Salvation, Evangelism and Humility

How does one get saved from his sin? Bible believing Christians should be able to get together on this one and come up with, "Repent and believe the gospel". At that point you may end up disagreeing on how that comes about. Is God sovereign? Is man's free will the ultimate deciding factor? Wherever you are in your Soteriology, we have to have the Bible as our final authority. Look at Noah for instance. Was he any better than all the other people who stood by mocking him as he built the ark? Probably not. But God chose him and his family to be saved. I doubt there was a line of people who had chosen to get on the ark and God was smacking these people off the door hinges. God may however, have given the rest of the world over to their own depravity. Just like he did with Pharaoh and just like the people described in Romans 9 who are "vessels of wrath prepared for destruction." Conversely, for those who are saved, remember that chapter 9 of Romans also states that "it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy". We are again reminded in Ephesians 2, "that by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." God has countless passages that remind us how humbling of an act salvation should be viewed as by saved people and as people looking for others to be saved. Let's take a look at a great example of God doing a mighty work in a very famous king's life.

I wanna stay back in the Old Testament for this one. A few days ago Kelli and I were reading the book of the Prophet Daniel. The portion of scripture we were reading in was about Nebuchadnezzar's second dream which Daniel, yet again, interpreted for him. King Nebuchadnezzar starts out by praising the Most High God. We'll get to how he gets to that point soon. He then goes on to explain his dream in great detail. Let's pick up after that and get into Daniel's(Belteshazzar's) interpretation. Chapter 4, Verses 19-26 read:

“My lord, may the dream be for those who hate you and its interpretation for your enemies! The tree you saw, which grew and became strong, so that its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth, whose leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in which was food for all, under which beasts of the field found shade, and in whose branches the birds of the heavens lived— it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong. Your greatness has grown and reaches to heaven, and your dominion to the ends of the earth. And because the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field, and let him be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven periods of time pass over him,’ this is the interpretation, O king: It is a decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king, that you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. You shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and you shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will. And as it was commanded to leave the stump of the roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be confirmed for you from the time that you know that Heaven rules.

Daniel uses his God given gift to interpret the king's bizarre dream. But he doesn't stop there. Check out what he tells him in verse 27:

Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you: break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity.”

Many times in the Old Testament, prosperity was correlated to God's favor. We see that in Daniels warning to King Nebuchadnezzar. When I see those words that Daniel gave to the King, however, they remind me of Jesus saying plainly, "No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” over in the Gospel of Luke. But back to Daniel. Now, you would think that after Daniel had already correctly interpreted Nebuchadnezzar's first dream back in chapter 2, the king would listen to him on this one. Of course that doesn't happen. Look at the king's lack of humility in verses 28-33:

All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. At the end of twelve months he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, and the king answered and said, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?” While the words were still in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, “O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: The kingdom has departed from you, and you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. And you shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.” Immediately the word was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven from among men and ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair grew as long as eagles' feathers, and his nails were like birds' claws.

So even though Nebuchadnezzar was given more then sufficient warning from Daniel, Daniel's words were not enough to break down the kings pride. He thought himself to be a self-made man and no mortal's words were about to change that. It took a miraculous work of God to get Nebuchadnezzar to humble himself. It took 7 years of eating grass like an animal when all he had to do was simply listen to a prophet who had never steered him wrong. He finally was humbled and as promised earlier in verse 26, his kingdom was confirmed after he knew that Heaven ruled. His kingdom was restored and glory was given to God by Nebuchadnezzar in verses 34-37:

At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever,

for his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
and his kingdom endures from generation to generation;
all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,
and he does according to his will among the host of heaven
and among the inhabitants of the earth;
and none can stay his hand
or say to him, “What have you done?”

At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and splendor returned to me. My counselors and my lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and still more greatness was added to me. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.

All this to say that as evangelists we are to remain humble. After all, we are just being obedient to God's commands, leadings, and giftings. Daniel was all about obedience. He only did what he was called to do. He said all the right things to Nebuchadnezzar. His accurate interpretations along with the warning to repent should have brought the king to his senses but ultimately God did all the work in getting the king broken, then restored. Nebuchadnezzar finally went from glorifying himself to glorifying God. Daniel, though obedient, had nothing to do with it in the end. Like Paul Washer has said, "God saved you from Himself, God saved you for Himself and God saved you by Himself.” Nebuchadnezzar would have to agree with Paul Washer on that one. We see that in his response in verse 37. It tells as that he was humble. Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged that his restoration and new found praise for the Most High had nothing to do with any decision he had made. It was all of God. So whether you are saved or you are the person who is out in the world telling other people how to be saved, show some humility. To God alone be the glory for salvation and for the free gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord!!

I just want to leave you with a couple last thoughts. We may say all the right things to someone as we witness to them and, like Daniel, have nothing immediate come from it. Don't get discouraged, God is in the business of saving people. It could be that God has saved people that we have shared the gospel with but to keep us humble, perhaps we don't get to see those results in this life. Remember that it took Nebuchadnezzar 7 years to come to repentance! If someone does turn from their sins and put their faith in Jesus through our message that's great! Let us stay humble about it and give all glory to God. We just need to concentrate on continuing in our obedience to the Lord Jesus and His Great Commission by giving lost sinners the biblical message. I love what John MacArthur said in a sermon. "No one should be so humble. No one should be so meek as those who preach the gospel. Because, we're the only profession in the world where we can take absolutely no credit for everything we do." We see that in this story of Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar. We clearly see that salvation is a truly amazing gift of God. It came to me in a hospital room as my daughter was near death. I wasn't looking for it but He came looking for me nonetheless. Why? Sometimes I just have no idea. It still baffles me to this day how much He loves me no matter how much I fail Him. This beautiful information doesn't keep me nearly as humble as it should though. That God would write my name in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world and that He would take my place on a Roman cross is truly amazing grace(Ephesians 1)! So I write this to keep myself humble. If it works to keep you humble too, Soli Deo Gloria!! Let's humbly do the work of evangelists, God will take care of the rest.

Psalm 68:20

English Standard Version (ESV)

Our God is a God of salvation,
and to GOD, the Lord, belong deliverances from death.

