Unstable People

Posted on by korgrocker

“They commit adultery with their eyes, and their desire for sin is never satisfied. They lure unstable people into sin, and they are well trained in greed. They live under God’s curse.”
2 Peter 2:14 NLT

How can any person be lured into sin? Such a thing is surely not possible. The Bible is a clear and indisputable source of what is right and wrong, and therefore must be the final arbiter over anything that even carries a hint of sin. But one thing I have noticed in my pilgrimage through life is that some people become overly dependent on the minister or pastor for their spiritual lives. And I have also noticed that some ministers or pastors, through their own insecurities, foster dependent relationships. These are mainly harmless I’m sure, because the leaders I have known are people of integrity and well founded in the Bible and its teaching, but the influence is there. This is something that I personally came upon as a young Christian, and I experienced much hurt and disappointment when the person I looked up to didn’t quite live up to my expectations. My house of cards came tumbling down, and I believed God spoke to me about only being dependent on Him, and Him alone. Yes, we look to our pastors for teaching and leadership, but not for an unhealthy relationship. We must hear God for ourselves – that is why Jesus came to this world, that we might have a personal relationship with Him. And that is what good pastors teach.

But that is not what Peter was writing about in 2 Peter 2:14. He was referring to deliberately-false teachers, and the previous verses call them out for their fruit. Peter writes, “they scoff at things they don’t understand“, they do harm, “they love to indulge in evil pleasures”, “they delight in deception”, and so on. Peter is very scathing about such people. We wonder who he had in mind when he wrote this, but what we do know is that the churches Peter was writing to don’t exist today. Perhaps, in the end, the false teaching prevailed, because what has been proved time and time again in history is that a church that lapses into error will, sooner or later, disappear. As an aside, the established Presbyterian and Anglican churches in the UK are in serious decline, and perhaps this is because what they teach is no longer distinct from the society around them. Are they in fact guilty of luring “unstable people into sin”? God will not bless anyone who rejects or corrupts His teachings and principles, and He will turn His back upon them. But we shouldn’t be surprised when people end up in a sinful place. Paul wrote to Timothy, “For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths.” Thankfully, His grace and mercy will prevail, and anyone who falls into error has a path back into His arms through Jesus.

Jeremiah heard some hard words, about false prophets, from God, and he wrote them down in Jeremiah 14:14-15, “Then the Lord said, “These prophets are telling lies in my name. I did not send them or tell them to speak. I did not give them any messages. They prophesy of visions and revelations they have never seen or heard. They speak foolishness made up in their own lying hearts. Therefore, this is what the Lord says: I will punish these lying prophets, for they have spoken in my name even though I never sent them. They say that no war or famine will come, but they themselves will die by war and famine!” I think we can see that being either a false prophet or teacher might not be a good place to be in!

Some leaders sadly fall into immorality, and, because of that, inevitably some of their followers will commit the same sins. People in their churches will see their leaders as role models, worthy of respect and admiration even. But apart from some high profile cases that get mentioned in the news, most leaders are good people who try and pastor their flock well. They take seriously the verse, “Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you” (1 Timothy 4:16). One church I knew had a leadership that decided that they shouldn’t drink alcoholic beverages. They took this stand because their church was located in a culture that had a problem with alcoholism, and they adopted this position to show that an alcohol-free lifestyle was possible. Their counter-cultural leadership was commendable.

But returning to “unstable people”, the Apostle James wrote, “But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do” (James 1:6-8). In the end, regardless of anything else, our “faith is in God alone“. It’s all about Jesus and following Him with inspiration and help from the Holy Spirit. There is no other way in which we can avoid the erroneous messages of false teachers.

Dear Father God. Only You have the words of eternal life. Please help us to follow them, we pray. Amen.

The Second Death (3)

Posted on by korgrocker

“But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practise magic arts, the idolaters and all liars – they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulphur. This is the second death.”
Revelation‬ ‭21:8‬ ‭NIVUK

“But as for the cowards and unbelieving and abominable [who are devoid of character and personal integrity and practice or tolerate immorality], and murderers, and sorcerers [with intoxicating drugs], and idolaters and occultists [who practice and teach false religions], and all the liars [who knowingly deceive and twist truth], their part will be in the lake that blazes with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
Revelation‬ ‭21:8‬ ‭AMP‬‬

What are “intoxicating drugs”, as described in the Amplified version of this Revelation 21:8? It used to be the fact that alcohol-based beverages were the only way intoxication could be achieved. The first mention we can find of wine in the Bible was when Noah got drunk. We read in Genesis 9:21, “One day he drank some wine he had made, and he became drunk and lay naked inside his tent.” But I would think that fermented drinks must have been around before then. Throughout the Bible there seems to be an acceptance of alcohol but accompanied by warnings to avoid excess. Proverbs 20:1, “Wine produces mockers; alcohol leads to brawls. Those led astray by drink cannot be wise.” Paul wrote to the Ephesians, as recorded in 5:18, “Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit”. But in it all, and especially in societies where clean water was scarce, a beverage with an alcohol content was considered to be acceptable. 

Sadly, in modern times, a whole wealth of products that cause intoxication have become available. Just the other day I discovered an empty canister of nitrous oxide, a gas used for anaesthesia, amongst other things, on a park bench near where I live. An example of a medical substance being abused for recreational intoxication. And then there is the illicit manufacturer and trade in natural and synthesised products, all of which are collectively called “drugs” and which cause varying effects including intoxication and addiction. In my home country of Scotland, fondness for alcohol is endemic in some sectors of society, to the extent that social and health problems abound, with a shortened life expectancy being common. And Scotland has gained the dubious distinction of being referred to as the drug capital of Europe.

