The Servant Reader - Page 24 of 59

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December 18, 2020

Restoring Mary’s Humanity by Confronting Immaculate Conception

The following is a Facebook discussion that I tripped into one evening. Over the course of a couple days, the conversation developed until I felt compelled to offer a constructive rebuttal to the false doctrine of Immaculate Conception (the Catholic doctrine that Mary had to be without sin so our Lord could be born into our fallen world through a pure vessel.) I’ve reconstructed that conversation below.

Initially, JL posted the following graphic. The caption reads, “If the land that Jesus walked on is holy, imagine the womb that bore Him.” This obviously pins upon a very literal interpretation of Jerusalem’s romantic “Holy Land” title, forgetting Jerusalem is also called “Sodom and Egypt.” (Revelation 11:8)

Marys holy womb — Reads “If the land that Jesus walked on is holy, imagine the womb that bore Him.”

[MD] Required an Immaculate Conception

[JL] So few nonCatholics get that. Actually a lot of Catholics don’t even get it! Thanks for being aware.

[CA] JL, isn’t that why she’s called the ‘Virgin’ Mary?

[JL] CA, No. She was a dedicated virgin before she was incarnated by the Holy Spirit. Immaculate Conception means she was conceived without original sin inside her mother’s womb. So she never had to suffer the effects of original sin like the rest of us. God did this so she would be a pure vessel for His Son to be nurtured and grown in.

[MD] CA, Original sin is Eve’s disobedience and she and Adam eating the forbidden fruit. It was taught that every human was born with this sin on them. The Immaculate Conception means that Mary was miraculously absolved of Original Sin.

[Matthew] ? Then you’re saying she didn’t need a Savior?

[MD] God made a bargain with her in order that she could be worthy to carry God in her womb. I guess that she was the first human that was saved, and all Three were involved. God the Father sanctified her by removing Original Sin, God the Holy Spirit impregnated her, and she grew and bore God the Son.

[JL] She is the only human ever born who did not need to be saved from sin because she was created without sin. This is why Gabriel greeted her with the words, “Hail Mary full of Grace..” No one before her could be full of grace because they were under the influence of Original Sin.

[Matthew] Fascinating. Then you’re saying there were two spotless lambs; one spotless lamb gave birth to the one was slain before the foundation of the world.

[JL] Matthew, not quite. John the Baptist called Jesus the “Lamb of God” because He would be sacrificed on Calvary. Mary was never considered a “spotless lamb” because she was not sacrificed for our sins. Even so, we call her Immaculate Mary honoring her being conceived without sin. I’ve considered her my other mother ever since I was a small child.

It was here that MD suggested I join the Jesuits to further my studies and nods at JL who apparently has a Dominican educational background. While I let the offer pass me by, I’ll confess I looked into the origins and validity of the Jesuit Oath that has made its way around the Internet. I chose to stay out of those weeds.

[Matthew] JL, thanks for explaining. I want to assure you I’m not trying to be a jerk. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with me on this. Tonight, this conversation pushed me into an area of study I knew I needed to eventually do! I now know “Mariology” is a term; I had no idea!

I grew up Catholic and still have plenty of beloved family members in the Catholic church. Since coming to Christ, I’m learning there are plenty of doctrines in Christendom that just aren’t Biblical. Beyond that, there are also doctrines that may be Biblically-argued but are actually built upon misunderstandings of the text (I’m thinking of pre-Tribulation rapture as I write this. :) )

Before I start pitching Scripture at you, I want to recommend using a resource like Bible Hub to place different translations alongside one another for gaining consensus within the text. It is also a great resource for quickly diving into the Greek using the Strong’s Concordance. (e.g. https://biblehub.com/matthew/1.htm) You’re probably already aware of it, but I wanted to mention it, just in case.

Back to our conversation…

Yes, honor Mary for her role in our Lord’s life. Absolutely. But the notion that Mary was without sin is a fabrication by the Catholic church that was only recently ratified in the 1800’s; it’s not Biblical. In fact, it actually conflicts with the Word of God. Here are some verses toward that end:

“All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23);
“If any man says he has no sin he is a liar and the truth is not in him.” (1 John 1:8);
“My spirit rejoices in God my Savior” (as spoken by Mary herself, recognizing she too needed a savior.) (Luke 1:47).

