Am I an Official Hillbilly Now?

I now own a John Deere mower- does that make me an official hillbilly? I was out mowing down the weeds in my yard today, which is always an interesting time as I am very allergic to them. They take their revenge on me from from the grave. I chop them down and as the dust, dirt, seeds, and pollen blow up into my face I know that I will be paying the price for what I'm doing.
Sins are like weeds. They take root in our hearts and they spread like crazy. They grow like- well, like weeds. The are resilient and they don't want to be killed or pulled. Sin acts entirely the same way.
So why do I go through the hassle and pain of mowing , pulling and weed eating all the weeds in my yard? Because having a nice clean yard is safer- less snakes and mice, etc. It also creates a defensible space in case a fire breaks out. My neighbors are also happier when I clear out my weeds. Again, all of these things can serve as an illustration about the presence of sin in our lives.
Fighting weeds seems like endless work, it wears me out and makes me sick, but in the end it's worth it. I hate sin as much as I hate weeds, and let me tell you, I really hate weeds.
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A Way of Escape

1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. New American Standard Bible (©1995)

This verse came to mind today as I was struggling with temptation. Each of us come under spiritual attack on a daily basis, and often we lose the little battles we fight.
Scripture promises a way of escape, but it doesn't promise that using that way of escape will be the easy thing to do, or even the thing which we will want to do when we see it.
Sin can be a whole lot of fun, but it doesn't bring lasting happiness. If only we could remember that each time we struggled against it.
It helps to remember that not even Christ lived a life free of temptation. In fact He was tempted in all the things that tempt us. He kept His eyes on things above, and never yielded to sin's deceitful temptations. This is a good thing for us, because it is He who bore the penalty for our weaknesses on the cross, and it is by His stripes that we are healed.

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Satan Wants to Give You Something.

Every Christian knows that God is a generous giver. Every good thing we have is in actuality a gift from Him. He loves us and wants to give us those things which lead to a spiritually healthy and (sometimes) happy life. He also wants us to follow His example and give to others in the same way that He has given to us. This is a topic which gets a lot of discussion, and rightly so.

What may be surprising to some however, is that Satan is also a generous giver. Satan loves to help us arrange our lives in a way where we seek and find instant gratification. He wants us to find temporary "happiness" in destructive relationships. He seeks to orchestrate events and circumstances in our lives that drive us further away from Christ, and it doesn't matter to him if this means misery or happiness for us in the short term.

The scriptures tell us to trust in the Lord, and to lean not on our own understanding. We all need to be careful about allowing our "feelings" to direct our path in life.

I was once witnessing to a Jehovah's Witness lady, and invited her to church. She graciously told me that she was very "happy" with her religion. In my mind I was thinking, c'mon lady, we are speaking religion here, not soft drinks. This stuff has eternal consequences. Do you prefer Pepsi or Coke? Do you prefer the Mormon Church or the Jehovah's Witnesses? Which makes you happier? The fact that I enjoy Pepsi doesn't mean that it's not rotting the teeth out of my head as I drink it. Truth is truth, our opinions and personal preferances don't change it.

Satan is the author of false religion. He is the Cupid of ungodly relationships. He is the merchant of "Needful Things", and he wants you to be happy, even if it means cheating on your spouse or abandoning your children. He offers you the gift of a religious community, one that will eventually usher you to the gates of Hell.

All too often Satan wins the little battles he wages against us on a daily basis. All too often we allow him to achieve victory over us by bribing us into perishable happiness.

And you thought that credit card companies were bad........

Do not forsake eternal joy for instant gratification. Do not allow Satan to use you to harm yourself and others when God wants to work through you for the glorification of His righteousness. Choose the path less traveled. Choose life. Choose Christ.
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Does Jesus Hate Obama?