In the Amplified version of Revelation 21:8, sorcerers assisted by “intoxicating drugs” are singled out for God’s judgement. It is a fact that substances that affect our minds will lead to all sorts of unacceptable results, and the openness to things of the occult is just one of them. The use of drugs of any kind will lead to a breakdown in inhibitions and will open a door for the devil to enter with his nefarious arts and acts. The ingestion of drugs will lead to mental aberrations and illness, hallucinations being one of them. People start taking drugs to try and relieve their symptoms of stress, misery, and to try and forget their problems. But the root causes of their distress are still there when the effects wear off. And a cycle of taking drugs develops, leading to addiction and worse. Thankfully, God is bigger than any drug and people have been miraculously healed from a lifetime of drug addiction. If they want to be.

In our verse today, God warned John about ”all the liars [who knowingly deceive and twist truth]”. Ouch! Who has never told a lie? Why is it that human beings try and get out of a difficult spot by lying about it? We know what is right and yet we do what is wrong. There are plenty of Biblical warnings about the dangers of telling lies. Proverbs 12:22 is just one example, “The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in those who tell the truth.” Colossians 3:9, “Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds.” 

But there is another insidious development of lying that seems to have emerged in recent times. And that is disinformation. Social media has presented an opportunity for people to express their opinions on anything they choose, and much of it can be twisted to present a conclusion which is a lie. It goes something like this. A few words can be taken out of context from a scientific report on, for example, a vaccine, and developed into a theory that is different to what the author of the original report intended. And then this theory is presented on the internet as fact, and this soon attracts a huge following of readers who believe it. So we end up with the anti-vaccine movement, peddling conspiracy theories about dark government actions against society. All because of misinformation. All based on lies. 

Another problem comes from our news bulletins and newspapers. To try and get a balanced view of, for example, world events, involves a knowledge of who wrote the article, and what their political persuasion is. We pilgrims need to be discerning when it comes to reading the news, sifting facts from opinions. More potential misinformation. More potential lies. 

God was quite clear about the need to always tell the truth. We won’t get it right all the time, but, thankfully, we have a loving Heavenly Father who cares for us and to whom we can take our sins and ask for forgiveness. Revelation 21:8 is a verse that does not fit well in modern society. The steady drip drip of the devil’s influences warp and twist society drawing it away from God and His ways. There is only one way to stand firm in God’s truth, and that is to read, follow and implement His Word in our lives. There is no other way. When Jesus’ teaching become too counter-cultural for the people of His day, many left Him. But with Peter, we echo John 6:68-69, “Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.”

Dear Lord. You indeed are the only One who has the Words of eternal life. We praise and worship You today. Amen.

Getting Drunk

Posted on by korgrocker

“Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Ephesians‬ ‭5:18-20‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Drunkenness. As Paul wrote, it ruins lives. But not only the lives of the drunk but the lives of those in their families and communities. Health destroyed. Destitution probable. The future for an alcoholic is bleak except for the fact that there is a loving Heavenly Father. There are many testimonies from men and women who have found healing and a new life through the power of the Holy Spirit, prayer and care leading to salvation and freedom. And it started with a pilgrim introducing a drunk to Jesus. But from those who don’t find God, the slippery slope can end in an early death with the final years blighted by illness and misery. I know because that is what happened to my sister-in-law. 

On my early morning prayer walks, there is a man I occasionally meet who is an alcoholic. The ravages of drink are clearly visible in his face. His unsteadiness on his feet, even first thing in the morning, betrays a legacy of inebriation. He is usually locked into his own world, but I try and speak with him, desperately trying to find common ground over which we can walk and talk together. Always looking for an opportunity to share the love of God. One day, when he was more lucid than usual, he opened up and shared how he would love to get a job. But in the natural world he was a reject. A man to be managed, rather than helped, by the society around him. But in God’s kingdom there is a place for him. God will never turn away a repentant sinner. I’ll keep trying to introduce him to the love and forgiveness of God. And I’ll pray for him in the meantime.

A dear lady I know is a very committed Christian in a family blighted by alcohol and drug addiction. It’s a family where misery and devastation is constantly knocking at the door. She is a lung cancer survivor but suffers from constant ill-health. Her brother, a lovely Christian man who I once had the privilege of knowing, died in his forties from lung cancer – he was a very heavy smoker. Her husband, died young, what of I don’t know because she doesn’t speak of him. This lady had four children – three boys and a girl – but sadly in the past year or so the two oldest boys have died in their forties of substance misuse – alcohol and drugs. A family destroyed. A family devastated.

So Paul was right when he advised not to get drunk on wine. I would add to his list beer, and anything else containing alcohol, while we’re at it. And I’m sure if drugs were available in his day he would have been writing about them as well. He wasn’t advocating teetotalism. He was just saying that we must stop drinking wine before we get drunk. I personally have no objection to drinking wine. It can be a pleasant companion to a good meal. Or perhaps something that would be appropriate in a social setting. But like many things in life, an alcoholic beverage is good in small quantities, dangerous if taken to excess. And potential addiction is always lurking in dark corners.

As pilgrims in our societies, moving slowly but surely through the corridors of life, alcohol will never be far away. Premises dispensing alcohol are ubiquitous, at least in Western societies. So as Christians we cannot avoid contact with drinks that contain alcohol. Of course, we can exercise our right to free choice, and replace them with soft drinks. And alcohol-free wines and beers (and even gin I understand) is available. Drunkenness is a dark place for many but we can shine our light into the lives of needy people who have been seduced by an alcohol-fuelled lifestyle. We can show a better way. And we can share God’s love and compassion with people who have been left to their fates by institutions and governments who seem powerless or unwilling to get involved in their misery. 

Paul goes on to write about being filled with the Holy Spirit, but more of that in tomorrow’s blog.