We live in a very different world than we did just eight months ago. The COVID-19 pandemic has dominated people’s lives. Some believers reacted by scoffing at calls to isolate and avoid contact with others. They said it was not worse than the flu and that politicians were blowing it out of proportion. Other believers huddled in their homes, wearing gloves and masks trying to avoid catching the virus. When masks became an issue(mandated), the divide was expanded. Those brethren who choose to wear a mask were branded as lacking in faith and those who didn’t wear the mask were stigmatized as uncaring and callous. Ole Ernest lived through the Spanish Flu back in the early part of the 20th century. Here is some information about the Spanish Flu everyone needs to see:

500 million people(1/3 of the world’s population) got the Spanish Flu. 50 million worldwide died- 675,000 in the U.S. It hit healthy people(young people) hard. It came in waves(3-4 depending on who you ask) and the second wave was the worst. It took a near complete shut down to stop it. Similar to what we are facing a century later, Americans were resistant and reluctant to give up their freedom to stop the spread.

Churches and pastors have been vocal about how important it is to meet, and some have defied state and local authorities and held services. They say God told us to not neglect assembling and they are gonna assembly. Pastor John MacArthur has faced down LA County government, but the battle continues. Read more about that here: https://capstonereport.com/2020/08/30/retaliation-la-county-cancels-lease-agreement-with-macarthurs-church/34912/

Here is Ernest Lee’s take on all this:

First, believers are to love their neighbor. Jesus said so in Mark 12:31. It’s part of the Great Commandment- Love God, Love your neighbor. When believers berate fellow believers about wearing a mask- or not wearing a mask- they are showing little love. They are being judgmental and Pharisaic. As for me, I don’t see the harm in wearing the stupid mask and if it prevents someone from getting this virus, then why not wear it? Wearing a mask is not the hill Ernest Lee wants to die on.

Second, believers are commanded to submit to government. Romans 13 is pretty clear. The government is there to protect those that do good and punish those that do evil. COVID-19 mask enforcement and closing of churches is hard to place in the protecting those that do good category. No doubt government has overreached and its not the government’s job to protect ourselves from ourselves, but when we face a very contagious virus, doesn’t it make sense to be careful? It’s disturbing when believers throw caution to the wind and openly rebel against reasonable requests by local governments. America is the land of the free and certainly its a person’s right to engage in risky behavior, but their recklessness ends where Ernest Lee’s nose begins. Many of these believers claim Biblical justification for their behavior, but here are a couple of scriptures they have to cut out with their penknife: Hebrews 13:17, Romans 12:18, 1 Cor. 8:9

Third, God is still on the throne! Throughout all this pandemic, politics, and strife, God is still in control of this world. Many of the believers who are creating havoc claim to believe that, but their actions say something else. In a time when the gospel is needed more than ever, believers are arguing over a small piece of cloth. May God have mercy on our country. May each of you stay safe during this pandemic. May pastors preach the gospel with power and clarity. May God regenerate dead hearts and people see their need of a Saviour. None of us will escape death(unless the Lord returns), but some believers are standing in the middle of the train track waiting for it to hit them. Focus on your purpose as a believer- Glorify God by letting your light so shine before men that others will see your good works and glorify the Father. Being rebellious, contentious, and confrontational is not a good testimony.

So is God doing a good job in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic? Is He paying attention? Does He care? Deist believe God created the world and then just set it in motion, gave mankind the ability to reason, and just sets back and observes. They use situations and circumstances like COVID-19, the 9-11 attacks, World Wars, and natural disasters of a God who is disconnected and not actively engaged with his creatures. Some(Dystheists) even go so far as to believe that God is not wholly good, and is possible evil. Theists believe Romans 8:28, which says: ²⁸ And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. But do ALL things work together for good?

First, Romans 8:28 doesn’t say all things are ‘good’- it says God works ALL things together for good. COVID-19 and the death and sickness it brings is not good and anyone who says it is ain’t got a clue. There are bad things in this world and death is our enemy. Don’t tell people to praise the Lord for COVID-19 or for the loss of their loved one. Sickness and death are our enemy, but God does use bad things to bring about good things in a believer’s life.

