FROM A PASTOR’S HEART
October 2, 2003

TWO SIDES OF LIFE!

Have you heard the statement, “There are two sides to every story?” It is a mighty thin pancake that has only one side! There are two sides in getting saved and two sides in living the Christian life. There is God’s side and man’s side. Failure to know the difference between these two sides can lead to wrong ideas about salvation and God’s requirements for Christian living.

In salvation, it is God’s part to pay for our sin. The wages of sin is death. He took our death for us when He died on the cross. God wrote all this down and preserved it for us in the Bible. It is God who reveals our lost condition to us by the preaching of the word and Holy Spirit conviction. Man by himself does not seek after God according to Roman 3:11, “There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.” It is God who gives us a new nature when we ask Him for mercy and salvation.

Our part is to believe and trust what God has said. He told us to believe the gospel. When we put our trust in what God, we receive the Lord Jesus into our life. John 1:12 says, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name”

After salvation, there is much work to be done. We must be delivered from the power of sin in our lives, be made perfect for every good work, grow in knowledge and grace, and be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. There are habits, attitudes, emotions, and tempers which must be dealt with. Either we must do these things ourselves or someone must do them for us.

The Lord has given us a simple principle for salvation and for living the Christian life. It is simply this, “Our job is to believe and trust the Lord. It is His job to do the work.” It is believing God that brings salvation. It is continued believing God that brings sanctification which is growth in the Christian life. “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him” (Col 2:6). We are to walk in the Christian life in the same way we got into it.

We were saved by simply believing and trusting in what God said. He said we were sinners under the wrath of a holy God. He said the penalty of that sin was eternal death, but He told us that He had made a way of escape. He said that His Son, Jesus Christ died on a cross and while hanging there, God laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He said that everyone could be saved if they would call on the name of the Lord for salvation. All a person is to do to be saved is simply believe what God said and trust Him to do what He said He would do.

We can’t be saved by doing good works. Titus 3:5 says, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.” When we believe, we trust Him to do what He said He would do. That brings us into the Christian life. As a child of God, we go back to God and find out what He has said in His word to His children. When we find some truth, promise, or command, we are to say, “Lord, this is what you say and I believe it. I trust that you will bring this about.” This is walking in the Christian life in the same way you got into it.

We read in Romans 6:11, “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” We read this and remember that our part in the Christian life is simply to believe. It is God’s part to do the work. We say, “Lord, this is what you say and I believe it. I am dead to sin. I am alive unto God. These are facts because you say they are. I may not always feel like I’m dead to sin, but I will not go by my feelings. I will trust in what you say.”

There is a process in salvation. A person must be brought from a place where he does not even think about God, sin, punishment, and salvation to a place where he learns that he is only one step from meeting a God he does not know. Salvation itself is an instantaneous event where God gives to the believing sinner a new nature.

Growth in the Christian life is also a process whereby the child of God is transformed into the image of Christ. Our part in this transformation is to believe what God says to His children. It is His part to do the transforming. “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Cor 3:18). It is God by His Spirit who transforms us.

You could not save yourself or keep yourself saved. This is God’s part. As a Christian, you cannot conform yourself into the image of Christ. You cannot overcome the power of sin in your life. It is only as we learn God’s word and believe it that God does these things in our lives.
Both salvation and growth in the Christian life comes to us from God in response to faith. “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Heb 11:6).

God has given us a will. He holds us accountable for what we “will” not how we “feel.” Our will was under the control of the old nature which would have led us to destruction. When we get saved, we now can yield that will to God. We can choose to believe and trust in what He says. Trusting implies obedience to His word. There is no trusting without obedience.

If I trust the Lord and believe what He says, I will obey. Every act of obedience is a step of faith. The Bible says, “The just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17). Walking in faith is simply learning what God has said in His Word and obeying it . This is how to enter the Christian life. It is the way we are to live it.

(IMMANUEL BAPTIST CHURCH: Pastor, Arnold Martin)

FROM A PASTOR’S HEART
October 9, 2003

THE BLESSED LIFE!

