Author: lesterhutson316

A handy way to extend your authority beyond yourself is to invoke the name of God. God told me. I command you in the name of Jesus! I’m sure God understands. Just let a chap hit the wrong nail with a hammer, stump his toe or get into a heated shouting match. How quickly the tongue gets loose on both ends and the name of God flies out like bullets. Most big movie stars are really good at it and little children pick it up like candy. It’s quickly integrated into their language. Somehow a mouth full of GD’s and JC’s make them feel big, mean, impressive and tough.

It was God Himself who said, “Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain,” Exodus 20:7. No cussing! There was a day when a sizeable amount of soap was used in cleansing foul-mouthed boys. God-fearing people know cussing is wrong.

It is sad to observe that many of those “God-fearing people” are good (really good) at using God’s name in vain in other ways. It happens in bull sessions. They stand around a water fountain and out comes the opinions about God, church and what’s right and wrong. Seems that everyone is his own authority on God and what God thinks. On virtually everything!

Churches are notorious for it. In the name of God the Baptists are teaching things that contradict the Church of Christ, the Lutherans are on another page and the Pentecostals are somewhere else. The Methodists and Catholics are far apart and the Presbyterians are sure they are all wrong. They’re as far as the east is from the west, but ironically they are all invoking the name of God to support their positions.

Preachers have refined the name of God in support of whatever they want to a fine art. God is leading me in this direction. I’ve prayed about this and it’s the will of God. Building programs, new worship styles, new twists on ancient biblical doctrines, new ideas on standards! They’re quick to point out: I’m God’s man. It’s as if I have a direct line to God; nobody else knows what God wants. Yes! God is the BIG GUN. His name is invoked so I can get my way and prevail over all others. Even when their way destroys a church they hide behind a fig leaf and say, “God is in control; this was His will.” What a cop-out! Blame it on God; take no personal responsibility. A lot of dirt has been swept under the carpet in the name of God.

What is Islamic Jihad? It is holy war in the name of God: planes into the World Trade Center, suicide bombers, the wholesale slaughter of innocent women and children, hatred, terrorism! All in the name of God! Across the board of society the name of God is to justify everything. Talk about misuse and abuse! It’s not surprising that multitudes hate religion.

Taking the name of God in vain is far, far more than nasty cuss words. It’s also invoking the name of God to support things and positions that are not at all of Him. In fact, He has gone on record in His Word that He is in opposition of much of what is done in His name. Invoking the name of God in support of anything He does not support is taking His name in vain.

It seems that nearly everybody has an opinion about God and what He thinks. Never confuse opinions with His stated positions. They are expressed quite clearly in His Word which is the Bible, and the Bible is provable. It will stand inspection. The way it came into existence, its 100% prophetic track record and its perfect harmony all prove it to be the work of God, not man. Give the Bible a chance. See for yourself. To know God’s position go to His Word, to the place where He said who He is and what He thinks on the issues.

Whether in a pulpit or at a pool table think twice before you invoke the support and backing of God for what you say and do. God has a position on everything: sex, homosexuality, same-sex marriages, abortions, child rearing and discipline, money management, morality, church life, who He is and how to go to heaven. Before you proceed to say what He thinks on any subject, be sure you express His position and not your own opinion. He doesn’t like being misrepresented. Thou shalt not!

Before you put yourself in the position of spokesman for God, be sure you get it right. And, do not be intimidated or influenced by anyone who comes to you in the name of the God, but whose message does not match the Bible.

Ambassador! What’s that? “An official of highest rank sent to represent his government in a foreign country. Any person sent as a representative or messenger.” (Webster). A survivalist! A person with a very different mindset! The central idea is survival, continuing to exist. We’re all familiar with the new wave of Survivor television shows. Be the last one standing. Survive at any cost. Deceive, cheat, hide, bully, kill, sell your soul, do anything it costs. It’s okay as long as you survive. Now TV has gone a step farther and there are the Doomsday Preppers. They remind me of a good many Christians I know.

As blood-bought, born again believers in Jesus Christ, is that all we are? People just trying to hold out and survive till the end? Is getting saved, waiting for the rapture and holding out till we die all there is to being a Christian? Is Christianity nothing more than a ticket to heaven? Even a kindergarten Bible student knows better.