In his commentary on Romans, John MacArthur explains that God is working out our good during this present life as well as ultimately in the life to come. No matter what happens in our lives as His children, the providence of God uses it for our temporal as well as our eternal benefit, sometimes by saving us from tragedies and sometimes by sending us through them in order to draw us closer to Him. It’s like a pancake- there are two sides, but we only see the one side. Both sides are necessary and essential, but we only see the top. Back to Romans 8- in that passages there is what is known as the ‘golden chain of salvation.’ There is a progression in a believers life, ultimately leading them to GLORIFICATION. The ALL we go through prepares us for that glorification. R.C. Sproul does a good job of explaining it in this writing: https://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/golden-chain-salvation/

Second, God is actively engaged with His creation and His creatures. The Bible has accounts of several OT and NT characters who God directly, but let’s just take Joseph. From Genesis Chapters 30-46, we see God directing Joseph’s steps and not all his circumstances were good. He was sold into slavery by his brothers, wrongly accused by Potiphar’s wife, thrown into jail and was close to execution, but then God exalted him. The example of Joseph was that no matter the circumstances, good or bad, he trusted God.

John Piper has written a new book that is available on audiobook free. Here is the link. It’s a two hour listen, but ole Ernest Lee highly recommends it.

Third, is God doing a good job with COVID-19? The key is He is God and He makes no mistakes. He is holy, sovereign, righteous, and loving. He may be using this virus to punish the world- or He may be using it to cause people to think about their mortality- or He may be using it to slow down the hectic lifestyle pace of believers. But whatever his reason, we should say as Job:¹⁵ Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him. Job 13:15.

Ernest Lee ain’t the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I can’t for the life of me understand some of these fools who believe that ignoring sound counsel about the spread of this COVID-19 is Biblical. The same preacher in Louisiana who defied the Governor’s orders to not hold large gatherings now claims he will have services on Easter Sunday because God told him to do it. https://www.the-sun.com/news/661223/coronavirus-louisiana-pastor-easter-sunday-service-law/

Which brings us to the real question- Is Spell and Ernest Lee worshiping the same God? Just cause somebody slaps a sign on a building and calls it a church doesn’t make it one. Just cause somebody says they believe in God doesn’t make it so. The real question is WHO IS GOD. What are His attributes/characteristics? Most of the time, guys like Spell believe they are in charge, not God. They don’t take orders from no one, but God Himself, when in fact they don’t know the real God. In difficult times, the truly regenerated find comfort in who God is. They know His attributes . Take some time during this quarantine to study God’s attributes. I know, I know- you know what they are and have studied them before, but do it anyway- just for review. Ernest Lee believes God will bless you for doing it, use it still your heart and comfort you in times of uncertainty.

Here are some people and resources Ernest Lee recommends on the attributes of God:

Arthur W Pink was born in Nottingham, England in 1886, and born again of the Spirit of God in 1908. He studied at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, USA for only six weeks before beginning his pastoral work in Colorado. From there he pastored churches in California, Kentucky and South Carolina before moving on to Sidney, Australia for a brief period, preaching and teaching. In 1934, He returned to his native land, England, and in 1940 took up permanent residence on the Isle of Lewis, Scotland, remaining there until his death twelve years later in 1952. Pink was an odd duck by most accounts, but a brilliant theologian. He wrote a book titled, “The Attributes of God.” It is available online at https://chapellibrary.org:8443/pdf/books/aogo.pdf Pink believes God has 19 atrributes

(1) Solitariness (2) Decrees (3) Knowledge (4) Foreknowledge (5) Supremacy (6) Sovereignty (7) Immutability (8) Holiness (9) Power (10) Faithfulness (11) Goodness (12) Patience (13) Grace (14) Mercy (15) Lovingkindness (16) Love (17) Love of God to Us (18) Wrath and (19) Contemplation.