All of us want to live lives of happiness, peace, joy, contentment, and fulfillment. We want a life that counts for time and eternity, but the only way to know how to have that kind of life is by knowing and obeying what our Creator has told us in His word.

Scripture teaches us that the first step in living a God blessed life is to know your spiritual condition. God tell us that every person is born with a wicked sinful, selfish nature that leads us in rebellion to our God. This nature causes us to sin and thereby coming under His wrath. The Bible says that the “wages of sin is death.” Then we learn about Jesus and how He died on a cross as our substitute. Finally we learn that salvation from the penalty of our sin is a gift of God to the repentant sinner as stated in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

This means the first step in a “blessed” life is receiving God’s gift of eternal life. This gift brings the forgiveness of sin and the removal of the penalty and guilt of that sin. This gift from God must be received by an act of faith. This means we simply take God at His word about our condition and trust Him to save us. This is salvation by the grace of God received by our faith in what He has said.

This first step of salvation not only frees us from the penalty of our sins and gives us eternal life when we die, but it puts us on the road to the best life we can possibly live on this earth right now. It not only takes take care of our eternity, but it makes possible in this present life to be all God wants us to be.

The sad thing is that many Christians do not live the “blessed” life. They have been saved from the penalty of their sin in the future, but are overcome by the power of sin in their present life. The Bible teaches that Jesus came to save us from sin’s penalty in the future, but also deliver us from sin’s power right now!

Colossians 2:6 tells us how God expects His people to live in this present physical life, “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him.” A person gets saved by reading or hearing what God says about their spiritual condition and by faith believing and trusting in what God has said. After salvation, we have the tendency to turn to our own way about how to live in this new life. The Scriptures tells us to live the Christian life the same way we got in it. We are to learn what God says and trust Him for our daily living just as we trusted him for the salvation of our souls for all of eternity.

Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” When we know what God says but fail to obey, we are saying by our actions that we do not trust Him. How could anyone live a “God blessed” life when he is not pleasing God?

Any known act of disobedience on our part is saying to the Lord, “I know what you say, but I choose to do my own thing. I believe I know better than you on this particular thing.” That kind of behavior is not trusting the Lord. Scripture tells us in Romans 1:17 that “the just shall live by faith.” Certainly, disobeying what He says is not faith, and it is not pleasing to God. One of the worst things you could say to your friends is that you do not trust them. No one is saved until they are willing to believe what God says about sin, its penalty, and its cure. When we believe what God says, we are saved. After salvation, every time a believer learns what God says and obeys it, it is a step of faith that pleases the Lord.

The reason many of God’s people do not live the best life they could now is because they stop walking by faith. Instead of continuing to trust and exercise their faith in God by learning and obeying His word, they set out on their own. They begin to make decisions about their lives that their Lord ought to be making. Our requirement in life is to learn what God says and simple trust Him. Proverbs 3:6 says, “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” The best life possible is to live in such a way that God is directing your path.

That life which is filled with peace, joy, contentment, love, and fulfillment is reached only by the Christian who is walking in his physical life in the same way he entered eternal life. How is that? By faith! You came to God and said, “Lord, I have learned that I am a sinner and am under eternal wrath, but I also learned by your word that you have made a way for me to be saved and have eternal life by receiving Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. Lord, by faith in what you have said in your word, I receive you now as my Lord and Savior.” That brings the gift of God which is eternal life.

As a Christian, we must continue to live by faith. That means we come to the Lord and say, “Dear Lord, as my King, God, and Savior, I come to you in complete submission. I know you know what is best. I have found in your word some things that you want me to do. Lord, since I do believe you, I will by faith accept this as your will, and I will be obedient.”

Living by faith is simply learning what God has said in His word and obeying it. It is not our responsibility to live a blessed or successful life, to be beneficial to the kingdom of God, or to be filled with good works. It is our responsibility to live by faith in what God has said and leave the results to Him. If we live by faith, we take the responsibility of our lives out of our hands and place them into the Lord’s. We must learn to live by faith which is simply learning and obeying God’s Word.

