Information is Not Necessarily Application

A pastor friend once mentioned that Christians had enough information but not enough application.

It’s a generalization, but I often find his words applicable as a biblical counselor. 

For example, communication is one of the most common presenting issues in marriage counseling. 

Do you suppose the couple does not know how to communicate, or is it that they communicate in ways that tear down rather than build up?

I am unsure how many Scripture passages say something about communication; I know there are many. I ran a search asking how many there were, and the highest number I came across was 157, although I think that’s too low.

In other words, the Bible has much to say about communication (information), but couples in conflict do not apply them. Let’s briefly look at one familiar verse.

²⁹ Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. (Eph. 4:29, ESV)

The first observation I’d like to make is that “Let” indicates an imperative, a command. The term “Let’ sets off the rest of the passage by not allowing corrupting communication and encouraging communication that builds up. The word “Let” makes it an obedience issue, so disobeying the command is a sin issue.

Some may argue that anger is the culprit and that the other person’s words have made them angry, so their corrupting talk is somehow justified. The problem with that reasoning is that you cannot find a Scripture passage to back it up. Paul seems clear in implying that Christians ought to have a measure of self-control in their speech in their circumstances. Being angry does not negate the command. Unrighteous anger just makes corrupting communications worse.

So what is corrupting talk? The NASB substitutes the word “unwholesome” for corrupting. The CSB uses the term “foul” for corrupting.

My preference is corrupting or foul because the words convey a sense of rottenness as if something has spoiled or died and is giving off a putrid odor. The category is broad enough to include any language out of character to a Christian’s new life in Christ.

Paul does not merely command believers to put off using corrupting language but to put on language that builds up. What does that mean, especially during a war of abusive words?

I like how the John MacArthur Study Bible explains the meaning:

The Christian’s speech should be instructive, encouraging, uplifting (even when it must be corrective), and suited for the moment.^[1]

I often assign Ephesians 4:29 to couples whose speech patterns are not helpful even when they are not fighting. Why? Because the passage encourages giving grace as a habit.

Paul gives a similar command in Colossians 4:6:

Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. (Col. 4:6, ESV)

Again, we see an apostolic command emphasizing gracious, wholesome speech as a habit of the heart.

When I see communication as a presenting issue on a Personal Data Inventory alongside marriage, I assume a considerable measure of corrupting talk and absence of gracious speech.

The first step in putting off corrupting speech is having the presence of mind to just shut up and obey the command. This is called self-control, which can become a habit when a person takes the command seriously.

Learn to pray and apply Psalm 141:3:

Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips! (Psa. 141:3)

The second step is to say something that lowers the temperature, something like can we pray right now that our language glorifies the Lord?

Saying something like that invites God into the situation. Too often, God is forgotten, as winning the argument is more important than solving problems in God’s way. Be aware, especially in the more challenging moments we live in, Coram Deo, or before God. Let that be an incentive to develop a new habit of the heart.

Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? (Psa. 139:7)

Tags: Marriage, relationships, communication, 

Scripture: Eph. 4:29; Col. 4:6; Psa. 141:3, 139:7

Bio: Pastor Bruce Roeder

Biblical Counselor, Training Program Instructor

Bruce is an Elder/Pastor at the Vine Community Church in South Milwaukee, WI. He has an M.A. in Biblical Counseling and is certified with the ACBC (Level 2) and IABC. He is married to his wife Elizabeth of 49 years. They have one son, a wonderful daughter-in-law, and three great grandkids. 

Pastor Bruce and his wife also serve as counselors one day per week via Zoom at Reigning Grace Counseling Center (RGCC) in KC, MO. RGCC is a parachurch organization that provides biblical counseling for applicants across the country, Follow the link for more information.

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^[1] John F. MacArthur Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006), Eph 4:29.

The Emotion Wheel

My wife sent me a link to a Children’s Sunday School Teaching aid titled, Emotion Wheel.”

The wheel features five main categories: Strong, Afraid, Calm, Mad, and Happy. From each category, like spokes on a bicycle, are six further headings for each category.

For example, the six sub-headings for “Mad” are Jealous, Annoyed, Frustrated, Critical, Hateful, and Hurt. For each subheading, there is an attached Bible verse.