Pink’s list is comprehensive and well written. It is not for the causal Bible student, but written in a way that all can understand.

Josh McDowell studied at Kellogg College, completed his college degree at Wheaton College and then graduated from Talbot Theological Seminary. He was on staff with Campus Crusade for a while and has been in the ministry for over 50 years. He has a n extensive ministry in Russia. Josh ain’t as deep a Bible student as Pink, but he does have a short 6 page summary of some of God’s attributes that is a quick read. You can access it at https://s3.amazonaws.com/jmm.us/JoshTalks/Attributes+of+God/Discover+God%27s+Attributes.pdf?iframe=true&width=100%&height=100%

Fred G. Zaspel serves as a pastor at Reformed Baptist Church in Franconia, Pennsylvania, an adjunct professor of systematic theology at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. He has published a bunch of books. Zaspel, in conjunction with the Gospel Coalition has put together a course on 10 attributes of God. You can access it here- https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/course/the-attributes-of-god/#course-introduction

Ain’t this a Great Chart?

Ernest Lee’s prayer:

Father, we are living in uncertain times, but with You, the times are certain. We live in unsettling times, but with You, the times are settled. You are the giver of life, the healer of healers, and the great physician. You can eradicate COVID-19 immediately if you desire. You don’t need human instrumentality to develop a cure. You can kill the virus with a single stroke of Your mighty hand. All of that is Your business. As your creatures, we are put on this earth to glorify You with our lives and to enjoy You forever. We don’t know what Your will is concerning the purpose of COVID-19, but we know that whatever it is, it is good, because we trust that You are working ALL THINGS in our lives for our good. During this quarantine time, give us a desire to study to know more about You and the glorious Gospel. Still our anxious spirits and calm our tattered nerves. Bless us with grace and comfort us with the knowledge that You have this. Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for Thine is the kingdom, power and glory forever.

AMEN

Ernest Lee is no fan of government. I ain’t into ‘Anarchy,'(No government) which is the state of a society being freely constituted without authorities or a governing body. I lean more Libertarian(limited government) because that political philosophy seeks to maximize political freedom and autonomy and it gives believers more freedom to preach the gospel. But it slays me when professing believers are trashing the US government during this COVID-19 quarantine for trampling on their rights to move around, interact with people and do what they want. Some even go so far as to say that Quarantine is not scriptural, but that just ain’t so. Isolation, quarantining, seclusion, segregation and sequestrating were all done in the Bible. Here are just three of the sixteen Bible verses where people were quarantined:

~2 Kings 15:5: And the LORD smote the king, so that he was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house. And Jotham the king’s son was over the house, judging the people of the land.

~Leviticus 13:46: All the days wherein the plague shall be in him he shall be defiled; he is unclean: he shall dwell alone; without the camp shall his habitation be.

~Luke 17:12: And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:

Yeah, I know it was all lepers that were quarantined in these verses and the COVID-19 virus is not leprosy, but the fact remains- THE BIBLE ALLOWS FOR QUARANTINES. So what should a believer be doing during these unsettling times?

(1) Pray for God’s mercy! God can stop this virus in its tracks, by using human instrumentality or by simply killing the virus. It’s His business and as He said in Genesis 6:3: And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: His intervention will not be dependent on whether believers have enough faith to call down healing from heaven. It will not be dependent on how much reform happens in a believer’s life. IT WILL BE COMPLETELY DEPENDENT ON HIS MERCY! God is calling the shots- not man. Plead for His mercy.

(2) Comply with reasonable requests! Asking people to stay home is not unreasonable. Asking people to avoid close contact is not unreasonable. Ernest Lee read the account of the Louisana preacher who defied authorities and held services anyway because he believed the church had a right to assemble. Certainly, they had a right, but it wasn’t prudent to do so. With technology today, he could have live streamed his services and fed his flock with the Word, but instead he has made it about him, not about the Gospel. While it’s true, our liberty may be diminished in the short term, voluntary compliance is good common sense. This COVID-19 is not the common flu.