When we must make decisions where God has not specifically given instructions, we can come to the Lord and yield our self to His will and claim the promise given in Philippians 2:13 “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” Remember Psalm 37:4, “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”

(IMMANUEL BAPTIST CHURCH: Pastor, Arnold Martin)

FROM A PASTOR’S HEART
October 16, 2003

WHOSE DISCIPLE ARE YOU?

A disciple is a student or follower of someone. There were disciples of Plato who was a very famous philosopher. If you talked to one of Plato’s disciples, you would hear basically what Plato himself would say. They sat at his feet, listened to what he said, learned what he taught, and obeyed those teachings. They showed great devotion and admiration to both the man and his teaching.

There were disciples of John the Baptist. They followed John and learned his doctrines or teachings. When John was gone, they continued to teach and live what John had taught them. The same is true today. There are people who gather people to follow them. Such was the case with Jim Jones and David Karesh. These people had loyal, faithful, and devoted disciples. They were also foolish because the followed men who had demonic doctrines.

We know that Satan is a mimic. Satan will develop some kind of counterfeit to undermine what our Lord does. When Jesus left, he left the message for us to go into all the world and make disciples. As we tell others about heaven, hell, the coming judgment, and what Jesus has done, they can decide if they want to become a disciple of His.

To become a disciple involves a decision. No one is forced to be a disciple. Each person must evaluate the benefit of what it would cost to be disciple and decide if they are willing to pay the price. If a person is a drunkard and you tell him about Jesus, he must decide if he is willing to give up his life style for one of being a follower and a learner of Jesus.

Becoming a disciple involves dedication. Jesus said in Luke 14:27, “And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.” Jesus is telling us that if we are not willing to take death to our selves, our plans, our ambitions, and follow Him, we cannot become His disciple. He said in verse 33, “So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.”

This sure sounds like it is a very high price to become a disciple of Jesus! Is this saying that to be saved we have to pay such a high price? Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Salvation is a gift of God. A gift is something that must be received. It has been bought and paid for. All that is required to gain the benefits of it is simply to receive it.

Salvation is not only eternal life, it is receiving Jesus. John 1:12 explains it, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” Salvation is when a person is freed from the penalty of his sin, which is eternal death in hell. Biblical salvation is also receiving Jesus who paid the penalty of that sin.

John 14:6 says, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” If there is salvation, there must be the receiving of God’s gift of eternal life. That gift is wrapped up in Jesus. When you receive eternal life, you receive Jesus. He comes into your life never to leave nor forsake you. That is a gift many do not want to receive.
They would like to have eternal life and fire insurance from hell, but they do not want to be bothered with Jesus with them all the time. They want Him as Savior, but not as Lord. They are not willing to receive Him. They want what He has to give, but they do not want Him. They are not willing to have Jesus as the Lord. They are willing to tack Him onto their lives. They want all the benefits He has, but do not want any of His demands put on their lives.

If you receive God’s gift of eternal life, you receive Jesus. If you receive Jesus into your life, you have in you the Lord Jesus Christ. There will definitely be a change in your life. There is no way Jesus can come into a person’s life and that person ever be the same! The Bible says, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Cor 5:17).

Everyone is some kind of disciple. If we do not choose the Lord, learn of Him, and dedicate ourselves to Him, we will choose, learn of, and dedicate ourselves to something or someone else. There are those who dedicate themselves to sports or some other kind of pleasure. They go from one activity to another. They learn of all the ways they can enjoy themselves. Some are devotees of TV and Hollywood. Some are devotees of drugs and alcohol.

All of us must choose which king we will serve and which kingdom we will live in, and whose disciple we will be. There are only two kingdoms to decide from. In one kingdom is Satan and the demons, “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Cor 4:4).

Satan’s kingdom is very appealing. There is a broad gate and a broad road which leads to it. The choices of how you live are unlimited. You can do what you want to do or whatever you can get away with. This appeals to our old nature. The other kingdom is ruled by Jesus Christ. There is a narrow gate that leads to the narrow road. If we choose this kingdom, we have a Book we are to live by. There are standards to uphold. There are doctrines that govern the behavior of those in that kingdom. Whose disciple are you? Who have you chosen to learn from, be dedicated to, and who will you live for? Those who have not received the Lord Jesus Christ are still living in Satan’s kingdom!

