But, you have to understand, our modern distinction between that of poison and venom is just that, modern. Just because we call something one thing today does not mean that the ancients did the same and that it is somehow wrong (like when the Bible calls a bat a bird (Leviticus 11:13, 19). So, let's just through that thought right out the preverbal window because it's nothing more than a faulty attempt to condemn God's Holy Book. 

     There is something to do with poison that I believe many, even those of us who are not part of the part of the population wholly set on destroying the indestructible, might want to say that the Bible got wrong. It's a very simple verse, and yet it is probably one of the more forgotten passages by those of us comprising the body of Christ (cf. Ephesians 1:22-23). And that is, our tongues are like poison (James 3:8). 

     Did you catch the part in the video where the narrator describes a poison (in the modern vernacular) as something that must be 1) ingested, 2) inhaled or 3) absorbed through the skin? It's right around 1:17 (go back and watch it again if you missed it). 
 
     Even though we would like to dismiss this as nothing more than a coincidence, I'm afraid that isn't the case!

     I've been told that Christianity isn't about what goes in, but what comes out and that the only way a Christian can be defiled and fall from his wonderful status of salvation in Christ is if what he takes in is allowed to taint his outward life. Frankly, that couldn't be farther from the truth!

     No, James wrote that our tongues are full of deadly poison, something which must be taken into the body by personal choice or something which can simply seep in without our knowing, in that they have the ability to trip us up so easily. 

     What does that mean for us? It means that we have to be careful. Whether it is ingesting something (figuratively speaking of course) or simply allowing it to come in contact with our "skin" and seeping through unnoticed, we have to be careful. Why? Because what we take in has the potential to defile us (1 Corinthians 15:33, Matthew 15:19) and we are going to have the be diligent in order to keep ourselves from that poison (cf. 2 Timothy 2:15). 

     Just as that special snake takes in the toxins of the frogs it eats (1:56 in the video), our tongues can do the same thing!

     It's been a while since I posted some of my favorite articles from other brotherhood works here on the interwebs. Here are just a few of the links that I have really enjoyed reading and studying over the past few months (in no particular order). 

Some discussions are simply nauseating to me. Why? Because when people take them too far (as they sometimes do), they become downright silly. Note the following: read more

One of the consequences of failing to take the Old Testament seriously is the loss of the valuable guidance of the Proverbs. One of the Proverbs’ themes is the discipline of children, and corporal punishment (not abuse) read more

Well, what do you think? Do you think the primary job of elders — to be clear, I’m speakingabout church elders (presbyters, bishops, pastors) — is to make decisions? to spend the collection wisely? to put out (figurative) fires within the church? read more

I had arrested and was interviewing an 18-year-old gang member. On Christmas day, he and another gang member attempted to rob a 14-year-old boy at gunpoint. When the boy turned to run away, the gang member fired one shot read more

To all my friends who identify themselves as being homosexual--we need to clarify a few things. I think we can come to something resembling a true understanding of each other. read more

The pound sign. The hash mark. The octothorpe. The hashtag. Whatever you want to call it, the # symbol has taken over our society. It can be found on almost every social media site linking statuses read more

     Well, that should do it for now. Hopefully these links will give you plenty of study material for the next few days and be sure to check back here at the PFP for more articles coming soon!

     As we live our daily lives making our way to the Post Office, the grocery store, work and the gym, we often see people who are less fortunate than ourselves. Living in the United States, as many of our readers do, we have become jaded in our thoughts of wealth. Since our poverty stricken would be classified as middle to upper class in some countries, I believe we have started a mindset which causes us to miss the importance of the topic which we will discuss today. 

     In every discussion of the Judgment that I can find recorded in the Bible, there is a separation of two very distinct groups of people. The one, the faithful children of God who have overcome the temptations of this world and have shown themselves to be pleasing to the Almighty (cf. Revelation 2:10, 2 Corinthians 5:9). The other, the unfaithful/ignorant who have either chosen to ignore the commands of God or have never been contacted with the saving grace of the Lord because of one reason or another (cf. 2 Thessalonians 1:8-10, Matthew 28:19-20). This separation can be easily seen in this life by the actions and intentions of the individual (Psalm 1), but comes to a head, if you will, at the final Judgment when Jesus will judge all nations by His word (John 12:48) by dividing the sheep and the goats (Matthew 25:31-33). 

     However, our most common way by which we would attempt to ascertain the salvation of another individual, which I would argue is important for us to do since we are commanded to evangelize (Mark 16:15) and build one another up through teaching (Ephesians 5:19, Colossians 3:16, Galatians 6:2, Hebrews 10:24), is normally some sort of combination of faithfulness to the worship assemblies and the overall "goodness" of the individual. The same can be said of our own understanding of our salvation! We often think that if we make it to every worship service throughout the week and do not allow ourselves to imbibe in our "pet sin" that we have been faithful that week. But, in the context of Matthew 25:31-33, when Jesus speaks of the dividing of the two groups at the day of Judgment, He doesn't use these guidelines of faithfulness. 