(3) Go deeper with God! Study the Word and learn more about the Creator of heaven and earth. Listen to Alistair Begg at Truth for life- https://www.truthforlife.org/ John Piper at Desiring God- https://www.desiringgod.org/ John MacArthur at Grace to You- https://www.gty.org/ and Jeremy Fair at https://www.christpresbyterian.church/resources-1 Read Charles Spurgeon at https://www.spurgeon.org/ or D. Martyn Lloyd Jones at https://www.mljtrust.org/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI1u_hqMnU6AIVCbSzCh3xmATNEAAYASAAEgLpUvD_BwE

Yep, the Jews quarantined their sick and kept them away from the healthy. This virus deal is a little different because we don’t know who is sick, so mass quarantine makes sense. Use this time to dial down the ME meter and dial up the God meter.

Old Ernest Lee has been taking some time off- social distancing they call it now. Sorry for not posting sooner about the virus. We need to make sure we understand during this time that GOD IS STILL ON THE THRONE. He is still in charge and nothing happens He doesn’t know about. There is a lot of misinformation out there and the media loves to ‘stir it up.’ It is also important we understand terms. Here are some definitions of infectious disease terms you need to know about:

PANDEMIC: the geographical spread of a disease that affects a whole country or the entire world.

EPIDEMIC: an outbreak of a disease that occurs over a wide geographic area and affects an exceptionally high percentage of the population

PLAGUE: a vector-borne infectious disease caused by the bacteria known as Yersinia pestis. There are three forms of plague in humans: bubonic plague, septicemic plague, and pneumonic plague.

COVID-19 is not a plague. It is a virus and a virus spreads by contact. When a person touches a person or a surface an infected person touched, they can potentially be infected. Apparently COVID-19 is a hearty virus and can be fatal to the elderly and those with underlying health issues. There isn’t a cure yet, so social distancing is probably not a bad idea until the virus settles down.

But COVID-19 has changed the world and those changes will be permanent. Like 9-11 created TSA and removing shoes to go through airport security became the norm, COVID-19 will probably make handshaking and causal hugs a thing of the past. But back to the spiritual lesson of COVID-19. Did God create it? The Bible says He created all things and so He must have created it. If so why did He create it? Here are some takes by some theologians on the spiritual implementations of COVID-19:

(1) Ralph Drollinger believes God sent COVID-19 to punish America for sin. Heres a link to his thoughts on it: https://capmin.org/is-god-judging-america-today/

(2) John Piper says COVID-19 is God’s ‘thunderclap.’ He says the message of Jesus to the world at this moment in history is to repent. Heres a link to his thoughts on it: https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/how-do-we-make-sense-of-the-coronavirus

(3) Anne Graham Lotz, Billy Graham’s daughter, says COVID-19 is a sign of the end of the world. Here’s a link to her thoughts on it: https://billygraham.org/story/anne-graham-lotz-is-the-coronavirus-a-sign-of-the-end/

In Ernest Lee’s opinion, they all could be right. America and the world deserves the wrath of God and punishment for wickedness, but I wouldn’t go as far as Drollinger and Lotz in ‘connecting the dots.’ We deserve God’s wrath and punishment all the time and the wickedness of man gets worse every day, so why did God send COVID-19 today. Piper’s take is more in line with scripture- God does things sometimes to get our attention. If his goal was to kill people, our feeble attempts at social distancing wouldn’t matter. As Luther said during the black plague, if God wants me, He will find me. Hiding in a bunker or at home watching TV will not protect you if its your time.