Regarding Mary’s sinless purity, a good place to start might be by looking at her marriage to Joseph. Some people try to deny Mary and Joseph ever consummated their marriage. This flies in the face of first-century Jewish wedding customs where the marriage wasn’t considered complete until it had been sexually consummated (known as the yichud, this harkens back to Genesis 2:24 where we see the idea of two becoming one.) The Word tells us they waited to consummate their marriage until after Jesus was born:

“Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.” (Matthew 1:24-25, KJV)

This is the same “knowing” we see Mary use in Luke 1:34: “Then said Mary unto the angel, ‘How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?'” Mary and Joseph were already betrothed to one another (v27), so we can be certain Mary isn’t speaking to an absence of available bachelors in Nazareth.

This is further supported by additional witnesses—the subsequent siblings of Jesus!

“Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.” (Mark 6:3)
“Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?” (Matthew 13:55–56)
When Paul returned to Jerusalem following his conversion, he reports meeting with Peter (Cephas), “But of the other apostles saw I none, save James the Lord’s brother.” (Galatians 1:19)
The Lord’s brothers are also referred to with (and separately from) the apostles in 1 Corinthians 9:5.
Finally, one of the more thorough accounts of Jesus’ siblings: “There came then his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, sent unto him, calling him. And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, ‘Behold, your mother and your brethren without seek you.'” (Mark 3:31–32) I believe this ties back to v21 where the NIV and ESV say, “And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, ‘He is out of his mind.'”

Shocking to think that there might have been moments when Mary wasn’t fully tracking with Jesus’ ministry, right? In fact, Jesus’ brothers didn’t join His ministry until after His resurrection: “For even his own brothers did not believe in him.” (John 7:5, NIV)

Though Mary may not have always been fully on-page with Jesus’ ministry, she was there with Him at the cross when none of Jesus’ brothers were. This is likely why our Lord entrusted Mary to John who was there with her. (More on that here: https://www.gotquestions.org/Jesus-Mary-John.html)

We see mother Mary again–and now Jesus’ brothers as well–with the 120 in the upper room, per Acts 1:12-14: “14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.” Several days later, the Holy Spirit descended upon them and the prophet Joel’s prophesy began its fulfillment.

The best thing for anyone to do in studies like this is to hold what we believe loosely and get clear on what the Word of God says. We do not want to be held in bondage by the doctrines of fallible men (this includes popes) but we do want Him to grow us up into all things unto Christ. (Ephesians 4:15)

Thank you, sister!

[JL] I’m not going to respond very much because I’m one day post-op on my knee. I’ll just ask you to start looking into the Church Fathers and their writings. These are the men who were taught by the apostles and wrote about the miracles and teachings of these holy men as they explained the Gospel.

[Matthew] Rest up, J! Feel better soon and merry Christmas!

This was the last of the conversation. Notice JL’s response was for me to go seek the teachings of the early Church fathers instead of dealing with the text itself. The Scriptures I cited were from the first Church fathers!! Why would I seek third-century teachings—several generations removed—to help clarify texts that read as clearly as these? (I’ll save that research for understanding the book of Revelation!)

My prayers are for both sisters, JL and MD, to be open to releasing this man-made doctrine. (John Calvin pointed out once that not even Mary herself would be comfortable with the amount of glory she’s being paid.) I deliberately stayed away from exposing the connection between Marian worship and the Egyptian goddess, Isis, because I didn’t want to overwhelm them; it would just muddy the waters. Furthermore, I wanted to bring them back to the Word of God which we know doesn’t return void; those were the seeds I wanted to lovingly, but truthfully, plant.

UPDATE 2/6/2021

For further extra-biblical support on this position, Jewish historian Flavius Josephus, in his Antiquities of the Jews, references James and identifies him as the brother of Jesus. Scholars date the final books of Antiquities in the 13th year of the reign of Roman emperor Flavius Domitian which was around AD 93 or 94. From The Antiquities of the Jews:

And now Caesar, upon hearing the death of Festus, sent Albinus into Judea, as procurator. But the king deprived Joseph of the high priesthood, and bestowed the succession to that dignity on the son of Ananus, who was also himself called Ananus. Now the report goes that this eldest Ananus proved a most fortunate man; for he had five sons who had all performed the office of a high priest to God, and who had himself enjoyed that dignity a long time formerly, which had never happened to any other of our high priests. But this younger Ananus, who, as we have told you already, took the high priesthood, was a bold man in his temper, and very insolent; he was also of the sect of the Sadducees, who are very rigid in judging offenders, above all the rest of the Jews, as we have already observed; when, therefore, Ananus was of this disposition, he thought he had now a proper opportunity. Festus was now dead, and Albinus was but upon the road; so he assembled the sanhedrin of judges, and brought before them the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, whose name was James, and some others; and when he had formed an accusation against them as breakers of the law, he delivered them to be stoned: but as for those who seemed the most equitable of the citizens, and such as were the most uneasy at the breach of the laws, they disliked what was done; they also sent to the king, desiring him to send to Ananus that he should act so no more, for that what he had already done was not to be justified; nay, some of them went also to meet Albinus, as he was upon his journey from Alexandria, and informed him that it was not lawful for Ananus to assemble a sanhedrin without his consent. Whereupon Albinus complied with what they said, and wrote in anger to Ananus, and threatened that he would bring him to punishment for what he had done; on which king Agrippa took the high priesthood from him, when he had ruled but three months, and made Jesus, the son of Damneus, high priest. (The Antiquities of the Jews Book 20, Chapter 9, 1.)