The categories are color-coded. Red is the color for Mad, Purple for Afraid, Orange for Strong, Blue for Sad, Green for Happy, and Teal for Calm. 

It is an attractive wheel. I should point out that an INET search turned up numerous emotion wheels of varying complexities. This says something about the influence of psychology on the culture and the church since more than a few feature attached Bible verses.

This wheel appears to be a take-off on an Emotion Wheel developed by Dr. Robert Plutchik, a psychologist, and repurposed for children’s Sunday School. The idea is to connect the children’s feelings with a biblical verse.

So what is wrong with that?

To understand what is wrong with focusing on emotions, we must first understand what the Bible means by the word heart.

Thayer’s Greek Dictionary defines the heart like this:

Kardia: the soul or mind, as it is the fountain and seat of the thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes, endeavors of the will and character of the soul so far as it is affected and stirred in a bad way or good, or of the soul as the seat of the sensibilities, affections, emotions, desires, appetites, passions.

As we can see from the biblical definition, emotions are part of the heart. The heart (kardia) is the biblical word to describe the inner person. The heart is a person’s immaterial (non-flesh) part that includes our thoughts, beliefs, desires, mind, feelings, intentions, and emotions. It is often referred to as the control center of our being.

We live in a culture, often a church culture, where we link heart almost exclusively to our emotional component when we speak of the heart. A phrase like “speak from the heart” means to follow your feelings and talk emotionally about this or that. A phrase like, follow your heart” means to follow your feelings. We live in a culture dominated by feelings due to the influence of secular psychology. When the heart is not referred to as a physical organ, it usually means “feelings” or “emotions.”

I assume that the Emotion Wheel for Children’s Sunday School means older children in the JR. High range since it would require at least some basic knowledge of Scripture. Jr. High kids need to learn about the heart and how emotions fit into the biblical category of the heart rather than trying to find an out-of-context verse that somehow ministers to whatever emotions they are experiencing. 

Here are a few quick examples from the Emotion Wheel to illustrate my meaning.

The verse selected for Sad-Tired is Matthew 11:28:

²⁸ Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” ^[1]

I was unaware that being tired was an emotion, but I suppose one could argue that a person could be emotionally drained or exhausted. I will assume emotionally drained is what is meant since we are probably talking to drama-type teens.

How would the verse apply at face value?

If the teen knew that “come to me” meant come to Jesus, the promise is to rest if you are emotionally burdened by something.

If the teen read on, and I would hope they would, they will further find that they could learn from Jesus and that in learning from Jesus, they will find rest from whatever emotional burden they are carrying, and from that learning, they will find emotional rest.

The question that should be obvious is what is meant by burden (heavy-laden, NASB) and rest for souls.

The passage has nothing to do with a person’s emotional state. As the ESV Study Bible explains, the passage in context has everything to do with the gospel:

11:28–30 Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden. There is an echo of the first beatitude (5:3) in this passage. Note that this is an open invitation to all who hear—but phrased in such a way that the only ones who will respond to the invitation are those who are burdened by their own spiritual bankruptcy and the weight of trying to save themselves by keeping the law. The stubbornness of humanity’s sinful rebellion is such that without a sovereignly-bestowed spiritual awakening, all sinners refuse to acknowledge the depth of their spiritual poverty. That is why, as Jesus says in v. 27, our salvation is the sovereign work of God. But the truth of divine election in v. 27 is not incompatible with the free offer to all in vv. 28–30.

11:29 you will find rest. I.e., from the endless, fruitless effort to save oneself by the works of the law (cf. Heb 4:1–3, 6, 9–11). This speaks of a permanent respite in the grace of God which is apart from works (v. 30).^[2]

Let’s look at another passage. Galatians 3:26 is under Strong-Valuable.

²⁶ For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith. ^[3]

Since emotion wheels are used extensively in psychology and psychologized churches, it is safe to assume that the term “valuable” is connected to a teen’s sense of self-worth or self-esteem.

Psychology places a premium on a person’s sense of self-worth or self-esteem. Biblically speaking, we already think too highly of ourselves. The passage is called an identity passage, and the giveaway is the words “in Christ.” 

To be “in Christ” means to be a “son of God” (male or female) because they have put their faith in Christ. The issue is to esteem Christ highly, not yourself, since you can do nothing to earn your salvation. The only thing a person brings to the salvation table is their depravity.

