“Will God allow a curse on a believer?”

Posted on December 19, 2011 by Dr. Mike Harmon

The Bible tells us that “like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest” (Proverbs 26:2b). This means that foolish curses have no effect. God does not allow His children to be cursed. God is sovereign. No one has the power to curse one whom God has decided to bless. God is the only One able to pronounce judgment.

“Spells” in the Bible are always described negatively. Deuteronomy 18:10-11 numbers those who cast spells with those who commit other acts “detestable to the LORD” such as child sacrifice, witchcraft, sorcery, divination, or necromancy (consulting with the dead). Micah 5:12 says that God will destroy witchcraft and those who cast spells. Revelation 18 describes spells as part of the deception that will be used by the antichrist and his “great city of Babylon” (v. 21-24). Though the end-times deception will be so great that even the elect would be deceived if God did not protect us (Matthew 24:24), God will utterly destroy Satan, the antichrist, and all who follow them (Revelation chapters 19-20).

The Christian has been born again as a new person in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), and we are in the constant presence of the Holy Spirit who lives within us and under whose protection we exist (Romans 8:11). We do not need to worry about anyone casting any sort of pagan spell on us. Voodoo, witchcraft, hexes, and curses have no power over us because they come from Satan, and we know that “the one who is in you [Christ] is greater than the one [Satan] who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). God has overcome him, and we have been freed to worship God without fear (John 8:36). “The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid? ” (Psalm 27:1).

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GRIN AND SHARE IT: “No Charge”

Posted on December 19, 2011 by Dr. Mike Harmon

No Charge

A little boy came home eating a big candy bar. His
mother (remembering he had already spent all his
allowance) asked him where he got it.

“I bought it at the store with the dollar you gave
me,” he said.

“But that dollar was for Sunday School,” his mother
replied.

“I know, Mom,” he said, “but the Pastor met me at
the door and got me in for free!”

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“Should we give gifts at Christmas?”

Posted on December 18, 2011 by Dr. Mike Harmon

Many people take the idea of gift giving at Christmas back to the scripture in Matthew 2:10-12 which talks about the Magi (wise men) giving gifts to Jesus at his home: “When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.”

The Bible gives a wonderful story about the gift God gave us—Jesus Christ—and we can use it as an opportunity to present the gospel and to show love. Giving and receiving gifts can be part of fulfilling what Paul says about giving in 2 Corinthians 8:7-8, “But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us—see that you also excel in this grace of giving. I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others.” Paul was talking to the churches who were giving him gifts (financial) so that he could keep on in the ministry. We can apply this same lesson to our own lives by giving to others, not just at Christmas, but year round!

So, can gift giving become the focus of Christmas instead of thanking the Lord for the gift of His Son (John 3:16)? Absolutely! Does giving gifts have to take away from the true meaning of Christmas? No, it does not. If we focus on the wonderful gift of salvation the Lord has given us (Isaiah 9:6), giving to others is a natural expression of that gratitude. The key is our focus. Is your focus on the gift, or on the ultimate gift-giver, our gracious Heavenly Father? “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights…” (James 1:17)

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“What is the true meaning of Christmas?”

Posted on December 10, 2011 by Dr. Mike Harmon

The true meaning of Christmas is love. John 3:16-17 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” The true meaning of Christmas is the celebration of this incredible act of love.

The real Christmas story is the story of God’s becoming a human being in the Person of Jesus Christ. Why did God do such a thing? Because He loves us! Why was Christmas necessary? Because we needed a Savior! Why does God love us so much? Because He is love itself (1 John 4:8). Why do we celebrate Christmas each year? Out of gratitude for what God did for us, we remember His birth by giving each other gifts, worshipping Him, and being especially conscious of the poor and less fortunate.

The true meaning of Christmas is love. God loved His own and provided a way—the only Way—for us to spend eternity with Him. He gave His only Son to take our punishment for our sins. He paid the price in full, and we are free from condemnation when we accept that free gift of love. “But God demonstrated His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

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GRIN AND SHARE IT: “Forgive Your Enemies”

Posted on December 10, 2011 by Dr. Mike Harmon

Forgive Your Enemies

The preacher, in his Sunday sermon, used “Forgive Your Enemies”
as his subject. After a long sermon, he asked how many were willing to
forgive their enemies. About half held up their hands. Not satisfied he
harangued for another twenty minutes and repeated his question.