Reference: Josephus on Jesus. Wikipedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josephus_on_Jesus.

Virtual Presenter Checklist

Events

Matthew Schoenherr

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December 14, 2020

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Virtual events are NOT going away anytime soon, so we had better get used to them. Many of us have been pushed into the unfamiliar waters of conducting virtual events. While we may be getting bruised egos and skinned knees out of the deal, we also have the uncomfortable opportunity to grow our reach well beyond the walls of our typical efforts.

In this season of virtual summits and webinars, we’ve compiled a checklist and an introductory letter template for your presenters. While having a diverse panel of presenters can bring well-needed variety to your event, having a diverse range of technical prowess and presentation quality on a virtual event can make for a rough experience for producers, presenters and the audience.

IMPORTANT: You will want to test your virtual event platform (Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Cisco Webex, etc.) weeks in advance of the big day. Set up the link early and test with your core event support team first. You may find your core team works through their slides and the event agenda several times before they are ready to open up a couple dry runs to the larger presenter team. This is healthy and preferred. Count on at least four or more dry runs depending upon the size and complexity of your event.

Here is an example of a letter from the event coordinator to the presenters. The virtual presenter checklist follows.

Letter Sample from Event Coordinator

Thank you for agreeing to present at the virtual [name of the event] this [date(s)]!

[Your organization] event staff will be scheduling a time to either record your presentation or schedule your dry run rehearsal, but in the meantime, we have compiled a checklist to help ensure your success as a presenter.

A couple things:

Before Your Dry Run Date

Please work through the Virtual Presenter Checklist below. If you have questions, please contact [name, email and phone number of the event coordinator or speaker handler].

On the Day of Your Dry Run

During your dry run session, event staff will review the Virtual Presenter Checklist below. Please use the same phone, computer and Internet connection you plan on using the day of your presentation. Event staff will ensure you know how the web conferencing software works and will discuss how to interact with the audience and your slides. We will also check the flow of your slides and will work out in advance any speaker/moderator rhythms. If possible, use your dry run rehearsal as your own final content deadline.

We’re looking forward to working with you!

[Your organization] event team [or use the event coordinator’s name here]

VIRTUAL PRESENTER CHECKLIST

Connection & Computer

Plug directly into your network if you can; WiFi connections can be flaky.
If you must use WiFi, disconnect all unnecessary devices from your WiFi (i.e. smart TVs, Alexa/Google home, cellular devices, etc.)
Shut down VPN, email, instant messaging, and any programs NOT being used and reboot your machine.
Turn off all cell phones and mobile devices.
If you have two phone lines, make sure that the second line will not be ringing.
If possible, do not use a speakerphone or cell phone to deliver your presentation.
Use a modern browser such as Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge or Firefox.
Close unnecessary browser tabs and pause software updates or backup routines running in the background.
Get the video call link in advance and test your ability to connect to it.
If you plan on sharing a movie or audio clip, our first recommendation is: don’t. Streaming such content through a second stream often doesn’t play well. Movies may lag and pixelate, and sound often digitizes and breaks up. If you must share a movie or audio clip, we would encourage you to share the link in advance, or–for longer clips–maybe take a break to have your group review the content and then reconvene your session.

Camera & Lighting

Adjust web camera position to center yourself leaving a small margin over the top of your head and having both shoulders in the frame.
Position your camera at or slightly above eye level.
Use a front-facing light source to ensure the audience can see you clearly and to reduce shadows.
Avoid back-light (or lights from above) as it creates shadows. Where needed, supplement by putting a lamp or ring light behind your webcam.