Once again, we see a passage with everything to do with the gospel and nothing to do with a person’s emotional state.

One more example will suffice.

I wanted more fun with this one, so I picked Proverbs 17:22 from the Happy-Cheerful categories. Who does not want to be happy and cheerful?

                        ²²      A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. ^[4]

Once again, we have to assume the emotion\psychology lens the authors of the wheel must intend. Heart in psychology, as explained above, means feelings. So, feeling joyful is good medicine and something to be strived for.

The first half of the Proverb is contrasted with the second half, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. The second half uses biblical language (crushed spirit) to describe what we call depression. The crushed spirit affects the inner person’s (soul, heart) bones.

The Proverb simply states the way things tend to be. A joyful person is not clinically depressed person. I am uncertain what could be gained by a teen going to this passage without understanding the contrast and the reasons for the crushed spirit.

One of the cross-references in the ESV Study Bible is:

          ³⁰       A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot. ^[5]

Here we see the word heart used to mean inner person or soul. Tranquil means peaceful, so a heart at peace gives life to the outer person (the physical).

Proverbs is wisdom literature, and wisdom in Proverbs is a personification of God. The wise person seeks God, and the proverbial fool ignores God. By implication, the tranquil heart is peaceful because the person seeks God and God’s ways (Pro. 1:7).

The second half of the Proverb, but envy makes the bones rot, states what ruins the tranquility-the sin of envy. The envious person is rotten on the inside.

I once counseled a woman who struggled to care for an un-believing disabled husband. She was not clinically depressed, just sick and tired of caring for him since he was demanding and mean (according to her). She envied the people in her church that did not have that burden. The woman’s feelings trumped her theology. After explaining the reasons for her sadness and going to appropriate passages (in context), the woman began to feel better because she repented of envy and began to accept that taking care of her husband was her primary ministry at that stage of their lives.

The point is that without context and the biblical view of the heart, the utility value of the evangelical baptized Emotional Wheel is nearly useless unless one wants to take the time to see how the passages fit into a heart\Bible context.

Viewing the Bible through a psychological lens is a bad plan. The Bible is not about feeling good or feeling bad. Emotions are important, but they are only a part of the heart. Emotions tell us what is going on inside of us. Emotions often serve as alarm bells that lead us to look inside the heart to diagnose the root issue.

See The Process of Biblical Heart Change by Julie Ganschow and Bruce Roeder for more on what the heart is and what heart change is.

For biblical help with the problems of life please visit Reigning Grace Counseling Center (rgcconline,org).

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^[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 11:28–30.

^[2] John F. MacArthur Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006), Mt 11:28–29.

^[3] Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible, Second Edition. (Denmark: Thomas Nelson, 2019), Ga 3:26.

^[4] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Pr 17:22.

^[5] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Pr 14:30.

Sin Ruins Everything; Jesus is the Answer

As biblical counselors, my wife and I get to meet wonderful people who want to be more like Jesus in the problems of life they encounter.

One of the more painful problems parents endure is when they think their teen or young adult made a decision for Jesus in their youth but now are deconstructing their faith (as if they ever had it in the first place).

One wonderful couple we recently met with put it this way.

Patti (not her real name) decided for Jesus and was baptized very young. We do not think it changed her heart. We think she decided due to our pressure, the Sunday School pressure or because all the other kids were doing it. Now that she is a young adult, she is questioning her faith to the point that it’s obvious her heart never changed, and she was not born again.

This speaks volumes about the “deciding for Jesus” mode of conversion, which, often, is not a conversion at all.

The parents above love their daughter and have worked hard to maintain and improve their relationship with their daughter. God has blessed their efforts, and their daughter has stepped down her rebellion against them to the point she is asking relevant theological questions regarding faith. 

Her parents asked her what her view of God was. She replied God is a punishing, vindictive God and not loving at all because if he were loving, there would not be cancer, war, conflict, and hate. That is a remarkable, thoughtful, honest statement. She did not see Jesus’s death on the cross as the most significant sign of God’s love, mercy, and grace for sinners.

