The Chaplain's Chair

The great miraculous sign of Jonah is NOT that he SURVIVED three days and three nights in the “belly of the whale.” It's that after being stone-cold dead for that long, God brought him out of the state of the dead, put life back in his body, and had the whale spit him back on to the earth, and let him accomplish the mission He gave him to preach to the Gentiles in the Assyrian capital of Nineveh. This should NOT come as a surprise to anyone.

It's hard to find any trace of Christianity in America, even in its most sacred week. It's easy to get discouraged and distracted by the static that seeks to attack and minimize our faith in Jesus Christ. So what do we do about that? How do we focus on Jesus during this most sacred of weeks? We do what Mary did? We ponder and we praise.

Virtually every godless, hedonistic, humanistic rebellion against God's design has been given a pass because the individual Christian—whether in the pulpit, the pew, or his community—has been intimidated into silence because they misunderstand or don't know what the Bible says about judging. They allow themselves to come under conviction because, you know—being “judgmental” is supposed to be a bad thing. Well, it's a “bad thing” only to those who don't like to have any boundaries on their behavior or thought, especially DIVINE judging of their behavior.

This is the time of year when people make resolutions—to lose weight, to stop smoking, to stop drinking, to exercise more, to be better husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, any number of things to change that which we believe will make us better people in the coming year. Perhaps YOU have made some of those resolutions this year, perhaps you have already given up on a resolution, since we're in the middle of January as of the publication of this podcast. No matter. What I want to talk to you about in this podcast is a resolution you cannot break, cannot fail, and will make you a better person. It will equip you with the tools necessary to keep all those other resolutions. What is it, you ask? Get right with God. Enter into…or strengthen…your relationship with GOD. That's the resolution you need to make this year.

Judging. The most controversial topic in the Christian faith. We've heard it. · Who are you to judge me? · The Bible says not to judge. · The most quoted Bible verse by a non-believer in response to a Christian verbalizing his values is “Judge not” or “Judge not, lest ye be judged” from the book of Matthew, chapter 7, which, by the way, is only quoting a small piece of the context given in that passage. We'll get into that later. Virtually every godless, hedonistic, humanistic rebellion against God's design has been given a pass because the individual Christian—whether in the pulpit, the pew, or his community—has been intimidated into silence because they misunderstand or don't know what the Bible says about judging. In the next few podcasts we're going to look over some scriptural examples of the word JUDGE—the noun and the verb in DIVINE and HUMAN action. The standards are different. The authority is different and we must be very careful—in our zeal to be discerning, in our desire to be righteous and holy, and in our zeal to represent Christ to our fellow man—that we don't usurp the authority of God in matters that are uniquely His to rule and act on. It is here where the Christian gets in trouble. It is here where the Christian finds himself “holier than thou.” And it is here where the Christian zeal becomes an obstacle to the lost sinner and the Shepherd Who can save them. Let's not be THAT Christian.

Now more than ever we need the men of God to stand up. Spiritual warfare is upon us, whether we believe it or not. It is God's design for men to take a Biblical stand to protect their families, their homes, and their society. It falls on them to stand firm for God.

Salvation. What is it? There is no gray area in that question in the Christian faith; there is no neutrality on this issue—we must have a position on this as Christians. And this is an area where I think holding on to our traditions interferes with a right relationship with God, today and in the future. Adherence to a list of dos and don'ts is not what God is looking for. It's not the "great salvation" He offers.

This is part two of Practical Christianity, where we examine the answer to the question: What does it mean to “live” as a Christian? In last week's podcast we examined offering up our lives as a “living sacrifice, which was “reasonable service” to God. In short, it means to embrace God out of gratitude and live a holy life. Today we're going to examine the 2nd part: rejecting this present world and renewing our minds—to correct and alter our thinking to a Godly mindset.

What does it mean to “live as a Christian?” We hear that question asked all the time. And we hear various answers, too. Many of them erroneous. I read recently on a meme something to the effect of “I don't reject Jesus' teachings, I just can't accept the behavior of those who profess to be living them, but aren't.” That can seem to be a scathing indictment for those who truly DON'T understand what the Bible says about most things, but embrace what they have told the Bible says, without looking at it themselves. The next two podcasts will examine this question. The apostle Paul—anointed by the Lord Jesus Himself in Acts chapter 9 as His “Chosen vessel”—was very familiar with this question. Paul could be counted on to instruct new Christians on how to apply their faith and how important it was to reflect Christ's character, in particular as a testimony to those we seek to reach. Modern theologians call this “practical theology,” or defining how it is we are supposed to apply the teachings of the Christian faith and manifest them in our own lives. So, I want us to take some stock of our lives and consider the magnitude of the faith walk God has set us on.