Unknown Pursuer

Ryan Messenger took one last look out the front door of his third story New York apartment building before gently easing it closed. Not content that he hadn’t missed someone lurking behind him in the long apartment hallway, he opened the only thing between himself and the outside world one more time, as if to satisfy a case of OCD he didn’t really have, then took the time to secure the multiple locks. Such was the paranoia in New York anyhow but today Ryan couldn’t shake the feeling that he had been followed to his 45^th Street abode. The light from the kitchen made a path from the front door back to it's source but that didn’t stop Ryan from tripping over Patches, his cat, as he made his way towards the refrigerator. Ryan, on edge from the sense of being followed anyhow, screamed a couple expletives at his cat of 7 years before finally making it into the kitchen. Ryan was culinary challenged so his kitchen was really only a kitchen in the sense that it had a stove, a refrigerator, a microwave, and a set of knives given to him as a housewarming gift. In reality it was an over-sized beer storage center and he went for the central hub now. He reached past the milk that could have easily passed for cottage cheese if you saw it or maggots having a cookout if you smelled it, and started to grab the last Sam Adams Lager. Just then the phone rang cutting through the silence of the dwelling like a surgeon’s scalpel cuts skin. Ryan, startled, hastily reared his head and smacked the back of it on the bottom of the freezer. He cursed under his breath and went over to the wall to answer it. Why he still had a landline phone was beyond him. Ryan only ever used his smart phone so, unless he just wanted to call 911 and not reach the Highway Patrol, his home phone was completely unnecessary. He looked at the phone’s caller ID. “UNKOWN CALLER’. “Hello?” Ryan answered. Long silence. “Hello?”

Finally after another short absence of noise, the silence on the other end was broken. “LIARRRRRRRR!” “What? Who is this?” Ryan demanded. “LIARRRRRRRRRR!” This time the word was emitted in more of a shriek that caused Ryan to drop the phone and back pedal towards the dining area. He tripped over the rug in the doorway. The turquoise colored Navajo styled floor covering caused Ryan to fall and hit his back on the table. Ryan fell to the floor in pain. He scooted towards the wall and leaned against it, giving momentary relief to his lower back area. The comfort didn’t last long. The word liar was being repeated over the phone’s handset, loud enough for Ryan to still hear though the phone was eight feet away from where he now sat. His heart began to beat fast and loud. THUMP, THUMP, THUMP. He couldn’t calm down. BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!! Only that wasn’t his heart. It was a booming sound coming from the front door that seemed to echo his over-revved heart. As Ryan made his way to the door he flipped on all the lights along the way, revealing what could not be seen before. A mostly clean apartment, decorated in a southwestern theme that matched the rug that had seemingly grabbed him in the kitchen. For someone who would consider himself not clumsy, Ryan’s two mishaps in just minutes were a bit unnerving. BOOM, BOOM, BOOM. He didn’t have time to consider his new found shortcomings. A look toward the door terrified him. Hadn’t he locked it already? There was now nothing to keep whatever was banging on the door from coming in. Perhaps it was in already. The thought nearly stopped him in his tracks. Ryan in an instant thought it better to be safe than sorry and ran to lock the door.

The third set of booming knocks came just as Ryan had finished locking the third lock. He turned, bolted away from the door and clambered over the couch. As he looked back toward his only legitimate exit, the lights in his small, overpriced New York apartment flickered then went out. Ryan had had enough. He ran to his room where he kept a 9mm pistol in the upper right corner of his closet, above where his extensive comic book collection resided. He reached up, grabbed the Px4 Storm and verified that it was ready to go. Confident that he was now prepared to take on whoever had been following him, Ryan retraced his steps back through the darkened dwelling. A light orange glow had settled in the living room from what was left of the daylight as well as some scattered outside lighting. Was his the only apartment that didn’t have power? Ryan flipped the hallway switch to be certain. Nothing. He continued into the living room and his right foot caught the corner of his computer chair. The chair swiveled and bumped the keyboard tray causing the mouse to move slightly. Ryan’s computer monitor came to life. A black background with the word “ADULTERER” in bright red was now displayed on the unpowered screen. “How in the-“? The thought only dwelled in his synapses for an instant as he caught movement out of his left eye. Ryan turned quickly and brought his Beretta pistol to bear and squeezed the trigger. The sound of the gunshot was promptly replaced by the shattering of his street facing window. Ryan’s heart skipped a beat in panic. He knew that he had to get out of this apartment. The walls seemed to be closing in all around him. He needed to regain his composure. Ryan finally settled down a bit and got control of his thoughts. Who was this that was after him? Who would be calling a good person like Ryan a liar and an adulterer? Ryan’s reassurance of his own goodness gave him new buoyancy. Whoever it was had to have the wrong guy. And with this new confidence that his pursuer had to be following the wrong trail, a fresh found courage was born. Ryan called upon this audacity and proceeded to the front door and unlocked it.

Ryan slowly lost his nerve again as he pulled the door back and extended his gun out into the pitch black hallway. If there was someone or something there, he wouldn’t have been able to see. He couldn’t even see the polymer gun in his hand for the black background. Ryan had been so flustered that he had forgotten about the tactical light that hung from the Storm’s picatinny rail. Light filled the hallway as Ryan switched it to the ON position. No immediate threat directly in front of him. Ryan came out from the relative safety that the half open door had afforded him and he entered the hallway. He swung the deadly light in both directions. There was nothing in either direction that he could see. Figuring the elevator to not be in working condition, he went to the right. He proceeded cautiously to the end of the hallway where the emergency stairs, he hoped, waited to grant his escape from whatever predator was after him. Ryan reached the door, pushed down on the handle and tried to pull it open. The door did not budge though there were no locks or restrictions to be found. Ryan ran back towards his apartment using his tactical light to ensure that he stayed in the center of the hallway to avoid tripping over a potted plant or an obligatory “Welcome” mat. Past the door of his apartment he ran and stopped in horror as he realized the elevator was open and waiting for him. A lucky coincidence on any other day but with the power out it made Ryan’s skin become like gooseflesh. Finally he stepped in and pushed the button marked “L”. He was as low as he could get, yet he made the descent to be sure.