At the end of his life, Joshua told the people of Israel, “Choose ye this day whom ye will serve.” In other words, “Choose whose disciple you will be!”

(IMMANUEL BAPTIST CHURCH: Pastor, Arnold Martin)

FROM A PASTOR’S HEART
October 23, 2003

AVOIDING THE BIT AND BRIDLE!

Psalm 32: 1-2 describes a blessed person, “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity.” “Blessed” means to be happy both here and in the future life. Why? Because our sins are forgiven, the penalty of them is paid, and the guilt of them is gone. In addition to this is the fact that when we sin again, God will not “impute” or charge sin to our account. That does not mean He will not deal with sin in our lives.

Many people say that if God did not “impute” sin to them, that they would get saved and then go out and sin all they want. The fact is that all true Christians do sin all they want and more. Every true child of God has the nature of Christ and a hatred of sin.

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Cor 5:17).

One way we know that we are saved is that we have been delivered from the love of sin! However, until we get our glorified bodies, our new nature is still in the old body and there will be temptations and sin.

David is an example of a “man after God’s own heart,” but committed a great sin with Bathsheba and had her husband Uriah killed to try to cover it. For a year, David tried to hide his sin. Psalm 32:4 describes his condition during this time, “For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer.” David suffered physically, socially, mentally, and spiritually until he confessed his sin and was forgiven by God. He was forgiven, but there were still many consequences of the sin he had to bear.

David was saved and God dealt with him as a parent deals with a child. There is a plan God has for us and He will see to it that His plan does not fail. Romans 8:29 describes the plan, “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.” God’s plan is for all those He saves to be made into the image of His son, the Lord Jesus Christ.”

The Lord has two ways of leading and guiding us here on the earth. One is given in verse 8, “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.” This is God gently leading us by instruction through our minds, not emotionalism, not sensationalism, but by truth. Psalm 119:104 says, “Through thy precepts I get understanding.” This is God promising to personally teach us. He may use circumstances, His word, or people, but it is God personally teaching us individually.
His preferred method to guide us in this life is very tender. It is by His eye.

This would be like a parent looking at a child and that child knows by the look what the parent wants and immediately obeys. This kind of leadership gives us great freedom. This prevents our Lord from dealing harshly with us as He had to do with King David. This is Christianity at its best here on earth.

For those who will not be obedient and submissive to our Lord and His word, there is another kind of leading and guiding used described in verse 9, “Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.”

A horse or mule has no understanding. They do not know what the will of their master is. They are stubborn by nature. They will not come to their master nor do the master’s will unless they are made to; therefore, a bit and bridle must be placed on them to restrict their actions and force them to do what their master wants them to do. The bit and bridle is the means by which the owner will communicate to the animal. It can be a painful ordeal for the animal. Being led by the bit and bridle is no pleasant experience to an animal nor is it to a child of God.

How sad that a Christian acts like a horse or a mule acts to its owner. David said in Psalm 73:22, “So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee.” God had to use the bit and bridle to force David in the right path. Just as a horse or mule has to be broken before they are any benefit to the owner, we have to be broken before we can be profitable to Him. A child is to be broken in his youth so he can be useful. Scripture tells us, “It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth” (Lam 3:27).

A mind that is uncorrected and undisciplined is like a vine unpruned. It will yield no fruit. Those who remain unsubdued are of little worth to themselves or others. This is why training is so necessary through out our lives. Learning God’s word is the primary means by which God leads. How foolish to ignore or reject God’s primary means of leading and guiding us.

Reading and obeying His word is to be led by His eye. It is to have freedom that the horse or mule know nothing about. Psalm 37:4 describes this kind of life, “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” Those who delight themselves in the Lord will be those who love, learn, and obey His word. As they delight themselves in the Lord, it is the Lord Himself who puts the desires into their hearts. As they fulfill those desires, they achieve happiness and joy here and greater conformity to the Lord Jesus.