This young adult woman had to decide about Jesus. As C. S. Lewis stated, she would have to decide if Jesus was crazy, a liar, or who exactly he said he was! And yes, God would have to reveal the truth to her. (Matt. 16:13-17).

The next step would be for her to understand that sin ruins everything, which is why there is cancer, war, racial problems, gender issues, and a host of other problems. Then she would have to realize that because God so loved the world (John 3:16-17), he did send Jesus to take care of her sin problem that put him on the cross (the punishment we deserve). Those that refuse to believe are already condemned and prefer darkness to light (John 3:18-20).

My wife and I are praying with that couple that God is working a work of grace in her heart.

Is Jesus the Reason for the Season?

Is Jesus the Reason for the Season? 

It depends on whom you ask. 

I would affirm a personal yes, but generally, no. 

The no answer comes from the observation that the secular culture has been at war for a long time with the notion that Jesus is the reason for the season. 

I would add to that observation that culture has primarily won that war as religious themes at Christmas has almost disappeared from the public square and, in most cases, the personal. 

I read recently where an atheist organization objected to the public display of a Christmas tree, presumably on the grounds it was called a Christ-mas tree. The tree was removed. 

The war to remove Jesus from Christmas began long ago, although it is not as apparent now. 

Remember Charlie Brown’s Christmas? 

I understand that no major network is playing it this season. Those who remember will recall that Linus concludes with a verse from the Gospel of Luke at the show’s end. 

Here is the quote from Charlie Brown’s Christmas: 

“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, ‘Fear not: for, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.” 

The war to take Jesus out of Christmas did not start in 1964 when the special aired, but few people realized that the network wanted to remove Linus quoting from the Bible. Charles Schulz would not back down and refused to allow his characters to be used unless Linus and the quote were included. 

At the time, the presenting network was at war with the other networks in presenting children’s Christmas programming. So were advertisers, notably Pepsi-Cola and Coke. It was Coke who pressured the network to show Charlie Brown’s Christmas, and no doubt the advertising revenue had something to do with the network backing down and allowing Linus to quote from the Bible. Keep in mind that it was back in 1964. 

So here we are almost 60 years later, and the war in culture has been lost, but that can never take away what is in a person’s heart. 

The Bible speaks of the heart as the control center of all we are. The heart is not reduced to an emotional, often sentimental reaction to something in Scripture. In the Bible, heart means inner person or soul, the immaterial part of who we are. 

I grew up Roman Catholic and went to a parochial grade school. The school and my parents formed my perceptions of God and Christmas. I honestly did not know that Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were the gospels, although I did realize Linus quoted from the Bible. 

When I was old enough to make up my mind, I became agnostic and, at best, remained a nominal Catholic, which meant going through the motions usually due to family pressure. Cultural Christianity is not something limited to Roman Catholicism. 

As an elder in a Baptist church, I have seen nominalism cut across all denominational lines. The reason for this is the lack of genuine heart change. 

God changes the person from the inside out. See and grasp the significance of John Chapter Three. 

Going to church, being baptized, and relying on good works do not save anyone. God must change the heart. 

I was in my mid-thirties when I realized that my heart had changed, and I was truly born again. 

My wife and I attended our first Christmas service after trusting Jesus as our Lord and Savior. 

The pastor spoke on the meaning of Christmas. I do not remember much of that sermon, but I do remember him saying, Jesus wants your heart. 

He did not mean a sentimental response to the season or the baby in the manger. He meant a response to the baby who grew up to die on the cross for my sins. Jesus was born to die. Receiving Him as Lord and Savior mean change from the inside out. That’s heart change. 

Recognizing that should have with it an emotional response of immense joy. Jesus did it all, and my response should be a heart of gratitude and service to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. 

The cultural barbarians can take Jesus out of season but can never take him out of the heart of those truly born again. 

Do I Have a Chemical Imbalance?

As a certified biblical counselor, I have tried to help people diagnosed with some form of depression. Some have believed they were mentally ill and most thought they had a chemical imbalance in the brain.

Biblical counselors have known for quite some time that the chemical imbalance theory simply was not true. Now, a major study has administered the “kill shot” to the theory.

‘Chemical Imbalance’ Theory of Depression Hugely Profitable-And It’s Not Even True

The headline appeared in the Epoch Times Heath and Science section of the August 16 edition. The author of the article is Martha Rosenberg.

