GRIN AND SHARE IT: “The Movie”

Posted on June 20, 2012 by Dr. Mike Harmon

The Movie

A man lay sprawled across three entire seats in the posh theater.

When the usher came by and noticed this, he whispered to the
man, “Sorry, sir, but you’re only allowed one seat.”

The man groaned but didn’t budge. The usher became impatient.
“Sir, if you don’t get up from there, I’m going to have to call the
manager.”

Again, the man just groaned, which infuriated the usher who
turned and marched briskly back up the aisle in search of his
manager.

In a few moments, both the usher and the manager returned and
stood over the man.

Together the two of them tried repeatedly to move him, but with
no success.

Finally, they summoned the police. The cop surveyed the
situation briefly then asked, “All right buddy, what’s your name?”

“Sam,” the man moaned.

“Where ya from, Sam?”

With pain in his voice Sam replied, “The balcony.”

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“Are all Christians hypocrites?”

Posted on June 19, 2012 by Dr. Mike Harmon

Perhaps no accusation is more provocative than that of “hypocrite.” Unfortunately, some feel justified in their view that all Christians are hypocrites. The term “hypocrite” enjoys a rich heritage in the English language. The term comes to us via the Latin hypocrisies meaning “play-acting, pretense.” Further back, the word occurs in both classical and New Testament Greek and has the very same idea—to play a part, pretend.

This is the way the Lord Jesus employed the term. For example, when Christ taught the significance of prayer, fasting, and alms-giving for kingdom people, He discouraged us from following the examples of those who are hypocrites (Matthew 6:2, 5, 16). By making long public prayers, employing extreme measures to ensure others noticed their fasts, and parading their gifts to the Temple and the poor, they revealed only an outward attachment to the Lord. While the Pharisees performed well their dramatic role as public examples of religious virtue, they failed miserably in the inner world of the heart where true virtue resides (Matthew 23:13-33; Mark 7:20-23).

Jesus never called His disciples hypocrites. That name was given only to misguided religious zealots. Rather, He called His own “followers,” “babes,” “sheep,” and His “church.” In addition, there is a warning in the New Testament about the sin of hypocrisy (1 Peter 2:1), which Peter calls “insincerity.” Also, two blatant examples of hypocrisy are recorded in the church. In Acts 5:1-10, two disciples are exposed for pretending to be more generous than they were. The consequence was severe. And, of all people, Peter is charged with leading a group of hypocrites in their treatment of Gentile believers (Galatians 2:13).

From the New Testament teaching, then, we may draw at least two conclusions. First, hypocrites do exist among professing Christians. They were present in the beginning, and, according to Jesus’ parable of the tares and wheat, they will certainly exist until the end of the age (Mathew 13:18-30). In addition, if even an apostle may be guilty of hypocrisy, there is no reason to believe “ordinary” Christians will be free from it. We must always be on our guard that we do not fall into the very same temptations (1 Corinthians 10:12).

Of course, not everyone who claims to be a Christian is truly a Christian. Perhaps all or most of the famous hypocrites among Christians were in fact pretenders and deceivers. To this day, prominent Christian leaders have fallen into terrible sins. Financial and sexual scandals sometimes seem to plague the Christian community. However, instead of taking the actions of a few and using them to denigrate the whole community of Christians, we need to ask whether all those who claim to be Christians really are. Numerous biblical passages confirm that those who truly belong to Christ will exhibit the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Jesus’ parable of the seed and the soils in Matthew 13 makes it clear that not all professions of faith in Him are genuine. Sadly, many who profess to belong to Him will be stunned one day to hear Him say to them, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!” (Matthew 7:23).

Second, while it should not surprise us that people who pretend to be more holy than they are claim to be Christians, we cannot conclude that the church is made up almost entirely of hypocrites. One surely may concede that all of us who name the name of Jesus Christ remain sinners even after our sin is forgiven. That is, even though we are saved from sins’ eternal penalty (Romans 5:1; 6:23), we are yet to be saved and delivered from the presence of sin in our lives (1 John 1:8-9), including the sin of hypocrisy. Through our living faith in the Lord Jesus, we continually overcome sin’s power until we are finally delivered (1 John 5:4-5).