If we neglect or reject His word, our Lord will put on the bit and bridle. This may be in the form of sickness, accidents, financial or marital problems or a multitude of other things God may bring our way to force us to do what He has ordained for us. Don’t be like the horse or mule who has no understanding of the masters will and therefore has to be bridled. Be as the loving, obedient child who can be guided by the parents eye!

(IMMANUEL BAPTIST CHURCH: Pastor, Arnold Martin)

FROM A PASTOR’S HEART
October 29, 2003

WHAT YOUR VOTE MEANS!

(The following message came from Don Pinson of the Kentucky Family Foundion) “He was a young king, but a good one. He had chosen to live right and consequently, had been blessed in everything he undertook. However, in the neighboring nation, this was not the case. A very selfish king ruled who oppressed his people and made all his decisions based on the thought, "what's in it for me". The only thing the two kings had in common was an enemy to the north who was threatening to take over both his southern neighbors.

The wicked king suggested to the young king that together they attack their enemy in the hope they could surprise him and overcome him. The good king, Jehosaphat by name, had always trusted the God of the Bible to protect his land. But this proposal seemed reasonable, and being young, he made a decision based on human logic instead of consulting God: He joined forces with the wicked king, Ahab. The battle was a disaster! The combined forces of Jehosaphat and Ahab were soundly defeated; Ahab was killed and only by a miracle did Jehosaphat escape with his life.

While this story happened over 2500 years ago, it was used by John Jay, the first Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, to illustrate a very important truth concerning elections and our personal vote. In answer to the question; "Is it permissible for a Godly person to vote for an un Godly candidate?" John Jay replied to him: "[This] is a question which merits more consideration than it seems yet to have generally received, either from the clergy or the laity. It appears to me that what the prophet said to Jehoshaphat about his attachment to Ahab affords a salutory lesson." Notice what God said to Jehoshaphat by his prophet, “Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the LORD? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the LORD” (2 Chr 19:2).

Chief Justice Jay was making a strong statement that we have no right to vote for ungodly candidates! Why does God feel so strongly about us voting-- and voting for godly candidates? God led our Founding Fathers to establish a Biblical form of government known as a republic. Our Supreme Court, in the early 1800's, explained: "Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty...of our Christian nation, to select and prefer Christians for their rulers."

The Supreme Court was saying that our very existence as a nation depends on Christians voting-- and voting for Christian candidates! Noah Webster, the Father of American Education, strongly confirmed this in his book “Advice to the Young,” (p.37). He stated, "When you become entitled to exercise the right of voting for public officers..,God commands you to choose for rulers, just men who will rule in the fear of God."

The very word "vote" comes from a Latin word which means, "a solemn promise to God". Our vote is our choice of a ruler, which we make in the very presence of God! On Election day, let's heed the command of a colonial minister in Connecticut, Matthias Burnet, who told his people concerning their voting, "You, whose high prerogative it is,...to save or destroy your country, consider well the important trust ...which God...[has] put into your hands. To God and posterity your are accountable...Let not your children have reason to curse you for giving up those rights, and [destroying] those institutions which your fathers delivered to you."

This message from Mr. Pinson is valuable for all of us. Whether we vote and who we vote for says much about our beliefs and knowledge of Scripture. Everyone votes on election day. Those who do not cast a ballot are voting to remove themselves from being salt and light as God commanded. They vote to let others decide the future of this nation. They vote to let the evil element take over without firing a shot.

Many Christians do vote, but vote the wrong way. They vote for a party instead of voting for the right person. All political parties are getting farther away from biblical standards. Christians should have standards of right and wrong and never move. The political parties will move from standards depending on what the polls say. God’s people should know and obey Proverbs 14:34 which says, “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.”

Please answer this question: Is it wrong to practice homosexuality and other sexual perversions? Is it wrong to have abortions? Is it wrong to make laws to make it easy for people to commit those sins? The answer is obviously yes.

Then it is equally as wrong to vote for the people who will make the laws to support these things. It is wrong to vote for a man who will appoint the liberal judges who are for these things and misinterpret the constitution to make them legal. God will hold us accountable for not protecting innocent life and for not putting up barriers to make it harder for people to sin.

