The three topics I chose to write on include: evolution, abortion, and teaching/preaching the Gospel in public schools. Evolution is possibly one of the biggest issues that our culture has put forth against Christianity. They call us science deniers and law haters; however, their “evidence” is nothing but fantastic artwork and unbelievable made-up details about historical fossils. The Bible teaches that God made the earth in six days and rested on the seventh (Exodus 20:11; Genesis 1). Evolution teaches chance and survival, while the Bible preaches the Truth that God created this world in order, and He created a perfect system (before sin of course) for humanity to live in and walk with Him! Although the Bible doesn’t explicitly call out evolution as a false belief, we see that Paul foretold of men who would accumulate for themselves people who will teach what their “itching ears” want to hear (2 Timothy 4:3-4). This includes evolution which the world has widely accepted in order to not have to accept Christianity and the Bible. However, the Truth is there are two options: (1) choose to believe God and His Word of Truth or (2) create your own culture of falsehood which will gain you nothing in eternity except a permanent punishment in Hell for your unrepentant sins!

            Another major issue in our world is the evil sin of abortion. It is an afront to God’ character for three reasons: (1) humans are made in the image of God, (2) infant lives are precious before the Lord, and (3) the Lord tells us very blatantly and explicitly that murder is wrong. First of all, human beings were created in the image of God according to Genesis 1:26-27. This means we have a soul, emotions, and a mind. Each of these alone should be enough to preserve human life as much as we can; however, our culture attacks each of these by telling us that the child “is not living at that point.” Secondly, infant lives are precious in the sight of God! Psalm 127:3 tells us that children are a gift from the Lord. Children are precious, and we see that our Lord used children as an example of faith to full grown men. Jesus brings over a young child and tells his disciples that they cannot get into Heaven unless they have the faith of a child. Children are precious gifts from the Lord. We see Paul resurrect a young boy named Eutychus who fell asleep during Paul’s sermon and fell out the window, dead (Acts 20:7-12). To finish discussing the issue of abortion and what the Bible has to say about it, we will quickly mention Exodus 20:13 which is excruciatingly exact in stating that murder is wrong. Killing any human being is wrong because of all three of these reasons.

            To finish up everything I’ve discussed so far, I will finish by arguing for Gospel teaching in the public schools. The Bible is the ultimate well of Truth. It gives us everything necessary in order to live a godly life (2 Peter 1:3-4). Without this Truth in the schools, there is no accountability for Truth or standards. They are all based on a corrupted morality that comes with every sinner who is born on this planet. Paul writes to Timothy in his second letter and addresses that children who are trained and raised in the Scriptures possess the knowledge of salvation. The ultimate goal of teaching the Scriptures is to lead one to the knowledge of salvation. Without this, the children in public secular schools will most certainly never receive the Gospel unless from an outside source through the Grace and Providence of God. This is why schools should teach the Gospel and include the Bible as part of their teaching.

     Much talk has been raised in Christian circles about the "He Gets Us" movement. Many gladly welcome the seemingly positive attention of our Lord and Savior. Many have no quarrel or "a bone to pick" with this ideal. However, this is at odds with what our Lord said, "If the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated you" (John 15:18-25). Our Lord Jesus is being used as a "brand" to support marginalized members of modern society.

     This campaign, created by these so-called crusaders, is guilty of deemphasizing Biblical Truth and promoting Jesus as a martyr for civil rights and social justice. Jesus is promoted as a refugee, a crusader who disdained hypocrisy, who was unfairly judged by others. Jesus was a refugee because He was rejected for the Truth about sin that He taught.

     He created a very uncomfortable society air of the Jewish leaders who were self-righteous. The Pharisees were the center of Jesus' condemnation during His earthly ministry. Jesus accused them of hypocrisy between their lives and their teaching. They always thought themselves above others. Jesus quoted the Old Testament when He stated: "This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me" (Mark 7:6-7, Isaiah 29:13). This hypocrisy Jesus preached against was a matter of sin, not political discord between two opposing parties.

