Court of Law

Illustration time! (Long, but I believe it’s worth it!)

Let’s say that you are charged with a crime. Let’s say that crime is not honoring the Sabbath as commanded by God (there are other examples… but let’s use this for the illustration).

The complaint against you reads:
CHARGE: DISHONORING THE SABBATH
PUNISHMENT POTENTIAL: UP TO, AND INCLUDING, DEATH (Ex 31:14-15, Num 15:22-29, 35, Num 22:30-32)

You’re arrested and booked. Your trial date arrives and both sides are ready for trial.

Your defense attorney intends to argue that, although you knew about this law, you didn’t believe it applied to you, or if it did apply to you, the times have changed and you could honor it as you saw fit.

The prosecution will argue that the law defining how the Sabbath is to be observed is very clear, and that you broke the law by not following these elements.

Those elements are:
1) Remember the Sabbath by keeping it holy (Ex 20:8, 31:12-14, 16, Lev 23:3, Deut 5:12). Holy is “kadash” which translates to “set apart” – different than the other days.

2) Not doing any work (Ex 20:10, Lev 23:3, Deut 5:14).

3) Not causing others to work (Ex 20:10, Deut 5:14).

In this court, as in all courts, there must be sufficient evidence to convict you. One witness is not sufficient, there must be two or more witnesses which support the evidence for any given side (Deut 19:15, 2 Cor 13:1).

The prosecution calls their first witness, the Father. He testifies that He gave the law to His people, both native-born and foreigners (Num 15:29-30). He testifies that He gave it to be a blessing to those who obey it (Deut 11:27, 28:1-12) and a curse for those who disobey it (Deut 11:28, 28:15-68). He testifies that the Sabbath law was specifically a sign of the covenant between Him and His people, and that it was meant to last forever (Ex 31:13).

The defense cross-examines the Father, and asks Him if He changed. The Father testifies that He does not change (Num 23:19, Mal 3:6).

The prosecution calls their second witness, David. He testifies that the law is firm (Psalm 19:9), that the law is perfect (Psalm 19:7), that keeping them brings great reward (Psalm 19:11), that keeping the law brings blessing (Psalm 119:1-2), that the law is to be fully obeyed (Psalm 119:4), that there is rejoicing in keeping the law (Psalm 119:14), that the Father rebukes those who do not keep the law (Psalm 119:21), that disregarding the law is selfish (Psalm 119:36), that the law is good (Psalm 119:39), that he believes the law is forever (Psalm 119:44), that the law brings freedom (Psalm 119:45), that the law brings comfort (Psalm 119:52), that those who disobey the law are wicked (Psalm 119:53), that God formed him with the ability to learn and follow the law (Psalm 119:73), the law is trustworthy (Psalm 119:86), that without obedience to the law, there is death (Psalm 119:92), that the law is to be kept for his entire life (Psalm 119:112), that God rejects those who disobey the law (Psalm 119:118), that he is grieved because those he loves do not obey the law (Psalm 119:136), that life comes by obedience to the law (Psalm 119:154), and finally, he testifies that the law brings peace (Psalm 119:165).

The defense cross-examines David, and asks him why he speaks so positively of the law if it is such a burden. David testifies that it’s not a burden because he desires to obey it with all his heart, and that it can be kept (Deut 30:11-14, Philippians 4:3).

The prosecution calls their third witness, Jesus the Messiah. He testifies that he told everyone that he didn’t come to abolish the law, but to show people that it could be kept (Matt 5:17). He testifies that he told everyone that not even the smallest part of the law would be done away with until heaven and earth passed away (Matt 5:18). He testifies that anyone who disregards even the smallest command from the law, and/or teaches others to do so, will be made least in status within the coming Kingdom (Matt 5:19). He testifies that he also kept the law after his resurrection, by remaining clean until he ascended to the Father, so that he could perform his duties as high priest in the Heavenly Temple (John 20:17).