All Christians fail to perfectly live up to the standard the Bible teaches. No Christian has ever been perfectly Christ-like. However, there are many Christians who are genuinely seeking to live the Christian life and are relying more and more on the Holy Spirit to convict, change, and empower them. There have been multitudes of Christians who have lived their lives free from scandal. No Christian is perfect, but making a mistake and failing to reach perfection in this life is not the same thing as being a hypocrite.
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GRIN AND SHARE IT: “The Ultimate Survivor Show”

Posted on June 19, 2012 by Dr. Mike Harmon

The Ultimate Survivor Show

A major network is planning the show “Survivor 2” this winter. In
response, Texas is planning “Survivor, Texas Style”.

The contestants will start in Dallas, travel through Waco, Austin,
San Antonio, down to Houston and Brownsville. They will proceed
up to Del Rio, on to El Paso, then to Midland/Odessa, up to
Lubbock and Amarillo. From there, they proceed to Abilene and
on to Ft. Worth and back to Dallas.

Each will be driving a pink Volvo with a bumper sticker that reads,
“I’m gay, I voted for Al Gore, and I’m here to confiscate your guns.”

The first one to make it back to Dallas wins.

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“Should Christians home school their children?”

Posted on June 18, 2012 by Dr. Mike Harmon

 The question of whether Christians should home school their children is one that many families wrestle with. The Bible tells us that children are a gift from the Lord, specially created for His pleasure and divine purpose (Psalm 127:3-5;139:13-16). God has entrusted us with our children for a very short time, during which parents have the responsibility of training, instructing, nurturing, and disciplining them, as well as overseeing their education (Ephesians 6:4). It is imperative that Christian parents teach their children the Word of God from a young age, showing them how to incorporate it into their daily lives, trusting continually in God. Spiritual training is even more important than academic training, and it doesn’t happen by accident; it must be purposeful and habitual. The question is which mode of education will best accomplish these goals.

There are many excellent reasons to decide to educate children at home as an alternative to public schooling. The freedom parents have in choosing home school curricula allows for academic subjects to be taught through a biblical worldview rather than a secular one. Instead of being taught the theory of evolution, for example, children can learn how God created the heavens and the earth. In biblical times, children were primarily educated and socialized by their families and simply by living and working in society. Instead of being put in age-segregated classrooms for the majority of the day, they learned to communicate with adults and children of all ages.

Public schools—and even some private and Christian schools—can be spiritual battlegrounds for our children. They may be inundated with anti-Christian doctrine, relative morality, and secular humanistic theories. The Bible says, “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company corrupts good morals'” (1 Corinthians 15:33, NASB). Children tend to adopt the values of those with whom they spend the most time, which makes it crucial for parents who do not opt to home school to spend significant time indoctrinating their children in the truth of the Scriptures. In schools, they are exposed to the value systems of non-Christian students, teachers, and faculty. They may be told that homosexuality is simply an “alternative lifestyle,” that abortion is acceptable, and sex before marriage is normal and healthy. The child who is well-versed in biblical principles will easily see the falsehood of these claims and may very well be used by God to counter the lies with His truth.

Academically, studies have shown that children fare better at home than they do at school. Even the best public school teachers do not have the ability to spend quality one-on-one time teaching each student. Although many teachers are hard-working and dedicated and have the best interests of their students at heart, nothing can compare to the love and investment that parents can provide their children.

