I’m sorry to say it’s not a very happy 240th birthday for our nation. More Islamic terror attacks – here and abroad. Paris, Brussels, Chattanooga, San Bernardino, and more recently, 49 killed in Orlando and 42 killed in Istanbul, with over 200 injured. Ok, whose fault is it this time? Where will we shift the blame? To guns? To mental illness? To right-wing media? To left-wing media? To climate change? You may recall that less than a week after the Islamic radicals attacked Paris, eight nations came together to talk about the real enemy, the real threat to the human race – climate change! Are you kidding me? We overlook the obvious enemy, and implicate a straw man. We refuse to acknowledge that a religion that has been making war for nearly 1500 years continues to act according to its nature (see Genesis 16.11-12, which speaks of the nature of Ishmael’s twelve sons and their descendants, which are the Arab/Muslim nations of today). Some in our country refuse to ever say Islam and terrorism in the same sentence, but they have no problem implicating the Bible, Christianity and God-established morality as causes of terrorism.

Why is it so important for us to recognize and pinpoint the enemy? It’s simple – you can’t fight and defeat an enemy you refuse to identify! It would be like trying to hit a target that you won’t take aim at.

But wait … have we truly identified the enemy? When we turn to God’s Word we learn that to identify our real enemy, we have to go beyond politics, beyond man-made religions or philosophies, beyond guns, mental illness, urban blight, immigration, poverty or any other supposed “cause.” The real enemy is the devil, Satan, the ancient serpent, the great red dragon (Rev 12.9), the deceiver of the whole world, our Adversary (1 Pet 5.8), “the spirit at work in the children of disobedience” (Eph 2.1-3), the “god of this world, who blinds the minds of those who do not believe” (2 Cor 4.4). He is the enemy behind every enemy, and SIN is his weapon and our root problem. That’s right, S-I-N. Not just the sins that our modern world loves to hate (prejudice, human rights violations, gun violence, pollution, etc), but the sins our modern world loves to love (fornication, adultery, homosexuality, filthy language, lies, slander, blasphemy, double standards, abortion). Do we believers also shy away from identifying these things as “sin” because of the pressure to be politically correct? Remember, we can’t fight and defeat an enemy we refuse to identify – that goes for the sins around us and within us (1 Pet 2.11)! If we refuse to identify the real enemy, we cannot and will not overcome that enemy.

Finally, the inspired apostle said, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Eph 6.12). See, our fight is not AGAINST people, it is FOR people! We are fighting the spiritual enemy to free people from sin’s control and enslavement (John 8.31-36; Rom 6). Church, know your enemy!

Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin were two very influential men, who shared little in common except their birthdays. They were both born on February 12, 1809 – 207 years ago. You heard right. Lincoln, the American president, and Darwin, the English naturalist, came into this world on the same day!
Lincoln and Darwin came from opposite sides of the Atlantic, and they held opposite world views. One of them believed that “all men are created equal”, while the other suspected and theorized that man was not exactly “created”. Each man taught and promoted and fought for his respective “cause.” And the influence of both men has been widespread and far-reaching – even into the 21st Century.
Let’s take a closer look at “equality”. Most evolutionists in America say they believe in equality, but that is not consistent with the theory they espouse. You can’t really believe that “all men are created equal” unless you believe in a Creator God. If we were to change the wording to, “all men evolved equal”, would it be true? Would it work? Such a statement doesn’t even fit the framework of evolution! There is no equality in evolution, instead there is “natural selection” and “survival of the fittest.” These are processes which do not treat all creatures equal or give them all the same opportunity to survive and/or thrive. That sure doesn’t sound very American, does it? Well, Karl Marx, Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin liked the idea of eliminating “inferior” peoples just as the hypothetical “natural selection” eliminates the weak, the diseased, the impure, the problematic. Those misguided leaders were, at least in part, inspired by Darwinian theory, as were also Pol Pot of Cambodia and Mao Tse Tung of China (who both carried out ruthless genocides). And even here in America, many are fine with our eliminating the unwanted unborn or the unwanted elderly (you know, we’re just giving “natural selection” a little “human nudge”!) Friends, we must face the fact that belief in evolution gives rise to dehumanizing inequality and gross inequities. And we see the ill effects of evolution continue to unfold before our very eyes in this post-modern world. Evolution is more than a new way to think, it promotes a new way to live – and it is both godless and dehumanizing.
The good news about Darwinism is that in several recent polls, including one from Gallup, it was found that only 40% of Americans bought into the evolutionary theory as it is normally taught in our schools and universities. Just 40%! (Other studies I found range from 3 to 8 percentage points higher, but most were still under 50%). The fact is, a narrow majority of Americans still believe in “intelligent design” by an Almighty Creator. This, in spite of evolution being taught as the only viable explanation of our origins. Even in Darwin’s own Great Britain, nearly 50% still believe in a Creator God and 43% said they believe in a “young earth”! I am guardedly optimistic that as the evolutionary theory enters its third century, we are not buying it but are giving it a big thumbs down! It doesn’t sound right, look right, feel right, or work right in everyday life. Perhaps God is granting us a degree of success in our warfare against this false teaching: “We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5) And, of course, as believers we need to prayerfully “speak the truth in love” – not just telling people what is right and true, but showing them that God’s way works best – in life and in society.
To wrap up, I think it’s safe to say that our nation and world are better off today because of Abraham Lincoln. I can’t say the same for Charles Darwin …

The news is out. The suspense is over. The Powerball jackpot of $1.5 billion will be dispersed among three “lucky winners,” including one from the state of Florida. Their take amounts to a mind-boggling half a billion each (minus taxes, of course). It constitutes the biggest lottery pay out in history. And don’t even get me started on the fact that 150 million people purchased 371 million tickets at $2 a crack. I mean, are you kidding me?!

The Bible clearly warns us about the pitfalls of wanting, loving and chasing after worldly wealth. In Matthew 6.24, Jesus presents money as a “rival” to God: “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and Mammon.” In Luke 12.15, Jesus issued this word of caution: “Take care and beware of all kinds of greed, for a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” In Mark 8.36-37, He taught: “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Or, what would a man give in exchange for his soul?” Jesus reminds us that money and possessions are highly overrated and overvalued in our fallen world. They can pose a serious threat to our relationship to God (see 1 John 2.15).

Getting back to all the hoopla surrounding this lottery jackpot, I read an interesting quote from a bystander in Chino Hills, California (where one of the winning tickets had been purchased). “Wow!” the man raved, “Think about how much money this lucky person won – I mean, what could be better than that?!” He asks a good question – one we should consider: WHAT IS BETTER THAN WINNING THE LOTTERY?

To answer the question head on, the apostle Paul speaks of the “surpassing worth of knowing Christ.” (Philippians 3.7-10). To Paul, knowing Christ was better than anything and everything on earth! Because when we know Christ we have everything, we have it all! We have grace, forgiveness, salvation! We have every spiritual blessing – every good and perfect gift! We have a direct line to God in prayer! We have His true Word, the Holy Bible! We are part of a worldwide family and Kingdom! We have a mission and the great privilege of sharing His love and grace with those around us! We have the Holy Spirit’s presence, guidance and power! We have the peace that passes understanding! We have the love of God that is better than life and defies explanation! We have the sure hope of Christ’s return, victory over death and hell, and the prize of never-ending life with God in Heaven!

So, what’s better than winning the lottery? Having Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord! So, who should be jumping for joy? Not a few poor lottery winners who can’t take it with them when they die, but we, the beloved, the blessed, the redeemed! “Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven…” (Mat 5.12a)

And, no, I didn’t buy a ticket.