Perhaps some of you have seen the insufferably stupid banned Superbowl T.V. add "Jesus Hates Obama". The add depicts Jesus and Barack Obama as bobble heads, with Jesus frowning at Obama with his arms crossed, then He magically pushes Obama into a fish tank and smiles. The add is trying to sell "Jesus Hates Obama" mugs, t-shirts, and other merchandise with the logo on it. I don't find the add humorless because it offends me, I find it humorless because its stupid.

The commercial may raise the question for some- "Does Jesus really Hate Barack Obama? The answer is, No, He doesn't. God loves each and every one of us, even though we are all sinners. I am a sinner, you are a sinner, and Barack Obama is a sinner, but God still loves each of us, and Jesus died so that our sins could be forgiven through the sacrifice He performed on the Cross.

Jesus loves Obama, and He wants him to repent. Obama is a far left liberal, which means that instead of repenting of certain sins, he embraces them. Obama supports those who embrace immoral lifestyles, supports the destruction of the unborn, and in my opinion, often openly lies in order to advance his own desire for power. These are just a few of his sins, and I'm not pointing them out in order to conduct a personal attack on the President, after all, I too am a sinner. The difference between the two of us, in my opinion, is that while my sins disgust me, and I repent of them on a daily basis, Obama embraces his sins as one embraces an old friend. I wish he would stop leaning on his own understanding and seek the wisdom that only God can give. Obama is not a Muslim or a Christian, he is a RINO- Religious in Name Only.

I disagree with President Obama on 90% of his agenda, but I don't wish him any harm, I wish that he would repent, submit to God, and live a long, happy and prosperous life with his family.
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Are Infants Sinners?

This is a topic that sparks a lot of debate, but hopefully this post will answer some of the questions you have on the subject. There are primarily two views.

1.) The most popular view that is held is the doctrine of INHERITED SIN (TOTAL HEREDITARY DEPRAVITY). This view is held by the majority of Protestants and is a doctrine passed down from Catholicism. Calvinists hold this view, and it is the reason for infant baptism.

2.) The other view to be discussed is that infants and children are without sin, until such a time that they are able to distinguish right from wrong.

So which view is right?

As always, we must turn to the WORD OF GOD to find the answer.

Our first question -

What is Sin?

To define a sinner, we must first define sin!!!!!!!!!!!

The Bible Does Define Sin

1Jo 3:4 Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.

This is the sin of doing what God has said not to do.

Jam 4:17 Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.

This is the sin of omission, not doing what God has said to do.

Infants Have Not Broken Any Law of God, nor Have they failed to do anything that God has commanded them to do, therefore they are not sinners by the Biblical definition of sin.

Rom 7:7 What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, "YOU SHALL NOT COVET."

Rom 7:8 But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law sin is dead.

Rom 7:9 I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died;

We see that children do not commit sin, but have they inherited it?

Is it Possible to inherit the sin of Adam?

Eze 18:20 "The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son's iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself.

It is true that we have inherited the consequences of Adam’s sin, but we have not inherited his spiritual death, we all bring this on ourselves when we begin to sin.

We do not die FOR Adam’s sin, but BECAUSE of it.

Rom 5:14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.

And Listen to what the Lord has to say to Satan, the Master of Evil

Eze 28:15 "You were blameless in your ways From the day you were created Until unrighteousness was found in you.

Further Proof that infants are not lost sinners

The Bible tells us that no one that sins has seen God or Knows Him

1Jo 3:4 Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.

1Jo 3:5 You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin.

1Jo 3:6 No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him.

1Jo 3:7 Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous;

1Jo 3:8 the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.

If Children were sinners, they would have neither seen God or known God.

Let’s examine a few verses to see if this is indeed the case.

Psa 71:5 For You are my hope; O Lord GOD, You are my confidence from my youth.

Psa 71:6 By You I have been sustained from my birth; You are He who took me from my mother's womb; My praise is continually of You.

Psa 139:13 For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb.

Psa 139:14 I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well.

Psa 139:15 My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;

Psa 139:16 Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them.