The story was reported elsewhere, including in Psychology Today.

The accuracy of the headline is derived from a recent study by a group of scientists from the University College London who documented their findings in Molecular Psychiatry.

The researchers concluded after decades of research; that there’s no evidence that serotonin activity is responsible for depression.

No evidence. No evidence whatsoever; yet millions of people are treated with Lexapro, Paxil, Zoloft, and other drugs for depression based on the chemical imbalance theory.

Pushback from mainstream medicine against the article in Molecular Psychiatry came quickly. Martha Rosenberg writes:

“Psychiatrists and the American Psychiatric Association (APA), which is highly funded by drug makers-70 percent of authors of the APA’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition were drugmakers funded, as reported by ABC News-were among the first to push back against the Molecular Psychiatry article. Chief among protestations were, ‘we never promoted the chemical imbalance theory’-no, you let drug makers do that, cynics might say-and ‘no one really understands why or how antidepressants work’.”

The definition below is typical of what you can find online of a description of a chemical imbalance. What most people do not know is there is one word missing from a chemical imbalance, and that word is theory.

A chemical imbalance is too much or too little of any substance in the body that helps it function normally. While it can apply to an imbalance of any of these substances in any area of the body, the term is usually used to refer to imbalances in the brain. https://www.verywellhealth.com/chemical-imbalance-5191365

The definition was followed by a nifty diagram explaining the symptoms of a chemical imbalance in the brain.

Here’s a link to the authors of the study responding to psychiatrists and others who have taken issue.

Opinion: Chemical Imbalance Theory Depression Clearing Some Misconceptions

The APA was (is) perfectly aware that there is no evidence that the chemical imbalance theory is scientifically justifiable. Daniel Berger II is one among many researchers who have documented in his books the words of DSM-5 authors that show they knew there was no evidence for the theory.

Daniel Berger II, like many other biblical counselors (and APA psychiatrists), has known for quite some time that the theory is bogus. The problem has always been, and continues to be, an unsuspecting public susceptible to believing experts with advanced degrees. Joe or Jane average person, has been led to believe that any sadness that persists in their moods must be due to a chemical imbalance. More often or not, their primary care doctor is happy to prescribe medication (must be an MD) to help the person “feel” better. I have known people who have been on one drug or the other (sometimes more than one), and they are still depressed.

It does not mean your family doctor is beholden to big pharma, which makes tons of money promoting antidepressants and anti-anxiety medicines. Your family doctor does not have the time to engage in the many “talk therapies” available. If depressing symptoms persist, the family doctor will recommend a psychiatrist or psychologist for therapy and monitor the drugs, all of which have significant side effects.

When the APA also says no one knows why the drugs work, they are telling the truth. It’s because no one knows what a normal level of serotonin is in the human brain. The truth is they are experimenting (guessing) at what normal is, all without having as much as a blood test to detect an organic abnormality.

Many people suffering from depression and anxiety just want relief and are not concerned about how and why a drug may work. They do not realize numerous studies show that placebos often work just as well and, in some cases, better than a prescribed drug.

The truth is, messing with brain chemistry is a risky business. In recent years with mass shootings receiving a lot of attention, a connection has been drawn between antidepressants and the shooter, thus indicating that in some instances, the drugs do the opposite of what was intended. With more and more people on antidepressants, we could expect more disclosure if big pharma and their allies in the APA were more honest.

An old saying states, “follow the money” if you want to get to the source of why things are the way they are.

The Rosenberg article reports that a cynic might make the connection between 70% of the APA DSM-5 psychiatrist\authors getting money from big pharma and the willingness of doctors to go along with the theory and prescribe at the drop of a hat a mind-altering drug, but that’s just me because I am such a cynic.

One of the ironies associated with the controversy is that the poltical left was always skeptical and even hostile toward big pharma before Covid. All we ever heard from politicians (mostly Democrats) was that prescriptions were too high and big pharma was greedy, just like big oil. It makes one wonder what changed.

What changed is that during Covid, we were expected to trust in two things. The first was Fauci and the CDC’s science, and the second was trusting that big pharma could save the day. Initially, we all did, but now many of us have woken up to the fact that if the government and (dishonest scientists) call for the censorship of contrary opinion, you know they are up to no good. But that’s another story.