Sound & Clarity

Test your computer’s microphone well in advance. External headphones or microphones often work better and can be a good investment.
To avoid an echo, make sure to join with your microphone and speaker muted.
Plug in and turn on or un-mute your earphone, headphone or microphone prior to beginning your presentation.
Try not to use a speakerphone or cellphone. Speakerphones pick up background noises like rustling papers and squeaking chairs. Cellphones may drop signal, offer fuzzy sound or run out of battery power.
Before the presentation, moderators may ask you to speak into the microphone so they can test audio levels. Simply speak the same way that you would while giving your presentation.
Avoid “non-presentation” comments or conversing with anyone else until the moderator signals the recording has stopped. This should be right after your closing comments and releasing the audience.
If using a lapel microphone, clip to your lapel or tie, or on the outside of your clothing away from any jewelry.

You & Your Environment

Try to wear solid colors, pastels, medium shades or off-white shirts and blouses. (Pro tip: Darker color clothing tends to offer better contrast.)
Don’t wear busy, striped or wavy patterns. Some cameras struggle with stark white, stark black, stripes, checkers or other patterns.
Avoid shiny, loud, noisy or distracting jewelry or accessories.
Remember: you are not talking to the camera, but rather through the camera. Imagine the audience on the other side.
Reduce clutter in your background. Is there a way your background can align with the message you want to convey?
Use neutral and subtle colors in the background to keep the focus on you. Plants, appropriate artwork and bookshelves may add visual variety without competing with you.
Ensure your background is free of visual distractions such as windows to public areas or other workers.
Our recommendation is to avoid using virtual backgrounds, due to their ghostly “disappearing body parts” quality. Still, if you feel you must use a virtual background, make sure it is professional, simple and not distracting.
Make sure you are in a quiet room. Have plans for avoiding interruptions from children, pets, contractors, neighbors, etc.

Your Slides & Timing

Please use the slide template provided by the event team (if applicable). This will help carry the event look and feel throughout the audience experience.
You are the presentation, not your slides. Too many words on a slide hurts readability. Slides should be used to bring color or reinforce the idea you are proposing.
Try to limit to one idea on each slide (one image, one chart, less than 6 bullet points, etc.)
Your slides are not your handout. If you want to offer a leave-behind or your presentation notes, please provide those to the event coordinators and talk about when that material should be delivered to summit attendees. Usually this will be after you present to avoid competing with your presentation.
If you wish to protect your copyrighted material, it is your responsibility to inform the organizers of the event in advance.
Run through your presentation to practice your timing, content and delivery. Please try not to go over your allotted time, but also try not to fall substantially short of your expected time.

Recommended viewing: Please enjoy this TEDx talk “How to avoid death By PowerPoint” by David JP Phillips: https://youtu.be/Iwpi1Lm6dFo

On the Big Day

Have a printout of all your presentation slides in front of you in case technology fails.
Have water handy in case your throat becomes dry.
Be online 30 minutes prior to the start of the webinar.
Check your posture. Sit up straight or stand for best vocal clarity. Enunciate clearly; avoid shouting or mumbling.
Make sure to acknowledge your online audience.
Don’t point or wave to items on the screen and remember not to use references like “as you see over here”, or “right there” – instead refer vocally to the actual item of slide content you are presenting – e.g. “…as you can see on the red bar of the chart” or “as per the third bullet point on the slide”, etc.
Avoid excessive movement like swaying or pacing.
Be conscious of your body language and realize that you are being watched continuously by your viewers. (No pressure!)

Fielding Audience Questions

At the start of your session, your moderator should request that your audience write their questions in the chat field. Once your presentation is complete, the moderator will collect any questions from the chat and present them to you.
For more tips on moderating events, see our Virtual Event Moderator Checklist.

The Upper Room

Spiritual

Bill Alderson

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December 14, 2020

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Two important New Testament events occurred in an upper room. Most Christians are aware of the first one: the Last Supper. The second one took place after Jesus’s ascension in Acts 1: the 10-day period waiting for the coming of the Holy Spirit. A look at these two events may give us special insight into the introduction of the New Covenant as manifested at Pentecost in Acts 2. The upper rooms where they happened were in many homes a room in the upper part of the house, used to receive company, hold feasts, and retire for meditation and prayer.

In Luke 22:11-12, Jesus instructs His disciples where they would celebrate the Passover meal. He told them that the owner of the house would “show you a large, furnished upper room; prepare it there.” It was in this place that Jesus celebrated His last Passover until His Second Coming, alluding to the New Covenant promised to Israel and the house of Judah in Jeremiah 31:31-34. The account then tells us that Jesus broke the matzah bread and proclaimed that it was His body “given for you, do this in remembrance of Me.” In a few hours, that body would be offered as the Passover lamb.