At the same time, home schooling is not for everyone. An important homeschooling variable to consider is whether one is appropriately gifted and/or has adequate training or teaching skills to home school effectively (and in some states, legally). Some states require specific academic credentials and have strict criteria for homeschoolers. In addition, home schooling requires a significant sacrifice of time, energy and patience to be done effectively. All these things must be considered before undertaking the monumental challenges inherent in home schooling. Home schooling need not necessarily encompass a child’s entire academic career, as such decisions will be impacted by the changing variables of school choices and family situations. Periods of homeschooling may only include strategic portions of a child’s elementary, middle or high school years. One size does not fit all, as typically no family’s situation ever remains static.

There are very few things we can do in this world that are more important than praying for our children and raising them to have hearts that love and desire to serve God. Ultimately, parents are going to have to answer to God for how they raise and educate their children. Home schooling may not be His answer for every family and there is no one “right” way to educate children. Every family needs to prayerfully consider whether or not home-schooling—or private, public or Christian schooling—is right for them.

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GRIN AND SHARE IT: “The Taxi Driver”

Posted on June 18, 2012 by Dr. Mike Harmon

The Taxi Driver

A taxi passenger tapped the driver on the shoulder to ask him something.

The driver screamed, lost control of the car, nearly hit a bus, went up on
the footpath, and stopped inches from a shop window.

For a second everything went quiet in the cab, then the driver said “Look
man, don’t ever do that again. You scared the daylights out of me!”

The passenger apologized and said he didn’t realize that a little tap could
scare him so much.

The driver replied “Sorry, it’s not really your fault. Today is my first day
as a cab driver – I’ve been driving hearses for the last 25 years”.

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“Should Christians celebrate Father’s Day?”

Posted on June 17, 2012 by Dr. Mike Harmon


Father’s Day is a day set apart to celebrate fatherhood, recognize the influence of fathers in our homes and society, and foster paternal bonds. It is also celebrated to honor and commemorate our fathers and forefathers. While it is celebrated in the U.S. on the third Sunday of June, in many other countries the officially recognized date of Father’s Day varies. It is believed that Father’s Day was first observed on June 19, 1910, in Spokane, Washington, through the efforts of Sonora Smart Dodd, a Christian woman and the daughter of American Civil War veteran William Jackson Smart. Sonora’s mother died when she was age 16, and she wanted a day that would commemorate and honor fathers like her own, who had raised her and five other children. Once she began soliciting the idea of an official Father’s Day, she met some opposition and even derision, but she persevered. A bill was introduced in Congress in 1913, and in 1916, President Woodrow Wilson spoke at a Father’s Day celebration in Spokane, Washington, wanting to make it an official holiday, but Congress still resisted. In 1924, Calvin Coolidge became involved, and in 1930 a national committee was formed by various trade groups in an effort to legitimize the holiday. The battle continued, and in 1966 President Lyndon Johnson made a proclamation for the third Sunday of June to be Father’s Day. Finally, it was made an official national holiday when President Nixon signed a similar proclamation in 1972.

While God’s Word is silent about any day being set aside specifically to honor fathers, the Bible does recognize a special place of honor for men who were leaders or examples of excellence in certain skills, such as Jabal, who was “the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock” and his brother Jubal, who was “the father of all who play the harp and flute” (Genesis 4:20-21). Also, when Abram’s name was changed to Abraham, God told him, “I have made you a father of many nations” (Genesis 17:5), clearly indicating fatherhood as a place of honor in His eyes. Thus, even though the Bible does not mention a Father’s Day, we can clearly see that God does recognize the importance of fathers and even gave them special honor throughout history.

Furthermore, we can follow this theme of fatherhood in the very person of God Himself through countless scriptures (Matthew 5:45; 6:9, 32; Romans 1:7; 15:6; 1 Corinthians 8:6). There are many instances that speak of Jesus Christ, the Son, honoring His Father and honoring the will of His Father (e.g., John 17:1 and John 17:5). The apostle Paul taught that to honor one’s earthly father is not only a commandment but the first commandment that, when obeyed, has a promise of things going well and living long on the earth. “Honor your father and mother—which is the first commandment with a promise—that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth” (Ephesians 6:2-3). In light of these verses, and many others, it would seem to be perfectly God-honoring to celebrate a day in which fathers, the God-given spiritual head of the family, could and should be honored. Ultimately, whether or not to celebrate a specific day or holiday is a matter of personal preference. We have the freedom to celebrate and the freedom not to celebrate if we so choose.