Any person who votes for a person who is for things God is against is partakers of their evil deeds. We want God to bless us, but how can God continue to bless this nation when God’s people are failing to be salt and light? Should there be a difference in the way a God fearing and God hating person votes? Should God’s people sit back and do nothing while their country is being taken over by those who will not be satisfied until God is completely removed from everything?

How did those judges who are siding with the ACLU to remove God from everything in this country get their positions? They got them because God’s people either did not vote or they voted for the wrong people. Find out what the candidates believe and how they vote on moral issues and then be salt and light in a dark and diseased country by getting godly people into office!

(IMMANUEL BAPTIST CHURCH: Pastor, Arnold Martin)

FROM A PASTOR’S HEART
September 12, 2003

PREVENTABLE DOCTOR BILLS!

We are thankful for the doctors and medicines provided for us, but many of our visits to the doctor could be prevented if we understood some basic Bible principles. Most people underestimate the power of the mind on the physical body. We know God has made man to be a triune being. We have a temporary physical body which contains our immortal soul. The soul of man is his mind, will, and emotions. The third part of man is his spirit, “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess 5:23).

With the body, we can communicate with physical things. With the soul, we can communicate with other people. With the spirit, we can communicate with God. The Bible says of the unsaved in Ephesians 2:1, “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins.” These people who had only body and soul were quickened which means to be made alive. They were given a spirit which enabled them to communicate with God.

If a person is not saved, he has only mind and body to work with. The decisions he makes is based on what he wants, feels, and has the ability to do. There is no direction from God. Once a person is saved, he has the spirit so that he can have communion with and direction from God.

It is well documented that the mind has an affect on the body. Worry can cause ulcers, high blood pressure, and a multitude of other physical problems. God has given moral laws to us just like He has given the physical laws. One moral law is that we are influenced by what we think. Proverbs 23:7 says, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.”

If we are to have a healthy mind which will direct and control the body in the best way possible, it must be trained. A mind which thinks on having pleasure and self satisfaction can lead the body into all kind of harmful things including drug abuse, illicit sex, and a multitude of harmful habits.

One main cause of physical sickness is because of bad attitudes which comes from the wrong kind of thinking. The body does not function as well when the mind is depressed and ill in spirit. Even when sickness comes, the body will heal faster when there is a good mind set. Proverbs 17:22 says, “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.”

A leading cancer research center said that people who have resentment, lack of forgiveness, and who speak and hear negative things are more likely to have cancer. One report stated that quarrels between expecting parents affects the health of the unborn child.

When we are around people with merry hearts, we feel better. When we are around those who are negative, critical, and have bad attitudes, it brings us down. It will depress our spirit and attitude. It is contagious. This is the reason the Bible warns us over and over to guard our minds. Why? Because the things which go in our mind affects our spirit which in tern affects the behavior of our bodies.

A good disposition is a key factor in having good physical health. Proverbs 14:30 supports this, “A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones.” Where there is envy, it is as if the bones of the person were rotten. Any person who has bone problems is in severe physical condition.

A key verse to a healthy life both physically and mentally is Matt 4:4, “...It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” Bread is the food for the physical body. The Word of God is food for the spirit. The thought life is the food for the soul.

We are what we eat in all three aspects of life. We are what we eat physically. A body built on pastries will not be as healthy as one built on beans, potatoes, and mustard greens. A spirit fed continually on the unadulterated word of God will be more healthy than a person who learns liberal theology. A person who has a mind filled with good, positive, and healthy thoughts will be more healthy than a person who is negative and critical.

Philippians 4:8 tells us what we are to think about, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” What happens to a person’s health if he violates the laws our Lord has given us? One thing is for sure, we can expect things to not go as well as they could have!

One reason for sickness, weakness, and premature death is unconfessed and unrepented of sin in the life of a believer, “For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep” (1 Cor 11:30). These people were coming to the Lord’s table with unconfessed sin. When we are undergoing the chastening of the Lord because of our sin, there will be physical consequences. Psalms 38:3 says, “There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin.”