The New Covenant in My Blood

After eating the Passover meal, He took the cup of wine and said, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood”. This wine signified His precious blood, which would be shed for the remission of sins in establishing the New Covenant. There is only one reference directly to the New Covenant in the Old Testament and it is found in Jeremiah 31. It appears that the disciples thought that this covenant as promised to the house of Israel and house of Judah would be happening soon. No one understood that this New Covenant would also establish a new relationship with God through the recognition of Jesus as Messiah, Christianity and the church age. That revelation would begin to take place in the next upper room.

In Acts 1:9-11, the disciples watched the ascension of Jesus. It was an incredibly powerful moment for each of them, but left them all with many questions. What now? What do we do until He comes back?

Acts 1:12-16

12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. 13 When they had entered the city, they went up to the upper room where they were staying; that is, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. 14 These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.

15 At this time Peter stood up in the midst of the brethren (a gathering of about one hundred and twenty persons was there together), and said, 16 “Brethren, the Scripture had to be fulfilled [Psalm 41:9], which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus.

So there were about 120 disciples in that upper room and they were “with one mind” and “devoting themselves to prayer”. Peter takes the lead by showing the others that Judas Iscariot’s betrayal was not by accident, but in fulfillment of the Scriptures. He references that the Holy Spirit foretold it by David’s Psalm 41. Since they had already received the Holy Spirit from the Risen Lord in John 20:22, they were now beginning to learn how to operate under His guidance and leading and experience His awe. The full empowerment of the Spirit would take place at Pentecost. This was very similar to the response of the disciples to Pentecost in Acts 2:42-43: “They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles.” In verses 46-47: “Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people.”

The Spirit and the Upper Room

The significance of the upper room cannot be understated. This room was reserved for special occasions, including meditation and prayer. In the New Covenant, the believers’ connection to the Holy Spirit is in the upper room. Spiritually speaking, there is a war going on. In Galatians 5:16-17, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.”

We learn how to walk by the Holy Spirit in the upper room, where the Spirit of the Lord is, where there is liberty (2 Corinthians 3:17). In the upper room, the flesh has no power.

The Bible teaches that man is trichotomous, meaning he is made up of three elements: body, soul, and spirit. Each of these elements speaks to different sources of life. The Greek word for body is bios where we get the word biology. The physical body is the center of bios life. Pseuche is Greek for soul, the immaterial part of man that includes the mind, heart, emotions, and the seat of personality. This Greek word is the source of the English word psychology. For the natural (unregenerate) man, the life of the body and soul are lived on the bottom floor of the house.

Life in the Spirit

The Greek word for spirit is pneuma where we get the English word pneumatic. Pneuma can be translated not only spirit, but also wind or breath. In Proverbs 20:27, the Scripture says, “The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all the innermost parts of his being.” The human spirit is the part of man that connects with the Holy Spirit. In Romans 8:16, “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God”. The Holy Spirit resides in the upper room and it is there the believer experiences His presence, just like the disciples. Access to the upper room is available to all who believe that Jesus is God and that He has paid the price for man’s salvation. In John 3:8, “The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Guidance by the Holy Spirit is always by faith.

The New Covenant can only be accomplished in the upper room. Fulfilling the New Covenant utilizing Old Covenant dynamics doesn’t work. In Matthew 9:17, Jesus taught, “Nor do people put new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wineskins burst, and the wine pours out and the wineskins are ruined; but they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.” The wine, symbolic of the New Covenant requires a new wineskin as presented in Hebrews 8:10-12. A New Testament believer living under the Old Covenant standards and its consequences will not be successful.

Life in the upper room can best be described by Jesus in John 6:63-65, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him. And He was saying, “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.” When the believer decides that he is willing to set aside the bios life and the pseuche life for the life of the pneuma, he moves to the upper room where the presence of God resides and it is there he experiences “fullness of joy” (Psalm 16:11).

Amos 9:5-6

“5 The Lord God of hosts, the One who touches the land so that it melts, and all those who dwell in it mourn, and all of it rises up like the Nile and subsides like the Nile of Egypt; 6 The One who builds His upper chambers in the heavens and has founded His vaulted dome over the earth, He who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out on the face of the earth, the Lord is His name.”

Four Steps to Deliverance from Addictions

Spiritual

Bill Alderson

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November 27, 2020

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Four Steps to Deliverance from Addictions

As a follow-up to my blog on “A Biblical Basis for Addictions“, it will be good to examine four steps that are required to find total deliverance from addiction. These are

Define triggers,
Have an accountability relationship based on agape love,
Rebuild broken walls, and
Feed wholeness through a spiritual community.