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GRIN AND SHARE IT: “Psychic Police”

Posted on June 17, 2012 by Dr. Mike Harmon

Psychic Police

Two men are driving through Texas when they get pulled over
by a state trooper. The trooper walks up and taps on the
window with his nightstick, the driver rolls down the window
and “WHACK”, the trooper smacks him in the head with the
stick.

The driver says, “What the heck was that for?”

The trooper says, “You’re in Texas, son. When we pull you
over, you better have your license ready when we get to your
car.”

The driver says, “I’m sorry, officer, I’m not from around
here.”

The trooper runs a check on the guy’s license, and he’s clean.
He gives the guy his license back and walks around to the
passenger side and taps on the window. The passenger rolls
his window down, and “WHACK”, the trooper smacks him with
the nightstick, too.

The passenger says, “What did you do that for?”

The trooper says, “Just making your wish come true.”

The passenger says, “Huh?”

The trooper says, “I know that two miles down the road you’re
gonna say, ‘I wish that jerk would’ve tried that bull with me.'”

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“Does God require Sabbath-keeping of Christians?”

Posted on June 16, 2012 by Dr. Mike Harmon

 In Colossians 2:16-17, the apostle Paul declares, “Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.” Similarly, Romans 14:5 states, “One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.” These Scriptures make it clear that, for the Christian, Sabbath-keeping is a matter of spiritual freedom, not a command from God. Sabbath-keeping is an issue on which God’s Word instructs us not to judge each other. Sabbath-keeping is a matter about which each Christian needs to be fully convinced in his/her own mind.

In the early chapters of the book of Acts, the first Christians were predominantly Jews. When Gentiles began to receive the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, the Jewish Christians had a dilemma. What aspects of the Mosaic Law and Jewish tradition should Gentile Christians be instructed to obey? The apostles met and discussed the issue in the Jerusalem council (Acts 15). The decision was, “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood” (Acts 15:19-20). Sabbath-keeping was not one of the commands the apostles felt was necessary to force on Gentile believers. It is inconceivable that the apostles would neglect to include Sabbath-keeping if it was God’s command for Christians to observe the Sabbath day.

A common error in the Sabbath-keeping debate is the concept that the Sabbath was the day of worship. Groups such as the Seventh Day Adventists hold that God requires the church service to be held on Saturday, the Sabbath day. That is not what the Sabbath command was. The Sabbath command was to do no work on the Sabbath day (Exodus 20:8-11). Nowhere in Scripture is the Sabbath day commanded to be the day of worship. Yes, Jews in Old Testament, New Testament, and modern times use Saturday as the day of worship, but that is not the essence of the Sabbath command. In the book of Acts, whenever a meeting is said to be on the Sabbath, it is a meeting of Jews, not Christians.

When did the early Christians meet? Acts 2:46-47 gives us the answer, “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” If there was a day that Christians met regularly, it was the first day of the week (our Sunday), not the Sabbath day (our Saturday) (Acts 20:7;1 Corinthians 16:2). In honor of Christ’s resurrection on Sunday, the early Christians observed Sunday not as the “Christian Sabbath” but as a day to especially worship Jesus Christ.

Is there anything wrong with worshipping on Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath? Absolutely not! We should worship God every day, not just on Saturday or Sunday! Many churches today have both Saturday and Sunday services. There is freedom in Christ (Romans 8:21; 2 Corinthians 3:17; Galatians 5:1). Should a Christian practice Sabbath-keeping, that is, not working on Saturdays? If a Christian feels led to do so, absolutely, yes (Romans 14:5). However, those who choose to practice Sabbath-keeping should not judge those who do not keep the Sabbath (Colossians 2:16). Further, those who do not keep the Sabbath should avoid being a stumbling block (1 Corinthians 8:9) to those who do keep the Sabbath. Galatians 5:13-15 sums up the whole issue: “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.”

