Do You Know the Why?

 

--Bill Petite

Have you ever made the comment to a nonbeliever that they need Jesus? And then they ask you why and you can’t answer? If this has happened to you, you’re probably not alone. People grow up in churches across the country, leave and go off to college or the work place and can’t answer questions put to them by either skeptics or those sincerely interested in Christianity. Considering the youth in churches, they hear all of the stories and the teachings from the Bible but there are vast numbers of them headed off to college who can’t answer the simple questions of why. Why do I need Jesus? Why did Jesus die on a cross? Why did God flood the world and was it a worldwide flood? Is Jesus really God? And many other inquisitive questions concerning our Christian faith.

When a young person graduates from high school and goes off to college, that person is subject to Atheist professors and students. Many of those professors love to make Christian students look silly by challenging them with questions which the professor knows they can’t answer. Christian youth, in many cases, are not being prepared with the answers within the Bible. Now, not all local churches are guilty of this but far too many are. The Youth Group consists of just about any kind of activity except Bible study. Many lower grade Sunday School classes are taught by unqualified teachers who struggle to make the important point in the lesson. Or, maybe they are using a lesson plan that is weak in its explanation of the Bible lesson.

And, maybe the biggest problem is right at home where the parents are actually depending on Sunday School classes and Youth Group to teach their children what the Bible really says. The Sunday morning church service is a pit stop; it’s a refueling point in our week. That doesn’t mean it’s not important because it is but we don’t simply use that as our main support system in our walk with Jesus. Our Christian life and our walk with Jesus is a daily, and sometimes hourly, process. As parents and individuals, we should be reading the Bible daily and not whenever I have time. Then we should be monitoring our children’s progress in their Christian lives.

Parents should be talking to their children and seeking answers from them concerning their Christianity.

When you leave church on Sunday, it’s not a time to critique the pastor’s message. If you have children, you should be asking them what they learned in class or youth group that morning. You can’t pass your responsibilities as a Christian parent off on a Sunday School class; you are responsible for that.

So, the Christian youth finds himself or herself in a college classroom being lectured to by an Atheist professor or an unbeliever who is a skeptic. He/she is asked how every book in the Bible can be God’s word when it was actually written by men? Will either one be able to explain with a thorough answer? Or will they stumble and finally tell the professor they don’t know. That’s what the professor is trying to accomplish; another self-proclaiming Christian kid who can’t answer simple questions concerning their made-up faith.

Regardless of what the question is, if it is Bible centered, the answer is in the Bible. If it’s not a Biblical based question, then an answer is still required. There was a question which skeptics used to ask some years ago. Did Adam have a belly button? The Bible doesn’t tell us and a medical field specialist, nurse or doctor, could probably really break that down but the question is not important since it does not deal with any Bible doctrine.

Here is the only point that is to be made concerning all of this. Every Christian should read and study the Bible for their own Christian good. This practice is not only to prepare for the skeptic but for our own spiritual growth and wellbeing. Yes, we need to know the why and also the where, the how and the what. If you can’t give an answer as to why we need Jesus, your level of Biblical knowledge is at zero. I was in a church as a newer Christian where the pastor had encouraged us to read the Bible through in a year and proceeded to give us a plan to follow. A few weeks later a woman who was the Sunday School director and had been saved for about 30 years stood in a Wednesday evening service and said she never realized how bloody the Old Testament was. Had she not read any of that in her 30 years of Christianity?

Here is where the problem lies; Christians don’t read the Bible and they don’t know what the Bible says. When they are approached and asked a question concerning our faith, they cannot answer and are made to look ignorant.

I heard the comments directed at those who could not answer. “How can you call yourself a Christian?” or “You’re just like every other Christian. You don’t know anything about your so-called faith.” I was in an auto parts store with a Christian friend of mine who had on a T-Shirt with a verse from Nehemiah. A man came in and saw his shirt and asked him what the verse meant. He had the smell of alcohol on his breath but that didn’t matter; my friend couldn’t give him an answer. The man said nothing but the look on his face said what he was thinking. I advised my friend not to wear shirts with Bible verses on he couldn’t explain.

Our churches should be teaching the whys and all the background information concerning the teachings in the Bible. Children and youth need to be taught that Jesus had to die on a cross because He was the only sinless sacrifice who could. They need to know that the Bible teaches that sin entered the world when Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s command and all that entails. They need to know that every person born following that is born with a sin nature except Jesus. They need to know that Romans chapter 3 tells us the following:

“No one is righteous—
not even one.
No one is truly wise;
no one is seeking God.
All have turned away;
all have become useless.
No one does good,
not a single one.”    Romans 3:10-12

We need Jesus because in our sin, we never seek after Him. We will continue to live in our sin satisfying the sin nature within us. The passage in Romans 3 continues:

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.  Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.  For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood.     Romans 3:23-25

The answers are in the Bible. When you are asked why, there’s the answer. It’s the answer to why do we need Jesus. If local churches are not teaching the why and just the basic stories, they are cheating these students and adults. Feel good sermonettes might satisfy some who are in a hurry to get to lunch but they do nothing to feed the spirit and soul.

Every now and then, I read a few posts from an online Christian magazine. The magazine itself is not what I would classify as a really good Christian publication but I check it to see what the content is on any given day. After I read a post or article which is related to Christianity, I read the comments and they are, at times, more interesting than the main document which they are commenting on. The point here is that some of these comments made by Christians tell me that these people have not been or maybe never have, been reading the Bible or studying it. When I read a comment about Jesus appearing to them in a vision and giving them a message, that’s not happening. I don’t know who was appearing to this person (I have a good idea) but it wasn’t Jesus. Jesus told His disciples He was going to ask the Father to send the Holy Spirit and He did. We have the Holy Spirit with us to teach us, guide us and to even speak to us in our own private way.

