Mithra vs. Christ

From a published interview with historian Edwin Yamauchi.

“Nothing in Christianity is original” (DaVinci Code, Dan Brown).

Writers have claimed that a pagan mystery cult Mithraism is really the basis for Christianity. Actually, this is only one of several mystery cults that popular writers have associated with Christianity. Others are: Attis, Osiris, Adonis and Dionysus. However, the Persian god Mithras who was worshiped in the mystery cult called Mithraism is the closest parallel.

“Mithras… was born of a virgin in a cave on December 25, was considered a great traveling teacher, had 12 disciples, promised his followers immortality, sacrificed himself for world peace, was buried in a tomb and rose again three days later, instituted a eucharist or “Lord’s Supper,” and was considered the Logos, redeemer, Messiah, and “the way, the truth, and the life.”

How do you respond when people  present ancient “facts” like this?

What do you do once you’ve been told something like this?

Mithraism as a mystery religion cannot be attested before about AD 90.

“Gordon dates the establishment of the Mithraic mysteries to the reign of Hadrian, which  was AD 117-138.

Mithras was born of a virgin… No,the legend has it that Mithra was born out of a rock.

Mithras was born in a cave like Jesus…The New Testament doesn’t say Jesus born in a cave.

Mithras was born on December 25… Jesus was actually born in the Spring (Lk. 2:8).

December 25 was the date chosen by Emperor Aurelian for the dedication of his temple to Sol Invictus, the Roman god called “the unconquerable sun.” Mithras is sometimes depicted shaking hands with this god. It became the date Christ’s birth was celebrated in AD 336, the year before Constantine’s death, following the Christian practice of appropriating pagan holidays for holy use.

Mithras was a teacher with 12 disciples…. No, Mithras was a god.

Mithras’s followers promised immortality…. Inferred, but what’s new? That’s religion.

Mithras sacrificed himself…. He did not. He killed a bull.

Mithras buried and raised…. We know nothing about Mithras death, so there could be no resurrection.

Mithras was considered “Good Shepherd, Way, Truth and Life, Logos, Redeemer, Savior. “No… that’s reading Christian theology into this” Yamauchi

Mithras had a Eucharist meal…. Common meals shared in most religious groups.

Was a Mithraic rite called taurobolium the basis for Christian belief in Christ’s blood sacrifice for sins?

Taurobolium- initiate was placed in a pit with a grate over it and a bull was slaughtered above allowing the blood to baptize him.

It is an anachronism to base Christ’s sacrifice on the practice, since it is first attested to in the Attis cult in AD 160.

“Do you see any evidence that Christianity borrowed any of its beliefs from Mithraism?”

“Not really… they were rivals in the second century and later.”

So, my friends, not everything is as it appears on the internet!

Winter Solstice

Each day there is less light,

Spreading darkness threatens

To bring unending night.

Will the world be mantled in black?

Will light be pushed back

Until it ends?

Will there come a day,

When there is no day?

The sun is a pawn,

Even if its gravity holds us

And its light uphold us,

It is nothing but a ball of gas,

A created thing

Subject to the laws of the Creator-King.

Today is Solstice,

Let the celebration begin, 

the Light of the World has come!

Son of God, the only One.

Paradoxes abound: 

immortality became mortal;

Infinity limited itself;

Almighty God became human.

Creator of 200 billion trillion stars

Born as a baby on a small planet

Orbiting a seemingly insignificant sun.

The shortest day is here!

Darkness must end.

The light has won.

Overcoming Anger, a Christian View

Anger is easy. There’s a lot to be mad about: some is justified; some is not; and too much is pointless. Anger is my default emotion, my drug of choice, if you will. When I get hurt, it makes me mad. When something doesn’t work the way it’s supposed to, it frustrates me and that results in anger (hence, my longstanding problem with technology). When I have to wait for something for what I feel is too long, that impatience results in anger (just experienced this with our abysmally slow internet connection). When people ignore me or reject me, it makes me angry. All of this bubbles up from the well of Pride, which is to say Original Sin. Pride expresses itself in manifold ways in different individuals, and this is an obvious way it comes out in my life.