Every person will experience sorrow in this life. If we meditate on it, it can cause us much physical as well as mental trouble. Second Cor. 7:10 tells us, “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.” Our thinking has a tremendous effect on our body. The only way we can know what we ought to think about is to know what our Lord has told us. John 6:63 ties all this together, “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”

(IMMANUEL BAPTIST CHURCH: Pastor, Arnold Martin)

FROM A PASTOR’S HEART
September 18, 2003

HOW TO HANDLE STRESS!

Stress is a harmful or unwanted pressure on a person. Everyone will have stress in this life, but some people handle it very well while others are devastated by it. Job 14:1 says, “Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.” When trouble and problems do come to us, they will cause stress; therefore, we need to learn how to deal with it.

If a person does not know Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, this life is the only heaven he will know. This means that any kind of pain, sorrow, or stress can be devastating. This means that the first step in handling problems and the stress brought by them is to be saved from the wrath of God to come on unbelievers. The greatest problem which brings the greatest stress to the unsaved is that they are facing an eternity in hell. Trusting Christ as Savior will take care of that problem and relieve the stress associated with it.
Another source of stress comes when a person sets unbiblical or unrealistic goals. We hear about something called “The mid-life crisis.” This crisis comes to those who have not met the goals they have set. They begin to think life has passed them by because they have not accomplished certain things. This wrong thinking will cause harmful stress, but the right attitude can take care of it.

Sometimes stress comes from the kind of life a person lives. One survey stated that 80% of people spend 110% of their income. Needless to say, that lifestyle will cause a lot of problems which will bring with them a lot of stress. Learning how to put Bible principles into practice will take care of many of these problems and therefore relieve the stress which comes from them.

Scripture tells us what our attitude is to be when we come into a stressful situation. It is our attitude that will determine whether or not a circumstance will bring stress or not. Time magazine quoted a doctor who stated, “Far more important than the trials and tribulations of life is how one deals with them.” This means that the same circumstance can cause one person joy while causing another pain. Whether joy or pain will be experienced by a situation is determined by the attitude toward it.

For example, if a heavy snow came, your attitude toward it would determine whether or not it was a stressful situation. If you are a skier, you would be thrilled at the new fallen snow. If you were a mother trying to get to work and was afraid of slick roads, you could have a lot of stress. It all depends on the attitude. If we maintain the right attitudes, every potential stressful situation can be a stepping stone to a more stable life. If our attitude is wrong, stressful situations can be stepping stones to the mental ward.

When our knowledge is not adequate, a wrong attitude can be produced by a situation which can produce stress which can have devastating effects on our bodies. When problems comes, it is our attitude that determines if it they are stress producing. If our attitude is not right, the body gears up to deal with that stress by creating anger, high blood pressure, and the secretion of all kinds of hormones. This is like our body being put in overdrive while we have the brakes on. When stress is not handled properly, it can cause heart disease, ulcers, diarrhea, colitis, headaches, etc. Stress not handled correctly is a killer.

To handle the problems of life without producing damaging stress, we must learn some Bible principles. The first one is that God is in total control of every situation that takes place, not only in our lives, but in the whole universe. Proverbs 21:1 says, “The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.” God will govern, control, and guide the governors of the earth so that His plans will come to pass. He will do the same thing in our lives individually.

First Corinthians 10:13 tells us, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” This means that every problem that comes our way must go through the hands of God first. Nothing comes to the child of God that is not common to man. With every problem, God has already made a way out of it.

This means that we must learn to think God’s thoughts. If we did not know these verses, we would not know God is in total control. We must know what God knows about the situations we are in. James 1:2-3 says, “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.” If we know that these problems will cause our patience and endurance to develop, we can go through our problems knowing that we will be better off for having had them. This attitude relieves the harmful stress.

Scripture tells us to give thanks in everything. This would be difficult if we did not know that God is in total control of everything. Since He is working out all things for our good according to Romans 8:28, I can give thanks in everything. That does not mean we give thanks for bad things which happen to us, but we can give thanks because we know we serve a God who is in absolute control and when the problems are over, we will receive some good and He will receive glory.