I could probably continue to write pages on why we need to read and study the Bible and prepare our children to meet the unbelieving world around us. I have been in ministry in local churches which teach the why and the what and the who and every other part of context not just to the children but to the adults also. It’s called expositional Bible teaching and the process of expounding on every scripture in the Bible in the process of teaching through the Bible. Cute and feel-good sermons don’t do that. This method can be taught at every level in the church in a way that each level can understand it. And don’t ever use AI to prepare your lesson or teaching. It is something which has been happening in recent years. When a pastor or teacher at any level uses AI to prepare for them, it’s strictly a sign of laziness and apathy toward their service for Jesus.

I would suggest that if you are in a church that doesn’t teach the answers to the questions, find one that does. I’m not one to promote church hopping but I do advise when the local church is cheating the people out of good solid Bible teaching, move on. Remember, this doesn’t just apply to youth and children.

It applies to every Christian at every age level. We should all be able to give an answer as to why we are a Christian who follows Jesus.

Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way.    1 Peter 3:15-16

Don’t get caught not knowing the answer and also be able to detect when it’s not Biblical but some skeptical nonsense. And if you don’t know, then that’s your answer along with, “I will get the answer and let you know.” One last item to help explain the importance of this. I was doing an outreach on a city street which was the site of a craft fair. A friend and myself had set up a makeshift booth and were handing out the wordless gospel in the form of a keychain. I would ask if they wanted a keychain and when they accepted one, I would then take the opportunity to explain the different colored beads on the keychain. Of course, the different colors explained the gospel. One young man wanted to know if he could talk to me and I told he could. We sat down and he asked me why God would allow those planes to fly into the Twin Towers, the Pentagon and a field in PA. I thought for a few seconds thinking of the words to use so he would understand. In so many words I explained that God is sovereign and He always has a purpose for everything He does. At the time, we don’t know exactly what His reason was but by faith, we accept it all happened because He allowed it to happen and maybe someday, we will know why.

I didn’t want to go too deep into God’s sovereignty and providence and basically confuse him without giving him the opportunity to grasp what I was saying and not lose him in a grand theological explanation. When I finished, he smiled and said, “Ok, I just wanted to see if you really knew what you were talking about.”

Be ready. This young man wasn’t being argumentative and actually seemed to be curious about what my answer would be. But you never know what the motive of the questioner really is. He actually did catch me by surprise but the Lord by His Holy Spirit kept me calm with the ability to give him his answer. Be ready and allow the Holy Spirit to bring back to your mind what you have learned by reading and studying the Bible.

Christianity?? In the 21st Century

--Bill Petite 

A pastor was removed from the pulpit for three months for horse whipping a man in his office….more than 10 years ago. A PCUSA (Presbyterian) church in SC has hired a transgender Lesbian as their pastor. A pastor in GA has claimed the word, abracadabra, is what Romans 4:17 is referring to. And, finally, four pastors in a GA church falsely accused a popular East TX pastor of plagiarizing his sermons and then apologized for the false accusation and resigned.

Some of this might sound like I found an old National Inquirer and got these stories. But that’s not where I found these. I read them in an online Christian (??) publication. But let’s stop and think for a minute or two and consider if we could have found any one of these stories say, 20 or 30 or 40 years ago? Maybe; I was writing for an online Christian magazine about 15 years ago and I can say I don’t remember coming across anything like these. Well, except for the PCUSA story since they have been inviting Satan and his minions into that organization for the past, I don’t know, put a number on it. I had a nephew who was a pastor in that organization before his untimely death and he fought hard against all the evil they were proposing. He wasn’t alone; he was just one of about 700 pastors between the PCUSA and the UMC (Methodist) who met regularly with the purpose of opposing these non-Biblical practices the two churches (I use that term very loosely) were attempting, at that time, to bring into the denominations. Since then, the two organizations have allowed a lot of these practices to be a part of their being.

As a small child, I attended, with my parents, my uncle’s church. He was a hell fire and brimstone preacher but he spoke the truth of the Bible. I recall entering the church for a Sunday evening service and he came out of the men’s room and was irate. Someone had written on the walls of a stall and he was into a heavy rant about it. The church building was still pretty new and now, I can understand his anger at this. But back then, that was possibly the biggest thing he had to be put off by in that church. He never horse whipped anyone; he wasn’t Gay and masquerading as a pastor in Jesus’ Church and he never took material from someone else for his sermons. None of that stuff would have been heard of back then; many, many years ago.

 

In the late 1960s, there were a lot of denominations and local churches who thought Chuck Smith was out of his mind when he welcomed in a generation of hippies and young people who were considered rebellious and against all authority. But Chuck took the time to know them and understand them. Then, a revival broke out in what we remember as the Jesus People and it spread across the country like gasoline on a wild fire.

But God had ordained that; it was His plan and His will for all of that to happen. But God never had or has in His plan for Gays to be in Church leadership. Actually, God never had in His will for active Gay people to be a part of His ministry without first, being saved and delivered from the adverse lifestyle. There are very, very many former Gay people in the Church who have been saved by Jesus and removed from that sinful lifestyle and have never had a desire for it again. This is not a Gay bashing attack; it is just a reminder of God’s truth found in His word concerning the Gay lifestyle. It is abhorrent to Him. In other words, He strongly hates it. That’s the sin as with any sin and not the person. He will never throw out the person who is guilty of the sin but He will remove the sin from the person.