Trust is something earned. Once it is lost, it’s hard to get it back on the human level. Instead, turn to Christ alone for salvation, and he will give you rest.

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock. (Isa.26:3-4)

Biblical Counseling Byte: The Doctrine of Hell

I’ve been a certified biblical counselor 18 years or so. The vast majority of people that have been helped are serious Christians who take the Bible seriously. They understand repentance and heart change and seek to live for the glory of God. Sadly, there has been a small minority that do not repent; yet claim Christ. I do not believe a person can lose their salvation. I do believe there is such a thing as a false profession of faith. Jesus said, by their fruit you will know them. The doctrine of hell ought to be sobering for us all. A profession of faith is not mere fire insurance. Matt 7:15-27

This article by RC Sproul is sobering: What is hell?

Barbarians at the Gates

While ghouls prowled the streets feasting on the dead, an army of Goths waited for their kinsmen to open the gates. The 410 Sack of Rome soon began .https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/2017/01/20/barbarians-at-the-gate-the-410-sack-of-rome/

The Goths sacked Rome in 410 BC a date that precedes the official fall of the Western Roman Empire by 66 years-yet in hind sight very predictable.

Historians debate the reasons for the fall of the Western Roman Empire (the Eastern half would endure for another 1000 years) but in the end it was the will of God that made it so.

Why? It’s hard to say other than to note that throughout biblical history God raises up one empire and takes another down. That even included his chosen people who fell into widespread idolatry.

The nations that were raised up the Assyrians and Babylonians respectively. God eventually punished both of those empires with yet another nation he raised up-the kingdom of the Medes and Persians.

Why should we Americans think we are any different or immune to be taken down?

Although the Founders were heavily influenced by Christianity we never were a Christian nation per se. The influence that Christianity has had over Western Europe waned long ago and it’s waned here as well. The signs are every where if a person chooses to look.

I’m not a prophet but I see things getting worse. God will put on the throne whom he chooses for his reasons. Stay tuned and involved but share the gospel in the hopes of changing the world one soul at a time.

In the meantime the barbarians are clearly at the gates.

History is Complicated-Islam and Palestine

History is Complicated

The link is to my History and Hobby blog by WordPress. I do not see the current war in the region as merely regional. If you have a basic understanding of history and of Islam you will know what I mean.

The War of Terror is a War of Ideas

I wrote The War on Terror is a War of Ideas in 2011. You don’t have to be a prophet to where it’s all going.

And they came out with all their troops, a great horde, in number like the sand that is on the seashore, with very many horses and chariots. And all these kings joined their forces and came and encamped together at the waters of Merom to fight against Israel.
(Joshua 11:4-5 ESV)

“The truth is that if Israel were to put down its arms there would be no more Israel. If the Arabs were to put down their arms there would be no more war.”
— Benjamin Netanyahu, 2006

Moral Equivalence is a Logical Fallacy

Moral equivalence

The Day After Christmas

Students of the Bible are aware that our contemporary manger scenes are not accurate when the three wise men are present.

We know from Matthew’s account that they arrived approximately three years after Jesus was born. Matthew records they visited Herod the Great, hoping that he knew where the king of the Jews could be found.

Herod was perplexed, so he summoned the chief priests and scribes, and they shared the prophecy from Micah 5:2.

⁶  “ ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;  for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’ ” ^[1]

Herod orders the death of all baby and toddler boys under the age of two in the town of Bethlehem, illustrating that the visit of the wise men was about two years after Jesus’ birth.

Nor were the “wise men” kings like the Christmas song says. The term “magi” means magician. The magi were probably astrologers from Persia (from the east according to the Scriptures.)

The Roman Catholic Church celebrates the visit of the magi on January 6^th. That is how the two events became conflated.

Luke 2:8-21 records that simple shepherds were present at the manger, having received the news from an angel.

⁹ And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. ¹⁰ And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. ¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord^[2]

Then the heavenly host arrives, praising God, and the shepherds go to Bethlehem and share what they saw and heard. Mary treasures these things in her heart, and the shepherds return to work. Note verse 20.

²⁰ And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them^[3]

Can you imagine for a moment being one of those shepherds?