     The latest ad I saw quoted, "Jesus' family was messy too." On their official site, this is what they have to say. "We've done a lot of homework on our culture." You must notice they didn't say that they studied Jesus' teaching. But I will be fair and quote you more context. "We researched how people feel about each other and what they think about Jesus and Christianity...Our agenda is to rediscover the love story of Jesus. Christians. Non-Christians, and everybody in between. All of us." (Note: They don't say unbelievers as a negative acknowledgement of our spiritual status before Christ. This rejects the entire teaching of Jesus, completely nullifying what they claim to be giving others). All of these statements tug at the sentimental strings of the world's heart. Sadly, the tune they play does not match the life that Jesus lived.

     They claim that Jesus gets us; however, what Jesus did was more than we could ever imagine. So, when we see people "branding" and confining Jesus to an emotional soapbox, we must remember that God is not concerned with your physical as much as He is your spiritual. As a pastor I know once said, "God is so concerned with your spiritual that He is willing to allow temporary earthly physical pain and hardship in order to breach and reach your immortal soul."

     Jesus came to serve as the ultimate sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins. That's the ultimate love of God that our Lord taught and lived. "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a random for many" (Mark 10:45). Jesus is coming back soon, and we must share the Truth of THAT Gospel, not a hopeless ideal about fake love. Jesus' Love is open to all that all may have the chance to be saved, as John 3:16 tell us. We can't begin to understand the love of God, but through Divine intervention, we have a chance to know Him and who He says He is. Not what our culture says. Not what unbelievers say. It's about who Jesus says He is.

     He made us, and we ought to remember our sub-humble deposition of worship before the Almighty Holy God. "For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus understands our struggles and our pain. He came to rescue us from our sins and our struggles if we only turn to Him in repentance and believe in Christ!

     Christ’s injunctions from Matthew 5 are not to be taken literally. Christ is merely speaking to the intensity of the temptation of the flesh. Having been corrupted by sin so immensely and deeply, (Romans 3:23; 1` Corinthians 15:50) our flesh cannot produce godly desires on our own. We need to keep ourselves to a strict standard to defend our minds against the temptations of the flesh. I believe Jesus is clearly stating that we need to have strict disciplines for our bodies and minds as we seek to glorify God. As the beginning of 1 Chronicles 22:19 says, Now set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God.” Our life before Christ is shaded and drowned out by the noise of the flesh’s desires. We need to make an intentional change to accept Christ into our hearts, but this does not mean we easily dodge the desires, but in fact, the temptations may be harder to resist.

     1 Corinthains 10:13 promises us, “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” God allows times for you to grow in your discipline of your body, and He provides the escape that you can, with the Lord’s strength, overcome the desires of the flesh, and you will defeat the temptation as well as grow in your spiritual strength.

     Now, with all this talk about temptation, let us go back to the first passage in Matthew 5:29-42. Jesus speaks about “pluck out your eye”, “one of your members to perish”, and “turn the other (cheek) to him also”. Jesus is not saying to literally pull out your eye or cut off your leg. The Lord was speaking to the discipline of the believer’s soul and mind. You need to be intentional and harsh in your discipline. In Jesus’ time of temptation, He responded with Scripture. When you are struggling with sin and the desires of the flesh, you should remember the response against temptation that our Lord had. Since Scripture teaches us how to live for God’s glory, that would imply restraining ourselves from following after temptation, we should be just as eager to study and know the Scriptures so that we can easily deflect temptation when it comes by relying on our only source of strength, who is God. Even in the face of such strong temptation as Joseph faced in Genesis 39:6-21, Joseph responded with what the Will of God was for marriage. We need to fall back on God’s Word which leads us to live lives worthy of the calling with which we were called.

     This is why Jesus’ injunctions from Matthew 5 are so important. They are not talking about cutting of your leg, eyes, or arms. It is a spiritual sickness that needs to be solved with a spiritual salve which is provided by God in His Word. Seek God’s guidance, and you will be able to avoid temptation and the urge to gratify your sinful desires of the flesh. In doing so, you will glorify God with all your body instead of giving into your sinful flesh.