I can assure you that the person who was hired by that church in SC is not there by the will of God. That person, if he/she will not repent and ask Jesus to forgive him/her for the sin in his/her life, he/she is in danger of hearing what is recorded in MT chapter 7:23:  But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’   (That's a lot of pronouns for one person)

There are many today who actually believe they are doing God’s work but they are doing it their way and not God’s way. Those words from Jesus might be the scariest words in the Bible and I really would never want to be a person who hears them. But when people insist on keeping their worldly, sinful desires in their life and insisting that God approves of it, they are only fooling themselves and they will fool themselves right into eternal suffering if they don’t repent.

Why would four pastors in a GA church accuse a pastor in East TX of taking material from another pastor for the purpose of trying to make it his own? Even if they knew each other, and they might, what can you gain from that lie. It cost all of them their pastoral position and might have a really hard time finding another one. Who wants to hire a lying pastor?

I guess I can’t finish this with a little magic. Okay, that was bad but when you really stop and think about it, these false teachers have no fear of saying some of the dumbest things about God’s word. The pastor in GA took the word abracadabra to mean the same as what Romans 4:17 says. The meaning of the word in Aramaic/Hebrew: “I create as I speak”

That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, “I have made you the father of many nations.” This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing. Romans 4:17

This pastor’s emphasis was on that last phrase of this verse and was telling his church that they too could create something from nothing or they could speak it into existence. That would be quite a magic trick since only God Himself can do this. It’s exactly how He created the heavens and the earth; He spoke it all into existence. But we are not God and we cannot do that. But here’s the question; how many people walked out of that building actually thinking they could speak something into being. Or as Pastor Donnie McClurkin, who exposed this lie, asked if you can speak away your bills? Listen, this is nothing more than positive confession which has been taught by the Faith Teachers for over a century. Name it and claim it.

I can’t imagine God will put up with all of this nonsense in His Church for much longer. I am not some crazy date setter but I do believe we are in the very last of times. I am no longer active in any Church ministry but if I still was, I’d be teaching anyone who would listen that God is not to be mocked and He will not tolerate His word being used for the personal agendas of false teachers. He will not put up with abhorrent lifestyles occupying any pulpit in any church. The worship of God is serious and as a pastor, I would not want to be caught up in any kind of un-Godly activities and foolishness when He returns.

His Church is not a social club with annexes around the state or the country. It’s not a project to see how many people can be lured inside in order to pump up the numbers. His Church is not to be presented as a show instead of a place to worship Him. His Church is to be made up of those who truly love and worship Him and only want to please Him and praise Him for who He truly is and that is the one and only true God of this universe.

If you have no problem with the stories I used as an example at the beginning of this post, you should probably check your Christianity and see where the gapping holes are located and then pray and ask God to fill them. He is a truly loving and forgiving God but He is also a just God and sin cannot stand in His presence. So, examine yourself and check your Christianity for holes and then get right with God. And, we all have some holes but some are bigger than others and we just overlook them. I just can’t imagine that God is pleased by what He sees in some of the churches around this nation, not to mention the world. That’s’ what passes for Christianity in the 21^st century.

One Step is More Than Twelve

--Bill Petite
 

 I was lounging by the public pool on the military installation where I was stationed and recovering from a four-day drinking binge. I was sobering up slowly and soaking up the hot sun. I looked to my left and saw my commander and my First Sgt walking toward me. My first thought was there must be an emergency at the vehicle maintenance shop where I was the NCO in charge. This is what I thought because I was on leave this week following the 4^th of July holiday. Why would they be coming to see me when I was on leave?

I was sitting at the edge of the pool with my feet dangling in the water when they approached me. The First Sgt said, “Sgt, we need you to come with us back to the Troop (building where the unit was housed and the command offices). I asked him what the issue was and he answered, “You need to just come with us. So, I went with them and when we got back to his office, the First Sgt told me, “Your wife called the commander and wanted to know why you were being so pressured in your job that it makes you drink so much.” I was speechless for a few seconds and couldn’t believe that Jeanne, my wife, had called the commander for any reason.

I told Top, the First Sgt, “I’m not pressured in my job by anyone. That’s not why I was drinking.” The First Sgt talked to me for a while and then took me into the commander’s office. I had always got along with the commander. He was a stern commanding officer but fair. He didn’t pull any punches and told me, “You are going to Detox at the hospital. There are MPs waiting to escort you there. You are very good at your job and I don’t want to lose you but you need help and you’re going to get it now.” That was it; Top escorted me out to the MPs and they took me to the hospital. I wasn’t happy about being stuck in a hospital ward with a bunch of other drunks who were sent there for the same reason I was. We drank too much alcohol and we needed dried out. I was put in an exam room and a psyche assistant came in and asked me a bunch of questions and then left. He told me to sit on a bench outside of the room until the doctor came.

By the time the doc arrived I was almost completely sober. He sat down next to me on the bench and said, “I want to admit you.” Oh no, was my thought. Then he said, “But I can’t.

There are twenty beds in Detox and they are all full. So, I have no place to put you.” My next thought was, “Yay! I’m free.” He gave me a prescription for Valium and told me to get it filled at the pharmacy in the hospital and take it to the MPs office near the main entrance and show them it’s filled and have them call me and I’ll release you. I did all of that and they called Top and told him I was released and he could come and get me. He couldn’t believe it but came and took me home. I vowed to stop drinking following that episode and did, for about three months. I tried and had tried for a couple of years to stop but it never worked. I even went to AA meetings but they made me feel worse.

Jeanne and I had attended a meeting where there were about eighty to one hundred people there and they all took turns telling how they drank away businesses, families and relationships as well as jobs. When we left, I felt terrible and the only thing I could think of was how much worse these people’s lives were than mine. I went to another one on a Friday evening by myself and I sat there listening to what I considered a bunch of meaningless talk. The longer the meeting went on, the more I began to feel sick. I thought, “This meeting can’t be this bad that it is making me feel sick.”