Yes! We’re in an increasingly hostile world. A large percentage of this world hates Christianity. They do not like Christians. Christianity runs counter to the survival of the fittest and rule by raw force. It’s for freedom and liberty of conscience and is an affront to dictators and totalitarian regimes. Christianity is for the sanctity of life and stands in the way of murder, whether it is citizens killing other citizens, mothers killing their unborn babies, the euthanizing of the infirmed or elderly or the way Adolph Hitler did it. Christianity is pro family and defines a legitimate marriage as a legal union between a man and a woman; and that puts Christians in harm’s way with homosexuals, advocates of same-sex marriages and polygamists. Christianity is about wholesome, moral living. Promiscuous people, thieves, drug abusers, bullies, adulterers and child abusers have a problem with that. Christianity is about truth and honesty, doing good rather than evil, giving and forgiveness, loyalty, patriotism and law-abiding lifestyles. Christianity offers hope (in this life and the world to come), but it says hope is only in one person, Jesus Christ. One must have a personal relationship with Christ and that relationship comes only by grace through faith in Him. All other religions are offended that Christians would claim to have the only way of salvation.

The world is ratcheting down on those who believe and practice true biblical Christianity. Yes! Right here in America! Discrimination seems to be the leading tool of choice. Failure to fall in line and accept all that is politically correct (especially homosexuality) is considered discrimination. Because they stand for Bible positions Christians are considered intolerant. In the eyes of a growing number of legal ways that intolerance cannot be tolerated. (Go figure out that stance.) Remember the photographers in New Mexico who politely declined to photograph a same-sex marriage because it contradicted their deeply held Christian convictions! The New Mexico Human Rights Commission fined them for violating the state’s anti-discrimination laws. Yes, anti-discrimination! The case went all the way to the New Mexico Supreme Court which decided that New Mexico’s anti-discrimination law “compels” people “to compromise the very religious beliefs that inspire their lives.” The court explained that this is simply “the price of citizenship.” In Missouri the National Parks Service recently required churches to obtain a special uses permit in order to baptize in public waters. After an uproar and intervention by an elected representative the Park’s Service backed off; however, similar efforts have been tried in other states. Have you noticed the anti-Christian wave in the U.S. Military, particularly the Air Force? Fox News reported that the Pentagon directed an Air Force Base to remove a video tribute to First Sergeants because it mentioned the word “God.” The Pentagon said the word might be offensive to atheists or Muslims. Todd Starnes reports that Senior Master Sergeant Phillip Monk at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio was relieved of his duties after he disagreed with his openly gay commander when she wanted to severely punish an instructor who had expressed religious objections to homosexuality. His commander said his position is discriminatory. This case demonstrates the growing trend of government to punish those who refuse to openly agree with anti-biblical positions.

Do not imagine that you will be immune, that this trend will not ultimately reach you. It will: where you work, when you buy or sale your house, on your income tax return, through what you say to a friend or neighbor. When Hitler was doing his thing many fine Christian Germans thought it would never reach them. It did. Christian, the trend that is escalating in America will one day reach you. Especially if you are an Ambassador for Christ!

Yes! You can go into survival mode; many are already there. Maybe you can stay under the radar a little longer. Though the centuries, many who named the name of Christ have crumbled under pressure. Peter did it on that infamous night when the Savior was tormented and sentenced to die. Even a shallow dive into the pages of Christian history following the days of Christ will show you multitudes of Christian pretenders, those who spent their lives in survival mode. We are getting very close to a purge of Christian ranks. Already I am seeing more and more a survivalist mentality: Christians who are afraid to stand and speak up (except in their little circles). I don’t like controversy. I don’t want to get involved. I really don’t know what to say or do. It’s the blend in, stay under the radar, go with the flow, survivor mentality.

What a sad commentary on Christians! According to the Bible, we are ambassadors. “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:20). We are “strangers and pilgrims” (1 Peter 2:11) here on earth; our real citizenship is in heaven. “For our conversation is in heaven; for whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20). Awesome! God saved us from eternal damnation in the lake of fire, gave us heavenly citizenship and chose us to be His representatives here on earth for the duration of our lifetimes. What an honor and privilege! “Ye are the salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13). “Ye are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). Don’t hide your light, your influence and testimony; maximize it! “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). This is no time for God’s people to be hiding in the stuff or in some closet. “Let the redeemed of the LORD say so” (Psalm 107:2). It’s time to stand up! Let the positions of our great God be heard and seen in our voices and lives! The apostle Paul said, “Now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed” (Romans 13:11). Jesus said, “Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning . . . Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching” (Luke 12:35-37).