In the Bible, James, the half-brother of Jesus and pastor of the first Jerusalem church admonishes, “The anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God” (James 1:20). And yet, when someone cuts me off in traffic, when things don’t turn out as I expected, when I feel I am being treated unfairly, anger flairs and runs me, then ruins a portion of the day. This is wrong. Knowing that, however, doesn’t stop it from happening.

The results of human anger are devastating. Health problems may be caused or exacerbated by chronic anger. Depression is often the result of internalized anger. I may strike out in anger and injure someone physically or emotionally. Anger may even result in murder. Jesus clearly taught that anger leads that direction.
“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.” (Matthew 5:21–22, ESV)
When I’m angry with another person because of a real or perceived wrong they’ve done to me, then I have the motive which may escalate to hatred and murder. Even though I can’t imagine myself killing someone, I am guilty of harming them in my mind and I possess the motive to do harm. Slander is character assassination, so even if I wouldn’t dream of killing the target of my anger, I may very well feel no compunction about ruining their reputation.

It is likely that anger constitutes an addiction. Now, don’t get me wrong: I’m not attempting to turn myself into a victim of genetics, or the poor choices of my youth. Every time I erupt in anger, I am making a clear choice. I am guilty. However, that doesn’t mean it is easy to control. In fact, I’m coming to realize that, like any addiction, fighting anger is futile because I’m fighting my own will. “A house divided against itself will not stand. This is made worse by the fact that I’m fighting anger with, well, more anger. What I must do is attack the basis for all of my anger, not just fight daily skirmishes against it’s myriad outbreaks.

The command and control center for anger, and for Pride, which is its basis, is the self. More specifically, “me” striving to live apart from the manifest presence of God. We weren’t created to live apart from God, and doing so has grave consequences. Anger is one of them.

My self must come to an end. It must die. I’m not suicidal, don’t worry. I’m not talking about ending my life but about ending the self-life. This includes: selfishness, self-centeredness, selfish ambition, even self-protection, manifesting as a constant need to defend the self. However, I cannot do this alone. No addiction can be eradicated without outside help.

“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now Iive in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

Jesus Christ came to earth to accomplish what you and I cannot alone. The Son of God took on the fullness of our humanity, lived the life we are supposed to, then took on the full weight of our sin. Then he died. I must die with him. I must be crucified with Christ. That is how the self-life comes to an end.

“If anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation. Old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Most importantly, Jesus Christ rose from the dead. In so doing he brought hope for a new life and a new self. Jesus told Nicodemus, “You must be born anew” (John 3:3). This may also be stated, “You must be born from above.” The resurrection makes that possible for everyone who will believe.

So, in order to overcome my anger, I must identify with Jesus Christ on the cross, through the grave, and in the resurrection. I must realize and remind myself daily, and even moment by moment, that I am a new creation in Christ. I have a new identity. No longer do I live my life apart from God. I’ve invited his Spirit into my innermost being, and a transformation has taken effect. I have a new nature. My thinking must agree with this reality.

When I agree with God’s Word and Spirit that I am a new person, that I have been re-created to be a “little Christ”, then the anger dissipates. It is replaced by a peace that surpasses understanding (Philippians 4:5-6), and by a humble confidence in God.

The Cure for Moral Insanity

What can cure the moral insanity spreading through our world?

Planned Parenthood (what a misnomer) is the largest abortion provider in the nation. They promote themselves as advocates for women’s health. What they actually are is a consumer corporation profiting from women who are facing the challenge of an unwanted pregnancy. They receive half a billion dollars from our government. But that’s not enough money for this greedy corporation. They call the human being in the womb “products of conception,” and ironically, they sell body parts from aborted fetuses as products for experimentation. The Nazis also experimented on human beings for “medical purposes” and used body parts from the unwanted human beings they murdered. Why do so many continue to support this evil corporation? Supporters are people driven by emotional pleas and political correctness, voting a party line rather than admitting the truth, having compassion or being concerned about the dignity of human life. This is sick. Why aren’t the decision makers being prosecuted? The same US government that protects the egg of a bald eagle ensures permission for unborn humans to be ripped from the womb one body part at a time. This is moral insanity.