This time he received a response of eighty percent. Still unsatisfied,
he lectured for fifteen minutes and repeated his question. With all
thoughts now on Sunday dinner, all responded except one elderly lady
in the rear.

“Ms. Jones, are you not willing to forgive your enemies?’

“I don’t have any.”

“Ms. Jones, that is very unusual. How old are you?

“Ninety-three.”

“Ms. Jones, please come down in front and tell the congregation
how a person can live to ninety-three and not have an enemy in the
world.”

The little sweetheart of a lady teetered down the aisle, very slowly
turned around & said: “It’s easy. I just outlived the danged idiots.”
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“Why did the Wise Men bring gold, frankincense, and myrrh to Jesus?”

Posted on December 9, 2011 by Dr. Mike Harmon

Matthew 2 tells us that the magi, or wise men, travelled from the East in search of the Christ child. They inquired of King Herod where they might find Him, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him” (Matthew 2:2). Upon finding the baby Jesus, “they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh” (Matthew 2:11).

Gold is a precious metal and as such was a very valuable commodity. Its value could very well have financed Joseph and Mary’s trip to Egypt. The Bible does not tell us any other significance to these three gifts; however, tradition has it that there is a deeper meaning for each of the three. Gold is a symbol of divinity and is mentioned throughout the Bible. Pagan idols were often made from gold and the Ark of the Covenant  was overlaid with gold (Exodus 25:10-17). The gift of gold to the Christ child was symbolic of His divinity—God in flesh.

Frankincense is a white resin or gum. It is obtained from a tree by making incisions in the bark and allowing the gum to flow out. It is highly fragrant when burned and was therefore used in worship, where it was burned as a pleasant offering to God (Exodus 30:34). Frankincense is a symbol of holiness and righteousness. The gift of frankincense to the Christ child was symbolic of His willingness to become a sacrifice, wholly giving Himself up, analogous to a burnt offering.

Myrrh was also a product of Arabia, and was obtained from a tree in the same manner as frankincense. It was a spice and was used in embalming. It was also sometimes mingled with wine to form an article of drink. Such a drink was given to our Savior when He was about to be crucified, as a stupefying potion (Mark 15:23). Matthew 27:34 refers to it as “gall.” Myrrh symbolizes bitterness, suffering, and affliction. The baby Jesus would grow to suffer greatly as a man and would pay the ultimate price when He gave His life on the cross for all who would believe in Him.

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GRIN AND SHARE IT: “The New Organist”

Posted on December 9, 2011 by Dr. Mike Harmon

The New Organist

The minister was preoccupied with thoughts of how he was going to,
after the worship service, ask the congregation to come up with more
money than they were expecting for repairs to the church building.
Therefore, he was annoyed to find that the regular organist was sick
and a substitute had been brought in at the last minute.

The substitute wanted to know what to play. “Here’s a copy of the
service,” he said impatiently. “But you’ll have to think of something to
play after I make the announcement about the finances.”

At the end of the service, the minister paused and said, “Brothers and
Sisters, we are in great difficulty; the roof repairs cost twice as much
as we expected, and we need $4,000 more. Any of you who can pledge
$100 or more, please stand up.” At that moment, the substitute organist
played “The Star-Spangled Banner.” And that is how the substitute
became the regular organist!

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“Why is the Virgin Birth so important?”

Posted on December 8, 2011 by Dr. Mike Harmon

The doctrine of the virgin birth is crucially important (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23; Luke 1:27,34). First, let’s look at how Scripture describes the event. In response to Mary’s question, “How will this be?” (Luke 1:24), Gabriel says, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you” (Luke 1:25). The angel encourages Joseph to not fear marrying Mary with these words: “What is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:20). Matthew states that the virgin “was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:18). Galatians 4:4 also teaches the Virgin Birth: “God sent His Son, born of a woman.”

From these passages, it is certainly clear that Jesus’ birth was the result of the Holy Spirit working within Mary’s body. The immaterial (the Spirit) and the material (Mary’s womb) were both involved. Mary, of course, could not impregnate herself, and in that sense she was simply a “vessel.” Only God could perform the miracle of the Incarnation.

However, denying a physical connection between Mary and Jesus would imply that Jesus was not truly human. Scripture teaches that Jesus was fully human, with a physical body like ours. This He received from Mary. At the same time, Jesus was fully God, with an eternal, sinless nature (John 1:14; 1 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 2:14-17.)