The doors slowly opened as a slight ding sound overcame the terrible Michael Bolton cover song. Maybe it was Kenny G. Either way he was glad to be free from the barrage on his ears. At least the music had momentarily distracted him from thinking about what was actually going on. Escape. He rounded the fountain in the lobby area and strode towards the front door. He slipped on something in the darkened lobby. It was still early, a little after 6pm, but Daylight Savings time was over and there was barely a hint of light coming in to help his vision. Re-establishing his footing, he shone the light to reveal a word written in red liquid. Murderer He turned quickly as he heard a sound from behind him where the elevator was. It had slammed shut. He panned the lobby with his gun, the light revealing the same word, murderer, written multiple times on every wall, on the floor, the ceiling and even on the fountain. Ryan wasted no more time. He ran towards the front double front doors and went through them with a crash, rolling nearly all the way to the street. He lost hold of his pistol somewhere between the doors and the curb so he went back to retrieve it before finally running East. He found a taxi cab with the engine running about a block down. The driver had probably had run into the corner liquor store for smokes. Ryan didn’t care why the driver was gone or where he was. He slid into the driver’s seat and took off. He drove in circles for a bit around the confined city roads before pulling over in front of the Mid Manhattan Library at Bryant Park.

He set the Px4 storm on the passenger seat and leaned his head back. Then the terror set in again. Whatever it is that is chasing him is not human. It couldn’t be! Ryan’s now wide eyes revealed to his brain the word “THIEF” which was scratched into the smelly cab’s roof liner just above his head! He bolted from the car in sheer panic and ran up the steps to the doors of the library. He had hoped some sort of safety would be waiting behind the entrance. Ryan must have forgotten that the library, which was normally open until 8pm, closed at 6pm on Saturdays. Safety would have to be found elsewhere. He turned back around to where he had left the taxi waiting but it was gone. Stolen? Vanished? Natural? Supernatural? What was going on? Ryan took off running through the park. His footsteps could hardly keep up with the pace of his heartbeat. His chest felt as if it would explode. That’s when he heard them. The sounds of footsteps close behind him. These ones were keeping up with his racy heart. That only meant one thing. Whatever or whoever it was, was gaining on him. “O my-“He didn’t have time to finish his blasphemous expletive. Fire erupted in front of Ryan. He had to stop regardless of what pursued him. As the wall of flame died down a piercing word came in from behind him. It sounded so horrible, like a million mosquitoes hitting a high powered bug zapper at once. “Blasphemer!!” Ryan bolted away from the sound, leaping over the settled down flame. As he looked down, he realized that the word blasphemer had not only been verbalized but it was also burnt into the nicely manicured park lawn.

The footsteps behind him started again. Ryan went for his hand gun. Maybe he could keep his pursuer at bay with a few warning shots. Ryan could have done just that if the Px4 was actually on his person. He had left it in the cab that had disappeared!! All hope was lost in Ryan’s mind. He made his way to the tall building in front of him still being pursued by who or whatever was chasing him. As impossible as it seemed, Ryan had to get away from this monster. In through the front door he went, up the stairwell, all the way to the roof. This was it. He had nowhere to go. Ryan rounded the edges of the top of the building looking for any alternatives. Across the skyline you could hardly see where the buildings ended and the cool night sky began. It was almost serene. Finally a billboard caught his eye. “Idolater” was the sole word written on the illuminated sign. The door to the stair well crashed closed. Ryan looked towards the only way back out that had just been closed off to him. The door had words written it. Liar. Adulterer. Murderer. Thief. Blasphemer. Idolater. Ryan had only a couple feet between him and the edge of the building. The footsteps were coming at him now in a slow, eerie, march of doom. Ryan must have misjudged how much room he had left on the perilous rooftop because his calves hit on the small wall that lined the top of this building’s roof. As Ryan stumbled he reached back to try to brace himself but could not. He went over and, as it always has since the beginning of time, gravity worked. Ryan flew towards the concrete below, now screaming. “I’m good!!” “I’m not guilty!!” He thought he could hear a final shout from his pursuer who looked down at Ryan, reaching out a hand as if he was there to save him the whole time. “I. Bear. Witness!” The ground was coming faster now.Ryan could see the cracks in the sidewalk. Nothing could save him now. Time. For. Impact.

Ryan’s head jerked back from the pillow as it hit, and then laid itself back down in the puddle of warm drool. Ryan shook off the experience, rolled over, and sat up in his bed. Who hasn’t had the dream where you are falling? The problem was that Ryan had had that dream every night for the past week after his best friend died at age 32. The realization that someone can die at any time had haunted him over this past 7 days. He saw his friend as invincible. He thought the same of himself. He knew better now. But the dreams. Tonight was the first night that the dream of falling had been accompanied by the chase. Ryan thought about that. After a moment’s reflection, he realized exactly who that pursuer was now. The Unknown Pursuer had revealed itself. Yesterday Ryan had sat and listened to a street preacher up on a box talking. The preacher talked about the exact words from Ryan’s dream. The man, about Ryan’s age talked about God’s Holiness and about Judgment. About how if you have told a lie, you are a liar and that all liars will have their part in the Lake of Fire according to the Bible. The preacher talked of how even lust was adultery and hatred was murder. No thief would inherit the Kingdom of Heaven and God will not hold anyone blameless who misuses His name. Ryan never argued that he had ever put God first in his life but he let the preacher know before heading home that he was a good person and was not guilty of breaking any Law of God though the evidence was clearly stacked against him. The pursuer in his dream was his conscience. There was no doubt about that in light of the conversation with the man on the street. The conscience is not something he could escape from because it’s inside him. Chasing him down from the inside and reminding him of his guilt. Letting Ryan know that the “all” in, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” applies to him as well as every other person in the world.

Ryan didn’t want to endure this haunting dream every night. The fall was bad enough but the chase. The chase was insufferable. It was terrifying to him. What had the preacher said Ryan needed to do? Repent and believe the Gospel? To turn from sin and trust that God sent His Son Jesus, fully God and fully man to live a perfect life and then die on the cross for Ryan’s sins. To believe that He rose again on the third day, defeating sin and death so that he could have eternal life and escape the punishment due to him in Hell. Ryan realized from the preacher’s words and through his dream that he wasn’t good enough to go to Heaven on his own merit. He had broken every one of God’s commandments and would indeed be guilty if he were to die and be judged today. His own conscience bore witness that he was guilty before a Holy God. He knew that now. Ryan turned from sin and trusted in Christ’s finished work on the cross. The dreams, nightmares really, stopped. Ryan was never chased by his conscience again. The Unknown Pursuer was still with Ryan but it was now unmasked and a welcome friend. God had taken his sin from him as far as the East is from the West. Sleep well Ryan Messenger. Sleep well.