The U.S. created a power vacuum in the Middle East because of the 2003 Iraq invasion and the weary withdrawal of US troops after a decade of attempting to assist in creating a fair democracy. This vacuum is now being filled by the most evil men the world has seen since the days of Hitler, Stalin and Pol Pot. Islamic extremists have yet to murder as many people as those dictators, but they possess the will to do so. ISIS is attempting to establish a Caliphate or religious government that wills to take over the world. They revel in spectacular executions, slavery of those who don’t believe their doctrine, rape as a form of worship and the destruction of ancient history. All of this evil is calculated to serve one goal: terrorize the world in an effort to subdue it. This is moral insanity.

ISIS butchers thousands of people, and the U.S. response has been timid and tepid. Christians are martyred like they were in the Roman Colosseum, but in place of thousands of spectators in the stands there are multiple millions of viewers on the internet. Why are their videos hosted? Why are they permitted to promote their evil? Social media giants like Facebook and Twitter could do more to shut these people out, but instead they tacitly support the evil they allow to be promoted via their networks. The news media covers ISIS in graphic detail because it draws more viewers. In so doing, CNN, MSNBC, FOX become the de facto PR team for ISIS. Terror is their tool, publicizing their activities, ideas and videos gives them the worldwide stage they desire to spread fear and horror. This is moral insanity.

The United States leads the world. The culture here is a powerful influence everywhere. Sexual immorality has become the norm in our culture. The family existed prior, not only to our government and our nation, but prior to civilization itself. It is the fundamental building block of civilization. Now that ancient institution is under sustained attack by a perverse and powerful lobby. What was once considered shameful has been institutionalized by the highest court in the land. Marriage has been universally understood to be the bond between one man and one woman. That five unelected judges changed the definition of a 5000 year old institution should be deeply disturbing to everyone. Every child needs a mother and a father. To establish a norm that deprives children of this is moral insanity. However, the problem of single parent homes did not originate within the LGBT community. In fact, fatherless homes may well be the most significant cause of the sexual confusion in which we find ourselves in today.

The ideal is that the marriage bond lasts for life. Divorce became more and more accepted in the mid 20th century. Now it is as common as marriage. The once expected standard of waiting to have sex until marriage has been replaced with rampant sexual promiscuity. Cohabitation is the norm. The internet has made pornography instantly accessible to almost anyone. It is not surprising that this fertile ground for sexual immorality has produced increased acceptance for inordinate and perverse forms of sex. Consider the popularity of the book series titled 50 Shades of Gray, wherein the rich misogynistic male protagonist gets off on treating his female partners like sex slaves, and the female protagonist enjoys such treatment. This is moral insanity.

Then there is the explosion of gun violence in the US. Why? Policy makers and politicians wring their hands, or point their fingers at one another, but fail to make any changes. The left sees this as a problem with the proliferation of guns, so they propose gun control laws. The right sees this as a problem solvable by the exercise of the 2nd Amendment right to keep and bear arms. Their solution is to arm law abiding citizens. Guns merely make violence more convenient and more glamorous. I wonder how many of the same individuals who support gun control would oppose controlling the sale of violent video games to kids? Why do NRA and 2nd Amendment advocates oppose attempts to keep guns out of the hands of the untrained? Not everyone should have the right to carry a gun. The unfortunate problem is, those who choose to break the law are not going to train or get their guns registered. What we have is a social problem that is signified, and perhaps exacerbated, by guns, but not caused or resolved by guns or their removal from the hands of law abiding citizens.

The real issue was revealed by Jesus Christ when one of his disciples wanted to protect him from harm. On the night before his crucifixion, Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemene praying when Judas Iscariot arrived with a crowd of men with swords and clubs. The traitor identified his former master with a kiss and the guards grabbed Jesus. Peter drew a sword and struck the high priest’s servant, severing his ear. Jesus healed the servant’s ear and admonished Peter saying, “Put your sword back in its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword” (Matthew 26:52, ESV). 

Guns are neither the problem nor the answer. The issue is in the heart of human beings, for evil comes out of the heart. In this case it is the evil of treating other persons as objects, obstacles that threaten us or stand in our way. Video games provide an apt example: when you encounter a person who threatens you or stands in the way of your progress, you typically just shoot them dead. But persons are created in God’s image. Why aren’t we bothered when human beings are treated with less respect than our pets?