     Jesus speaks many times throughout the Scriptures about people, comparing them to sheep. People are like sheep inasmuch as they follow their leader. If you are a spiritual sheep of the world, you will follow after the world’s wants and desires. But if you’re a spiritual sheep for God’s Glory, it will still be hard because we have that sinful tendency to put ourselves into danger, as many sheep do. However, when we are actually obeying and listening to the voice of the Good Shepherd, we will be successful in our journey to eternity as sheep of Christ’ fold.

     Here are five examples of people referred to as sheep in the Scriptures. The first one comes from John 10. This passage talks about the Good Shepherd, and people are referred to as sheep to be watched over. The sheep hear and know the voice of the Good Shepherd. People who are of the fold of God cannot be taken or stolen away because Christ protects them because they are of His Father’s fold. This passage implies that people, like sheep, need protection.

     The second New Testament reference to people as sheep comes out of Matthew chapter ten. In Matthew 10:16, Jesus describes His followers as sheep going out into the midst of wolves. Jesus describes His disciples in this way referring to the natural frailty of sheep, especially in the presence of such dangerous predators.

     Thirdly, Matthew 25:31-33 discusses the difference between the sheep and the goats being separated for judgment. Jesus refers to His own as the sheep, implying that we are His followers who follow after Him and know His voice and have been faithful to Him. Unlike the goats who are naturally stubborn, and this refers to those who have rejected Jesus in their stubborn, stiff-necked minds.

     The fourth passage that refers to people as sheep, Hebrews 13:20-21 speaks to our purpose to glorify God, but it refers to Christ sustaining to do good works to glorify His Name. This speaks to the natural need of sheep to be fed.

     To finish up, John 21:15-17 has an interesting reference to people as sheep. Jesus entrusts the teaching of His Word to His disciples, implying that these sheep need a leader or otherwise, they will not know what is right. This is why Jesus refers to future believers in this passage as sheep to be tended to and fed.

    Jesus uses the phrase ego eimi or “I AM” many times throughout the Gospel of John, but here are just ten specific instances and applications...

    (1) The first reference comes from John 6:35 where Jesus says that He is the bread of life. He is the sole sustainer of eternal life itself. (2) Again, in John 6:51, Jesus refers to Himself as “the living bread which came down from heaven.” This reiterates the fact that Jesus came from Heaven which references back to the Old Testament when God sent manna from heaven while Israel was in the wilderness. However, unlike the manna, Jesus’ life that He brings leads to eternality and is sufficient. (3) John 8:12 describes Jesus as “the light of the world”. He is the ultimate beacon that shines and illuminates the heart of man, giving them hope of salvation and eternal life. (4) Jesus says, in John 8:18, “I AM One who bears witness of Myself.” This statement declares that God was His witness for what He was doing, claiming that He was one with the Father. (5) “I am the door” is quoted by Jesus in John 10:9. He is the only means of passage to the Father for us helpless sheep to follow after Christ.

    (6) A little later in John 10:11, Jesus calls Himself the “Good Shepherd”, meaning that He not only is the door to salvation, but He guides His own to the gateway to eternal life. (7) John 11:25, one of the biggest miracles took place in this chapter, but what’s even more amazing is Jesus’ claim to be “the resurrection and the life”. Jesus declared that He brings life and has power even over death. This should give us peace, and we should have nothing to fear, not even death. (8) In John 12:32, Jesus references the cross by saying “if I AM lifted up from the earth.” This is an implication to His imminent death in which He would provide the sacrifice so that we can freely pass through the door of eternal life through faith in Christ Jesus and all that He is. (9) “I AM the way, the truth, and the life” states John 14:6. Jesus is again declaring His superiority and sole dispenser of all truth, He is the ONLY way to the Father, and He is the ONLY one who sustains and creates life.

    (10) Finally, to end this section, John 15:1 says, “I AM the true vine.” Jesus again uses this picture of being a sustainer, and how He is the only One who can give life. Apart from His vine, you cannot bear fruit. It’s impossible. As all of these declarations have spoken, Jesus is everything we need and provides all the necessary tools and guidance so that we do not miss the door to eternal life so we can seek to glorify God better knowing that "I AM" is on our side!