Welcome to The Chaplain's Chair, a thought-provoking podcast about religion, faith, family, and yes, even some politics sprinkled in from time-to-time. Chaplain care is soul care. And caring for your soul starts with telling you the truth. We live in a world of swirling ideas and conflicting values, gossip, lies, and half-truth, coming at us from every direction: the media, internet, Hollywood, radio, and even our phones. In these times it can be difficult to discern what the truth is. And with each passing day we are losing voices willing to tell it. Whether it's our community, our family, our work, our marriages, or even our politics, I've learned the Bible always offers sound guidance–truth–to help us deal with the many storms of life. And from my “chaplain's chair” I try to speak the truth to your soul. So, let's have a conversation YOU can relate to. You can follow this podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcast, or AnchorFM. You can follow it on Facebook and the website “The Chaplain's Chair.”

Our liberty comes from God. The prophet Isaiah said “Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty.” If we are losing our liberty, it's fair to ask if our nation has rejected the “Spirit of the Lord.” In this Independence Day, don't ask for a King, don't ask for a government, ask for the Spirit of the Lord to impact the hearts of men. Preach liberty to the captives—those who DON'T know Christ. Preach Christ. Leave America to the will of God.

Ann did what she thought was right. But they didn't tell her about the guilt, shame, and estrangement from God she would feel. She took her broken soul to the only place where she could find forgiveness: the Cross of Christ. It was here she was delivered from the pain and guilt. It was here she found peace with God. You can find the same peace. Let her story bless you.

God is the giver of life. Life is His precious gift. Man's deliberate interference with that blessing, and terminating a life that began with God, should be called exactly what it is: murder. Because that's what the Bible calls it.

The question of abortion is an ethical one, not a scientific one. Science agrees with the Bible--life begins at conception. But WHEN does that life have value? And who determines it? God? The individual? Something else? Hear my perspective and exchange with some who disagree.

Life, when does it begin?

The Bible tells us about lies...and gives us the truth. The Bible tells us about two sources of information—information that has its origin in God's revelation to us, and information meant to deceive us and turn us away from God's revelation, which would be Satanic in origin. That's it. Two sources. In our "information age" we need to be certain of the purity of the information we receive to ensure of its origin. And no one likes a liar...

The Bible tells us about lies. The Bible tells us about two sources of information—information that has its origin in God's revelation to us, and information meant to deceive us and turn us away from God's revelation, which would be Satanic in origin. That's it. Two sources. In our "information age" we need to be certain of the purity of the information we receive to ensure of its origin. And no one likes a liar...

The Bible is God's revelation to man--to ALL men. It was intended to be understood. Think of the Bible as God's conversation with YOU. This podcast presents some basic approaches to understanding the Word of God as it was intended--as God's love letter to humanity. God, through His Holy Spirit, reveals, inspires, and illuminates His message to all of us. It's not just for the "scholars," it's meant for YOU.

Consider this absolute truth: everything in life comes from God. There can be no meaning in life apart from God. God wants us to know Him, invites us, in fact, to know Him. Who is God and what is He like? It is important for us to know this because if we get it wrong, everything else in life will be wrong. Nothing makes sense if God doesn't make sense. But to seek to know God is to be honestly confronted with the truth about us and our world. In this podcast I explain some of that pursuit.

Many people go to church on Easter Sunday to only hear the story of Christ's resurrection. Yes, the resurrection of Jesus Christ is central to the Christian faith. In fact, the Apostle Paul said there is no faith without it. But the resurrection is a symbol of victory, of accomplishment, of the culmination of the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. It symbolizes all that Jesus accomplished on your behalf. It's not just that the tomb was empty and Jesus was alive, it's what the empty tomb means and secured for you. Find out in this podcast. Happy Resurrection Sunday!

Jesus Christ is more than a Savior. He was a teacher, a healer, a prophet, and King. Is your relationship with Jesus Christ just about salvation? Just about life? God intended it to be so much more than that. Why did the Lord of Heaven leave His eternal glory to live amongst us? Is it just to give you salvation? Or is something more…perhaps much more?

God IS NOT subject to our whims and our attempts to change who HE is. To change WHO Jesus Christ is. To change what the Bible says...about ANYTHING. Build your foundation on the foundation of the Word of God, the message of Christ, and the preaching of the Good News. When all is swirling around you, that's never going to change. Don't let the world tell you different.

“God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world" C.S. Lewis.

The Christian faith is not a blind faith. It is based on the testimony of Jesus Christ. It's meant to carry us through, to help us weather the great storms of life, to strengthen our reliance on God. Does your faith do that? Can it be stronger? Are there ways to strengthen it? In this podcast I share the things that pull me through the darkness that is our world. I hope it blesses you.

Difficult times are upon us and will likely get worse. The battle for the soul of America has been raging for a long time, but never more contentious than it is today. And it appears the enemies of America are winning and attempting to redefine what America stands for. Will America make it back? Will she once again become "the shining city of a hill?" Will she return to the greatness she once had? The esteem of the world? The destination of all who sought freedom? If Christians engage, if America can return to her founding values, her morality, to the Providential Hand of Almighty God. Maybe, just maybe, God will bring America back.

The Apostle Paul warned in II Timothy 3:1 "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come..." In those times, Paul said, we are to remember the safety of the Word of God. We are not to abandon it, change it, re-interpret it to meet our expectations. We are to read it, trust it, and believe it. Our path to navigating our "perilous times" is found in the Bible.