     What He does use will most likely stomp all over our toes and cut straight to our hearts. No, He doesn't use the conventional set of parameters, what He uses is our servitude to our fellow man! I'll let Him speak for Himself...

     We know this though, don't we? Studies have shown that the more religious areas of our nation are the more giving when it comes to charitable donations (1). We give! I mean, when the plate is passed on Sundays, we try to drop a few bucks in there, mostly because we forgot and that's all we had in our jacket pocket from last Sunday when we remembered to bring some but didn't want to give it ALL. When we see a homeless person on the side of the road we offer to take them to get them some food or a place to stay the night, every once and a while. When Christmas rolls around we try to save up a little so we can help a family buy gifts for their children, not because the gifts are important but the feeling of being included in a societal norm is. 

     But, are we really meeting the expectations of Jesus when we are doing these small acts of giving? I'm just as guilty as anyone else in this, but I don't think so! What Jesus is discussing isn't a single instance of benevolence once or twice a month. What He's discussing is a life of helping! He's commanding a life of giving because any time we give it helps someone else, which was the reason for Him coming to earth when it is boiled down to its most basic form (John 10:10), and it shows people that His followers care. 

     I heard it said one time, "People will not care how much you know about the Bible until they know how much you care about them." So, remember, if you've forgotten, the Christian life is one of putting a jacket on Jesus. Not physically, but figuratively in every act of kindness done to the needy and helpless in our world. In what amounts to such a cold atmosphere, in that it is wholly given to idolatry (cf. Acts 17:16), sometimes a jacket is all that is needed. 

     Have you ever pondered why denominationalism, homosexuality and abortion seem to be the main three when it comes to social media posts, blog articles, sermons and even small talk coming from members of the body of Christ? Practically every day, hundreds of pictures, links and quotes come streaming across the page as brethren voice their opinions and Biblical beliefs regarding these things, and for good reasons! I have often found myself trying to ascertain why these things seem to be at the forefront of our public teaching of the Word of God, sometimes to the point of ignoring other equitable topics. 

     Don't get me wrong! I believe that these three things are vital to our evangelism. You see, in our society, they are some of the most widespread and even controversial problems that one might face as he goes about doing the work of the Lord (2 Timothy 4:5). 

     But, I think I've finally, somewhat, figured it out. The reason these three things are the front lines of the war against Satan is because... they pervert Godly institutionalism!

     In the society in which we live, social science (the thoughts "concerning society and relationships among individuals within any given society") is shifting to something ungodly! 
     
     Homosexuality takes the Divine institution of marriage (cf. Genesis 2:24, Matthew 19:4-6, Ephesians 5:22-33) and turns it into nothing more than a den of fornication and idolatry. Denominationalism takes the blessing of the church, wherein is salvation and fellowship (Ephesians 1:7, Romans 8:1, Ephesians 2:19-22) and turns it into a house of false doctrine and ignorant sin. Abortion takes the original institution, that of life given by God (Psalm 127:3, Genesis 1:26), and turns it into nothing more than a blob of cancer-like cells bent on eating away at the "good life" of the parent(s). 

     See, they all have something in common, they take something so precious to our existence and attempt to turn the world's thinking of it into something that is a burden and even something which is upsetting to "happiness"! That's the reason that we, as members of the body, have taken so strong and outspoken a stance on these things, and rightfully so. 

     There are other institutions given by God which are perverted in today's world of relativism and sinfulness (worship, righteousness, understanding of our beginnings, eternity, etc.), but these three take the cake because they take what I would say are the three main things God has given to us and twist them into something for physical pleasure whether it be the pleasure of having followers (denominationalism), having the fulfillment of sexual desires (homosexuality) or having fornication without the worry of being held accountable for another human's life (abortion). 

     Next time you see some image scroll across your Facebook feed or some controversial statement so eloquently stated in 140 characters of less dealing with one of these topics, don't wonder why these have become the "Big Three," wonder how you can help the fight to turn these institutions back to God in our society.

     I'm convinced, if we could get the world to see these three things the way our Lord sees them, there would be a lot more brethren wandering the streets of our country. 

     There's something in this world that constantly pulls at us. It is ever present in the background of our thoughts and our faithfulness to the Lord is weakened by it. It's the idea that I will never fall away from my Lord. While I whole heartedly believe that our conviction and confidence in our salvation is paramount to a full life in Christ, I also understand that sometimes that confidence can be detrimental when we do not realize that at any moment, if we are not diligent, we may find ourselves cast out of the body of Christ because of our own shortcomings (cf. Galatians 5:4). 

     What I'm saying is that we have to always remember that though we are saved and know it, we have the potential to allow our desires to overtake us and cause us to leave a perfect standing in the eyes of God for an perfect standing in the eyes of the world. Think about an example... 

Peter
     He's one of the most well known, and yet most misunderstood, men of the Bible. He was an apostle of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:1), he was a fisherman by trade (Luke 5:8), he often stuck his foot in his mouth not realizing the magnitude of his statements (cf. John 13:8, Acts 10:14) but he was also one of the most courageous men that I read about in the Scriptures! 