The process begins with an acknowledgement of the problem, that one has a particular weakness that is destroying his life and something has to be done. It is helpful when the addict recognizes that God has the ultimate answer.

So much of the process is directly related to willingness, a willingness to allow things that have been kept private to be brought out into the light. Most of us have a tendency to maintain a secret life with no one allowed in, not even God. A successful road to recovery from any addiction requires the assistance of others who will provide leadership, direction, accountability, and support. Bringing light into dark places defines the real dark areas and allows the light to cleanse its environment. In John 3:20-21, “For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.” Bringing the Light of God into any environment is its ultimate salvation.

1. Define Triggers

A trigger is any form of stimuli that initiates the desire to engage in addictive behavior. During the course of a recovery program, triggers may prompt an individual to slip-up and use a substance or engage in a behavior that they otherwise are trying to avoid. Triggers are associated with a memory or situation that relates in some way to prior substance abuse behaviors. As someone struggles with addiction, the people they interact with, the places they spend their time and in some situations their place of work can become strongly associated with their addictive behavior. A lack of understanding of the particular triggers that can cause a relapse are essential in overcoming the warfare surrounding the addiction.

In Matthew 5:27-30, Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY’; but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell.” To face the trigger(s) is to acknowledge its exists and do something.

2. Have an Agapic Accountability Relationship

When the biggest challenges invade our lives and disrupt our sense of well-being, it becomes all the more likely we turn to escape mechanisms that never really deal with the difficulty. As the addictive behavior gets more rooted in one’s physiology over time, deliverance from the addiction is no longer possible alone. Finding an accountability partner, one motivated by an agape (unconditional) love becomes essential in addressing the problem. This person, many times a trained professional becomes the one in whom we must place our trust to tell us the truth and who is willing to accept the challenge and commitment necessary for its completion.

Accountability partners are healthy for any Christian. Proverbs 11:14 says that there is safety in a multitude of counsel. In Proverbs 15:22, “Without consultation, plans are frustrated, but with many counselors they succeed”. Then there is Proverbs 24:6, “For by wise guidance you will wage war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory”. Since dealing with addictions is warfare, becoming accountable to another provides a visible path to victory since it opens the door for clear thinking by reliable sources who care. Trusting another to this degree is not easy, but trust is never easy when so much of life is hidden. Yet trust is the elixir that opens wide the door to hope that the circumstances are not the end of the story.

3. Rebuild Broken Walls

Once light is being shed on the addiction and there is acceptance of accountability partner(s), the process requires honesty, a willingness to come clean and accept the consequences, a risky proposition. Most of us have heard the old proverb, “honesty is the best policy”. Honesty deals not only with the negative effects of the addiction on the addict, but also on the ones also impacted. When Jesus was teaching the parable of the sower and the seed, He spoke about the good soil in this way, “But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance” (Luke 8:15). The good heart is an honest heart, one that is done with hiding from the failures and negative effects of addictive behaviors. This heart is ready to bear fruit.

Rebuilding broken walls includes restoring relationships as well as offering restitution where appropriate. In Leviticus 6:1-5, the Law of Moses commands that the one who “sins and acts unfaithfully against the Lord, and deceives his companion” is required to “restore what he took” in full and even one-fifth more. This principle is addressing the need that restoring relationships requires restitution in some way. That restitution may be in many different forms, not just in material ways. It means going the extra mile to make sure the wronged parties are aware that the abuser is sincere about making things right. The principle of restitution creates a good heart.

4. Feed Wholeness Through a Spiritual Community

God has ordained a community of believers, known as the Body of Christ (church) to provide a safe environment of support and reconciliation. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul defines many of the dynamics of this spiritual organism, including the fact that it is one, made up of many members. This oneness is possible through the working of the Holy Spirit as each member recognizes one Head, Jesus Christ. In verses 14-15, “For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot says, ‘Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,’ it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body”. In the same way, each member has a different function based on the spiritual gifts given. In verse 21-22, “And the eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you’; or again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.’ On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary.” This organism values each member, especially the weaker ones.

Within the Body of Christ, there is a united effort to honor those less honorable, but how? In verses 23-25, “and those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable, whereas our more presentable members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked, so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another”. Inherent is the working of each member for the benefit of the whole with those weakest receiving the greatest honor. It is this provision that makes the Body of Christ the greatest place of support for the one struggling with addiction. Finding one’s place within the church allows each member to realize his particular call and giftedness and to exercise those gifts. It also is the place where God’s love is manifested (Ephesians 1:6).