This reveals an even deeper heart problem: the failure fear God, to believe in a just and loving God, who says, “Vengeance is mine. I will repay… For we must all stand before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil” (Romans 12:19b, 2 Corinthians 5:10).

In an unprincipled, increasingly lawless, population every person looks to himself to determine right and wrong.  The serpent promised self-determination to Eve in the Garden when he tempted her to eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. “You will not die; for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Eve and Adam gave in to the temptation and were cast out of God’s presence. Self-determination (apart from God) has continued as the norm of human nature throughout our history. It was exemplified during the period of Judges in Israel when the people did great evil. The explanation for that evil is found in the final verse of Judges: “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25).

When someone rejects God as their king, they do so in order to rule over their own conscience and life (see Psalm 10:4, 14:1). They become blind to sin and evil, following the dictates of their own godless heart. “Transgression speaks to the ungodly within his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes. For he flatters himself too much to detect or hate his own sin” (Psalm 36:1-2).

The law is for the lawless. There is a God who has created the universe the people who live in it. The universe operates according to the constant and unchangeable laws of physics, and human beings are created to live within the parameters of the the moral law, which the Creator also established. This is obvious to anyone who would bother to pay attention and pursue the evidence instead of their own agenda. “For what may be known about God is evident within them for God has made it evident to them. Ever since the creation of the world his invisible attributes, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived through what has been made, so they are without excuse” (Romans 1:19-20). 

There are elementary moral principles present in everyone’s conscience. However, we live in a fallen world in active rebellion against those principles. This confuses people and distorts the subjective perception of truth in their consciences. “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death” (Proverbs 14:12). Therefore, God made the moral law objectively plain to his people Israel on Mount Sinai. Then he sent his Son to live out the truth and offer a way for everyone to receive and live eternal life. “For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ… I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me” (John 1:17, 14:6).

The cure for moral insanity today is a King and a Law. “Where there is no vision the people are unrestrained. But happy is he who keeps the law” (Proverbs 29:18). For people who genuinely believe in and follow the God of the Bible, there is moral sanity. However, for those who do not live their lives surrendered to God, the Law is in place to teach them right from wrong and threaten punishment for violation.
“…understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, for the effeminate and homosexuals, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine” (1 Timothy 9-10).

We must encourage and reintroduce the truth of the Bible to people, in order that many may return to faith, which at its basic level is reverence for God. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7). Next, there must be a fair and gracious application of God’s Law, which is objectively defined in the 10 Commandments. There must be legitimate and just authority in place to establish and enforce laws on this basis. These commandments teach and mandate respect for God and respect for other people.
1- You shall worship no other God, except me.
2-  You shall not make any idols.
3-  You shall not misuse my Name.
4-  Observe the Sabbath and keep it holy.
5-  Honor your father and mother.
6-  Do not murder.
7-  Do not commit adultery.
8-  Do not steal.
9-  Do not lie.
10- Do not covet.

The first four Commandments focus on God and should be left to God’s people to teach and enforce among themselves. Civil law and authorities should protect and ensure that expressions of faith in God are unhindered and unmolested, and that every person is free to worship God, or to refrain from worshipping, according to his or her conscience. Most importantly, there must be no law passed to prohibit the preaching and teaching of the Bible. That is where truth, freedom and salvation is found.

The last six commandments should form the basis for civil law. Society’s laws will need to expand upon, but should still find their basis in, these six basic commands.

Those of us who claim to believe in and follow Jesus Christ must lead the way. The following admonition reveals what will restore sanity to us.
“For the Lord has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power, and love and a sound mind.”
(2 Timothy 1:7)
The word translated timidity is sometimes rendered as fear, but the lexicon helps us understand it further by defining it as: “a state of fear because of a lack of courage or moral strength” (Louw-Nida Greek lexicon). We who would claim Christ as our Lord must have the courage to live out our moral convictions. There must be no compromise with the godless values promoted and enshrined in our nation. “Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them” (Ephesians 5:11). 

We must not be timid about taking a stand against the moral insanity spreading through our nation and the world, even as it becomes socially acceptable, even if we are castigated and persecuted for the stand we take. We must “speak the truth in love,” and “be ready always to give an answer for the hope that is within us, yet with gentleness and reverence” (Ephesians 4:15, 1 Peter 3:15). This is important if we ever expect to bring our nation back from the brink of moral breakdown, but it is even more important for each of us to have courage for the sake of our own moral sanity.