The defense cross-examines Jesus the Messiah, and asks him if the law hadn’t changed, why he came telling people that they only needed to love God and love their neighbor. Jesus testifies that he never said they “only” needed to do these things, but rather, that he was saying all the laws given by the Father hung on either loving God or loving our neighbors (Matt 22:36-40). He testifies that in obeying the “lesser” laws, we fulfill the greater two laws by default, because they’re all about either loving God or loving our neighbor.

The defense then asks Jesus the Messiah why he came teaching something new. Jesus testifies that he didn’t. Everything he taught was the same as what his Father commanded (John 7:16), including loving God (Deut 6:5) and loving our neighbor (Lev 19:18).

The defense then asks Jesus the Messiah if only the Jewish people had to follow the law. Jesus testifies that the law is for both those native-born and foreigners (Num 15:29-30) and that those who believe he is the Messiah are all considered the children of Abraham (Gal 3:29). He testifies that anyone who is Abraham’s descendant should be doing what Abraham did (John 8:39).

The prosecution calls their fourth witness, John. He testifies that breaking the law is called sin (1 John 3:4). He testifies that the way we love our neighbor is by first loving God, and the way we do that is by obeying His law (1 John 5:2-3), and that obeying His law is not a burden (1 John 5:3). He testifies that if a person is truly “of God,” they will not continue to sin intentionally (1 John 5:18). He testifies that the test of whether or not we truly know God is if we keep His law (1 John 2:3), and that if we claim to know Him but don’t keep His law, then we are liars and do not have the truth in us (1 John 2:4). He testifies that we can test this ourselves by seeing if we walk as Jesus the Messiah walked (1 John 2:5-6).

The defense cross-examines John and asks him how he came to the conclusion that breaking the law is called sin. John testifies that sin entered the world when Adam (and Eve) disobeyed the command not to consume the fruit in the Garden (Gen 2:16-17, Romans 5:12, 1 Cor 15:21).

The defense then asks John how he came to the conclusion that obedience to the law equals love. John testifies that Jesus the Messiah told them that this was the case (John 14:15, 21), and that since Jesus the Messiah also didn’t teach anything except what the Father first taught (John 7:16), that this must be true, since the Father doesn’t change (Num 23:19, Mal 3:6).

The defense then asks John why he doesn’t believe the law is a burden. John testifies that the Father made it possible to keep (Deut 30:11-14), that we can do anything through the power of the Father (Philippians 4:3) and that Jesus the Messiah sent the Holy Spirit to dwell within believers, for the express purpose of helping them to realize when they’re sinning, so that they can change course, and return to walking according to the law (Ezek 36:27, John 16:8, 13).

The prosecution then calls their fifth witness, James, the brother of Jesus the Messiah. He testifies that the law is freedom for those who obey it, because it brings blessing (James 1:25). He testifies that simply reading the scriptures is not enough, one must actually do what they say (James 1:23).

The defense cross-examines James, and asks if simply believing that Jesus is the Messiah is enough. James testifies that faith is not simply an act of believing, that it requires action. That belief without proof may as well be dead. If we claim to have faith, others should be able to see that (James 2:14-26).

The prosecution rests, and the defense calls their first witness, YOU. You testify that you own a Bible, and that you read it. That when you have had questions about something you’ve read and are confused, you ask your pastor. You testify that in the past, you were concerned that no one was teaching that we should be keeping the Sabbath in this day and age, so that you asked your pastor why this was the case. You testify that he told you that it’s not needed today, because the law was abolished at the cross, and that now we rest in Jesus. You testify that he also told you that by keeping these Old Testament laws, we are denying the sacrifice of Jesus the Messiah, and that it’s very dangerous, and that you shouldn’t even entertain the idea. You testify that he is an educated man, and he went to seminary school. You didn’t, so he must be right. You testify that this is why you’re being (falsely, in your opinion) charged with not honoring the Sabbath, because your pastor told you that you don’t have to do so. You testify that all you did was work your regular job on the seventh day of the week and then go out to eat at a restaurant with your family afterward. You testify that you don’t see what the big deal is. You testify that even prayed over your meal before eating it. You testify that you love God.