First, one angel tells you to fear not because the angel brings good news. After trying to process a good news-bearing angel, you are treated to a heavenly host (so many angels that you cannot count them). The heavenly host also have something to say:

¹⁴  “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” ^[4]

God was pleased to reveal to simple shepherds what the heavenly host knew-there would be peace on earth with whom God is pleased.

This is a profound theological truth. It raises the question of who are those with whom God  is pleased?

It’s important that we realize what it does not mean. Note the entry on Luke 2:14 from the MacArthur Study Bible.

2:14 the highest. I.e., heaven. peace. This is not to be taken as a universal declaration of peace toward all humanity. Rather, peace with God is a corollary of justification (see note on Ro 5:1). among men with whom He is pleased. God’s peace is a gracious gift to those who are the objects of His pleasure.^[5]

Too often, people assume peace means universal peace connected with a sense of universalism that God sent Jesus to save everyone; therefore, everyone has peace. The Bible tells us that is not the case in many places. Consider Romans 5:1-2:

 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. ² Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God^[6]

Peace is the peace of the gospel and only applies to those who have been justified by faith. But what does that mean?

5:1 having been justified. The Gr. construction—and its Eng. translation—underscores that justification is a one-time legal declaration with continuing results (see note on 3:24), not an ongoing process. peace with God. Not a subjective, internal sense of calm and serenity, but an external, objective reality. God has declared Himself to be at war with every human being because of man’s sinful rebellion against Him and His laws (v. 10; cf. 1:18; 8:7; Ex 22:24; Dt 32:21, 22; Ps 7:11; Jn 3:36; Eph 5:6). But the first great result of justification is that the sinner’s war with God is ended forever (Col 1:21, 22). Scripture refers to the end of this conflict as a person’s being reconciled to God (vv. 10, 11; 2Co 5:18–20).^[7]

We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, and in Christ alone. We must be born again (John 3:1-14) to understand this truth.

The religious Pharisee named Nicodemus did not (at that point). As Israel’s teacher, he should have.

And so, it is today. Many people assume they are okay with God even if they pay him no mind. They have religion, even though it may be nominal. They believe baptism will save them. They assume their goodness will save them and assume the peace applies to them when it does not.

This saddens me, especially when they will not listen.

God is pleased with those who trust in Christ alone for their salvation-those who have received him and Lord and Savior.

God was pleased to reveal the truth to simple shepherds. Their response to the extraordinary event was like that of the heavenly host:

²⁰ And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. ^[8]

The shepherds returned to their flocks, glorifying and praising God that night and the next day and the years to come because God was pleased to reveal the truth to them.

How about you? The gospel is not something you move on from, and neither is Christmas.

 I do not think it’s a stretch to assume that the shepherds rejoiced and praised God the next day for what they saw and heard throughout their lives.

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^[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 2:6.

^[2] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Lk 2:9–11.

^[3] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Lk 2:20.

^[4] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Lk 2:14.

^[5] John F. MacArthur Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006), Lk 2:14.

^[6] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ro 5:1–2.

^[7] John F. MacArthur Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006), Ro 5:1.

^[8] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Lk 2:20.

God and Caesar

If you are a Bible-believing Christian, you are aware of the state’s and secular culture increasing hostility toward Bible-believing Christians.

For example, Governor Newsome of California recently quoted the Bible to justify abortion on, demand-essentially making the killing of babies not only a right but a moral right. Pastor John MacArthur of Grace Community Church in California responded by writing the Governor, calling for repentance.

President Biden also declared gender-changing surgery a “moral right.”

Both of these examples illustrate the left’s attempts to usurp the church regarding who has the moral authority to speak to those issues and more.

Governor Newsome speaking for the State of California, and President Biden speaking for the Federal Government, have both assumed the position of the highest moral authority. Both would like to see laws that reflect their positions on who has moral authority and who does not.

Both realize that Bible-believing Christians derive their sense of moral authority from Scripture as they believe the Word of God is the Word of God and thus God’s opinion on those matters.

When Pastor MacArthur confronted Governor Newsome, it was not the first time. The first time, as far as I know, was when it became evident that the state was hostile toward the church during the mandatory shutdowns during Covid 2020.