Ernest Lee lives in Oklahoma- I’ve been here for 113 years- born the same year as the state. Our governor, Kevin Stitt, called for a statewide prayer meeting in which several people prayed and a pastor repeatedly had people chant- LET HOPE RISE. If you want to watch the meeting, heres the link: http://www.kten.com/story/41943896/watch-live-statewide-prayer-and-worship-event-in-tulsa

Now, don’t get me wrong- Ernest Lee believes in prayer, but not the way Stitt and others in my state do. At his Governor’s prayer breakfast, Stitt and Craig Groeschel of Life Church stated PRAYER MOVES THE HEART OF GOD. See here: https://kfor.com/news/local/stitt-seeks-to-build-coalition-of-nonprofits-faith-based-organizations-through-be-a-neighbor-program/ What? I can change God’s mind? I can plead my case to a sovereign, eternal, UNCHANGEABLE Creator and He will change His mind? Stitt’s expressed view of prayer is dangerously close to a heresy called OPEN THEISM. If you want to know more about that, here is a link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_theism

So does prayer change things? It does- it changes Ernest Lee. It changes you. It’s a tool that conforms us to God’s will. But prayer doesn’t change God. GOD IS IMMUTABLE. That means He doesn’t change. God’s eternal decree(just one) is for eternity. It doesn’t need revision or changing. If God could change, He wouldn’t be God. For more on God’s Immutability, here is a link to a good article by Sam Storms, a fellow Oklahoman: https://www.samstorms.org/all-articles/post/the-immutability-of-god

So what should a believer do about the COVID-19? (1) Pray for God’s mercy! While God knows what He is going to do, we don’t. If Piper is right and this is ‘God’s thunderclap,’ then we should be listening. (2) Use this time as an opportunity to present the gospel. Death is on people’s minds. The Bible says it is appointed unto man once to die and after that, the judgment. Point unbelievers to Christ. Encourage them to seek Him in repentance and faith. (3) Don’t panic or become fearful. The worst that can happen to a believer is they die and go to heaven. (4) Don’t be reckless and careless in your interaction with other people. (5) Obey the authorities. God put them there. No doubt your ”liberty” will be limited for a while, but do something for the greater good. (6) Don’t play victim. Use this time as a time to ‘go deeper with God.’ Piper has an excellent article on how you can do that. Here is the link: https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/how-do-i-go-deeper-with-christ

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER- GOD IS IN CONTROL!

To sow discord is to say and do things which cause a group as a whole to distrust one another, and begin to argue and then to fight. Usually the ‘sower’ is acting AS IF he is not trying to cause arguments. Sowing discord is something done in secret, by deceit and subterfuge (sneakiness, gossip and lies).

Proverbs 6, Romans 16, Matthew 5, Matthew 18, 2 Peter 2 all deal with how to deal with discord and conflict. Here are three ways to spot a DISCORD SOWER:

(1) They twist words to win sympathy. They label complaints as ‘concerns’, their anger as ‘frustration’ and their bitterness as ‘misunderstanding.’ They are always the victim. They always have questions, but never answers.

(2) They show their emotions by their body language. They roll their eyes, grimace and shake their heads. Their body language communicates defensiveness.

(3) They aren’t team players. They don’t collaborate or communicate with others. They believe their opinion is the only one that matters.

It’s particularly concerning when the ‘discord’ sower is a leader. It is hard to follow a leader who is always inviting chaos, does change for change sake and is constantly creating drama?

The most effective leaders work to create an environment that will stimulate, motivate and develop people—who in turn will bring their best to work. Unfortunately, many otherwise qualified leaders try to create a chaotic culture in a heightened state of anxiety. They wrongly believe a calm environment means a lack of activity or purpose—that stress and chaos lead to greater drive and energy.

The truth is most people are better motivated by accomplishment than stress, and they accomplish more when they are at ease in a peaceful and secure environment than a constant state of change and chaos.

Leaders who demand blind loyalty, shun those who disagree with them are sowing discord. God don’t bless that mess!

The action or practice of criticizing someone in a treacherous manner while feigning friendship is known as backstabbing. While the word ‘back stabber or backstabbing’ is not in scripture, it was a common practice in Biblical times and remains so today. Let’s look at six examples of back-stabbing in the Bible:

Judas betrayal of Jesus. Matthew 27:3-5 says: ³ Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, ⁴ Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. ⁵ And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. To Christ’s face, Judas was his friend, but behind the Lord’s back, he conspired with the chief priests and elders and ultimately sold Jesus out for 30 pieces of silver. Later, he felt remorse, but not repentance. Judas didn’t seek forgiveness from the one he offended, but remained a VICTIM of his self-righteousness to his death.