I left and went home and went to bed and Jeanne came in and checked on me and discovered I had a raging fever and a virus. So, it wasn’t the AA meeting that made me sick, it was a flu virus. But I never went back to another AA meeting for the simple reason that it never did anything for me. I just couldn’t figure out how these meetings were supposed to help keep people from drinking. I know, a sponsor is supposed to be there for you to call and keep you from taking a drink. That would have never worked for me. In the twelve-step program, my foot never got in motion for the first step.

I left the military and went to Southern California and to work for a government contractor. The  beer drinking got worse and maybe worse than ever. When I returned from Vietnam, it started and just became a part of my life I could never totally shake. There were times when I would stop for a period of time and then start again. When I met my wife, it stopped until a short time after our wedding. By the time we got to California it was, again, starting to get bad. For two and a half years after arriving in California, it might have been as bad as it ever was. We had three children by this time and that realization never was enough to stop me.

Finally, on December 2^nd, 1984, following an all-day drinking binge, on that Sunday morning lying in my bed waking up and with a groggy head, I heard a voice. For the previous three or four months, I had been reading Bible tracts my kids would bring home from church. Also, a friend at work who was a Christian had been talking to me about Jesus and giving me Bible passages to read in the evening which I did. I knew I had to stop and I tried but the temptation was too strong and I kept on drinking beer.

But on that Sunday morning, I heard that voice as clear as if someone was standing right next to my bed talking to me. I realized it was the voice of Jesus and He asked, “Are you ready to let me deal with this now?” It was that simple and that clear. It wasn’t in King James or some crazy tongue, it was specifically clear English in words I could comprehend. I’ve had people tell me Jesus doesn’t speak out loud to us; He doesn’t speak to us at all. But I heard it and I gave my addiction to Him and it was gone. On that Sunday morning, I was saved and delivered from my alcohol addiction. That was almost 42 years ago and I have never had another drop of booze in that time. I have never craved or desired it. Jesus took it and broke down that wall which separated us. A week later, I heard someone curse and realized that I had not used one swear or curse word since that Sunday morning encounter with Jesus.

Now, I didn’t write this post to get people to stop drinking alcohol or be the ex-whatever who preaches, “You need to stop smoking or you need to stop using salt or stop doing drugs.” No, I’m the person who will tell you that Jesus is the most powerful force in His created universe. He is saddened by programs like AA and NA and whatever other ‘A’ programs are out there. I’ve had several people who are stuck in the AA program tell that I’m still an alcoholic and I tell them I used the one step program and they ask what that is and I tell them, “Jesus!” Jesus has instantly sobered and saved people strung out on some drug. It was witnessed by many people who were quick to tell others.

So no, this is not some written document to preach to those who are hung up and being held captive by booze or drugs and the useless programs who keep them trapped into believing it’s the only help. I’m not the only person who has ever been delivered from booze or drugs or any other deadly habit. The Church is full of Christians who have experienced being saved and delivered by Jesus.

You see, the one step program is a one-time action on Jesus’ part. We never have to go back and repeatedly ask Him to help us with that same addiction because when He heals and delivers, it’s a finished deal. There is no, “I need to go to Jesus again to keep me from drinking.” Jesus heals and delivers us one time. We are saved one time. There is no going back to get saved over and over. That’s AA; you have to keep attending those meetings. You have to stay in contact with that sponsor who will talk you down from your craving. That’s actually one sinner trying to keep another sinner from sinning. It’s a trap which provides no delivery. The addiction is forever hanging over the person’s head and a fear of always falling back into the addiction. I know this aggravates and irritates AA people but it’s the truth.

When nonbelievers and skeptics refuse to believe Jesus is real, Jesus is God and is all powerful, the truth of His power and His love for us is everywhere. It’s all around for them to see but their eyes are blind to this because they don’t want to believe it. I simply tell them, “I am living proof and then explain why I say that.” Finally, this is what I say to those who just simply can’t or don’t want to believe what is all around them. “Jesus is real and waiting with arms wide open and wants to save you and deliver you from the traps in your life. He did it for me and many, many others and He can do it for you.” Trust in Jesus and ask Him to forgive you and invite Him in to be your Lord and savior. It’s that simple.

Are you trapped by a no win worldly program like AA? Consider the words above and let Jesus give you freedom from your addictions and the traps of this world.

 

There is No Sin Bigger Than Jesus

 

--Bill Petite

It was a warm and sunny Sunday afternoon. We were in a city park which just happened to be located next to the county prison. I thought it was a great setting for a public outreach to share the gospel of Jesus. I didn’t set up the location but whoever did must have felt the same as me. We were set up right in front of a large pavilion and we used free food and drinks as the attraction. Jim, the senior pastor, had been a professional musician in New York City before he was saved so he decided to set up the music team next the pavilion and play some Christian songs. We were in the city of Lancaster PA and the church was Calvary Chapel of Lancaster. I had arranged these types of outreaches when I was with a Calvary Chapel in Southern California.

We always had a great turnout and had about three or four Christian bands playing throughout the afternoon. It was similar to this outing with free food and drinks and curious people stopping to see what was going on. It gave us the opportunity to tell them about Jesus. This Sunday afternoon was very similar except we didn’t have all those bands playing. It was just Jim with the musicians from the church. I had also decided to use what is known as the wordless gospel. I used it in the form of a key chain; it is five different colored beads and each color explains the parts of the gospel. I would simply hand it to the people stopping by for the free food and ask if they would like for me to explain the meaning of the different colors. Most would say yes and I would explain the gold as the streets of gold in heaven and how everyone wants to go there when they die but….there’s a black bead which represents the sin in our lives and on and on and on I would go explaining what was needed to be done in order to reach heaven.