The prosecution cross-examines you and asks you if you’ve ever had a speeding ticket. You testify that you once received a ticket for going 45 in a 35, but that you didn’t believe you should have been charged with that crime either, because your friend told you they raised the speed limit in that area to 45.

The prosecution asks you if you took a look at the law in that area and if it was actually 45. You testify that your friend actually was incorrect, and after looking at the law, it was 35 in that area, so you were charged appropriately, and that you paid the fine, which was the punishment under the traffic law.

The prosecution asks you if, after looking at the laws concerning the Sabbath, as recorded in scripture, you did not carry out any of those elements. You testify that you didn’t break anything because of Colossians 2:16, that you can’t be judged for keeping Sabbath the way you want to keep it.

The defense calls their second witness, Paul. Paul testifies that when he was writing his letter to the Colossians, he was writing it to the believers living in Colossae (Col 1:2). That he was warning them to stay true to the scriptures they already knew, and not to throw those to the wayside in favor of traditions set by men that were not based in scripture (Col 2:8). That these people were living righteously, not dead in sin any longer (Col 2:13) and that he was telling them not to let those around them convince them that they were doing bad things by keeping the Sabbaths, feasts, and eating clean according to scripture (Col 2:16). He testifies that it’s hard to understand that perspective because we don’t have a record of the original letter he received FROM the Colossians, so it’s important to understand the context these believers in Colossae were living in before trying to read his response to them.

The defense asks Paul if he taught contrary to the law. Paul testifies that he was actually accused of doing just that, but that there was no truth in these reports, because he did keep the law, and taught others to do the same (Acts 21:20-24). Paul testifies that to prove he actually did keep the law, he took a Nazarite vow (Acts 21:26) which declared one set apart to God, as per the law (Numbers 6:1-21). Paul then testifies that he even explicitly told people that he didn’t advocate for getting rid of the law, but told them to uphold it (Rom 3:31). He testifies that he doesn’t understand how people have arrived at the conclusion he taught anyone against the law, especially because he went out of his way to abide by it, returning to celebrate the feasts that were required in the law (Acts 18:21, 20:16, 1 Cor 5:8, 16:8).

The prosecution calls a rebuttal witness, Peter. Peter testifies that he also told people to remember the law of God (2 Peter 3:2). Peter testifies that he knows Paul well, and that Paul is really knowledgeable concerning the law of God, because he studied under Gamaliel (Acts 22:3). Peter testifies that as a result, some of Paul’s teachings can be hard to understand (2 Peter 3:15-16). Peter testifies that because Paul can be hard to understand, some people make errors in their interpretation of Paul’s words, which causes them to be lawless (disobeying the law of God) (2 Peter 3:17).

The prosecution and defense rest their cases.

The jury deliberates, and then returns with their verdict of GUILTY. Your punishment will be left to the judge.

The attorneys query the jurors after the verdict. They ask what made them return a verdict of guilty. The jurors respond that all of the prosecution’s witnesses provided incontrovertible evidence that the law was eternal, a good thing, a sign of the covenant of the Father’s people, that God doesn’t change, that Jesus didn’t teach against the law. They say that the defendant (you) appeared to rely on someone else’s interpretation of the law, rather than the plain reading of it, despite previously feeling as though something was inconsistent. They state that the defendant appeared to see that she should be keeping the Sabbath as commanded, but decided ultimately that it wasn’t important to do so. They state that her basis for not keeping it (Col 2:16) was ultimately refuted by the author of that letter himself – Paul. Paul testified that this wasn’t the intent of the letter, but actually the opposite. Paul further testified that he fully supported the keeping of the law.