Romans 2:15-16

English Standard Version (ESV)

¹⁵ They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them ¹⁶ on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.

He'll

"If we spent 5 minutes in Hell, it would make an evangelist out of us"-Philip DeCourcy

Look at this picture and it will tell you a lot about where our society is today as a whole. Everyone wants to get rid of a little place called Hell. Even the spell check on my iPhone has gotten in on the act of trying to rid society the idea of this horrible, horrible place by changing Hell to He'll. With such an assault on this place that is the fiery eternity for the unrighteous, I am so thankful to go to a church that is not afraid of the doctrine of Hell. After all the Bible is clear that it is a real place, just like Heaven is a real place. Jesus, speaking of Heaven, says in John 14, "And if I go and prepare a place for you". Neither Heaven or Hell is just a state of mind like many in our culture would have us believe. Sadly even many in the church have fallen into thinking this way. Whether you believe that we are in Hell right now or that it's just a particular event in your life you go through, these ideas are not biblical in any fashion. Jesus spoke of Hell more than anyone. He spoke of a place where the "where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched". A place where "there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth". Not only is Hell a real place, it is also an eternal, conscious punishment for those that do not repent and trust in Christ alone for salvation. Many who try to do away with the doctrine of Hell have come up with the idea of annihilation. The idea that people who don't come to a saving faith in Jesus Christ just simply cease to exist. That's what the people who come to your door on Saturday mornings believe. The concept of annihilation is worthy of cult status, not biblical Christianity. If you really think hard about it, does it really make sense that someone can do whatever they want their whole lives and just cease to exist? No eternal consequences for Hitler, child molesters, rapists and murderers. They get to have their own little "Heaven" on earth and then they are just gone? I don't think so and neither does the Bible. Consider the words of Jude, the half-brother of Jesus, in his epistle. And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day— just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire. You see punishment, just like reward of Heaven, is eternal and Eternity is a long time to be wrong about Hell. I just want to finish by reminding you that the word gospel means "good news". The good news is that if you repent and trust in Christ you will have everlasting life. This gospel message only makes sense if there is a flip side, or bad news. The bible says that there is and that bad news is Hell. If we are in Hell now or if we are just going to cease to exist, then the good news doesn't make any sense at all. Pastor Philip DeCourcy's quote at the top of this page would mean nothing apart from Hell being a real place. The bible says we will walk the earth 0nce, then judgment. Sadly, our society takes God out of everything from schools to courthouses. Kids have almost zero knowledge of right and wrong. Now even the spell check on our "smart phones", which most kids are glued to these days, is trying to take away the idea of Hell. We need to make sure everyone we know understands that Hell is very real because Satan, the god of this world, will use everything in his "power"(yes, even spell check) to have you believe otherwise. Judgment is on it's way. The consequences of sin is God's wrath. Hell not He'll. Believers share the Gospel. Non-believers, please repent and believe the Gospel.


Here is a great 3 part sermon by Pastor Philip DeCourcy regarding Hell
How Can Modern Man Believe In Hell? - Pt. 1
How Can Modern Man Believe In Hell ? Pt. 2
How Can Modern Man Believe In Hell? - Pt. 3

Matthew 25:46

English Standard Version (ESV)

And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.

Awesome Paul Washer Sermon

Below here is a video of a great sermon by Paul Washer as well as the transcript of a particularly powerful segment of this sermon. Enjoy.

"Let’s imagine that I show up late and I run up here on the platform,and all the leaders are angry with me and say, “Brother Paul, don’t you appreciate the fact you’regiven an opportunity to speak here and you come late?”And I’d say, “Brothers, you have to forgive me.”“Well, why?”“Well, I was out here on the highway, and I was driving and I had a flat tire and I got out tochange the tire, and when I was changing the tire, the lug nut fell off, and I wasn’t payingattention that I was on the highway and I ran out and I grabbed the lug nut, and as soon as I picked it up in the middle of the highway, I stood up and there was a 30-ton logging truck going120 miles an hour about ten yards in front of me, and it ran me over and that’s why I’m late.” Now, there would only be two . . . I know no one studies logic anymore, but there would only betwo logical conclusions. One, I’m a liar or, two, I’m a madman. You would say, “Brother Paul,it’s absolutely absurd. It is impossible, Brother Paul, to have an encounter with something aslarge as a logging truck and not be changed.”And then my question would be to you––What is larger? A logging truck or God? How is it thatso many people today profess to have had an encounter with Jesus Christ, and, yet, they are not permanently changed?"-Paul Washer

Mark 1:15

English Standard Version (ESV)

¹⁵and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel."

Blood in Blood out

Warning: Intended for Mature Readers. Content may not be suitable for all age groups.

Flaco walked slowly toward the waiting Chevy Impala, looking back over his right shoulder to make sure no one was watching the scene. Flaco wanted to be certain that his busybody neighbors weren't focused on him and his waiting "homies". He then looked back over his left shoulder to acknowledge the door being slammed by his girlfriend Marisol. It wasn't her house nor was it Flaco's. It was his parent's house of 34 years. She was there due to lack of options since her parents kicked her out of their house for dating a known criminal. Flaco's parents didn't really like either of them being there but were fearful to say much. She turned back to the slamming door just in time see the Crucifix bounce gently back into place on the wall to the left of the entryway. She then looked out the small window in the door to catch a glimpse of her boyfriend's skinny, tattooed leg being pulled into the car. Those legs with his zip code, 90023, tatted on them were the source of his street name Flaco. His parents, girlfriend and the local East Los Angeles postman all called him by his real name which was Hector Guzman.

Hector had been in and out of jail for what he deemed "small time stuff". Drugs, thefts, fights, etc. All those were child's play compared to what he was headed for now. Blood in, Blood out. He was on his way to accomplish the "Blood in" part of joining one of the most feared gangs in his neighborhood. What that means is that someone is about to have lived their last day. Murder. 150,000 people die each day; this would just be one of them. As Chuey's Impala rolled along, all of its inhabitants were quiet. The only sound was that of an old school Kid Frost rap pounding from the top of the line, stolen sound system. "This is for la raza". The thought reverberated through Flaco's mind as he pondered who his target would be. Mother of four? Policeman? Office worker? How many lives would be impacted by the death of one? That didn't matter to him. So long as one person went down, Flaco was in.