Eve’s betrayal of Adam. The first man and wife, Eve believed the serpent and then convinced her husband to disobey. That disobedience resulted in the fall of mankind. In Genesis 3: 17-19, God pronounces judgment on Adam and Eve and their offspring: ¹⁷ And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; ¹⁸ Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; ¹⁹ In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

Cain’s betrayal of Abel. Cain, the firstborn, was a farmer, and his brother Abel was a shepherd. The brothers made sacrifices to God, each of his own produce, but God favored Abel’s sacrifice instead of Cain’s. Cain then murdered Abel, and God punished Cain by condemning him to a life of wandering. God warned Cain that sin would be “at his door” or that sin had a desire for him. This is a reminder to us that sin in our lives is always trying to persuade us to do bad things that dishonor God. Read Genesis 4 for the full account of Cain’s betrayal.

Jacob’s betrayal of Esau. Genesis 25:27-34 gives the account of Jacob getting Esau to sell his birthright. There is no indication that Esau was forced to sell it to Jacob. Jacob simply took advantage of the situation. In Genesis 27, Jacob fools his blind father Issac into giving him Esau’s blessing. In verse 36, Esau says, And he said, Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. Jacob’s name means supplanter, proxy, or understudy. While it was in God’s sovereign plan to use Jacob to become the father of the great nation of Israel, it was still sin for Jacob to supplant to get the blessing. God used deceitful Jacob, not because of his deceit, but in spite of it.

Joseph’s brothers betrayal of Joseph. Joseph’s ten older brothers were jealous that their father favored Joseph and sold him into slavery when he was seventeen. He served his slave master Potiphar faithfully, but Potiphar jailed him after hearing a false accusation. An inmate he’d aided forgot his promise to help clear his name, leaving Joseph imprisoned until he was thirty. Joseph triumphed over these betrayals. He went from prisoner to prince. How did he do it? In five ways: (1) Joseph stayed faithful to God, (2) Joseph served faithfully wherever he was, (3) Joseph embraced God’s blessings in the midst of suffering, (4) Joseph restored relationship with repentant betraying brothers, (5) Joseph recognized that God used the betrayals for his(and his brothers ) ultimate good.

Delilah’s betrayal of Samson. Delilah was a Philistine who entrapped Samson into revealing the secret of his strength was his long hair. She then betrayed him to his enemies. Judges 16:5 says, And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him; and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver. R C Sproul says this about the Samson/Delilah story: Samson drifted into sin one inch at a time, but finally there was a point when God withdrew his favor and denied him access to the gift of strength. Pride, presumption, and neglecting your spiritual gifts may result in the same end. What task has God set before you at this point in life? Are you aware of your privilege and, as Paul encouraged Timothy (2 Timothy 1:6), are you stirring up your gift into a righteous flame?

So how should you deal with backstabbers, sowers of discord, double dealers, and betrayers? First, stay calm and don’t retaliate. In many cases, that is exactly what the quisling wants you to do- react to their deceit. Don’t accommodate them. Remember, just because they are spreading tales about you or trying to hurt you, it doesn’t mean they are right. Second, never underestimate the power and persistence of a backstabber. People who sow discord and ‘stir the pot’ most often love doing it and underestimating their eagerness to hurt you is a mistake. Third, confront the backstabber using Matthew 18 if you feel the motive was not deceit. Be careful here. Often people confront backstabbers believing the deceiver will look at a situation the way they do, but the truth is the backstabber sees this as a sign of weakness and will seize the opportunity to take their backstabbing to the next level. Deceitful people are to be avoided, not confronted. Fourth, drop them out of your life and let it go. You don’t need to have a relationship with people who will pull you down spiritually and emotionally. Just accept the fact that there are people who are not meant to be your friends. I Cor. 15:33 says Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. Fifth, learn from the experience. By going through an experience with a backstabber, you will learn to be more discerning and observant. Backstabbers want to gain something for themselves and gain power over you. Often people who smile at you will behind your back attack you. Here are two universal characteristics of a chronic backstabber: (1) They love to stir up conflict and enjoy seeing people going at each other’s throats. (2) They always deny their role in spreading lies and are skillful at making their victims feel like the guilty party. Sixth, pray for the backstabber. More than reconciliation to you, they need reconciliation to God. A person who is a chronic backstabber is most likely lost. They need the saving grace of God. Until God regenerates their dead double dealing heart, they will not come to HIm. Pray that God moves on their heart and saves their soul.