We do not do this alone. The Holy Spirit will fill us with courage, and will remind us of God’s words when the time comes to speak (see John 14:26 & Luke 12:11-12). So, rest; do not be anxious or afraid. Do the right thing always, and be ready to defend your moral choice by appealing to the Lord Jesus as your teacher. Do not be ashamed of the name of Jesus or of his Gospel. “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of salvation to all who believe, for the Jew first and also the Greek” (Romans 1:16).

Let us pray for nothing short of a Great Awakening in this formerly great nation.

Pass Me By

Ever feel like the world is just passing you by,

like one of those days when you watch the sky

as the windblown clouds roll on by?

I watch while others succeed and I

do not begrudge or envy,

not much, not really.

But I do wonder why,

Why am I standing still,

Still,

while other lives move on?

What have I failed to do, God?

Do you hear me,

or have you stopped listening

to me cry?

I am not a perfect man,

but I have seen enough to know

that there has only been One.

Every leader I’ve ever followed has failed

in some way or another.

So, you do bless the imperfect.

What about me:

why am I still here;

why am I not free?

My eyes fail from looking for help.

I look to the hills but none comes,

not from the children of men.

Whom do I have in heaven but Thee?

Nothing on earth appeals to me.

All is lost, as it should be,

So I try to live for Christ,

even though I rarely see any

earthly reward,

and my heart is sick from hope deferred.

I am fully aware and entirely willing

to take all the blame here.

I just don’t know what I’ve done

or failed to do

that merits such persistent

mediocrity.

Is there something more,

something I’m missing here?

Did you call and I failed to hear?

Did I go when I wasn’t called?

Who is deaf like your messenger,

or blind like the one whom You’ve sent?

Open my eyes, Lord,

I want to see Jesus.

Open my ears lord,

and help me to listen.

Don’t pass me by.

Ashley Madison

Ashley Madison is not merely a fashionable woman’s name; it’s a website that promotes adultery. Their slogan is: Life is short, have an affair. It’s run by a couple who say this is just business; they’re faithful to each other (so they claim). Reminds me of drug dealers who sell heroin but don’t do it because they realize how addictive and destructive it is. Yet they don’t care how many people the drug ruins or kills, as long as they make money. After all, it’s only a business.

The reason I know about Ashley Madison is the same reason many of you do. Hackers stole their private client list and publicly posted it (not easily available unless you know your way around the web, however). The media has exposed reality TV Christian Josh Duggar, as well as Sam Radar, who hosts a  show with his wife on YouTube about raising their kids. Both have apologized. There is also a Muslim preacher, who has denied his involvement. Is it wrong to reveal these people’s private choices? Do you think this whole affair (forgive the pun) is sad? How should we feel?

What is wrong is that this service exists at all. What is sad is that 37.5 million married people have been using it to betray their spouses. I am not at all upset that any of them got caught. I am concerned about those who have harmed themselves as the result of being exposed, rather than seeking mercy and forgiveness.

Is this anyone else’s business, though, beyond the couples involved? Actually, yes, it is. Marriage is a commitment to one other person, but it is a public commitment. In a wedding ceremony promises are made before family and friends, and by extension to those friends and family. The promise is this:  I will remain true to this one person, he or she is mine and I am theirs for life. The cheater is betraying not only their spouse, but everyone else who has any kind of relationship with them. The betrayal moves out in concentric circles beginning with the spouse, then to the children, close relatives, friends, coworkers and so on. Adultery is the breaking of a promise made to everyone.

How should someone feel who has committed adultery? Ashamed. I mean it, you should feel bad about what you’ve done, or are doing. You feel guilty because, well, you are guilty. And I don’t mean just because you got caught. Don’t justify yourself; don’t make excuses. Alleviating guilt by rationalizing your choices won’t change anything. Shame and guilt are not enough, though. That will only serve to destroy you emotionally, and perhaps socially as well. You must feel and think, and believe and do something more. You must repent. That means you have an honest and real change of heart. So much so that if you could go back, you wouldn’t do the same thing again. Make no excuses. Just admit it’s wrong. Then seek mercy and forgiveness from God, your spouse and everyone else in your life. Change your thinking; change your ways.