Isa 49:1 Listen to Me, O islands, And pay attention, you peoples from afar. The LORD called Me from the womb; From the body of My mother He named Me.

Jer 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations."

Listen to what Paul says about Jacob and Esau.

Rom 9:10 And not only this, but there was Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac;

Rom 9:11 for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God's purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls,

Rom 9:12 it was said to her, "THE OLDER WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER."

Jesus had some very kind words to say about children

Mat 18:2 And He called a child to Himself and set him before them,

Mat 18:3 and said, "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Mat 19:13 Then some children were brought to Him so that He might lay His hands on them and pray; and the disciples rebuked them.

Mat 19:14 But Jesus said, "Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

Mat 21:15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He had done, and the children who were shouting in the temple, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they became indignant

Mat 21:16 and said to Him, "Do You hear what these children are saying?" And Jesus *said to them, "Yes; have you never read, 'OUT OF THE MOUTH OF INFANTS AND NURSING BABIES YOU HAVE PREPARED PRAISE FOR YOURSELF'?"

But what about verses like Psalm 58:3?

Psa 58:3 The wicked are estranged from the womb; These who speak lies go astray from birth.

This is a case of symbolic language, not literal language. Infants can’t literally speak lies.

What about Romans 3:23?

Rom 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

This speaks of all men, because given the chance, we all will and have sinned.

Infants and children are not sinners, but they WILL be. Therefore they are counted as sinners. In the same way, Christians who are sinners and have sinned are counted as saints because we are covered and forgiven through the blood of Christ.

A final Argument that is devastating to the theory of inherited sin.

If inherited sin is a reality, then Jesus was also a sinner, and would be unable to save any of us.

Rom 8:3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh,

Heb 2:14 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,

Heb 2:15 and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.

Heb 2:16 For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham.

Heb 2:17 Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

Heb 2:18 For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.

Phi 2:5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,

Phi 2:6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,

Phi 2:7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.

Phi 2:8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

So what was it that set Jesus Apart?

Heb 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.

Jesus is the only one worthy to offer Himself up as a Sacrifice for our sin because He overcame sin. He lived in temptation like the rest of us, but never sinned. This is what makes Him the only worthy lamb.

Jesus could not have saved us by being murdered as a baby, as King Herod desired.

Infants and young Children who have not sinned have done neither good nor bad, they are incapable of sin, and incapable of overcoming sin.

“Scripture quotations taken from the NASB."

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Is Santa Claus Real?

I had a very interesting conversation with my seven year old son at Cub Scouts tonight. He told me in a very serious voice "Dad, I'm going to ask you something and I want you to tell me the truth. Is Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy real or not?" I don't know why this question popped into his head in the middle of March- maybe someone has been talking about the Easter Bunny being on its way.
Now I'm not the kind of parent who has ever pushed these characters on children, but I'm a team player in going along with the stories when people tell them to kids. I don't think it damages a child to believe such things exist (I did when I was little), but I don't believe in misleading them when they come out and ask for the truth. I was about to answer him that none of these characters really exists when a new (sort of) thought came to me.
"Well", I told him, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy are just stories, they have never really existed, but Santa Claus is real, although he passed away a long time ago."
I know that Christians have often told their children the "true" story of Saint Nicholas, but even then we treat him as a sort of fairy tale character from a long time ago. But consider the following verse.

Luke 20:37,38 "But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the burning bush, where he calls the Lord THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND THE GOD OF ISAAC, AND THE GOD OF JACOB. "Now He is not the God of the dead but of the living; for all live to Him."