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GRIN AND SHARE IT: “Doilies”

Posted on June 16, 2012 by Dr. Mike Harmon

Doilies

As a new bride, Aunt Edna moved into the small home on
her husband’s ranch near Snowflake. She put a shoe box
on a shelf in her closet and asked her husband never to
touch it.

For 50 years Uncle Jack left the box alone, until Aunt Edna
was old and dying.

One day when he was putting their affairs in order, he found
the box again and thought it might hold something important.

Opening it, he found two doilies and $82,500 in cash.
He took the box to her and asked about the contents.

“My mother gave me that box the day we married,” she
explained. “She told me to make a doily to help ease my
frustrations every time I got mad at you.”

Uncle Jack was very touched that in 50 years she’d only
been mad at him twice.

“What’s the $82,500 for? he asked.”

“Oh, well, that’s is the money I’ve made selling the Doilies.”

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“Calvinism vs. Arminianism – which view is correct?”

Posted on June 15, 2012 by Dr. Mike Harmon


Calvinism and Arminianism are two systems of theology that attempt to explain the relationship between God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility in the matter of salvation. Calvinism is named for John Calvin, a French theologian who lived from 1509-1564. Arminianism is named for Jacobus Arminius, a Dutch theologian who lived from 1560-1609.

Both systems can be summarized with five points. Calvinism holds to the total depravity of man while Arminianism holds to partial depravity. Total depravity states that every aspect of humanity is tainted by sin; therefore, human beings are unable to come to God on their own accord. Partial depravity states that every aspect of humanity is tainted by sin, but not to the extent that human beings are unable to place faith in God of their own accord. Note – classical Arminianism rejects “partial depravity” and holds a view very close to Calvinistic “total depravity.”

Calvinism includes the belief that election is unconditional, while Arminianism believes in conditional election. Unconditional election is the view that God elects individuals to salvation based entirely on His will, not on anything inherently worthy in the individual. Conditional election states that God elects individuals to salvation based on His foreknowledge of who will believe in Christ unto salvation, thereby on the condition that the individual chooses God.

Calvinism sees the atonement as limited, while Arminianism sees it as unlimited. This is the most controversial of the five points. Limited atonement is the belief that Jesus only died for the elect. Unlimited atonement is the belief that Jesus died for all, but that His death is not effectual until a person receives Him by faith.

Calvinism includes the belief that God’s grace is irresistible, while Arminianism says that an individual can resist the grace of God. Irresistible grace argues that when God calls a person to salvation, that person will inevitably come to salvation. Resistible grace states that God calls all to salvation, but that many people resist and reject this call.

Calvinism holds to perseverance of the saints while Arminianism holds to conditional salvation. Perseverance of the saints refers to the concept that a person who is elected by God will persevere in faith and will not permanently deny Christ or turn away from Him. Conditional salvation is the view that a believer in Christ can, of his/her own free will, turn away from Christ and thereby lose salvation. Note – many Arminians deny “conditional salvation” and instead hold to “eternal security.”

So, in the Calvinism vs. Arminianism debate, who is correct? It is interesting to note that in the diversity of the body of Christ, there are all sorts of mixtures of Calvinism and Arminianism. There are five-point Calvinists and five-point Arminians, and at the same time three-point Calvinists and two-point Arminians. Many believers arrive at some sort of mixture of the two views. Ultimately, it is our view that both systems fail in that they attempt to explain the unexplainable. Human beings are incapable of fully grasping a concept such as this. Yes, God is absolutely sovereign and knows all. Yes, human beings are called to make a genuine decision to place faith in Christ unto salvation. These two facts seem contradictory to us, but in the mind of God they make perfect sense.

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