A hero is a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. Willie and Waylon said their heroes had always been ‘cowboys.’ People who die on the battlefield in service for their country are rightly called ‘heroes.’ A role model is a person looked to by others as an example to be imitated. Some heroes are role models- others not so much. I remember sitting at a funeral of a Baptist pastor years ago and listening to someone sing, “The Wing Beneath My Wings,” and hearing the line- ” Did you ever know that you’re my hero-And everything I would like to be? I can fly higher than an eagle -For you are the wind beneath my wings.” Person after person talked about how great the pastor was(and he was a great man), but little was mentioned about how those filthy rags meant little to a holy and righteous God. A man I greatly admired leaned over and said: “I thought Christ was supposed to be our hero.” At another funeral where I gave the eulogy the keynote speaker was the president of a well known Bible College and instead of preaching the gospel, he paralleled the deceased attributes with those of a boy scout. This pastor was a man I knew well and he would have been disappointed the pure gospel was not presented to the 1,000 people in attendance. He always said, “Ernest, it ain’t about US,” but that was all his memorial service was about. Little mention of the person he had dedicated his life to preaching about.

U.S. Senator James Lankford, (R-OK) is an ordained Baptist preacher. He ran the largest youth camp in the world- Falls Creek. He has served in the U.S. House and is now in the Senate. Lankford is a conservative and has been a reliable supporter of President Trump. This weekend on FACE THE NATION, Lankford said: “I don’t think that President Trump as a person is a role model for a lot of different youth. That’s just me personally. I don’t like the way that he tweets, some of the things that he says, his word choices at times are not my word choices. He comes across with more New York City swagger than I do from the Midwest and definitely not the way that I’m raising my kids.” Immediately he was attacked by fellow Republicans because he didn’t ‘rubber stamp’ Trump’s behavior. For more of what Lankford said, go to https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/gop-sen-lankford-says-trump-isnt-a-role-model-i-dont-like-the-way-that-he-tweets

Three points and a poem:

First, Lankford is right about Trump not being a good role model for youth. While Trump is courageous and bold, he can be incendiary and unforgiving. Humility, lowliness, meekness, and mortification(all desired traits in scripture) are not his normal behavioral traits. No one should expect Lankford(or any other politician) to turn a blind eye to bad behavior. Stating it publicly or calling out a president in the same Party is probably not a good political move, but attacking a person for standing up for civility and their convictions is wrong.

Second, people don’t vote for a politician because they are heroes or role models. They vote for them for what the politician will do for them once they are elected. Elected officials are hirelings/employees/laborers. They work for the people they represent. Sadly most politicians shun serving and seek to be served. They have political ‘groupies’ who worship the politico as if they were a deity. Recognize a politician for what they are; a fallen sinner no better or worse than any other fallen sinner. Few politicians are heroes or role models because of the compromising nature of the business.

Third, the believer’s role model/hero must be Christ. Romans 8:29 says: “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.” Believers shouldn’t set up an athletic, a politician, a teacher, an entertainer or a preacher as a role model or hero. Their hero should be Christ. They should be seeking to transform their mind so they are conforming to the image of the Son(Romans 12:1-2).

So who are your heroes? Your role models? Are you teaching your kids to watch the life of Lebron James, Snoop Dog, Joel Osteen, or Donald Trump and emulate or mimic their actions? Are you trying to be more like Stephen Colbert, Lady Gaga, or Vanilla Ice? Or are you just teaching your kids and grandkids to follow their dreams and do what is right in their own eyes? The Bible says true believers will ‘conform to the image of the Son.’ EVERY BELIEVER! God may use different avenues, vocations, experiences, and relationships to achieve that conformity, but the goal will always be the same.