You need to fear God. In my estimation, that is precisely what is lacking in our nation today. People don’t fear God so they do whatever they feel like doing… until they get caught and have to face the consequences of their actions. In the Bible there is an entire book called Judges, which narrates a time in Israelite history when the people did some pretty shocking things (even by our standards today). The book concludes by explaining all of the moral insanity: “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25). The people had neither an earthly king, nor did they live in submission to God as their king, and so it is in our day.

Yet in the ancient world even those who had no faith or allegiance to the God of the Bible were made to realize that adultery was evil and posed grave consequences. Consider a situation that arose with both Abraham and again years later with his son Isaac (Genesis 12, 20 & 26). Both father and son were blessed with beautiful wives, and both stayed among foreigners whom they feared. Abraham stayed among the Egyptians for a time and called Sarah his sister (a partial truth) in order to protect himself from any who would kill him to marry her. Indeed, Pharaoh took Sarah into his harem and gave Abraham favor and many gifts as a result. However, the Bible reports: “But the LORD struck Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife.” Pharaoh recognized that the calamity had come as the result of taking another man’s wife and returned Sarah to Abraham and sent them away. This happened again when Abraham lived near a king named Abimelech, then with his son Isaac and Abimelech’s son of the same name. In each case the reaction was the same: fear of God and repentance.

God offers forgiveness, even if your spouse doesn’t. You have to admit you are wrong. You must repent. You have to stop the affair. God forgives because Jesus died the death you and I deserve because of our wrongdoing. Too often, though, we want freedom from guilt and shame, but we fail or refuse to admit we’ve done anything truly bad. I believe that repentance involves a deep sense of guilt and shame. Then we lay our guilty selves at the crucified feet of Jesus and cry out for mercy. Because of the Lord’s grace anyone who repents and has faith in Christ will be granted forgiveness and set free!

So, even if you haven’t been caught cheating, stop now. Even if your cheating is only in your imagination, and via porn sites, it’s already adultery of the heart. Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:27-28). Cry out to God. Run to his merciful arms. Allow his Spirit to convict you of your wrong and to forgive you and raise you up and give you new life. If you feel that conviction now, don’t even finish this article before you pray…

Adultery is particularly confusing to children, and destructive to families. “Why is daddy with a different mommy?” The adulterer is teaching their kids that it’s okay to lie, cheat, steal, betray and break your promises. They are showing no respect for their family. So, what happens when those kids reach the teen years? They may be jaded. They may see the adulterous parent(s) as having no moral authority (at least in the sexual area). They may perceive that marriage has little or no meaning. A recent  movie called Trainwreck illustrates this reality. It is a cynical comedy about a woman whose father has taught her by word and example: “Monogamy isn’t realistic.”  She spends her adult life moving from one meaningless sexual encounter to another, until she meets a guy who tries to steer her toward marriage. As in this movie, the children of adulterers will be tempted to see sex as an end of its own, instead of the special expression of love to one other person within the bounds of marriage.

Adultery starts before you’re married. Moving from one sexual partner to another reinforces a desire for novelty and change. It also fails to develop genuine intimacy and the necessary skill to please one other person consistently for a lifetime. The hook-up culture that predominates in high school and college today fails to develop healthy relationships. It is pleasure seeking and inherently self-centered. Patience is essential in marriage. Any relationship that has sex as the primary goal will not encourage tolerance for the shortcomings of the partner.

What about married people who are bored with their partners? How about those who no longer feel the same attraction, or even love, for their partner? The marriage covenant is not based on feelings, but promises. How you feel at any point in time is irrelevant. You made promises. You are responsible to keep them. Marriage requires work, and that work doesn’t stop.

Communication

If you are having difficulty, communicate with your spouse. If things are going well, tell them how much you appreciate them. If they don’t think sex is as important any more, talk about it. If sex is no longer fun, talk about what made it enjoyable earlier in the marriage. Communicate with one another regularly and with detail. In order to communicate effectively, you must listen more than you talk. You must be empathetic. As Atticus says to Scout in the classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view—…until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”

Consideration

Say, “it’s not about me.” Now, repeat. “Let each of you look not only out for your own interests, but also for the interests of others” (Philippians 2:4). “Honor one another above yourselves” (Romans 12:10). Selfishness destroys relationships. Love is inherently unselfish. Put your partners needs above your own.