We can develop the attitude that we are not spending our lives, but we are investing them. Jesus died on a cross, but He had the right attitude because He knew the joy that was set before Him. By investing His life, He gained the souls of all who would believe in Him. We do not simply surrender our lives to the Lord, we are investing them for all eternity.

If we know all that comes to us is part of God’s plan to conform us to the image of Jesus, we can have the right attitude without the stress.

(IMMANUEL BAPTIST CHURCH: Pastor, Arnold Martin)

FROM A PASTOR’S HEART
September 26, 2003

WHICH RACE ARE YOU IN?

Every human being is born once, but only Christians are born twice. James 1:18 tells why we were born again, “Of His own will begat He us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.” We were saved, or born again, by the “word of truth” so that we could be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures. God’s reason in the salvation of souls is to create a new race which will include people from every nation and tongue. This new race began with Jesus Christ, “But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming” (1Cor 15:23).

Jesus was raised from the dead as the first one in this new race. When He comes back, we will be as He is. First John 3:2 says, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” Since we will be in this new race, Hebrews 12:14 tells us how we should live today, “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.”

We were born again to be holy. If a person is not holy, he has no relationship with the Lord. Unsaved people have a big problem. Not only are they not holy, but they don’t like to admit it. If convinced that they are not holy, they want to blame someone else for the way they are. They even blame God! Remember Adam blaming God for the woman given to him?

We are not holy. We don’t like to admit that we are not holy, but if we should admit it, and if we really wanted to do something about it, we find that we do not have the power to do what we think we should. The reason is that we have sinful natures from birth which are bent on doing wrong. That is why you have to teach a child to tell the truth. You don’t have to teach him to tell a lie, that will come naturally. Since we cannot control the old nature, we have to have courts, jails, prisons, laws, and police officers and force people to do the right thing.

This is why we must be born again. We must have a new nature. Man is born with a nature that is filled with lust which leads to sin and sin leads to death. The new nature will produce desires which lead to holiness which leads to an abundant life here and eternal life hereafter with our Lord.

Before a man would want to be “born again,” he must be throughly dissatisfied with the way he was born the first time. Romans 3 gives a picture of man in his first birth. It is not a pretty picture. If anything could make you sick, the picture of an unregenerate person will. Verse 3 gives us the first sketch of sinful man, “As it is written, There is none righteous, no not one.” There has never been a born human being outside of the Lord Jesus who live a righteousness life, which means doing that which is right before God. God has set the standard and no body can live up to it apart from the new birth.

Verse 11 gives another sketch, “There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.” Men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil. Verse 12 says, “They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” An unregenerated man is useless to himself, to others, and to God.

Verse 13 describes the words of sinful man, “Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips.” Sinful man is revealed by his sinful deeds and sinful words. Verses 14-17 paint a little more of the picture, “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known.”

Man is born with a sinful nature that is bent on rebellion to his creator. He will not do right in God’s sight. The reason man lives in disobedience is given in verse 18, “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Man simply gives in to his sinful nature and disregards what God says in His word.

Some have tried to live up to the standard God has given, but all have failed. The standard is too high. The law of God is perfect and we all agree that it is right and good. Romans 3:20 tells us why trying to keep God’s law fails to make a person acceptable in God’s sight, “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”
God’s word tell us what He requires. When we try to keep it, we realize the standard is good, but we also realize we cannot keep it; therefore, the law gives knowledge of sin, but the law has no power to help us obey. It is a mirror which shows us right and wrong. Even when we can outwardly obey some of God’s law, on the inside we are still rebels.

When a person is born again, he is quickened, or made alive. He is given a new nature from God which changes him on the inside. Ephesians 2:1 describes a person before salvation, “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins. Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience. Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.”

If you are saved, you were born again so that you can live forever in a new race with Jesus as your new King. If you have not been born again, God is no respecter of persons. He wants to save you and give you a new nature and make you one of the children of God. The greatest thing that can happen to a person is the second birth. If a person is not born again, the worst thing that ever happened to him was his first birth.

(IMMANUEL BAPTIST CHURCH: Pastor, Arnold Martin)