Jesus was not born in sin; that is, He had no sin nature (Hebrews 7:26). It would seem that the sin nature is passed down from generation to generation through the father (Romans 5:12, 17, 19). The Virgin Birth circumvented the transmission of the sin nature and allowed the eternal God to become a perfect man.

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GRIN AND SHARE IT: “Baptist Cowboy”

Posted on December 8, 2011 by Dr. Mike Harmon

Baptist Cowboy

A cowboy walks into a bar in Texas, orders three mugs of Bud
and sits in the back room, drinking a sip out of each one in turn.
When he finishes them, he comes back to the bar and orders
three more.

The bartender approaches and tells the cowboy, “You know,
a mug goes flat after I draw it, it would taste better if you bought
one at a time.”

The cowboy replies, “Well, you see, I have two brothers. One
is in Australia, the other is in Dublin, and I’m in Texas. When we
all left home, we promised that we’d drink this way to remember
the days we drank together. So I drink one for each of my
brothers and one for myself.”

The bartender admits that this is a nice custom, and leaves it
there. The cowboy becomes a regular in the bar, and always
drinks the same way He orders three mugs and drinks them in
turn.

One day, he comes in and orders two mugs. All the regulars
take notice and fall silent. When he comes back to the bar for
the second round, the bartender says, “I don’t want to intrude
on your grief, but I wanted to offer my condolences on your loss.”

The cowboy looks quite puzzled for a moment, then a light dawns
and he laughs. “Oh, no, everybody’s just fine,” he explains, “It’s
just that my wife and I joined the Baptist Church in Sweetwater
and I had to quit drinking. Hasn’t affected my brothers though.”

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“Do some Christmas traditions have pagan origins?”

Posted on December 7, 2011 by Dr. Mike Harmon

 

There is no doubt that some of what we now refer to as Christmas traditions can be traced back, in some form, to pagan cultures and celebrations. The ringing of bells, for example, is generally thought to have had its origin in the early pagan winter celebration of ringing of bells to drive out evil spirits. In later centuries, bells were rung on Christmas Eve to welcome in the spirit of Christmas with joyful noise (Psalm 95:1). When Christians enjoy the beauty of a glorious bell choir ringing Christmas carols, we are reminded of the coming of Jesus into the world, not the driving out of evil spirits.

Similarly, there was an early pagan tradition of lighting candles to drive away the forces of cold and darkness. However, is it likely that our hearts are drawn to those early pagans rather than rejoicing in our Savior, the Light of the World (John 1:4-9) as we light candles? Of course not. Nor is it likely that when I give gifts to my loved ones at Christmas, the gifts will have less significance to either of us because some Druid somewhere in time offered a gift to his goat as part of some pagan ritual. No, we remember, as we should, the gifts given to the Christ-child by the Magi (Matthew 2:11). Jesus was the greatest gift ever given, and therefore His birth is worthy of celebration.

So obscure are the beginnings of many Christmas traditions that reference books and internet sites contradict one another on the details. Some of our most popular and beloved Christmas symbols are entirely Christian, and were never part of any pagan religion anywhere. At the same time, some Christmas traditions undoubtedly do have their origins in the pagan past. What is important is not the origins of traditions, but their significance to us today as believers in the Son of God. December 25 was not mentioned in the biblical narrative as the day Jesus was born, and, as such, we cannot be dogmatic about it one way or the other. But even if the date is completely wrong, there is still the opportunity for thousands of people who wouldn’t go to church any other time of the year to go on Christmas day and hear the gospel of Christ.

If you are fully convinced that you cannot, in good conscience, observe a particular Christmas tradition, do not observe it. If you are fully convinced that a particular tradition is too steeped in paganism to honor God in any way, by all means forsake that tradition. At the same time, if you are fully convinced that you can honor and worship God through a particular tradition, honor and worship God (Romans 14:5)! For Christians, Christmas traditions can be an important part of the celebration of the birth of our Savior, and they remind us of that momentous event that changed the world forever. More importantly, they bring to mind the miracle of new birth He created in us when He came into our hearts, saved us from our sins, and made us children of God by the shedding of His blood on the Cross (Colossians 1:20). It is this amazing truth that enables us to say with the angels, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14).

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