It’s pretty easy to throw stones; however, Jesus said, “Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:5).

Mob scenes are routine TV fodder: CNN, Fox News, Good Morning America, the 6:00 o’clock news, the 10:00 o’clock news. Today there’s a mob marching in Cairo to get rid of the president; tomorrow another mob is marching to keep him. The mobs are in Austin: some are there to defeat the law that restricts abortions after 20 weeks; others to insure its passage. Mobs march against Wall Street, the Tea Party, home schools and the owner of Chick-fil-A. Huge mobs gather to support Gay Pride parades, illegal emigration, gun control, legalized marijuana and spotted owls.

Wise Solomon once said, “He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him” (Proverbs 18:13). In East Texas we used to say, “It is bad to be silent and thought a fool; it is worse to open your mouth and remove all doubt.” The mob mentality can make a fool out of you. It’s the, I don’t know what’s going on here, but count me in attitude. It’s common in mobs. Many of those in the mob don’t have a clue as to what’s going on; but they are there, caught up in it, supporting whatever it is. Somebody’s up there passionately shouting out clichés or talking authoritatively about high and lofty ideologies. Somebody or some group is being painted asthe bad guys and we are the victims who are being downtrodden and exploited. We must not take it; we must rise up. Ours is a just cause and they are our enemies. It’s amazing how quickly people buy in without every bothering to scratch the surface. Somehow people like to get on a wave and ride it. Ignorance can be bliss. For a little while!

A mob was used to crucify Jesus Christ. Most of the people didn’t have the faintest idea of what was going on; they were simply caught up in the moment. A little group of hard-core activists were using them and they were oblivious. That’s generally how it is with mobs. Not always, but generally! Sometimes there’s a just cause, but often the movement is sinister to the core. Adolph Hitler was a master of the mob mentality. He had the mobs praising him, bragging on what he did for Germany and begging him to take absolute control. He did. The results speak for themselves. A million children murdered! Systematically and in cold blood! Six million Jews! Carnage in Europe: Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, World War 2! The Antichrist will ride a mob mentality to power.

Look before you leap seems like a pretty sound policy. Maybe the mob is right. Maybe not! Maybe those doctrinaire instigators have a just cause. Maybe it’s worth fighting or even dying for this cause. The French and American Revolutions were. Not all causes are just. There could be a bitter sting at the end of this thing. Germany learned that. The Bolshevik Revolution didn’t turn out too well. Before joining any movement, it’s wise to look. Investigate; see what’s going on. Make sure you want to get on board this bandwagon. You may not. God warns, “Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment” (Exodus 23:2). Some years ago on the way to a church business meeting a friend said to me, “I don’t know what’s going on here, but I’m here to support my preacher.” Blind leaps rarely turn out well. If you know and support what’s at stake, get on board with all your might; but never allow yourself to be ignorantly swept along with the crowd.

The majority is rarely right. Unfortunately the majority is often given to a mob mentality and is manipulated by a small core with sinister goals. That is true on multiple levels: political, educational, social and even in churches. Sometimes as in the case of the holocaust, one person is the real master-mind. Masses are used for evil and don’t even know it. There are different kinds of mobs. A mob may be assembled in some location or it may be a movement in the minds of unassembled masses. In either case people get caught up and swept along. Unwittingly they add to the success of the movement. Too often the movement has a bitter, chaotic, devastating end: civil strife, war, slavery, a church or family split and friends become enemies!

Blindness is a terrible enemy. Someone commented to a blind man,“Blindness must be one of the worst afflictions there is.” The blind man responded, “No. It’s worse to have eyes and not be able to see.” Perfectly good eyes, but unable to see! Wow! A fine mind, but caught up in a mob mentality! Unwilling to investigate, look at the facts! Content to blindly ride the wave! My friends are there. It seems right. I trust my president, my professor, my preacher. The consequences can be devastating and irreparable.