This past Monday was Columbus Day. And while in today’s America there is less celebration and more criticism of the Italian explorer, no one can deny the historical import of Christopher Columbus. Setting out on August 3, 1492 from Palos, Spain, he arrived on the easternmost isle of the Bahamas, San Salvador, on October 12. In subsequent voyages Columbus would explore many of the Lesser and Greater Antilles, the mainland of South America (Venezuela) and the east coast of Central America. While he was not the first European to reach the American continent, his four voyages led to the long-term European colonization of the new world – and so changed the world!
What I find most fascinating about Columbus’ story is his belief that the earth was spherical, like a ball; not a flat disc, like a coin (as was commonly believed). Columbus wasn’t the first to suggest this counter theory to the “flat earth,” but he was perhaps the first to be in a position to prove it – funded by the new king and queen of Spain. Of course, there were practical reasons for the expedition, but I would imagine that many of Columbus’ contemporaries thought he had “gone off the deep end” (pun intended)! One thing for sure, nobody, not even Columbus, had any idea what he would stumble onto – an uncharted continent, a new hemisphere, a whole new world!
As Christians, we have something in common with Columbus. Like him, we don’t buy into the popular notions of our time – the scientific, social and philosophical opinions of our day. We believe in another “dimension.” We believe that there is more to this world than the “flat one,” the natural realm seen by the naked eye. The world, meanwhile, is filled with one dimensional “flat thinkers” – deceived deceivers, who can’t think “out of the box.” They believe in a self-made universe that somehow organized itself into perfect clockwork, then somehow spawned “life,” which somehow evolved over time with increasing complexity. And the greater deception is the belief that we are now the masters of our own destiny, charting our own course into the future! People need to know the truth about our origin, purpose and destiny – that we were made by God, made for God and are going back to God!
Columbus’ faith and determination finally afforded him the opportunity to step out – to “set sail” from his old world to discover a new one. And so it is with us: our faith in the Creator and His Son (as “discovered” in the Gospel) gives us the opportunity to “set sail” from this old sinful world and arrive on the shore of a whole new world! And, truly, everything is “new” in Christ, isn’t it? There is a “new birth” (John 3.3-5), in which the Lord makes us “new creatures” (2 Cor 5.17), so we can live a “new life” (Rom 6.4), with a “new hope” (1 Peter 1.3-4), while we await “a new heavens and a new earth” (2 Peter 3.13)!
Brothers and sisters, let’s tell the world what we’ve discovered: There is another dimension to life and a whole new world in Jesus Christ!
Rich Howell

Here they go again – looking for life on Mars! The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), launched in 2005, is still teasing NASA astronomers with images and data that point to possible water sources on Mars. Some scientists believe they have found evidence of hydrated salts in formations that look like dry river beds sloping down from mountains and hills. Some are making the bold claim that this is clear evidence of flowing water on Mars! And you know the rhetoric – where there might be, could be water, there might be, could be life! Excuse my skepticism and lack of enthusiasm, but I don’t expect that we’ll be booking Martian vacation cruises anytime soon …

Then there’s Stephen Hawking’s recent statement about how he fears that intelligent aliens might come and destroy the human race and take over our planet! You heard right. So what is this “brilliant” physicist doing about this imagined threat? He is vigorously scanning the Universe for signs of intelligent life and urging others to do the same! I don’t know, but trying to get the aliens’ attention, saying “Here we are! Yoo-hoo! Over here!” might not be the best thing to do. I think someone has been watching too many sci-fi flicks! But how ironic, Hawking believes in intelligent life here on earth. He believes in even greater intelligent life on other planets. Yet he refuses to even entertain the notion of a super-intelligent Designer/Creator who is behind all this intelligence! That doesn’t sound very intelligent to me! The apostle Paul spoke of those who saw clear evidence of an intelligent Creator but denied Him anyway, “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools” (Romans 1.19-22). So true of so many in our generation. The inspired king, David, said, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’…” (Psalm 14.1a). David tells us how foolish it is to dismiss God, but he also tells us how wise it is to seek Him … “The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of men, to see if there are any who are wise, who seek after God” (Psalm 14.2).