One day, we will be put on trial before the Great Judge. We all have sinned (Rom 3:23), the metric for our punishment will be according to the law. Numbers 15:22-29 tells us that there is a sacrifice for UNINTENTIONAL sin. Meaning, we did it, and didn’t mean to do it (before we knew better, or because we didn’t realize we were sinning). Numbers 22:30-32 tells us that for INTENTIONAL sin, the punishment is being cut off from the Kingdom, or even death. Hebrews 10:26-31 tells us that if we keep sinning after realizing it’s sin, there no longer remains a sacrifice for us, but a fearful expectation of judgment (from the Great Judge), that anyone rejecting the law dies if two or three witnesses can confirm they rejected it. It tells us that those who do so trample on the blood shed as a sacrifice for our breaking of the law. Please reconsider your position on this matter, as it has eternal consequences. <3

Heart Disease

The leading cause of death for men and women worldwide is heart disease.

And you may or may not know that what happens in the spiritual, manifests in the physical.

So, it may or may not shock you to hear me tell you that the leading cause of spiritual death is also... heart disease.

Proverbs 4:23 says,

"Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it."

Proverbs 27:19 says,

"As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart."

Everything we do or say is a DIRECT result of the state of our heart. Is our heart healthy and giving life to others? Are our words doing this? Our actions? Or is our heart diseased, and spewing negative talk and treating others miserably?

In Psalms 51:10, David implores God to create a NEW heart within him, one that is pure:

"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."

What does that new heart look like? The following verses tell us.

It accepts instruction/commands:

"The wise in heart accept commands, but a chattering fool comes to ruin." Proverbs 10:8

It guards the Father's commands:

"My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity." Proverbs 3:1-2

It seeks after the Father, so that it won't stray from the Father's commands:

"I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands." Psalm 119:10

It praises the Father and learns His commands:

"I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws." Psalm 119:7

It serves Him entirely, walks in obedience, and keeps His commands:

"But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you: to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to keep his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul." Joshua 22:5

Paul tells the Romans that the Father placed His Holy Spirit in the hearts of the believers,

"And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." Romans 5:5

Ezekiel 36:26-27 reiterates this idea of the Father giving us a NEW heart with a NEW spirit:

"Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances."

What does that new spirit in that new heart cause us to do, based on the passage above? Causes us to walk in His statutes and observe His ordinances (walk and observe His law).

This is how we know that we CAN do these things, because the Holy Spirit is the empowerment for us to be able to do them, based on the passage above.

Further, we see in Philippians 4:13, that through this Spirit that God has given us, we are strengthened to be able to do ALL things:

"I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me."

If all means all, this means we are also strengthened enough, by His Spirit, to walk in His commands.

In closing, the leading cause of death, in both the physical and the spiritual is heart disease. The Father requires us to submit to Him, so that He can circumcise our hearts. This leads to us walking in His Spirit, and therefore walking in His commands. All of these things together lead to... life.

"The LORD your God will change your heart and the hearts of all your descendants, so that you will love him with all your heart and soul and so you may live!" Deuteronomy 30:6

Deuteronomy 30:15-20 says it best:

"See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and adversity; in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, that you may live and multiply, and that the LORD your God may bless you in the land where you are entering to possess it. But if your heart turns away and you will not obey, but are drawn away and worship other gods and serve them, I declare to you today that you shall surely perish. You will not prolong your days in the land where you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess it. I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them."

Allow Him to cure your heart disease. Choose life that you may live, you and your descendants. <3

Two-Way Street

You know, I always see posts about how much God loves US, and everything He does for US. Which is fine, He does do SO MUCH for us, He HAS done so much for us. We should celebrate it, absolutely.

But, why is our relationship with Him a one-way street? Imagine your marriage relationship. If you were to show affection to your spouse, and they never reciprocated, or rarely reciprocated... wouldn't that be a terrible relationship? You'd probably become depressed and lonely, right? You may even think about divorce.