Compromise

Finally, learn to compromise. Both partners must practice this important discipline for the relationship to remain strong. This applies in the sexual area as much as in any other. Many times one partner (often the husband) wants to have sex more often than the other. Studies have shown that women may have a lower sex drive after having children. This coincides with a time when many marriages end in divorce. If you are the less motivated partner, compromise is necessary to keep your spouse satisfied. On the other hand, if you are the partner who is more sexually driven, it is important not to treat your wife (or husband) as the object of your pleasure. She’s not your porn project. If your partner is not as adventurous as you want them to be, you will need to be understanding and patient. Above all respect your partner. There are some sexual acts that don’t belong in anyone’s bedroom.

Ichabod America

Wow, America!
It’s been a great run.
Settled by Pilgrims fleeing persecution,
you were founded to be free from the tyranny
of monarchs, oligarchs, military dictators,
and oppressive majority rules.
Your system of government, of, for and by the people
requires the people
to be informed, involved, and moral.
Freedom has limits,
and you defined those limits,
those morals,
by the Book.
Even Deists like Jefferson
lived by the morals in that Book.
The values found in the Declaration and Constitution
come from that Book.
Once you believed in and lived by the Ten.
Oh, you failed in many ways,
but you were proven wrong by people
who upheld the values of the Book.
MLK protested racism and injustice
by pricking the consciences
of people who were taught the Golden Rule
in Sunday School.
Even hardened racists couldn’t escape it forever.
Now?
People believe whatever pleases them.
Oh America, the Book is no longer your guide.
In fact, powerful people reject it, mock it,
some label it dangerous.
Ah, but it is a danger
to those who do whatever is right
in their own eyes.
Oh, America! I have no doubt
that God established you
as a refuge for huddled masses,
a home for the homeless,
and land of opportunity for all.
But above all as a refuge
for people to worship freely,
and freely tell the Greatest Story to the world.
But America! Look around you!
Freedom of conscience wains,
even as sexual freedom reigns.
The consumer has replaced the Christian.
Justice lifts her blindfold,
and the scales tip
with the weight of gold.
Judges have become oligarchs,
abolishing laws passed by the people.
Jurisprudence by fiat
is the law of the land.
Oh, America!
Single Superpower,
ruling the world with money
and military might.
Do you think you are sovereign?
You are not!
The Lord gives,
and the Lord takes away,
Blessed be the Name
of the Only Sovereign Lord!
Oh, America! You are weighed in the balance,
and the scales upon which you stand
are going up!
So, you are going down.
Mene, mene, tekel, upharsin!
Who will divide your beautiful land?
Who will take your spoils?
Has the Lord already raised up another to rule over you?
Ichabod!
The glory has departed!
Repent America!
Return to the Rock upon Whom
you were founded.
Ah, Lord Jesus, I would ask you to forgive,
but they refuse to admit they sin.
You would justify them,
but instead they justify their sin!
So, I pray,
Oh, Lord I pray,
for repentance
and revival.
Begin with me!
Oh America! Your time is short.
What will you do?

Palpable Disrespect 

Palpable disrespect. 

Pretentious intellect.

Wikipedia researchers

with degrees in Googlese. 

Self-important posters, 

Poster children

for a social disease. 

Social media addicts,

praying to Facebook. 

One day soon you

will face the One

who wrote the Book

you disbelieve. 

Nobody can judge me!

Someone can. 

Someone will. 

Better to change now. 

Time is coming 

when you won’t. 

The Day is coming when

you can’t. 

Jenner Bender

An old friend shared that they believe Bruce Jenner should be able to choose freely to be a woman. This is my response…

First of all, hello. I hope all is well with you and yours. Thank you for taking the time to respond, even if I am surprised and the reason and the response. Just goes to show that we cannot presume to know the mind of those whom we know or have known. I am responding, not to prove myself right or you wrong, but because I do not want a lack of response to be understood as a lack of concern for you or tacit approval for your opinion, which is shared by an increasing number, but, honestly, is wrong-headed, and even if the intent is good (which I believe it is coming from you), it is ultimately harmful not helpful to those who struggle with sexual and gender issues. Realize, I am arguing my case, not disputing with you on a personal level.