I had positioned myself at the end of the food line and would dangle the key chain and ask if the people wanted one when these two men approached me and asked what the key chain was all about. It was just as if Jesus had said, "Here are these two men and they need to know about me." So, I took them through the wordless gospel and explained the colors of the beads and they both appeared to be extremely interested. They explained that they had each just been released from the prison next to where we were and were living in a halfway house. I asked them to step up into the pavilion so we would be out of the sun and could talk. The taller of the two men told me his friend really needed help because he had been abused and molested by the foster family who had raised him. The poor man had the look of someone who had absolutely no hope and was about to take his last breath. It had the look of depression. I again talked to them about Jesus and how He could change their lives and asked if I could pray for them. The taller man asked me if Jesus could forgive him for everything and I assured him He could. But just as I was getting ready to pray, the man stopped me and again asked if Jesus would forgive him for everything and every sin. Again, I told him Jesus would forgive him for every sin he had ever committed.

He seemed to be content with that answer and I prayed. I prayed they would both ask Jesus to forgive them and invite Him into their lives as Lord and savior. When I finished, I looked at the man who had been abused and his face was shining. His entire appearance had changed and he told me he felt like someone had taken a fifty-pound bag of trash off of his shoulders.

That man was saved that day; Jesus had saved him and had given him a new life and had freed him from the memories of the abuse he had suffered growing up. Then, I turned my attention to the taller man and before I could say anything, he asked me again, “Jesus has forgiven me for every sin? Everything?” Now, this was getting kind of silly and I firmly told him, “Everything!” I reassured him that when we are saved, Jesus cleans the slate. He forgives us of all of our sin; from the time we were born and right up to that moment of salvation and beyond. It was already paid for at the cross when He sacrificed Himself to pay the debt for that sin. I assured him all he had to do was ask Jesus to forgive him. He told me he had done that as I prayed. Then, he seemed to be more relaxed and content with what I had told him. He and his friend found a seat and sat down to eat their food.

Jeanne, my wife, was sitting at one end of the pavilion and it was getting late so I asked her if she was ready to go. Her back had been giving her some pain and we decided to go. But just as I was turning to go, I heard a voice calling me and it was the man who kept questioning the forgiveness of Jesus. He waved me over to him and as I approached him and stopped where he was seated, he again asked me, “Everything?” And again, I assured him Jesus forgives us for all of our sins and not just some. That’s when he looked at me and said, “I think I might be wanted for murder.” Then it all made sense to me as why he kept asking me if Jesus would forgive him for everything. For the final time, I told him yes, even murder. I also told him I could only be his spiritual counselor and he had to hire an attorney for his legal counsel. I had to tell him that because he began to ask some legal questions. As a precaution, before I left, I told Jim about this man and how it might be wise to keep an eye on him. I also explained he had accepted Jesus and had been very calm. Jim acknowledged and we went home.

That was the only time I had ever met someone with that repeated question. Of course, I am sure he had to ask under the circumstances. But what has to be known is when Jesus died on that cross, He died for all of our sins and not just the little ones. Actually, there are no little ones. There is no difference in any sin; sin is sin and without Jesus’ forgiveness, it will send people to hell. Oh, there’s that word that no one wants to hear. They ask, “Is that place real? Does it really exist? Isn’t that just a scare tactic Christians use just to get people to believe their drivel and invisible God?”  The answer to those questions is, NO. It does exist and anyone who dies and has not accepted Jesus as Lord and savior will find it as their final destination.

Heaven is also a real place and those who have trusted in Jesus as their Lord and savior will be there for eternity. Those of us who have been saved and know Jesus as our Lord and savior know and realize that any sin is simply sin; regardless if it is living a good and honest life and dying without Jesus or being a serial killer, their unforgiven sin will send them to hell. There is no sin that is too big for Jesus to forgive. When He sent Himself to the cross to die in our place, He paid the price for every sin a person will or has ever committed. It doesn’t matter how many or how terrible the sin, He has forgiven it for whoever has come to Him asking forgiveness. Also, remember this; the only sin which will keep a person out of heaven is the sin of rejecting Jesus and dying without Him as Lord and savior.

 Tex Watson was Charlie Manson’s right-hand man and was involved in all of those murders way back in 1969. He was given a life sentence for his part in that awful mess. I don’t have all the details of his actions or involvement but even if it was just one senseless murder, it was enough. He was saved years ago and is similar to an in-prison pastor. He runs Abounding Love Ministries from prison. This man was involved with what might be the evilest predator of the mid-20^th century and Jesus forgave him of those evil and senseless activities. So, yes, there is never any sin that is too big for Jesus to forgive. Now, after saying all of this, it doesn’t give us a license to sin.

Jesus forgives and gives us a new life (2 Cor 5:17). If you talk to anyone about Jesus and they question His ability to forgive them, just tell them Jesus is bigger than any sin that anyone can commit. He is God and He is all powerful and He cannot be defeated by anyone or anything and that includes any sin.

 

Study the Bible, Know the Bible

-Bill Petite

It’s just my opinion and it might be correct but, I think there are far too many Christians in this country, the USA, who don’t spend any great amount of time reading the Bible. Christians fill up seats in churches all across this country on Sunday mornings and if they hear anything from the Bible while they are there, that is all the Bible they will get all week, all month and for many months. For many reasons, Christians just don’t make time or take time to read their Bibles at all.

These numbers are from Lifeway Research.

Among people who attend church at least monthly:

·        61% read the Bible regularly

·        Breakdown:

o   31% daily

o   30% a few times a week

o   14% weekly

o   11% a few times a month

o   5% monthly

o   9% rarely or never

The most accurate summary is: About 1 in 3 Christians read the Bible daily, about 2 in 5 read it weekly, and engagement is rising again after a long decline.