     Facing what could have been up to 1000 Roman soldiers, the creme of the crop when it came to military force in the 1st Century A.D., (John 18:3) Peter was willing to fight for his and his Lord's life regardless of the circumstances (John 18:10). And yet, just a few hours later, Peter would be forsaking the Lord even to the point of using profane language to nail his denial home (John 18:15-18). 

     I hope that I can say that I would be willing to fight up to 1,000 men for my faith armed with nothing more than a sword and a heart, but I don't know if I could (facing situations often changes the way we act from the way we say we would act). If Peter was able to have that amount of courage and fortitude and yet just a few hours later was turning to his own vomit (cf. 2 Peter 2:22), what does that have to say about our chances of giving up without really realizing what is happening?

     Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that those of us who fall victim to our own lusts and leave are doing so in a defiant, "I'm leaving the church" type of attitude. What I'm saying is, it can hit us without even realizing what has taken place in our spiritual lives. 

How do we stop this from happening?
     It's rather simple to say, but very difficult to implement. The only way to keep this from establishing a foothold in our lives is diligence. Paul wrote it best when he, by inspiration of the Spirit, said that we ought to constantly exert all we have in order to show ourselves as faithful and one that is approved by the Almighty (2 Timothy 2:15). He even wrote that we should do so in order to maintain the unity which only comes from an understanding that there is only one God-approved organization lead by the Spirit with the hope of eternal life and redemption in Christ; a group which follows the authority of the one Lord of the Universe, practices the one faith established by that Spirit and Lord, has only one avenue of entrance and worships the one Deity that is truly in existence (Ephesians 4:3-6). 

     See, easier said than done. But, it is within our grasps! If it weren't, we wouldn't be commanded to do so. The only catch is that it will take all that we have to reach the goal. 

     You want to know how to keep yourself from leaving the church? Empty yourself and fill your life with Christ. Then and only then will you be able to stand against the deceitful temptations of Satan and be approved by God at the Last Day (Ephesians 6:11, 2 Timothy 2:15, 2 Corinthians 5:9). 

Here is the link for the second part of the #RetroChrisitanity article that I was able to write for the brethren at Strong Church. Check it out, read it and share it!

I was privileged to be able to write for the brethren over at Strong Church. Please take a second to go over, read the article and share it around!

     Many of our readers know that I was not brought up in a family which was part of the body of Christ. In fact, the vast majority of my family is, sadly, not religious at all. However, I'm very happy to say that since my becoming a Christian two other members of my immediate family have obeyed the Gospel. That being said, there is a reason for that happening. 

     This past week, Bill Nye the Science Guy and Ken Ham (the CEO of the Creation Museum) discussed on national TV the topic of creation vs. evolution. During the following Q&A time of their event, the question was asked by one of the audience, "What would change your mind?" To which each speaker answered. Now, although I believe the creation was how the universe came into being, I wholeheartedly disagreed with Mr. Ham on his answer and, surprisingly, agreed with Bill Nye. Of course, I didn't agree with the wording of Mr. Nye's answer but the concept was perfectly honest, and if he were honest and the "reasonable" person he kept touting himself to be he would now be a creationist. 

     His answer was something to the effect of, "If evidence is shown to contradict my stance, I will change."

     But, can I honestly say that I keep their commands and turn where the evidence leads or do I allow friends, family, society, "(pseudo)scientists", or even my own thoughts to lead me through this life?

     I believe God inspired Solomon to write, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death (Proverbs 14:12)." Do we believe that? Do I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that what Bill Nye or anyone else says is not the means by which I should judge truth and live my life?

     Questioning is not sinful! Let me say that again, questioning God and His truth IS NOT SINFUL! He wants His children to use the free will He instilled in them to lay the evidence out on the kitchen table and see whether or not it is accurately being followed in their lives! I know some want to attack my Lord and His way in saying that it is nothing more than blind obedience, but those that are following blindly are not obeying Him. We have to be able to say, "I looked at the evidence and it is true." 

     Now, does that mean that those who believe differently, especially in light of the current context of evolution, are perfectly justified in their beliefs because their interpretation of the evidence leads them there? No! God doesn't simply call us to question, but to answer truthfully. Paul wrote that those who looked at the evidence in the natural world and failed to see a Creator were "without excuse (Romans 1:20)." 

     So, GO! Look at what you believe and question it! Don't allow people or forces on the outside to sway your decisions but rather look at the evidence and answer truthfully. Christianity has never been a religion of blindly following an unknown god. No, it is a religion of obediently following a Lord and Master who is visible (through the evidence and His word), knowable, and loving and we are called to seek out that Lord (Matthew 6:33). 

     Today, I'd like to give you something. Now, this thing I'm giving you isn't so much a physical gift wrapped in nice shiny paper as much as it is an insight into yourself and your faith. I'd like to challenge you to read the evaluation, answer the questions and look deep inside you in order to learn 1) more about your faith and 2) learn where you need to grow.