Flaco looked down as the car rolled on. His eyes followed the gold chain he wore down past a tattoo of two roses, the stems of which intertwined through and around two matching pistols. One of the guns had his name on the barrel; the other read "Marisol". The names matched the roses, having a deep red color. The diamond cut chain ended with a hanging, graven image of Christ on the cross which rested on an oversized picture of the Virgin Mary tattooed on his chest. He pulled it out from under his wife-beater style tank top, kissed it and slid it back into place. Flaco, like his family and most of the people in his hood , was born into the Catholic religion. He had done all the works that the Church deemed necessary for salvation. He was baptized as an infant. He had done his First Holy Communion and Confirmation. Even to this day he prayed the Rosary regularly and he still went to church when he wasn't too hung-over. He took communion on those days when he felt like getting up and "doing something for Jesus". Flaco's mind raced as he thought about his upcoming murderous deed but remembering that he had given up video games for Lent, which started today, was somehow comforting to him. In Flaco’s mind, his 40 day sacrifice might somehow help outweigh the bad he had done and all he was going to do. As he wrestled with all of these thoughts, sweat rolled down his forehead and blurred the already smudged ashes that he had gotten on his forehead earlier this morning.

Flaco hoped that all these religious duties would be a sufficient offering (or even bribe if you wanted to call it that) to God in spite of all the sin in his life. After all, he was washed of the original sin as a baby right? Didn't that mean he was saved and could live however he wanted and do whatever he felt like doing? That's the example he was given throughout childhood. His parents lived with no fear of the Lord and they were supposed to have the same "faith" that he did. Yet every Sunday after church, Alejandro Guzman, Hector's father would shout out expletives accompanied by God's name to express his dislike with people's driving in the church parking lot. Alejandro would deny this in the company of certain people which made sense since lying was never an issue for him. As a matter of fact, Flaco’s dad was pretty much the person who taught him how to lie. A partial truth is a whole lie would have been the opposite of Guzman motto. Not only that, Alejandro had cheated on Hector's mother, Maria, several years ago. He had done so more than just that time but that was the only instance he got caught. Maria was no saint either even though she had somehow forgiven Alejandro for his transgressions. She coveted things. That coveting almost always led to theft. She was guilty of not only stealing, but also teaching her son Hector how to do so as well. Who knows how many free things she and her son had gotten from the Walgreens near their house? None of it was of great value but did that matter Flaco thought? Stealing is stealing. He knew because he was guilty of theft too. He, however, had moved on from his mother’s petty theft of nail polish remover and candy bars to cars and money. Did he still have a conscience? The notion brought him back to what he was on his way to do and trying to justify it. Was murder so different than the things his mom and dad did on a regular basis? Weren't blasphemy, adultery, lying, coveting and theft all part of the 10 Commandments handed down by the God of their religion? What would make murder different? He could just go to church Sunday if he didn’t get caught by man’s law and say a few prayers and be ok. He could work off his own sin right? If his parents could be religious and still blatantly live in sin, Flaco felt he should be just fine with his breaking of God's Law.

Chuey mashed on the gas to catch the yellow light and the acceleration brought Flaco back to the situation at hand. He felt a tap on his shoulder and looked back to see a Beretta 9mm pistol being handed to him from the back seat. Lil' Piaso was quiet as a mouse back there but he spoke volumes with just a nod and another thrust forward of the "acquired" handgun. Flaco grabbed it and knew that it was time. Who knows what other weapons Piaso had back there? The '64 Impala screeched to a halt in front of the Pacific Commerce 14 Theater. The door was already opening and out came Flaco with Beretta in hand. He ran up to the closest person and began to raise the 9mm pistol to her head. He tried to steady the gun and his shaking, sweaty hand. As the girl turned toward Flaco, a nearby woman screamed. The young girl tried to process what she was seeing. What she was looking at was a loaded, shaking gun pointed at her face and a skinny, tattooed, pale faced Mexican with eyes that looked as if they were beginning to water. She dropped to her knees before he had a chance to pull the trigger and she began to pray. Flaco seemed unmoved by the girls last ditch effort for salvation. That's when it happened. He looked over to an upcoming movie poster. "Priest" was the name of the movie. The titular character was perched on a building. The poster said only one thing besides the title. REPENT. He lowered the instrument of death as he pondered the word. What did that mean? Chuey and Lil' Piaso yelled for him to hurry from the blue Chevy. "Rapido, rapido!!" He couldn't move. Something had grabbed a hold of his heart. The word repent captivated him. At that moment he realized that all of his attempts to follow church tradition meant nothing. He was supposed to turn from sin in response to what Christ had done on the cross for him. He couldn't continue with the lies and the blasphemy and the stealing anymore. He certainly couldn’t go through with a murder. God's grace wasn't a license to continue sinning like his family had demonstrated to him all of these years. He looked down once again at the sobbing teenager before sliding the gun towards his impatient homies. Flaco took off running as fast as those skinny legs would take him.

Flaco had a small head start due to Lil' Piaso jumping from the back of the car to pick up the weapon which he had taken from his girlfriend’s father’s nightstand. He got back in the front seat and they took off after Flaco. The small tires chirped as the Dayton rims started spinning. The woman who had screamed called 911 and went to comfort the terrified would-be victim who was sitting in her own urine. Meanwhile, Flaco ran towards home. When he was almost there, he stopped in an alley that he thought would be safe and called Marisol. He told her that he didn't go through with it and that he had turned from that thug lifestyle to follow Jesus. She could hardly believe it. Marisol hung up the phone and packed up her things and left Flaco's parents house. She didn’t want him to go in the first place but his new condition was worse to her than his previous one. Hector, the name he had resolved to go by from now on, looked down at the phone. He knew she left but it didn't matter. He had finally found forgiveness. Hector had found true forgiveness with Christ as his Lord and not some sort of just-in-case Savior to be left on the back burner of life. Hector waited quite some time. When he figured the coast to be clear, he headed towards his parent's house. He actually didn't have much of a choice with the General Waste Disposal truck coming toward him down the one lane back road. He got to the end of the alley that was perpendicular to his street when he saw the front of the blue Impala. He had nowhere to go. The trash truck was blocking the only way back. He looked at the open window of the creeping Chevy. A face covered with a blue bandana and dark Ray-Ban sunglasses stared back at him along with a pump shotgun. He knew what was about to happen and he feared not. He knew now where he was going. Time seemed to crawl as Lil' Piaso pumped a shell into the chamber of the Mossberg shotgun and Hector reviewed his life. All those years of religious duties Hector and his family had partaken in meant nothing. Christ had done everything that needed to be done when He died on the cross then three days later rose again and defeated death. Blood in. "Sinners like me can get in to Heaven now thanks to His blood", thought Hector. At least he had the chance to tell one person the good news before this moment even though she didn't accept it. He wished he could have gotten a hold of his mom and dad. Maybe Truth could have triumphed over tradition with them too. Maybe it still will. Hector could no longer be a part of any of that. This was it. Repentance and trusting in Jesus alone for salvation alone was the only thing that helped him now as the flash came before his eyes and his life ended. Blood out.