Churches were told they could not hold in-person worship services because the risk of transmitting Covid was too high in crowds. Most churches went along with the prohibition at first. Churches went along with the ban out of respect for the state and because no one knew at the time how serious of a threat Covid was.

After a reasonable time, it became clear that the state was selective in determining what establishments could stay open and which had to close. The food restaurant industry was especially hard hit while liquor stores and other businesses were free because they were considered “essential.”

Churches fell into the non-essential category and reflected the state’s view of religious faith (that the state did not approve of.)

After assessing the state’s hypocrisy and the biblical mandate for worship, MacArthur’s church and others (including my own) opened their churches for in-person worship, leaving it up to the individuals if they wanted to attend in person or continue online.

This created no minor controversy among evangelicals (and others) as some believed that they had to obey the state (Rom. 13:1-7) while the ones that opened believed (and believe) that the state crossed a line they had no right to cross.

Pastor Jesse Johnson is dean of the Master’s Seminary in Washington, D.C. He wrote a book titled City of Man, Kingdom of God-Why Christians Respect, Obey, and Resist the Government. In it, Johnson works through the tension the Bible-believing Christian faces as they seek to respect and obey the government but resist the government when it goes too far.

In the book’s last chapter, Johnson shows how Jesus handled a trap laid by the Pharisees. Their goal was to get Jesus in trouble with Rome or the people. Jesus gave them an answer to which they could not reply.

¹⁵ Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words. ¹⁶ And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. ¹⁷ Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” ¹⁸ But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? ¹⁹ Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. ²⁰ And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” ²¹ They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” ²² When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away. ^[1]

First, Jesus recognizes that it is not an honest inquiry, and Jesus calls them out on it.

To us living in the 21^st Century culture, we can miss just how big a deal this all was.

If Jesus had told them not to pay Caesar’s tax, he would have been a revolutionary. Rome tolerated various religious worship within the empire, but not paying the tax was a sure way to bring down the Legions on the non-paying rebellious subjects.

Another reason this is more significant than we might realize is that Caesar’s tax was to be paid with a coin that bore Caeser’s image. It was called a denarius. The problem with the denarius bearing Caeser’s image is that the Romans deified the Caesers.

The Jews, aware of the commandments, found the coin to be an abomination. To pay the tax with such a coin would be blasphemy. The Pharisees laid their trap well. They figured they could get Jesus in trouble with the people or Rome and thus discredit him.

¹⁸ But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? ¹⁹ Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. ²⁰ And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” ²¹ They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” ²² When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away. ^[2]

Jesus’ answer makes the clear distinction between the City of Man (Rome in this case) and the Kingdom of God.

Caser’s coin bears his image so pay the tax for it is owed. At the same time. Render to God what is owed to God, and that is worship.

MacArthur’s Grace Community Church (and mine) reopened during Covid  realizing that the state in its hypocrisy, had crossed a line revealing its hostility to those who sincerely seek to glorify God and live via biblical principles.

I recommend Johnson’s book to anyone interested in navigating what can be thorny church\state issues with sound biblical exegesis.

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^[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 22:15–22.

^[2] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 22:15–22.

Joy That Renews Review

Joy That Renews: A devotional from Psalms to refresh your life every day by Steve Akerson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I was asked by the author to read and review Joy That Renews.

I am a certified (ACBC) counselor (retired pastor and current elder in my church) and came at the book from that point of view. I frequently assign, as growth projects, devotionals and other Scripture based resources. The value and blessing associated with a devotional is helping the person develop basic spiritual disciplines to minister to them according their their need..

Psalms are Hebrew prayers. They are God’s people crying out to him in their anxieties, depression, joys, worship, etc. They represent a turning toward God, rather than a turning away for God when we face life in a sin cursed world.

So, as a counselor and reviewer, the question I asked my self in reading through portions of the book is, would I recommend the book as a growth project?

The answer to the question is yes I would with one caveat.

I would ask the person to read the passage in the context of the entire Psalm as they pull Akerson’s nugget from it. I found the nuggets helpful, but believe they would be most helpful in context, perhaps along with a good Bible, such as John MacArthurs or the ESV. Reading a passage in context is just good biblical counseling advice as it usually avoids poor interpretation and loss of meaning.

I gave the book four stars because the rating is, “really liked it.” Good job Mr. Akerson.



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