Wholeness is the final work of the cross in the believer’s life. The Apostle Paul tells us that to comprehend the breadth, length, height and depth of the love of Christ is to “be filled up to all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:18-19), the place of God’s wholeness. Mature believers provide the clearest manifestation of His agape love and the strongest community to care for those that need its support, for the glory of God.

Psalm 71:1-6

“In You, O Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be ashamed. In Your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; incline Your ear to me and save me. Be to me a rock of habitation to which I may continually come; You have given commandment to save me, for You are my rock and my fortress. Rescue me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the grasp of the wrongdoer and ruthless man, For You are my hope; O Lord God, You are my confidence from my youth. By You I have been sustained from my birth; You are He who took me from my mother’s womb; my praise is continually of You.”

Ultimately, one’s devotion to the person and work of Christ is his greatest protection, his place of deliverance from any enemy. As the believer learns to press in to His life through His Body and the believer’s unique call, the enemy is progressively being made ineffective in destroying quality of life. The addictive behavior become less and less an issue to wrestle.

The Armour of God: It’s All About Jesus

Spiritual

Guest Contributor

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November 26, 2020

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It was still dark. The alarm clock had not yet let out its monotonous monotone call. I awoke as a sudden explosion of thought cut across my mind; “The Ephesians 6 armour of God is all about Jesus. It is a representation of who Jesus is!”

“Wow. Where did that come from?” I whispered, though I knew it came from the Holy Spirit.

I opened my eyes with sudden excitement of this fascinating theological idea and the more I thought about it the more I could see Jesus being reflected in the armour of God.

As Christians, whether we know it or not, we are in a war. But our war is not against flesh and blood (Eph 6:12). Our war is against the schemes of the evil one. How we approach spiritual warfare is important. Often we take our focus off Jesus and place it onto ourselves or even onto what satan is up to.

Let me give some examples: “I am under attack.” “The devil is attacking me.” “Sin has got the better of me.” Here the focus is never on Jesus but upon oneself or satan. Suddenly, in the midst of a spiritual battle, our eyes are no longer on Jesus! Maybe that is some of the problem with our spiritual warfare; it all becomes about satan.

But spiritual warfare should be conducted through the paradigm of Jesus, with our eyes fixed on Him. Spiritual warfare should be conducted out of a place of victory, praying in the will of God and glorifying Jesus.

This is where the Ephesians 6 passage on the armour of God comes in, because the armour is all about Jesus and being clothed in Him.

Put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.

In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Eph 6:11-17)

I have heard a vast number of different sermons and interpretations on the Ephesians 6 passage, ranging from actions you do when you get out of bed in the morning to a lifestyle that one lives. However, I want to put a different spin on it.

It’s a spin that says the armour of God isn’t actually about you or even the devil’s schemes about you; it is focused on Jesus. The armour is a representation of Jesus and who He is. Let me explain further; the belt, the breastplate, the shoes, shield, helmet and sword all points symbolically to Jesus.

The Belt of Truth: Jesus is the Truth (John 14:6).
The Breastplate of Righteousness: Jesus is the Righteousness One (1 John 2:1).
Feet fitted with the Gospel of Peace: Jesus is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6).
Shield of Faith: Jesus is the Faithful One who is True (Revelation 19:11).
Helmet of Salvation: Jesus is the Saviour (Luke 2:30).
Sword of the Spirit: Jesus is the Sword (Deuteronomy 33:29).

If you are in spiritual warfare or your church is facing a spiritual attack and it is time for you to really ‘dig-in’ and pray, then take encouragement that it is Jesus who is the one that goes before you into battle (Deut 31:8).

It is Jesus who leads the armies of God into war on your behalf and brings the Justice of God into your life (Rev 19:11-16).

He is the Might Warrior (Zep 3:17) and–like the Israelites crossing over into the Promise Land–the Captain of the Lord’s army goes ahead of you with flaming sword (Josh 5:13-14).

Spiritual warfare should never have its focus on you or the devil, but on Jesus. He is the One that will deliver you.

Jesus carries the sword of the Spirit for He is the Sword. The Sword is the Word of God and Jesus is the Word made flesh (John 1:14), the living Word of God, the active double-edge sword of the Word that comes from the mouth of God and the Word of His sword pierces the enemy.

Did you know that, as Christians, we are clothed in Christ (Gal 3:27)? In fact, Romans 13:14 instructs us to clothe ourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ. As Christians, we literally ‘put on’ Jesus. We are clothed in Jesus and who He is. This is one of the reasons we are more than conquerors (Rom 8.37) because we are covered in Jesus, covered in His blood and have His mark resting on us. We are clothed in the armour of the Lord Jesus.