Ephesians 2:13

English Standard Version (ESV)

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Classroom Shooting

Warning: Intended for Mature Readers. Content may not be suitable for all age groups.

31 frightened, shivering students huddled together at the back of the classroom that is designed for 32. The teacher, known by his normally jovial bunch of kids as Mr. K, stepped over the thirty-second student. Mr. K took this step carefully, as to not slip in the blood that now covered the once white tile floor. He made his way toward the remaining students with his Kimber Custom II ACP .45 in hand, 7 shots left. The kids looked at the blood splattered mess of a teacher walking towards them and one of the girls screamed. He kept walking, ignoring the high pitched sound. Mr. K was standing above them now. With 7 rounds left in his gun, it would only take 8 student heroes at most to make this problem go away but no one was volunteering. He looked back to his desk of 18 years and the body on the floor; also 18 years old. Billy, gone. The remnant of trembling kids could not comprehend their formerly lovable teacher's actions. What happened? Divorce? Pay cut? Termination? They did not have to ponder any longer. "Freeze! Drop the weapon!" shouted the savior in blue with his state issued 9mm aimed at Mr. K's head. It was finished.

18 months later...

"How do you plea Mr. Khmelnitski?", asked the judge. A stunned crowd, judge, and jury looked in amazement as the chain bound ex-teacher boldly proclaimed, "not guilty!" Judge Grunnell leaned forward as his demeanor transitioned from amazement and shock to interest and curiosity. "The hallway camera caught the event on tape through the square shaped door window. You had traces of Billy Medeiros' DNA and blood on you at the time of arrest. There were 31 witnesses of the shooting and on top of all that a well established officer of the law found you at the scene with the murder weapon in hand. Can you explain this ridiculous plea to me please?", the judge of 27 years sarcastically inquired. The courtroom artist was completely incapable of capturing the look on the faces of the people present after what Mr. K replied. He said,"Well sir, I did more good than bad on that day. True I did kill one boy. But after that I did not kill 31. I had the means to do so. I had four 8 round clips with me that day. Not only that, before I went to the school that morning, I made arrangements to pay for two of my previous student's college education since I have no children. I have no plans to do anything wrong from this day forward. I would say my good outweighs my bad your honor and I am truly sorry."

Present day....

Please don't worry about Billy or Mr. K. They are fictional characters. The truly sad part is that there are real people out there who respond like Mr. K in regards to being guilty to the Law of God, the 10 commandments. So many of the people that I talk to out on the streets feel that they are good people and that their good deeds outweigh their bad. Some people think that repentance is just stopping sinful acts and that doing the right things from this point forward will be sufficient in the sight of a Holy God. It's a tough battle for people who are born again and who have the Holy Spirit as their guide and Christ as the Lord to walk a narrow path. To think that in an unregenerate state you can just all of the sudden do "good" for the rest of your life is absurd. The reality is, just like in the story above, doing good doesn't make up for being bad. Did it matter to the judge that the teacher in the story didn't kill 31 kids? Absolutely not! It only mattered that he did kill one. Mr. K could have paid every student's way through college, fed the homeless every day, contributed to charities, adopted kids, bought girl scout cookies outside every market in town, walked old ladies across streets, whatever. These good deeds would not have erased Billy's death in this case.

Now, back to God's Law. Apart from repentance and faith in Christ, God's wrath abides on unregenerate sinners. All have either lied, stolen or wanted something that did not belong to them, fornicated, adulterated, blasphemed, idolized, murdered(including hatred), or worse yet not put God first in their lives. To think that they would be able to stand before God on Judgment day with all of that against them and say, "but look at all the good I've done!" is woefully laughable. The Law was broken. It doesn't matter what good you do from that point on. So if just doing good from now on isn't good enough to get us into Heaven yet God want's us to go there, then there has to be something else. It would seem that all would be headed for Hell. Think of the story again. If Judge Grunnell in the tale is a good judge and has to punish Mr. K for his wrongdoing despite all of his "good" acts, just imagine our Judge on Judgment day. He is not only a good judge. He is a great, wonderful awesome, and amazing Judge! So with knowing all of that, if God is indeed a good Judge, He MUST punish sinners for their crimes against His Law. All of the good deeds in the world are not going to be taken into account in any way. So justice must be served...and it was. Jesus Christ. Fully God. Fully Man. He never sinned. He took the penalty for our sins. The justice that should have been taken out on us was taken out on Him on that cross that He died on all those years ago. He rose from the dead three days later, defeating sin and death. If we repent and trust in Him for salvation alone we can escape the punishment due to us in Hell. We broke God's Law, Jesus paid the fine. That means that God can throw our case out because justice has been served for our crimes against Him.

For my fellow street evangelists out there, this analogy of killing one student but not the rest has been effective for me when speaking with the lost. It really helps them see that their good won't undo the fact that they are already guilty. If you are not saved and are reading this, please realize your true state before a righteous and Holy God. Listen to your conscience. It bears witness of your guilt. Apart from repentance and faith in Christ you are daily storing up wrath for yourselves on the day of wrath and any attempts to do "good" from here on out are only attempts to bribe the great Judge. Today is the day of salvation. Ask, plead, beg God for salvation. Repent and believe the gospel. Confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord and believe that God raised Him from the dead and you will be saved. Then read your bible daily and obey it.