From the stats above, if 31% of Christians are reading the Bible daily, that means 69% are not. Some might see 31% and think that is good but the 69% not reading daily is the real important number. Now go to the 9% number; That’s the number of church attenders who read the Bible rarely or never. This is the number church leaders and pastors should be concerned with. If that number is the result of 100% of church attenders, and I’m not say it is in this case, there is a serious problem. That would mean that 91% of those attending churches rarely or never read the Bible. Their entire Christian life is based on what they hear on a Sunday morning unless they are attending more than one service a week. But then the only Bible they know about is what they hear in a church service and that’s if the pastor is teaching anything from the Bible and not a sermon based on a few verses.

There are many reasons why Christians don’t read the Bible. Many will say they don’t have time to read it. Okay, so what is filling their time which doesn’t allow them any time to read the Bible? Most will say their job, their children’s activities, their own activities, can’t get up early enough in the morning and too tired at night. There are many other excuses or reasons but the bottom line is this: How does a Christian’s relationship with Jesus survive if they don’t know anything about Him? Also, how can they tell anyone anything about Jesus if they don’t read the Bible and learn all about Him? But I think the biggest reason these Christians don’t read the Bible is because their interests are focused more on this world and its activities than on God’s word. They have no desire to read the Bible and it has taken a backseat in their lives.

They have been saved and are satisfied believing they have their fire insurance, or are safe from not going to hell, and they are happy with that. If they are reading the Bible all the time, their unsaved friends are going to think they are religious fanatics or Jesus freaks. Well, guess what? If you’re a Christian, you should be a Jesus freak. And also, Jesus paid a serious price for your salvation and eternal life with Him. When these people were saved, they should have had a mentor who would have helped them understand the importance of God’s word, a healthy prayer life and fellowship with other Christians. They should have learned the importance of church attendance at a solid Bible teaching church and Bible study throughout the week. Then as they matured in their Christian faith, Bible reading and study would have become a natural activity for them.

Another reason many say is that they don’t understand or can’t comprehend what they are reading. First, the Christian must have a Bible version they can easily read and understand. Now, I’m not referring to some paraphrase Bible; that’s not a version or accurate translation.  Some of the more accurate and reliable translations or versions are the New King James Version (NKJV), the New American Standard Version (NASV), The English Standard Version (ESV), the New International Version (NIV) and the New Living Translation (NLT). The NLT should not be confused with the Living Bible which is not a word for word translation but is a paraphrase Bible. There are some other versions but the ones listed here are the most commonly used versions or translations.  

For those Christians who say they have a difficult time comprehending what they are reading, there are many different Bible helps available. A good Bible commentary can help with explaining those difficult passages and verses. Also, a good Bible dictionary is helpful. But if a Christian purchases a really good study Bible, it will be loaded with helps. I have recently noticed several ads attempting to sell material to help Bible readers understand and know what they are reading. Some of these will sell for $35-$60 but if you have one of those good study Bibles, all of that information is placed right before each book in the Bible. So, don’t spend money for something which you already have. Allow me to give an example.

I have a Life Application Bible that I will use in this case in order to prove you don’t need to buy information which you already have in your study Bible. Let’s look at the book of Romans which might be the greatest theological writing ever. First, in this Bible, there is an overview of the book. It is like a mini commentary which presents what the book is about. Before you even begin to read chapter 1 of this book, you will already have an idea of what Paul is writing about. Next, you have the purpose for the writing, the author, who the audience is, the date it was written, the setting, the key verse, key people, key place, special features. There is also a blue print which includes verses pertaining to what to believe and how to behave and finally there are megathemes which pertain to the book. That’s a format used by The Life Application Bible. Other study Bibles might have similar information but with a different format but it’s everything you would be getting from one of those booklets you would pay for. You don’t need one of them since you already have it in your study Bible.

These study Bibles also have reading plans which guide you through a daily reading plan or reading the Bible in a year. There are other study helps in these study Bibles which are really a big help. That’s why they are referred to as a study Bible. So, don’t waste your money on material you already have in your study Bible.

I use a very simple reading plan for reading the Bible in a year. I read three chapters a day on each week day and four chapters a day on each weekend day. That’s 23 chapters a week and will take you through the Bible in a year. Regardless of how you read the Bible in a year, it is a great familiarization tool. You will become very familiar with the whole Bible as you read it through year after year. And, this is simply a read through plan and not a study plan. If you are reading through and something really catches your attention, jot it down and come back to it later and dig in. Do your study on what it was that got your attention earlier.

Studying the Bible is a process you as an individual must find out what works for you. What I mean is you will have to develop a process that allows you to dig into scripture using a variety of study tools such as commentaries, dictionaries, original language dictionaries and word studies and even a Bible atlas if it helps. If using a computer or a similar device, there are apps which can be downloaded. Just be careful with what is included and how reliable it might be. Whatever works just do it; read and study the Bible and put yourself in a position to be ready when someone asks you why you believe what you believe. Be ready when you are asked about a certain verse or passage in the Bible. You don’t have to be a pastor or seminary grad to know the Bible and be able to tell others all about it when they ask. How can you defend your faith in Jesus and His word if you know nothing about it? If you are in the 69% who is not reading daily, make time right now and begin to read it. Start with a daily plan whether it’s a plan included in your Bible or the one I am using. If you miss a day don’t try to make it up just keep moving forward. Remember, it’s a read through, not a study.