It saddens me that so many people are looking for life in all the wrong places and missing the life that is found in only one place – in Jesus Christ, God’s Son! “And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5.11-12).

Church, let’s point people upward, not to the stars, but to the “Morning Star,” Jesus, where they can truly find life – “new life,” “full life,” “eternal life.” And let’s tell them about a hope that is “out of this world” and goes way beyond Mars!

As you know, last week the recently appointed leader of the Roman Catholic church, Francis, visited these United States. Receiving a rock star’s welcome and media coverage fit for a king, many Americans dropped everything to pay homage and heed to this religious leader. The fact that he spent quality time with our president and addressed both our congress and the United Nations shows how much political clout he wields on the world stage. The degree of adulation and attention that was given to this mere mortal does not surprise me, but it does concern me.
During the days of his visit, while I was at the gym, one of the young men who knows I’m a minister said to me: “So, I bet you’re excited – your big boss is visiting this week!” I answered him, “He’s not my boss.” Then I had a chance to explain what I meant by that, and my concerns about exalting religious leaders in general. I shared with him that “Jesus is the head over all things to the church, which is his body – preeminent (first) in all things” (Eph 1.22-23; Col 1.18) and that He is our “one Lord” (Eph 4.5) – our “big boss,” if you will. I also shared 1 Tim 2.5 – that “there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” I explained that the term Pontiff comes from the Latin root for “bridge”, meaning that the pope is seen as a “bridge” or “mediator” between heaven and earth! I finished with John 14.6 – that Jesus is “the way” – He’s the only Bridge between heaven and earth!
By the way, do you know what the term “pope” means? It comes from the Latin, papas, which means “father.” I do not address any person by that term in a religious way – neither should you. In Mat 23.8-12, Jesus declares Heaven’s Will on this matter: “But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called masters, for you have one Master, the Christ. The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” The church of our Lord is not a hierarchy where the ambitious climb the ladder to the top. Rather Jesus teaches that true greatness is in found in humble servitude and sacrifice (Mat 20.25-28).
On occasions when I’ve met “priests” who introduced themselves as “Father _________,” I responded with something like this: “Nice to meet you, Mr. _____ or Dr. _____.” That can raise some eyebrows and some questions to be sure! I have had a few situations when I was asked why I wouldn’t show respect to a “fellow clergyman” by using his proper title. My reply is well-rehearsed: “My Lord has given me a direct command on this matter. I mean no disrespect, but I cannot honor a man in a way that will dishonor my Heavenly Father and disregard the clear teaching of His Son.”
Why am I saying all this? First, let’s be in prayer that people will stop exalting people and start exalting Christ – let’s show them and teach them Jesus’ better way! Second, let’s praise God that no man or institution stands between us and God. Let’s praise Him that we have direct access through Jesus Christ! Let’s praise Him that we are all priests, saints, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters of God!
No, Francis is “not my boss” and he’s not your boss either!
Rich Howell

     It happened one morning while I was on my computer, going through some e-mails. I noticed a pop-up dialogue box with this message: “Three people searched you.” I wondered what that meant exactly, but I sure wasn’t going to click on it to find out. Were there really three people looking for me? I doubt it, but isn’t it kind of spooky how exposed we are while online? I have heard that through sophisticated spy-ware programs, you can be searched, scanned, even photographed by your own camera without your consent! (Hmm … searched, scanned, photographed – it sounds like what happens when you go through a TSA security check-point!) So, how did I feel when I first read that message? Like I was being watched, monitored …

     Then, last week, I was doing my Treasures Old & New assigned Bible readings and I read another message about being “searched.” No, it wasn’t a “pop-up” message but it sure popped off the page to me! It was Psalm 139 – “O LORD, you have searched me and known me!” I kept reading and was reminded of how thoroughly and comprehensively God searches and knows each one of us – “You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether … How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!” (139.1-4,17) He knows everything about us – every move we make, every word we speak (before we speak it), every thought we think (before we think it), every habit, propensity and tendency – and He knew us before we were even thought of, humanly speaking (139.13-16). And God doesn’t just know everything about us because He can; He knows everything about us because He cares!