2 Corinthians 5:21

English Standard Version (ESV)

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

3 Questions

Two Fridays ago, our Kindred outreach went to the Gardenwalk out here in Anaheim California. This is a great place to witness because it has a sidewalk near the street that is public property. This means that we are able to freely hand out tracts, have great one to one conversations, and even do some open air preaching without getting chased out by security. I got to speak to a man named James who had been, as he called it, "out of the game" for a while. The conversation went really well. I also got to talk with David, who believed but wasn't quite living for the Lord. That also went pretty good. There were a few others that I talked to but one person still stands out to me. A big teddy bear looking guy named Sean. As I saw him walking towards me, I handed him a million dollar bill tract. He looked at it and knew what it was. He informed me that he had rejected the message on the back of the bill some time ago and that he was in a hurry to meet a friend for dinner at a nearby restaurant. So I asked him if I could as him three questions before he ran off. The conversation went something like this:

Me: Would you consider yourself to be a good person?
Sean: Yes
Me: Have you ever told a lie?
Sean: Yes

Timeout. So at this point I realized I only had one question left. I then told him that it might be more like 6-8 questions, to which he said, "hey now you're lying!" We both started laughing and I reiterated that I would stick to my original three questions, as promised.

Me: What do you call someone who tells lies?
Sean: A liar

Me: Ok Sean, the Bible says that all liars will have their part in the Lake of Fire. It also tells us that if you try to keep the Law but stumble at one point you are guilty of breaking all of it.

I proceeded to tell him what God did so that did not have to happen. That Jesus Christ lived a perfect life but took our sins on Himself and died on a cross. Three days later He rose again, defeating death so that if we repent and trust in Him we won't perish but will have everlasting life.

Sean did not start weeping over his sins but he did shake my hand, thank me, and even folded the tract and put it in his front pocket. I wanted to share this with you guys so that you will have a way to get the good news to a person who is in a hurry and even use the Law to show them their need. The conversation lasted literally no more than two minutes and Sean was able to meet his friend at the restaurant right after we talked.

Final Thought: Why does lying make me a murderer, adulterer, blasphemer, idolator, and covetous person? How is it fair that if I break one commandment, it's like breaking all of them? Well Greg Crouse, fellow team leader, said it best during his open air preaching. Imagine hanging over a pit of fire from a chain made of ten links. Your handle is hooked to the bottom link. Does it really matter which one you cut? No! Any of the ten links of the chain, if broken, will make you fall. And that is the point. We are all sinners in God's eye and apart from repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, God's wrath abides on us. Some of you are hanging over the Lake of Fire today. Which link(s) are gonna cause you to fall into it? You don't have to fall. Jesus took the sins of the world upon Himself because God doesn't want anyone to perish. He will catch you. All you have to do is ask. Repent and trust in Jesus. Get down from that chain today and fall into the hands of the loving savior.

James 2:10

English Standard Version (ESV)

For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it.

Friends in the Alley

Ok so there was this group of homeless guys. They always hung around together in the same dark alley. One day they noticed that one of their friends, Chris, was gone. Life went on as normal for all of them until one day they noticed a man walking down the alley toward them. They could see right away that this man did not belong down here with them. He was clean, dressed in clothes that were not torn, smiling. As he got closer to the group, they all began to recognize him. It was Chris! They were all happy to see him, at first. But he had a couple things to tell them. The first thing was that a law had been passed that anyone found in this alley would be arrested and sentenced to life in prison. That didn't make them too happy at all. They resented the fact that they would be condemned for just being who they were. Fortunately, Chris had good news for his friends in the alley. Apparently a local man had died and left money to build a house for homeless people in the area. This house had room for all of Chris' friends. They would be given clothes, food and money to get back on their feet. Great news indeed for this group of down and out people. All they had to do is humble themselves, see their need for help, and come ask for a spot in the house. Matt was the first to speak out, "That can't be true! Bad things happen to good people so I don't believe in your house!" The rest followed with similar nonsensical retorts. "I'm perfectly happy with my life, being dirty, and eating garbage in the alley here!" "What about the guy in Africa who never gets to hear about this house?" "I don't believe in men dying and leaving houses to people!" "I'm glad you've found something that makes you happy, just don't push it on us!" After a while, Chris finally told his friends that the window of opportunity to accept a room at this house would be closing but he did not know when. The "friends" continued to ridicule him and not believe his claims despite the visible changes in his life and proofs he had shown them such as money in his wallet, new clothes and even a copy of the last will & testament of the man who had left they house to the community. "That will was written by man so why should we care what it says?" Jerry screamed as he hurled a garbage can at Chris. This final comment and action was all Chris could think about that night as he prayed for his friends. Chris went back all the time, up until the house wasn't taking anymore people, to tell his friends about the new life they could have.

Now I know that this isn't a perfect analogy but it's pretty close. I see my friends on facebook and on the streets not only getting these ridiculous rebuttals but getting garbage thrown at them, cursed at, etc. We have good news for people who have lied, stolen, lusted, blasphemed, hated and not put God first in their lives. These are people who one day will be judged for these things and the place of punishment for the guilty is indeed Hell. However God demonstrates His love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us! Jesus lived a sinless life and died on a cross for all of our sins. He rose again three days later defeating death so that if we repent and trust in Him we will have eternal life and escape the punishment due us in Hell. We can go to our new "house" in Heaven when we die because God made a way for that to happen. If you are a non-believer reading this right now, I wouldn't be so concerned with what happens to what you deem "good" people or the guys in a jungle somewhere who haven't heard the good news. You've heard it and what have you done with it?? I'd really be more concerned that if you've ever told one lie, you're a liar and that all liars will have their part in the Lake of Fire. But, as mentioned, God has made a way for you to be forgiven of that lie through the blood of Jesus Christ. Just like the house giving out rooms in the above story, the window of opportunity is closing to accept this free gift God has given to us. No one knows the date or time of the Lord's return. I wouldn't want to not be ready. For you believers, let your light keep shining among men. Show them joy unspeakable. Not because life is a bowl of cherries but because your name is written in the book of life! Also, most importantly, don't quit sharing the good news verbally. As famous atheist Penn Jillette said, ""How much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize? How much do you have to hate someone to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?"

John 14:1-3 (English Standard Version)

¹ "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. ²In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? ³And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

Why Does Melanoma Happen to Good People?