There is a pernicious lie that has been propagated by academics and promoted by the LGTBQA (they keep adding letters!) agenda that gender is a social construct. In their understanding human beings are actually neuter and have gender imprinted upon them according to how they are raised. More recently, hard science and not a few clear human examples have strongly contradicted this hypothesis. However, political agendas seem quite immune to facts! 

Let’s begin with the Word of God. I don’t pretend to know if you’ve held your faith, but I’ll address you as I’d address anyone who has faith in God and Jesus Christ as His unique Son. The creation account affirms that the Creator created us male and female (Genesis 1:27). The man is to leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife (Genesis 2:24). Jesus affirmed God’s creation of male and female and establishment of marriage as between one man and one woman for life. 

“He answered, ‘Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh”? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.’” 

In that one statement the Lord refutes the LGBT agenda, including same sex marriage. So, even though the tide of public opinion threaten, those who hold to the truth will not be swept away, for our opinions are not sand castles but firmly grounded as the Rock who will not be moved. “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (Jesus in Matthew 24:35).

We are living in a fallen world, however. Sin reigns and brings death. Sin perverts God’s design. Individuals like Bruce Jenner are examples of a particular type of perversion of God’s design. However, he is not a victim. He is, like me and you, a sinner. The difference between Bruce Jenner and me is, I have confessed my sin as sin and sought forgiveness. He has confessed his sin as something to be accepted and even celebrated. This is wrong on a number of levels, not the least of which is the level of influence on others. He is being used to sway the opinion of the nation. However, Bruce Jenner is a psychologically and emotionally disturbed person, not a paragon of virtue or a person worthy of being an influence on others. I am being charitable. I strongly suspect that this may all be a publicity stunt designed by Jenner to remain in the spotlight. Living with or around the Kardashians would certainly seem to support this theory. 

However, for the sake of argument, let’s say that Jenner really feels like a woman. What does that even mean? That he doesn’t FEEL like a man? There could be many reasons for that, chief among them that many of the characteristics we normally associate with masculinity and femininity should not be isolated to that gender. Some men like to stay indoors, are more quiet or shy, don’t like to fight. Does that make them feminine? No. Take the example of Esau and Jacob. Esau was an outdoorsman, a hunter and his father’s favorite (and a hairy man!). Jacob liked to be indoors, did not hunt, and was somewhat of a “momma’s boy”. Who did God choose to be the father of the nation of Israel? Yep, the one who was once known as Jacob and whose name was changed to Israel.

The (friend) that I remember was interested in science and moved by facts, so here are a few.
John’s Hopkins University was the institution that pioneered gender reassignment surgery. As of 2004 they no longer perform it. According to their former chief psychiatrist Paul McHugh http://www.firstthings.com/article/2004/11/surgical-sex

Regardless of what one does to their body, DNA speaks. A female retains two X chromosomes, a male will always have XY. The Y chomosome exerts a powerful influence beginning in the womb, exposing the baby to testosterone and masculinizing him.

Gender is not plastic as many would have us think. Look into the experiment on identical twin David Reimer, the boy who was raised as a girl as an illustration of this fact http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/12/us/david-reimer-38-subject-of-the-john-joan-case.html

The transgender phenomenon is overwhelmingly about sex, not gender. It may be a disturbance known as autogynephilia, and certainly a mental disturbance broadly referred to as sexual dysphoria (see the article by Dr. McHugh above). 

Recently, XXX Church publicized an interview they did with Diamond Dee, a transexual woman who chose to go back to living as a man after recommitting his life to Christ. In addition to the amazing story of redemption and grace, his testimony supports my assertion that some who live a transgender life do it for attention, and it supports the contention that this is about sex, not gender. Here’s the link to his interview http://xxxchurch.com/thehaps/the-diamond-dee-interview.html

Once again, I hope you are well, and realize that I wouldn’t have spent this much time crafting a reply to just anyone. However, since I did, I may post it to my blog for others.