He fights for you and He is the armour that you put on and carry. Spiritual warfare should always have its focus on Jesus and be conducted through Him.

Let me encourage you that you are clothed in Christ Jesus, that you wear Him and that you carry His amour upon you. He fights for you.

Mark Gamblin is the founder and leader of Doxa Encounters Ministries. Mark is an ordained minister of the Gospel and has a focus on the prophetic, healing and revival. Equipping and engaging the church is those areas. He is also published world-wide Christian author. To join the Doxa Encounters Ministries online community, visit .

What’s Wrong with Having Children?

Relationships

Yaneke Lewis

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November 18, 2020

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On the day that I gave birth to my first child, my beloved mother asked me, “What’s next?” I had no idea what she meant. So, in weakness and tiredness from the strain of labour, I said, “What do you mean?”

Would you believe my mom suggested that I have a TL (tubal ligation)?!

I was 31 years old, married and a Christian. If I wasn’t allowed to procreate then who was?

What was so wrong with having children?

Children are a heritage

The Bible says in Psalm 127:3-4 that children are a heritage and reward from God. “Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them.” (Psalm 127:5) I had just had a Singleton and my mom was already telling me to quit.

Now I’m not insisting on persons having more than one child, but I don’t think one child fills a quiver! (Well, I guess it boils down to the size of the quiver in question!)

But I certainly don’t think one child warrants the drastic, virtually irreversible surgical intervention of a tie-off!

Parenting is a blessing

I believe parenting is a blessing. It is an awesome privilege. Besides the joy that children bring with their cute talk and funny footsteps, it is also an opportunity for a Christian couple to sow into the future; to impart godliness and uprightness into another generation.

Whether by birth or if you choose to adopt, (or both! My husband still talks about the idea of adopting even after having our third child!) a Christian parent is a blessed person.

I know there are too many sad news reports and photos and experiences of children suffering in overcrowded, terribly impoverished settings. But the reality of a curse does not nullify the truth of God’s word and His promise.

Can childbearing be a curse?

So how does one explain the evident contrast between the blessing of Psalm 127:3-5 and the seemingly unblessed existence that so many people have? I go to the Bible!

In Deuteronomy 28, we see God outlining blessings and curses for Israel. Blessings were to include a blessing on the fruit of the body and the blessing of being plenteous in the fruit of the body (vv 4 and 11).

Curses would include a curse on the fruit of the body; a curse in which their children would be given to another people and there would be a longing for them; a curse in bearing children but not being allowed to enjoy them because of their captivity; and (painful but true) a curse of actually cannibalizing their own children in famine (vv 18, 32, 41, 53-57).

So it is possible to have children but to have them in a condition that does not match up with Psalm 127. That’s just the reality.

But the curse isn’t my reality and if as Christian couples we walk in alignment with the will of God, the curse will never be our reality.

What matters in childbearing for Christian couples is the will of God and faith that He will take care of whoever comes along from our loins.

When God speaks

For some Christian couples the Lord will give a heads-up about pregnancy. I was one of those blessed few. Four months before I first conceived, a minister gave me a word that my womb was open for a miracle child.

Talk about a shock! My husband and I had not been talking or praying about starting to bear children. In fact, everything around us at that time pointed to the sign saying ‘not now!’

But God stepped in. He took the initiative and four months later I was having mood swings and food craves!

The setup for my second child was similar. An intercessor saw me with my first baby still fresh in motherhood at about five months, and said to me, “The next one is going to be born when she (my first child) is one year and three months.”

My mind could not even wrap itself around such a thought. My husband and I had settled into being the happy parents of one child. Now someone was telling me about another one?! And so close to each other! Well, when our daughter was one year and four months (just one day shy of the three months), our son was delivered.

Truth be told, another prophetess had specifically told me that I would have three children—two girls and one boy. One year after our son was born, we had our quiver full with our third child!

Faith, not fear, in parenting

Not all Christian couples have this kind of testimony. But all our children are still blessings from God whether or not God chose to tell us about them beforehand.

Christian parents are the best people in the world to raise children. Fear about financing them or about the kind of world they are coming into, should never get us panicking at positive pregnancy tests.

Always respond with thanksgiving for your soon-coming little blessing. Believe that because you fear the Lord, your children will be mighty in the land and that they will be blessed (Psalm 112:1-2). That’s certainly what I’m believing for mine!

Restoring Mary’s Humanity by Confronting Immaculate Conception