For those that don't know, I was recently diagnosed with a type of cancer called melanoma. Thankfully, this trial has only served to bolster my faith. I feel fine and so far I have no evidence of this anywhere in my body since surgery. Praise God! Now, don't let the title of this article fool you. I have zero ideas that I am a good person and I am fully aware that I deserve far worse than this. Like R.C. Sproul has said, "Why do bad things happen to good people? It only happened once, and He(Jesus) volunteered." Nevertheless, the question always arises. "Why do bad things happen to good people?" This is a big stumbling block for atheists, keeping them from repenting and trusting in Jesus. This could also be an issue for those who are young in the faith. So, my hope is not only to address that question but also show non-believers God's greatness through this trial and to encourage Christ followers through trials similar to this.

James 1:2-4 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

What exactly is melanoma? Most people think that is just like skin cancer and that if you get rid of it's source you're good to go. That is simply not the case. Melanoma can and will spread to your lymph nodes or it can also spread through your blood stream to other vital organs. It is simply one of the nastiest forms of cancer you can possibly get. In the words of the melanoma specialist I have been seeing, "melanoma can do whatever it wants, whenever it wants, wherever it wants." Not the most of encouraging of words. Combine that with the notion that doctors can never deem a melanoma patient "cured", and you can really have a recipe for self destruction and self pity on your hands. I mean, how can someone who has no other health issues get something so awful? Are they worse than the guy next door? Not likely the reason. The bible tells us in the Gospel of Luke, And he answered them, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish." We see that bad things happen and people suffer, get sick, and die regardless of whether they are better than the next guy or not. Basically we see bad things happening to "good" people. So what's the answer then? Is there one? I can assure you that there is an answer to all this but to retrieve it we need to go back to the beginning.

Genesis 3:12 The man said, "The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate."

Most people in the world can't or won't accept the Genesis account of creation. Even among professing bible believing Christians you will find some who will compromise the 7 day creation(6 days of work, 1 of rest) and even try to add evolution to the mix. However in order to understand where sickness, death and sin have their roots, you have to fully commit your heart and mind to the fact that Genesis is literal and real. Otherwise, by the time you get from chapter 1 to chapter 3, you have compromised too much of God's Word to have it all make sense. As we saw in the verse above, chapter 3 of Genesis speaks of Adam's disobedience to God and how that brought upon mankind a curse. Unfortunately, melanoma is just a part of that fall of man. Romans 5:12 confirms this Genesis account of where death and sickness reared their ugly heads. "Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—" I can't imagine going through this and not having an understanding of these biblical truths. With these truths and trust in Christ, you can be steadfast and say with confidence like Job, "Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?" If you try to deal with the bad news of melanoma or any other sickness apart from this foundation of stone God has given us in Jesus, your house of morale and mental well being will no doubt crumble on a bed of shifting sand.

Matthew 5:45b For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

In everyday life we can all plainly see, whether we believe in God or not, bad and good things happen to "good" and bad people. So where does this leave us? Go back to the story of the Galileans and the Tower of Siloam in Luke chapter 13. We see this in all of it's practicality. Jesus clearly tells us that these people who had terrible things happen to them were no better or worse than anyone else. Now you may still be thinking, "if these are good people why did this happen to them?" I want for you to consider whether or not they were really good. What is the standard of good? Your definition maybe way different than mine and different than that of all the billions of other people on the planet for that matter. With billions of definitions of good we need to settle on one. So let's use the standard Jesus uses, one that's never changed, the 10 Commandments. If you've ever told a lie, stolen or wanted something that wasn't yours, misused God's name, looked at someone with lust(which is adultery Matthew 5:28), hated someone(which is like murder 1 John 3:15), dishonored your mother and father, or haven't put God first in your life then you are guilty of breaking God's Law. These sins disqualify you from being a candidate for the "good" title in God's eyes. This is the line in the sand and you want to be on the right side of the line on Judgment Day. Hebrews 9:27 tells us, And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment. Ten out of every ten people will face this inevitability called death. It could be melanoma or an out of control bus. Will your definition of good be good enough on that day? Not likely. The prophet Isaiah tells us that, "all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment." There is good news though. There is a way for us to be on the right side on Judgment Day. God sent His Son Jesus, fully man and fully God, to live a perfect life. Jesus died on a Roman cross for all of our sins. He rose from the dead three days later, completely defeating death so that if we repent(turn from sin) and trust in Him we can be saved from an eternity in Hell. If you've never repented and trusted in Jesus, today is the day of salvation. Not only will you receive Christ's imputed righteousness and eternal life, but when you read and obey the Bible daily you will have a clearer understanding of sin, sickness and death.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

For you believers out there who are going through melanoma, other sicknesses, or any other trial please take the above verse to heart. Be an encouragement to others around you. You have the luxury of knowing where your sickness comes from. Take the attitude of Epaphroditus in Philippians chapter 2. "for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill." He was near to death and wasn't concerned with himself as much as he was the others who had only heard that he was sick! Amazing attitude to have and one that I say with all certainty is only available to those who are Christ followers. If you are a believer and know someone is going through this please remember that blurting out Romans 8:28, And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose, is not always helpful. Sometimes the only "good" that can come from something like melanoma/cancer is if the sick person and the people around him or her become more like Christ and glorify God as a result. Basically don't do Romans 8:28 without 8:29 which says, "For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son." Sometimes it is just better to be there and be quiet like Job's friends at first(they messed up by opening their mouths).

John 16:33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."

This may be hard to swallow for some (like the cottage cheese mixed with flax seed oil my beautiful bride has been feeding me lol). Just know that I write this not for my own good but for the others out there who are either lost or are going through a sickness or trial. Like the flax seed oil for me, if you fully digest what I am telling you here it will be good for you. If you've ever come to Christ for a wonderful plan or a better life, something like melanoma can be a faith shaking, deal breaker for you. That's because none of that is promised in the bible. We broke God's Law and Jesus paid the fine as the perfect substitute and sacrifice for our sins. That's the message. Just look above at what Jesus promises his followers in John chapter 16. "In the world you WILL have tribulation." Doesn't sound like a wonderful plan or a better life to me. However if you repent and put your faith in Christ because you see your sins as exceedingly sinful, knowing that the road will be full of trials and tribulations, you will be comforted that He has overcome the world, looking forward to the day you go to spend eternity with Him. You will be able to look at anyone with full assurance and say, "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain!"

Philippians 1:22-23 (English Standard Version)

If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.