The worst thing you can do is to sit down and just open your Bible randomly. That’s not a reading plan, that’s confusion. However you decide to read and study the Bible, the most important thing to remember is, just keep doing it. And talk with other mature Christians who have been reading and studying the Bible and share your findings and the stuff which has you stumped. It’s a great source of fellowship and learning. Read the Bible and know the Bible.

A Nation of Hate

--Bill Petite

In the book of Numbers, chapter 16, in the Bible, we read the account of Korah and his friends and relatives rebelling against God. They thought they were actually challenging Moses and Aaron concerning why they were the chosen leaders. Eventually, you will have this type of resistance in a movement. These people didn’t realize they were actually challenging God. He was the one who called Moses and selected him for this job. Moses resisted but finally gave in. It was evident that God didn’t like this rebellion against Him and in verses 28-33, we read that the ground opened up and swallowed them all.

Does this type of rebellion happen today? Yes. Have you seen or heard about the ground opening and swallowing anyone lately? No. (Well, maybe a sink hole here or there) Does that mean God is over His tantrum and won’t do that again? First, God wasn’t having a tantrum. He was showing His ultimate authority and making sure Israel knew who was in charge and Moses was His man. Did it stop the Israelites from whining and complaining? No. If you watch any news channel or local news, you will fully understand and know that yes, people still whine and complain about their leadership. But it’s not just complaining, it’s hate. Politics has driven a deep wedge in this nation and the ‘us versus them’ hatred is far worse than ever. For those who believe this country was founded on Christian principles and it still is a Christian nation, think again. I won’t argue the Christian founding but this nation right now is as far from being a Christian nation as a snow storm in 90-degree temperatures.

Paul tells us this in Romans Chapter 12:

Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable.  Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.     Romans 12:17-18

Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say,
“I will take revenge;
I will pay them back,”
says the LORD.
Instead,
“If your enemies are hungry, feed them.
If they are thirsty, give them something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap
burning coals of shame on their heads.”

Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.     Romans 12:19-21

 

Some Christians struggle with these words. They have been caught up in this hateful division and just have to strike back.

Some will spend their time searching through the internet and social media just looking for an argument. There is something known as righteous anger; that was Jesus when He went into the Temple and overturned the tables of the money changers and threw them out. They didn’t belong there and Jesus made sure they got the message. We, as Christians can exercise righteous anger. When you know something is in opposition to God’s word or His commandments, we can exercise it. For example, you take your child to school only to find out that Drag Queens will be coming in to read to them. I know, that’s a horse well beaten but it is a good example. Would you be showing righteous anger when you discover this? You display this anger by approaching school authorities that same day and telling them why you don’t like this and you are taking your child home. You have explained your reasons why and your position but you don’t go on a rampage, call them all names and make stupid threats. They got your message; there is no need to act like the unsaved world before you leave.

The hate in this nation is so strong and so intense. If a person playing a professional sport refuses to wear anything which is part of the uniform and reflects the celebration of Gay people, that person is immediately labeled a homophobe. The person doesn’t agree with that lifestyle and doesn’t want to promote something he/she disagrees with. And that makes them, automatically, a homophobe. That word actually means fear of homo. The Gay community likes to use it to say the player is in fear of the Gay lifestyle and a bigot or racist. But there is no fear; they simply disagree with it. Why does such a small percentage of people in a lifestyle get to demand everyone else must agree with their unnatural lifestyle. Why do they insist on everyone agreeing with the Gay lifestyle. I don’t agree with people living together in a sexual relationship before marriage but I don’t fear it and I don’t hate them. Yet, some Gays demand everyone agree with their sinful lifestyle. I don’t agree with it but I don’t hate them. They are people like all of us and really should not be put into a separate category of human beings even though some of them seem to want that status. I can love them and still strongly disagree with their choice of a sinful lifestyle.

In my opinion, I believe the worst case which displays the hatred and demented mindset are the protestors who cram into streets and open lots demanding the right to kill unborn babies. Think about it; women holding up protest signs demanding the right to kill their unborn children. How sick is this? Well, if you’re not a Christian, you might not have a problem with this and think we Christians are wanting to deprive them of some right to kill the unborn child. And yes, it is an unborn human being. But these people try to polish it up by calling it women’s health. That’s ridicules. Then there is always the claim that rape victims and incest victims are being denied the right to abort these unwanted babies. Do the research on this; the percentage is extremely small. But some conservative states do have special allowances for this. But put those categories aside and think about all the others. Women and men who are not responsible in their sex lives and the woman is with an unwanted child and demands to be able to kill it and be free of the baby who will ruin her life. It’s an act of irresponsibility and then on top of that an act of selfishness by killing off the child. That probably all sounds kind of harsh and it is meant to be.

I think seeing these people protesting, men and women, for the right to kill unborn children is the lowest of the low when it comes to anyone’s mindset, morals and an extreme lack of values.

The hate runs so deep in this country that when one person disagrees with another’s ideology, ideas, or any comment, they simply shoot them to death. Charlie Kirk comes to mind. I never spent any time listening to him but in this country, we do have a right of free speech. But there were those who strongly disagreed with what Charlie was saying so the simple thing to do was to kill him. Just shoot him and shut him up and they did. But the voice of Charlie Kirk will live on through others who agreed with his message and the hate will become stronger.

Again, the hate is so strong within this nation that it bleeds into every part of life. If I read the comments following a sports story, I will eventually, about three comments in, see one bringing politics into the discussion. What does politics have to do with a story concerning an NFL team or MLB game? But there they are forcing their political opinions into the comments on the sports page.

And here is the sad part; God has blessed this nation down through the hundreds of years.  But I think those blessings have run out. How can the God of the Bible bless a nation who kills babies, kills the messenger they hate, approves of Gay marriage and the lifestyle and is always attempting to kill the person He has placed in authority. It’s alright not to like the person God has placed in that office but when you try to kill them, you are opposing God and trust me that’s not a good position to be in.