Everyone knows that the story of Santa Claus has a loosely based origin from Nikolaos of Myra, aka Saint Nicholas of Myra. And yes I am fully aware of all the paganism and mythology, etc. etc. blah blah blah surrounding what we now think of as "Santa Claus". However, I don't think we should make the mistake of throwing the baby out with the bath water.
Think about this, if Nicholas of Myra was a true Christian and obedient believer in Christ (I'm not an expert on his doctrine or his practices) then not only did he live a long time ago, but he still lives today in paradise. And if those who are in paradise are aware of what's going on here on earth, as I believe they probably are, then Nicholas does indeed know if we've been naughty or nice, at least a few of us anyway.
Studying this man reveals that he had a true love for Christ and his fellow man, he was indeed a giver of gifts, and the greatest gift he gave was the gospel message about salvation through the Lord Jesus.
I think it is an encouraging thought that the departed faithful servants of Christ are watching us, cheering us on, and praying for us.
No, we shouldn't treat Nicholas of Myra as anything more than a normal man, we shouldn't pray to him or entertain any thoughts about him being a superhuman figure in any way, but why not use his story to reach out to others and spread the news of the greatest gift ever given- the Lord Jesus Christ. I think "Jolly Old Saint Nicholas" would have wanted it that way.
Yes kids, Santa does exist, and perhaps he occasionally catches a glimpse of you from the gates of paradise .



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How Many Brothers Did Jesus Have?

In the Bible, there are four men mentioned as being the brothers of Jesus. His sisters are also mentioned although their names are not given. Let’s take a look at some of the verses that mention them.

Matthew 13:54-57 He came to His hometown and began teaching them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, "Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? "Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not His mother called Mary, and His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? "And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this man get all these things?" And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household."

Jesus' brothers are mentioned as accompanying Jesus and his mother to Capernaum after the marriage at Cana.
John 2:12 After this He went down to Capernaum, He and His mother and His brothers and His disciples; and they stayed there a few days.

Later Mary and these brothers are recorded as seeking an audience with Jesus (Matthew 12:46-50; Mark 3:31-35; Luke 8:19-21).

Toward the end of Jesus' ministry, His brethren are mentioned as urging Jesus to prove His Messiahship, which they themselves doubted
John 7:1-5 After these things Jesus was walking in Galilee, for He was unwilling to walk in Judea because the Jews were seeking to kill Him. Now the feast of the Jews, the Feast of Booths, was near. Therefore His brothers said to Him, "Leave here and go into Judea, so that Your disciples also may see Your works which You are doing. "For no one does anything in secret when he himself seeks to be known publicly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world." For not even His brothers were believing in Him.

These brothers of Jesus were later convinced of Christ’s deity, and are described in Acts as uniting with the disciples and others in "prayer and supplication" prior to Pentecost (Acts 1:13-14).
Paul implies that all of the Lord’s brothers were married in 1 Corinthians 9:5.

Many believe (myself included), that the author of the epistle of Jude, who identifies himself as the "brother of James," was one of these brothers (Jude 1).

It is also generally believed that the leader of the church at Jerusalem was James, the Lord's brother (see Acts 12:17; 15:13). This seems to be confirmed by Paul's reference to his visit to Jerusalem, in which he states that he saw only Peter, and "James, the Lord's brother" (Galatians 1:18-19).

So who exactly are these supposed brothers (and sisters) of Jesus?

Throughout the years, much discussion has been made as to the exact relationship of these men to Jesus, and three principal views have been advanced:

(1) They were His stepbrothers, children of Joseph by a previous marriage, and thus all older than Jesus and not His blood relatives.
(2) They were Jesus' actual half-brothers, the sons of Joseph and Mary. This would make them Jesus’ younger siblings.
(3) They were the cousins of Jesus. This argument is pure speculation and in my opinion is by far the weakest of the three possibilities, so I won’t spend any time discussing it here.

Let’s take a look at option 1.
- They were His stepbrothers, children of Joseph by a previous marriage, and thus all older than Jesus and not His blood relatives.

The biggest reason for this theory is due to the teaching of “the Perpetual Virginity of Mary”. This doctrine says that even after Jesus was born, Mary remained a virgin for the rest of her life. This doctrine is unsupported by scripture, and in my opinion would be an unfair and unnecessary way of life for both Joseph and Mary. Human sexuality was created by God, and in the confines of marriage is a normal and holy thing. For Mary to remain a virgin after the birth of Jesus would not only be unnecessary, but unnatural and bizarre.