So, how do we show God we love Him? We can't come up with an arbitrary answer here. Think of that book - "The 5 Love Languages" - it talks about how every person has their own "love language" - how they feel loved. There is quality time, words of affirmation, gifts, acts of service and physical touch. You may find that you feel loved through more than one of those outlets, or simply one over the others. In any case, if your love language is words of affirmation, and your spouse doesn't typically provide you with those words of affirmation, you may find yourself feeling unloved.

So, let's then forego the arbitrary answer we *think* may be right and look to God's Word to let HIM tell us how He feels loved.

1 John 5:3 tells us pretty explicitly,

"To love God means that we obey his commandments. Obeying his commandments isn’t difficult."

Even Jesus tells us how we show our love for Him in John 14:15,

"If you love me, you will obey my commandments."

Many will say that our worship is an act of love, and I would agree with you. John 4:23-24 tells us that God is looking for those who worship Him properly,

"Indeed, the time is coming, and it is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. The Father is looking for people like that to worship him. God is a spirit. Those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."

We must worship Him in spirit AND in truth.

The word for "spirit" there is G4151 pneuma, which means by mental disposition. So, we must worship God by having our minds set on Him, maybe it's better to say our intent set on Him. We must intend on worshipping Him. But there's an important word after the word "spirit" - AND. We must worship God in Spirit AND in truth. Not one, not the other. BOTH.

The word for "truth" there is G225 aletheia, which means - well, truth. So we must worship God according to intent and according to FACTS. Where do we get the facts about God? His Word. His Word tells us the truth about Him. So, we are told that God's love language is obedience to His commandments. I would challenge us today to make sure we are in a TWO-way relationship with the Father, and not such a relationship where we reap all the benefit, but He is left in the dust. <3

Adultery

If I decided to have an affair and commit adultery, and my husband found out, we would likely need to go to counseling to heal some of those wounds. It would take a long time, but let's say that he forgave me. He gave up the anger and bitterness so that our relationship could be made whole.

Now, I would (hopefully) not turn around a year later and do the exact same thing I had received forgiveness for, correct?

Our Father, through His Son Jesus, has done the exact same thing. We sinned against Him, by breaking His law, because sin is transgression of the law.

"Everyone who commits sin also breaks the law; sin is the breaking of law." 1 John 3:4

The Bible tells us that we committed adultery against Him, among other things. He then sent Jesus to be the atoning sacrifice to pay the debt that existed as a result of our sins. The debt is gone. It is forgiven. Do we then turn around and continue to sin by breaking His law, since our debt has been paid?

I'll let you answer that yourself, but I would hope you would answer with a resounding NO. Paul in Romans even tells us that we are to choose to be a slave to obedience not a slave to sin:

"What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification." Romans 6:15-19

Remember that 1 John 3:4 from above tells us that sin is defined as transgression (breaking) of the law.

1 John is estimated to have been written around 85 AD. After the cross. Sin was still being defined as transgression of the law at this point.

This begs the question - well - transgression of what law? Some will say Jesus' "law of love" which comes from Matthew 22 (bolded words are references directly from the Old Testament):

"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And He said to him, “‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."

There are two things to note here - the first is that Jesus' last point says that on those two commandments depend the whole law and the Prophets. This means that all the Law and Prophets culminate in those two works. Be obedient in the little things of the law and you will be obedient in the big things (Luke 16:10).

The second thing to note is this - Jesus said those two were the greatest of the commandments. He never, at any point, says these are the only two commandments. He says they are greater than the others, which implies there are others that are lesser, or least, in His eyes. In fact, in Matthew 5, he lays out that whoever teaches against even the least of the commandments will be found least in the Kingdom. He even goes so far as to tell us that none are abolished so long as Heaven and Earth remain:

"Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."

Paul tells us the law is not nullified in Romans 3:

"Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law."