Never allow yourself to be caught up in a mob mentality. Even if you are in a mob, you shouldn’t have a mob mentality. If you are a part of a mob, be there because you know what’s going on and support it; never blindly. Yes! Some causes are just and worth giving all you have, even your life; however, many are not. The issue is not mobs; they can be good or bad. The issue is in knowing the facts, understanding what’s going on and the ramifications thereof. Think for yourself. Never ride a wave and blindly coast along on the agenda of others.

During World War II, a group Air Force soldiers flew south from Italy across the Mediterranean to North Africa. A strong tail wind quickly took them over and past their destination. They didn’t believe their compass and ran out of fuel in the great Sahara Desert. Some years later, their wreckage was found along with their skeletons.

A compass is simply an instrument for showing direction. Outdoorsmen and other navigators know what a compass is and how to use it. Not every compass is in a neat little round case with a moving needle that always points to magnetic north. In a broader sense, our compass is our guide, whatever it is that keeps us on the right path. It’s somewhat akin to a ruler, a tuning fork, a plumb line or an Atomic clock. It’s the correct standard. It tells us when we’re off track and how to set things straight.

Everybody has a compass; maybe not a magnetic compass, but some form of internal guide or code. In life our compass is what keeps us on the right path. For a growing number of people the compass is self. I’m my own guide. It’s my life; I’ll do with it what I want. I’ll decide what’s right or wrong.Sociologists have long taught that there are no absolutes. They say everything is relevant and that everything depends on our own perspective. Hence, no absolutes, no immorality or morality; everything is amoral (neutral). Many political scientists insist that the state is the real compass of any society. The state decides what’s right and wrong. Do what the state says. If you don’t, you are wrong and the state has a right to deal with you accordingly. If the state says it is okay to go against God’s Word and allow abortions and homosexuality, then it is right.

Ignoring a compass can prove fatal. Failure to have a reliable compass can be just as disastrous and lead to dire consequences. Individuals and nations that lean on self, popular opinion or the state for their direction ultimately face confusion and chaos. For example, strong voices in society tell us that an unborn baby is a fetus, not a person. They cloud the issue of the sanctity of the life of a human being with women’s rights. They argue that a woman has a right over her own body but ignore the right to life of the baby. Even our Supreme Court agrees with this line of thinking.

However, the unthinkable occurred. Ariel Castro kidnapped three young girls in Cleveland, Ohio and held them in the basement of his neighborhood house as sex slaves for ten years. They were raped, beaten and tortured. Amanda Barry has a six-year old child by him. Five times Castro impregnated Michelle Knight and then each time he systematically starved and beat her in the stomach until she miscarried. Ohio chief prosecutor Timothy McGinty has now charged Castro with murder.

There is no question that Castro deserves the death penalty. However, the case illustrates the stark inconsistent, contradictory and hypocritical ways of a society without a reliable compass. Every day in America over 3,000 innocent babies are murdered in legal abortion clinics. Who could miss the awful killings by Dr. Kermit Gosnell in Philadelphia? Doesn’t it seem strange that on one hand our society and nation says it is perfectly okay to kill a fetus (unborn baby) in an abortion while on the other hand it says it is murder to kill an unborn baby by beating a mother in the stomach? How can it be a fetus in one situation and a baby in the other? How can a mother and doctor who kill an unborn baby be protected by the law while a person who kills an unborn baby by kicking a mother in the stomach be considered a murder by the same law? Contradictory and hypocritical; no doubt about it, but it’s the sad state of a society and nation which has thrown away its reliable compass!

Any time a nation or an individual depends on an unreliable compass trouble is just ahead! When man does that which is right in his own eyes chaos is certain. “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God” (Psalm 9:17). Every nation and every man needs a reliable compass. Human reasoning is not reliable. “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs 14:12).

Today America is repeating what a great many other nations and societies before us have experienced. We’ve deserted the reliable compass upon which we were founded and we are paying a high price. Unless we wake up and reverse this trend things will worsen.

The Bible is God’s Word and it is a reliable compass. “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105). For centuries it was America’s guide. Multitudes have made the Bible their personal compass. It shows the way to heaven. It points to honesty, unselfishness, humility, a good work ethic, responsibility and general integrity. It guides people to morality, good character, good stewardship and basic human respect and values. Our country and world desperately need this compass.

Do you need a reliable compass for your life? There is just one. I challenge you to follow the Word of God; it will never fail you. It will help you in more ways than you might suspect. “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).