Matthew Chapter 1:24-25 infers that Joseph and Mary did have a sexual relationship after the birth of Jesus.
And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus.
The point being made here, is that Mary remained a virgin until Jesus was born, and nowhere do the scriptures ever give us the idea that Mary perpetually remained a virgin.

Another reason that I don’t believe this theory to be the correct one is the fact that Joseph was not the father of Jesus. He was not even the adoptive father of Jesus. He was a parent and a caretaker to Jesus, but was not His father. He never claimed Jesus in public to be his son, because Jesus wasn’t his son, He was God’s son. It was God who publicly claimed Jesus to be His son.
Mat 3:16,17 After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased."

Since Joseph was not the father of Jesus, I believe that the sons of Joseph (and not Mary) would not be referred to by inspired writers of scripture as the “brothers of Jesus”.

Belief in the doctrine of the “Perpetual Virginity of Mary” is the only real reason to be dogmatic about the “step-brother” theory. Is it possible that these “brothers” of Jesus are really just his step-brothers even if the doctrine of perpetual virginity is false? Sure, it’s possible, but I believe that the best and most likely option is the one that we will discuss next.

Let’s take a look at option 2.
- They were Jesus' actual half-brothers, the sons of Joseph and Mary. This would make them Jesus’ younger siblings.

Here are some reasons why I believe this explanation to be the best one.

This is by far the simplest and most comprehensive theory in regards to the brothers of Jesus. It is the idea that anyone would get from simply reading through the scriptures without being influenced by the false doctrines of uninspired men.

Some people have found the following scriptures to be a problem in accepting this theory.
John 19:26,27 When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He *said to His mother, "Woman, behold, your son!" Then He *said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" From that hour the disciple took her into his own household.

I understand why this makes people doubt that the “brothers of Jesus” were actually Mary’s sons. Why didn’t they take her and care for her themselves if they were her sons? We don’t know all the circumstances behind the events going on here, but keep in mind that John (the disciple whom Jesus loved) was the only one loyal and courageous enough to follow Jesus to the cross, and that at this time the brothers of Jesus were in doubt as to His claims. They may have shunned their mother for encouraging and following her “crazy” son Jesus.

The inspired writers of the New Testament refer to the aforementioned men as the “brothers of Jesus”. If the crowds in Christ’s hometown alone had done this, they could have been misinformed or mistaken, however, Matthew, John, and Paul also used the same terms. The inspired writers of the New Testament would not have done this had these men not been the actual brothers of Jesus.

If these men were not the actual, blood related half-brothers of Jesus, then to call them His brothers would serve to increase their significance in scripture. We see however that their significance as His brothers is actually downplayed (Matthew 13:46-50), even from their own perspectives (Jude 1:1).
I believe this is done to deflect the temptation by misguided souls to worship the earthly family members of Jesus and any descendants they might have. ( Just look at the way that Mary is worshiped).

Conclusion:
So how many brothers did Jesus have?
I believe that the scriptures teach that Jesus had at least four half-brothers who were the offspring of Mary and Joseph after the birth of Jesus.
I also believe that this is one of those things which is great to discuss, but that we shouldn’t be dogmatic about. As interesting as it is to discuss how many (if any) brothers Jesus had, we actually have a response from Jesus Himself on this very topic.

Matthew 13:46-50
While He was still speaking to the crowds, behold, His mother and brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak to Him. Someone said to Him, "Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside seeking to speak to You." But Jesus answered the one who was telling Him and said, "Who is My mother and who are My brothers?" And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, "Behold My mother and My brothers! "For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother."

In light of the verse above, we see that Jesus teaches that spiritual ties are much greater and more important than those of blood. Jesus’ true brothers and sisters are those of us who do the will of God, the true Father of Jesus.
Are you one of His brothers or sisters?
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