Alexander MacLaren (1826-1910) was a Scottish Baptist lay preacher. He was a contemporary of Charles Spurgeon, but not nearly as well-known. It was noted that MacLaren was one of the few preachers who spoke better than he wrote. His sermons were reported by stenographers and needed little correction. When MacLaren entered the study at 9am every morning to take up his sermon preparation, it is said that he would kick off his slippers and put on heavy outdoor work boots as a reminder to himself of the hard work he was about to do. It was this work ethic – coupled with his deep devotion to Christ and his Word – that brought MacLaren his reputation as “the prince of expositors.” For more on MacLaren, go to http://www.evangelical-library.org.uk/articles/Maclaren_Lecture.pdf. MacLaren wrote a poem titled WHEN I STAND AT THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF GOD.

When I stand at the judgment seat of Christ
And He shows me His plan for me;
The plan of my life as it might have been
Had He had His way, and I see
How I blocked Him here and I checked Him there
And I would not yield my will,
Shall I see grief in my Savior’s eyes;
Grief though He loves me still’

He’d have me rich, and I stand there poor,
Stripped of all but His grace,
While my memory runs like a hunted thing
Down the paths I can’t retrace.
Then my poor broken heart nigh will break
With tears that I cannot shed.
I’ll cover my face with my empty hands
And bow my uncrowned head.

Lord of the years that are left to me
I yield them to Thy hand.
Take me, make me, mold me
To the pattern Thou hast planned.

The Bible doesn’t mention anything about making New Year’s resolutions, but it does urge believers to examine their lives on a regular basis.  Lamentations 3:40 says, “Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord.”  Simply put, Christians should be making resolutions all the time.  An excellent example of that practice was Jonathan Edwards, the early American pastor.  Famous for the sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” Edwards made a list of 70 resolutions in 1722-1723 that he read weekly the rest of his life to remind himself of what his spiritual and physical goals were.  The list is available online and I would encourage you to read them.   Here is the link: http://twominutetheology.com/the-resolutions-of-jonathan-edwards/

Christianity Today wrote that President Trump should be impeached because of his lack of moral character/fiber. Some so-called Christian leaders jumped on their case and said ‘God used flawed people’ to accomplish His will. Three thoughts:

(1) All of us are flawed. We are born sinners. We inherited a sin nature from Adam and until God regenerates us, we are lost. We are flawed even after we are regenerated. Being flawed is a universal trait.

(2) All of us lack moral character/fiber. We fall short of God’s standard and whether it is by a foot or a mile, it’s still short. It makes little difference when God measures us against the righteousness of Christ. CT’s editor falls short, the defenders of Trump fall short, Trump falls short.

(3) All of this brew haha is temporal. It will pass and another so-called political crisis will take it’s place. As John MacArthur says, “the kingdom of darkness will do what the kingdom of darkness will do.” When believers take their eyes off the eternal and begin to focus on changing their culture by becoming RELEVANT and not REVERENT their culture is doomed. .

God did use many flawed leaders, sometimes wicked leaders, to lead His people and Trump is definitely flawed, but so was Obama, Bush, and every other president before them. But God used them in spite of their flaws and not because of them. When Christians ignore and excuse Trump’s foul mouth and continual insults in the name of political expedience, they are practicing situational ethics. They are excusing misbehavior/flaws/sin. That doesn’t mean the other side is better. In this case, the left leaning politicos feign outrage when they practice what they condemn. But believers should never lower God’s standards and excuse misbehavior on their side.

CT was wrong to ask for Trump’s impeachment and removal because being a rude, crude, socially unacceptable blowhard is not an impeachable offense. Congress can’t constitutionally get rid of a president because they don’t like him or what he says and that was what CT was saying. But their admonition to believers to be careful to not excuse sin is a good one.