     Reading on, we come to the conclusion and climax of Psalm 139. David turns to God with open mind, open heart and open life. He invites, even implores God to search him, scan him, examine him: “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” (139.23-24). What David is really asking God is not just to be KNOWN, but to be SHOWN what His findings are – his spiritual condition before God – and anything he would need to correct.

     God knows us in these same ways – and He knows our sins and failures too – but the question is, do WE know them? Maybe we should echo David’s prayer – inviting God to “search” us, know us and show us our ways, so we can make the necessary corrections and adjustments (with His help) and be led by Him “in the way everlasting.”

     So, brothers and sisters and friends, consider this your notification that “you’ve been searched” – and not by a TSA official or by some intrusive computer program, but by an Almighty, all-knowing, all-loving God and Father.

Here’s a preview of coming attractions in our O.T. Bible readings – this week you will read the amazing account of Moses’ glowing face (Exodus 34:29-35)! It happened on Moses’ second visit to God on Mount Sinai – after he had broken the first set of stone tablets. While on the mountain, Moses asked to see God’s glory and his request was granted! Moses saw the goodness and glory of God from behind – not God’s face, but more like His back! Talk about a close encounter! No one had ever seen so much of God before!

When Moses came down with the Ten Commandments, his face glowed! The reason? “Because he had been talking to God.”  At first, Aaron and the tribal leaders of Israel were afraid to approach him, but Moses reassured them and they gathered around the man with the glowing face. Moses then relayed God’s words and commandments to the Israelites. Then Moses covered his face with a veil. Remarkably, this didn’t happen just once, but “whenever Moses went in before the Lord” (into the Tent of Meeting). So, Moses would go in, remove the veil and spend time talking with the Lord. He would come out with his face glowing and would relay God’s words to the people. Then he would cover his face until his next visit with God. But what the Old Testament account doesn’t tell us WHY HE COVERED HIS FACE. No problem, the New Testament does tell us …

In 2 Corinthians 3:7-16, we learn that Moses covered his face to keep the Israelites from seeing the FADING GLOW on his face. That’s right! He didn’t veil his face because its glowing was a scary thing to look at, or that it might blind someone – it was because Moses didn’t want the people to be discouraged when they saw the fading of that glory! Paul makes two points from this incident – one is about the inferior, fading Old Covenant of Moses versus the better, brighter New Covenant of Christ. The other point is about us – that as New Covenant Christians, we can come before God with open, unveiled faces and live before the church and the world “unveiled.”  That’s because our glow isn’t fading, it’s getting brighter and brighter! 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 explains that as we spend time with the Lord, contemplating His glory, we shine with ever-increasing brilliance – “from one degree of glory to another”! This is a vital work of the Holy Spirit – to keep us glowing and growing!

So, brothers and sisters, if your “glow” is fading, take a tip from Moses and spend some time with the Lord – in prayer, in His Word, in worship, in fellowship – let the Holy Spirit make the glow in you grow, not fade. Then we can be more of what Jesus called us to be – “the light of the world”!

Rich Howell

As Americans, we are devoted to the education of our children. We know they need a good foundation of knowledge in order to be productive citizens and good providers for their families. We know that a good education gives them an advantage in life. As Christians, we should be even more devoted to the spiritual education of our children. They need a good foundation of knowledge from God’s Word in order to be faithful and productive servants in the Kingdom of Christ, and to reach their eternal goal, the “prize.”