So let's go back to what Law? Sin is transgression of what Law? Jesus is telling us right here that there are more commandments that exist rather than the two He has just mentioned (which by the way are taken directly from Leviticus 19 - this is why they are IN ALL CAPS in the New Testament, showing that it is a direct reference from the Old Testament).

If those two commandments didn't pass away from the Old Testament law, it can be safely assumed that the others didn't either. The Law that John is speaking of is the Old Testament law. The Law from the Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy).

I'm just going to leave this passage from Hebrews here (bolded words are direct quotes from the OT):

"For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES. Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY.” And again, “THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE.” It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God."

It says the Lord will judge his people. That means that the believers out there will be judged. According to what standard?

"For all who have sinned without the Law (non-believers) will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law (believers) will be judged by the Law; for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified." Romans 2:12-13

We will be judged according to God's standard - His Law. Now is the time to practice walking it out, friends.

If I Were the Enemy...

I just want to posit a theory on Proverbs 22:6.

"Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it."

If this is true, then the opposite would likely be true as well - training up a child in the way he should NOT go. Then even when he is old, he will not depart from it. I bet the enemy knows this scripture. If I were the enemy, I would know the Bible in and out, so I could twist and distort it as much as possible.

And you know that he knows that if he wants to fully deceive God's children, he's got to get them when they're young.

Because when I was young, I was taught that all I had to do was pray the sinner's prayer and that "once I was saved" I was "always saved."

The Cross plus nothing.

It sounds wonderful and hopeful and fantastic, and you rely on those preachers and teachers because "they went to seminary" and you didn't, so you trust them and their knowledge.

But then, if you're like me, you open up your Bible and start to read it more because "that's what I should be doing" and then you start to say, "Hey, wait a second... I thought..." and then you dig around some more, and there's another passage and another passage and suddenly, you're thinking.... "Nahhhh, it's all in my head. My pastor's right."

What I'm getting at is this: if God promises that if we train our kids in the way they should go - HIS WAY - they won't depart from it as adults. The alternative to that is true as well. If they're raised (like you and I were) with inconsistent doctrine and fallacies that are explained by having to twist the scriptures into poetry and excuses that don't even come from scripture (like that pesky Sabbath business - what are we? JEWS? Come on. That all ended at the Cross!), then when they're older, they won't depart from it either.

Open your hearts. Open your minds. Open your eyes. TEST EVERYTHING. ♥

Golf and Fertility Goddesses

So, last night I was watching David Feherty's interview with Phil Mickelson.

(This is a golf thing, but if you don't know who they are or just don't care about golf, keep reading, because it's not really about golf).

And at one point Feherty asks Phil if he believes in the powers of the fertility goddess in Hawaii. To which Phil responds something to the effect of, "Oh, you don't know the story, do you?"

And then Phil goes on to explain how he and his wife, Amy, struggled with infertility, and shortly before going on fertility medication for their first child, they traveled to Hawaii. While there, someone told them to "ask the fertility goddess to help them get pregnant." So, they go to this statue of this fertility goddess, rub it, and then they get pregnant with their first child without medication.

And for their second child, they did the same thing. Were told they'd need medication, and instead rubbed this Hawaiian fertility goddess statue.

Now, while Phil is telling this whole story, he and Feherty are laughing it off, and ultimately Phil caps the story by saying something like, "So yeah, we believe in the Hawaiian fertility goddess."

And you know, a few years ago I would've laughed it off too.

"Hahaha, silly fertility goddess... hahaha..."

Except, scripture tells us that these gods and goddesses that are not of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob actually DO have power, and that people have worshipped them (knowingly or unknowingly) throughout history.

"The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord; they forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs [Asherah is the fertility goddess of the Canaanites]." Judges 3:7

We are told that the god of this world (Satan) will perform miracles and wonders that will deceive many, because they have been blinded to the spiritual war that is occurring all around us.

"Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness." 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12

There is a spiritual battle occurring all around us. And just because we can't see it happening directly, does not negate that it IS happening.

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm." Ephesians 6:10-13

Finally, you may be saying, what's the big deal? Why does it matter if they rubbed a fertility statue and got pregnant?

It matters because we are told to have NO other gods before YHWH (Yahweh, our God). In fact, this is repeated multiple times throughout the scriptures.

"You shall have no other gods before Me." Exodus 20:3

"You shall not make other gods besides Me; gods of silver or gods of gold, you shall not make for yourselves." Exodus 20:23

"-- for you shall not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God--" Exodus 34:14

"You shall have no other gods before Me." Deuteronomy 5:7

"You shall not follow other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who surround you..." Deuteronomy 6:14

"...with whom the LORD made a covenant and commanded them, saying, "You shall not fear other gods, nor bow down yourselves to them nor serve them nor sacrifice to them." 2 Kings 17:35

"Let there be no strange god among you; Nor shall you worship any foreign god." Psalm 81:9

"I am the LORD, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to graven images." Isaiah 42:8

"Will you steal, murder, and commit adultery and swear falsely, and offer sacrifices to Baal and walk after other gods that you have not known..." Jeremiah 7:9

So, now you may be saying, "Well, rubbing a statue and hoping you get pregnant doesn't mean I am worshipping another god instead of our God."

And you know, a few years ago, I would've argued that exact same thing. The problem with that line of thought is that when we put our faith (even half-heartedly) into ANYTHING or ANYONE besides our God, we ARE directing our worship and putting our faith into something ELSE besides our God.

Even joking about it is serious stuff, y'all. God considers it adultery, and it's exactly why He exiled the Northern and Southern Kingdoms of Israel. In fact, the Northern Kingdom was SO awful about putting their faith into the gods of the world, that the Father divorced them. That bad.

"During the reign of King Josiah, the Lord said to me, “Have you seen what faithless Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every spreading tree and has committed adultery there. I thought that after she had done all this she would return to me but she did not, and her unfaithful sister Judah saw it. I gave faithless Israel her certificate of divorce and sent her away because of all her adulteries. Yet I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear; she also went out and committed adultery. Because Israel’s immorality mattered so little to her, she defiled the land and committed adultery with stone and wood. In spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return to me with all her heart, but only in pretense,” declares the Lord." Jeremiah 3:6-10

I share these thoughts with you all because I want us all (myself included) to be more careful with our words and our actions. To make sure we are pure and set apart for the Father.

"Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." 2 Corinthians 7:1 "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15 "Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work." 2 Timothy 2:20-21

Does Truth Change?

Let's try this from another angle, literally. I created this schematic:

The original church (taught by the apostles who walked with Jesus) knew Jesus' ministry far better than anyone else. They learned directly from Him. And Jesus taught according to the Father's will. Therefore, the apostles knew without a doubt what the Father's will was.

So, the original church and the Truth existed in the same plane of time. They were one and the same. The Truth never changes, so it is represented by a flat line that remains unchanged in direction.

Let's say that the church (over time) deviated just one single degree from the Truth that was relayed to the apostles. That one degree separated them from the Truth, even if only a measly degree. Over time, the separation becomes more noticeable. Maybe this results in many denominations... did you know there were an estimated 43,000 Christian denominations as of 2012?? In the year 1900, there were "only" 1,600. Still a far cry from the ONE denomination that existed at Christ's ministry.

So, then you and I were born somewhere after this seemingly minute deviation occurred, and we're used to the deviation because it existed before we were even born. To us, it's truth. But it's not really, because it has deviated from the Truth that Christ taught 2 millennia ago. And then you have the church today, 1984 years after Christ taught. And that single measly degree has suddenly become a vast separation from the Truth that never changed.

For the church today to remain dogmatic that it KNOWS the Truth... you have to ask yourself - how did one denomination turn into 43,000?