So, what’s the answer? It’s what Paul said in Romans 12:18: Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.  But I don’t see that happening anytime soon. I remember telling a friend back in the 1980s that the freedom we have in this country will be what brings it down. I think we are seeing that now. And for those Christians who believe this is God’s country, you’re wrong. He has, in the past, blessed and used this nation for His purposes but I think that time is over. One last thought; I just cringe when someone quotes 2 Chronicles 7:14 in reference to this country,

Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.      2 Chronicles 7:14

This is an answer to Solomon’s prayer. It has nothing to do with the United States and it only is meant for Israel. It sounds good when applied to our nation but it is not a statement by God to this country but to Israel. And look closely at the section of the verse which says…my people who are called by my name. Not everyone in this country is a Christian and are not God’s people. And, the United States is not mentioned anywhere in the Bible let alone as His people or nation. Having said all of that, we do need to pray for this nation and I mean pray hard. This nation has wondered so far from God’s blessings and grace that it is scary. So, keep this nation in your prayers and ask the Lord to bless it once again. And, ask God to remove the hate from your heart if you are one caught up in the hateful divide.

 

My Sister Myra

                                                                                    -Bill Petite

 My sister, Myra Jean Brink, died yesterday, Monday May 18. Myra and I were always close and really so when we were growing up. She was always there to support and help me even when she shouldn’t have. But I was a younger brother and she couldn’t help herself when I was there with my hand out. As children, when I was about 4 years old, and I don’t know why, but I had a strong dislike for her. I do recall hitting her on the head with a hammer but I don’t remember why. Let’s just say that didn’t turn out so good for me. My mother settled that dispute.

When I was about 12 years old and Myra was about 16, she would drag me into the family room in our home, put records on the record player (yes this was a long time ago) and make me dance with her. It was all the fast dance stuff but she did teach me how to slow dance. This happened a lot and I became pretty good at dancing but that wasn’t what boys were supposed to be good at back then. If my friends had ever found out that I was good dancer, I would have been harassed forever. Fortunately, that didn’t happen until one Friday night at an after the game dance at the school. She was on the dance floor dancing by herself and, of course, I was attempting to keep my distance. But before I knew it, she had grabbed me and dragged me out there and made me dance with her. A few minutes later, some guy jumped in and pushed me aside. Myra didn’t hesitate; she pushed him aside and told him, “Get lost.” That was even more embarrassing on my part; my older sister was fighting my battles for me. Hey, I was happy he jumped in and I could get off of that dance floor. But Myra was tough and she didn’t allow anyone to take advantage of her or me. But my secret was out and everyone there knew I was a dancer. That’s not what I wanted to be known for being good at. I was a good baseball player and that’s what I wanted everyone to know and not being a good dancer.

When my brother Tom and I were young boys, Myra always tried to put us in dresses and have tea parties. But Tom and I were too quick for her and always got away. She would be upset and soon got over it but it didn’t stop her from trying it again. She never did get me and Tom in a dress.

Tom and I were playing near the barn one day when the neighbor man who farmed the property and his son were doing some work nearby. The boy, who was about the same age as Myra began to make some very rude and vulgar comments about Myra.

Myra was a very attractive young lady and that’s where his remarks were aimed at. I went to the house and told Myra what he said. She didn’t hesitate and went over there and read him the riot act. When she was finished, his face was red and hanging low. She had torn him up. That was my sister.

Myra was the one I could always go to when I had done something I probably shouldn’t have done. I could always talk to her before anyone else. But she never left me off of the hook. If my mother needed to know, Myra would tell her. As a teen, and after our dad died, I was in and out of a variety of mischief and Myra was there to help me out of it.

When I returned from Vietnam, I couldn’t expect my family to understand what I was struggling with or why. I was suffering from PTSD and I didn’t even know it. But Myra, even though she didn’t understand what it was that was causing me to drink excessively or act the way I did, had an idea of why. I spent all my savings on my dream car when I got home and a few months later totaled it while being intoxicated. Myra had me stay with her and Russ, her husband, for a week. After that week with Myra, I felt rejuvenated and just better about myself. Now, I was still a mess and would be until Jesus saved me but Myra just had a way of talking to me and with me. She was so much like our mom and maybe that was it but she knew me and was able to course correct me.

Myra was what a big sister is supposed to be. She was always there for me and she also set me straight, or tried to when I needed it. When Jeanne and I would relocate for my job, she and Russ were there to help with the move. When we were separated by miles, we always talked on the phone. We tried to stay in contact as much as possible. I will always remember the day she called me and told me she had stage four cancer in her throat, her lungs and her liver. She told me the doctor had given her six months to live. But my sister was stubborn and tough and she lived about three months longer than expected. She was a great sister and I will miss her dearly.

But Myra wasn’t just my sister by birth, she was also my sister in Jesus. Myra had made a mistake when she was a teen and thought Jesus would never forgive her for that mistake. But Jesus, Himself, had her and I enter into a conversation one day concerning her doubts about not being good enough to be saved. (None of us are)

As the Lord guided my conversation with her, He gave me the words to tell her she could be saved and she was. I get no credit for that; it was all Jesus and He is the only one who can save. He simply allowed me to be used by Him to share the gospel truth with her so she could come to Him for His forgiving and saving grace. I know my sister Myra is with Jesus right now and at peace. There is no more suffering from cancer and anything else this sin plagued world attacks us with. Some people will say she is with her husband Russ now or maybe her mother or her brother Tom. Yes, she is but most importantly, she is with Jesus. I am so happy for my sister and her release from her suffering and is now at peace for eternity and with the Lord. There is nothing better than that.