Paul’s young “understudy”, Timothy, is a good case in point. In 2 Tim 3:15, Paul wrote to him, “From childhood you have known the holy scriptures which are able to make you wise to salvation.” Timothy was prepared to accept God’s salvation through faith in Christ because he had been carefully taught and trained in God’s Word, which equips us for every good work (2 Tim 3:17). Paul remarks in 2 Tim 1:5, “I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.”These two godly women planted the seeds of faith in Timothy’s young heart by teaching him God’s Word and, no doubt, by showing him their own example of trust and obedience to the Lord. What an advantage Timothy had! And because of that advantage he flourished in his Christian life! Paul was able to entrust to this “faithful man” the teaching and training he needed to be a teacher and trainer for others (See 2 Tim 2:2)!

In contrast to Timothy’s positive outcome, consider the negative outcome of a particular generation of Israelites: “After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who did not know the Lord, nor the work which He had done for Israel”  (Judges 2:10).  Imagine that! The grandchildren of those who first left Egypt through the Red Sea didn’t even know God or the great things He did for Israel! How could this have happened? Perhaps their parents were so busy conquering and settling the land – enjoying what God gave to them – that they forgot to point their children to the God who gave it all to them! It appears that didn’t make it their first priority to teach and train their children the words and ways of God (see Deut 6:6-9). As a result, they relegated that generation (and many to follow) to lives of sin, hardship and captivity. They put their precious children at a serious disadvantage and many Israelites floundered as a result. Church, we must not repeat their mistakes!

Instead, let’s give our own children and all the children we can reach the “Timothy advantage.” Let’s teach and train them “in the way they should go”, so that when they’re grown “they will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6). Teach them at home and bring them to our Sunday and Wednesday Bible classes, taking advantage of our other learning/training opportunities as well. Make plans for your kids to flourish in the faith, like Timothy, not to flounder in ignorance, like that post-Joshua generation of Israelites.

Rich Howell

Tuesday is Veterans’ Day – a day to remember and appreciate those who have faithfully and bravely served their country in the military, and those who continue to serve in that capacity today. It is a day to remember the dead and the living – to appreciate their sacrifices, small and great. Without such sacrifices, America, as we know it, would not exist.

Sacrifice is one of the things that has made America great. Not just the sacrifices of our founding fathers and courageous warriors, but of everyday people, who make sacrifices by working hard, lending a hand, planning ahead, saving instead of spending, conserving instead of wasting, going out of their way to help a friend or a stranger, etc. Sadly, in recent decades we have become an increasingly self-indulgent, “me-first”, consumer-driven society in which few sacrifices are made. We appreciate the sacrifices of others and enjoy the blessings and privileges they made possible. But we seem less willing to make the necessary sacrifices to secure those blessings and privileges for future generations!

As followers of Jesus, we should know the meaning of sacrifice. It is because of the sacrifice of One that we are saved, blessed and heaven-bound! God sacrificed His own Son for us, and Jesus sacrificed His own life for us! We appreciate this loving, saving sacrifice! We come together to celebrate this sacrifice – we sing about it, study about it, talk about it, pray about it and commune around it. But do we participate in it? Do we make sacrifices? Or, are we too caught up in the self-indulgent, “me first” thinking of our times?

Jesus made it crystal clear – we can’t be His true followers unless we live sacrificially:

“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”  (Luke 9:23-24) While the world says, “indulge yourself”, Jesus says, “deny yourself!”

Paul echoes the same: “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”  (Romans 12:1) We should use our lives to benefit and bless others and, of course, to honor God!

And in Ephesians 5:1-2,“Therefore be imitators of God as beloved children. And walk in love as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

Church, let’s do more than enjoy the fruits of others’ sacrifices – let’s pledge to live sacrificially. Let’s give it up, lay it down, let it go, make it count. Let’s make sacrifices for the higher good – it’s more than the American way, it’s the Christian way!

Rich Howell