful thought was nursed until it resulted in sinful behavior. Amnon learned a lesson we should learn which is, sin never gives what it promises. There was a big let down for Amnon. Instead of the "love" growing, it immediately turned to hate. The sinful thought was developed into a sinful act that caused him to rape his half sister and put her to open shame and disgrace.

How could a man commit such a terrible crime against himself, his half sister, his brother, his own father, and his Creator? Genesis 6:5 has the answer, "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." Man was not only wicked in his deeds, but even the "imagination of his thoughts" were evil. Notice that it was not simply his thoughts, but the "imagination" of his thoughts.

Any person could have a wrong thought come into his mind, but that is not where sin comes from. It all depends on what happens to that thought. When a thought comes into the mind, if the imagination is allowed to work on it, a fantasy can be built as it was in Amnon's case. The thought of having sex with Tamar came into his mind. That was not sin. He could have dismissed that thought as wicked. He could have said, "She is the king's daughter. This is not even something I should think about much less do." But he didn't do that. He begin to meditate on that thought. The imagination begin to build a fantasy about what it would be like. As the fantasy was built in the mind by the imagination, the emotions began to be stirred. The emotions put feelings with this fantasy. This is the reason he was "vexed" or tormented in his mind because of this though.

Once the emotions are stirred, they begin to work on the will of the person. The will must be activated before any deed is done. The emotions had so activated the will, that the will began to try to find a way to commit the act.

James 1:14-15 puts it like this, "But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death."

When a thought comes into the mind, the lust of the flesh begins to work on that thought to build a fantasy out of it. The thought is like an egg impregnated by a seed. A thought becomes pregnant by the seed of the lust of the flesh. When it is nurtured and meditated on, the child of sin is conceived in the mind. When the will is activated and the act is committed, the child of sin is born. Sin, when it is born, is born a murderer. The Bible says, "The wages of sin is death."
Jeremiah 7:24 explains what happens when people sin, "But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart." When people will not listen to the word of God and seek God's truth, they will walk after the counsel of their heart. They will think, believe, and act in ways not pleasing to God.

Why do people sin? Because they refuse to walk in the counsel of the truths and principles of the word of God. They build their lives on the sand instead of solid rock. The solution to living a life of peace, happiness, and joy is to live in a manner in which you are making the right decisions. We are a product of the decisions we make. Galatians 5:16 says, "Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh."

If walking in the Spirit, we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. If walking in the Spirit, we will have the strength and wisdom to avoid the pitfalls of sin, but to walk in the Spirit, we must have the word of God filling our minds. Philippians 2:5 says, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." The only way to can have the mind of Christ is to have his word in our minds.
Scripture tells us, "Thy word have I hidden in my heart that I might not sin against thee." The same thought can come into the mind of a Christian as it can anyone else. The difference should be that the mind of a Christian is so filled with the truths of God that thoughts can be aborted if not pleasing God. This is the kind of abortion we ought to practice. If we abort lustful thoughts, the lust of the flesh cannot build fantasies which lead to sin.

The holy Scriptures tell us, "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ" (2 Cor. 10:5). If we practice aborting every thought that is not honoring to God, we will not conceive the child of sin! This is the abortion we ought to practice! Failure to abort the sinful thought will lead to meditating on it and allowing the flesh to impregnate it and produces a fantasy which will lead to committing some sin and suffering the consequences of it.
The same principle works for good. If we allow a good thought to be acted on by a holy imagination, good deeds will be produced!

(IMMANUEL BAPTIST CHURCH: Pastor Arnold Martin)

FROM A PASTOR’S HEART
October 28, 2004

OUR MORAL RESPONSIBILITY TO GOVERNMENT

Who is mainly responsible for anti-family and anti-church legislation?

Who is responsible for creating laws to make abortion legal?

Who is responsible form removing the Bible and praying to Jesus in the public school illegal?

Yes, it is the ones who make those immoral laws, but who makes the laws? It is the people who are elected to the legislature! But, how do they get in office? You and I as citizens vote them in. This means when a person votes for an immoral person who legislates immoral laws as we have today, the voter is as guilty as the person who makes the law. A president who appoints ungodly judges is guilty before God, but also guilty is the person who put him in office! This is why it is so important for decent, moral, and religious people to know who is running for office and what they believe on moral issues.

Noah Webster said, “In selecting men for office, let principle be your guide. Regard not the particular sect or denomination of the candidate--look to his character...It is alleged by men of loose principles, ...that religion and morality are not necessary or important qualifications for political stations. But the Scriptures teach a different doctrine. They direct that rulers should be men who rule in the fear of God, able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness... When a citizen gives his vote to a man of known immorality, he abuses his civic responsibility: he sacrifices not only his own interest, but that of his neighbor: he betrays the interest of his country.”

God ordained the home, the Church, and the government to be run according to His word, but our country has turned from God because God’s people have ceased to be “the salt of the earth” and the “light of the world” as Christ commanded. Atheism is penetrating our national life and abortion has become a means of birth control with over four millions babies murdered each year and homosexuality has become an accepted life style.

We know that, “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Charles Finney wrote in 1835, “The time has come that Christians must vote for honest men and take consistent ground in politics, or the Lord will curse them...God cannot sustain this free and blessed country, which we love and pray for, unless the Church will take the right ground. Politics are a part of our country and Christians must do their duty to the country as a part of their duty to God...God will bless or curse this nation according to the course Christians take in politics.”

His words were true then and they are true now! Our nation’s course is up to us. Over half of U.S. citizens claim to know Jesus Christ, but because we have become poor Christians and poor citizens, we have let our country slip into the immoral state it is today. A Christian’s standard is the Word of God. We must know and obey what God has said. Failure to do so will result in deception, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves” (James 1:22).

When people look to the government as the source of help, protection, and provision instead of the God who gave us our government, we become deceived. Our duty is plain. God is to be first in our life and in our country. We are to pray for our leaders and be submitted to them. Obedience to the Word of God will produce both a good Christian and a good citizen.

God’s condition for protection and provision is plain, “A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day: And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known” (Deut. 11:27-28).

It used to be that a person would have to be a high official in the church or have impeccable character to even try to run for public office. Today, because of disobedience, laziness, and inactivity on the part of God’s people, the Christian vote is not pursued as it use to be. Our country has gotten to the place where people can be elected to public office who deny the Bible is the Word of God, who deny Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and deny homosexuality and abortion are abominations to God.

Only God can restore our country to where it should be, but He will not as long as His people are not concerned nor obedient to His Word. God tells us in 2nd Chronicles 7:14 what must be done for revival, protection, and healing in our land, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

Some things we must do immediately are: 1. Pray faithfully for a spiritual revival to sweep America. 2. Register to vote and encourage others to do the same. 3. Make a serious effort to become informed about the candidates and the issues. 4. Be active in helping to select and elect godly candidates to office. 5. Vote in every election for the best candidate regardless of party. 6. Practice good citizenship for the honor and glory of God. 7. Know and obey God’s word!

Ezra was told what kind of judges to set over the nation, “And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom of thy God, that is in thine hand, set magistrates and judges, which may judge all the people that are beyond the river, all such as know the laws of thy God; and teach ye them that know them not” (Ezra 7:25). The same should be true today. We have ungodly judges and ungodly legislators who make and interpret law against Bible principles. The voters are responsible for that! “...He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God” (2 Samuel 23:3). Check out the candidates and vote for the most moral!

Voting for and supporting moral candidates who support moral public policies is the minimum required of citizens who want the blessing, protection, and provision of our Almighty God!

(IMMANUEL BAPTIST CHURCH: PASTOR: Arnold Martin)