2020: Can We See Clearly?

(Written after reading Amos 4.)

Is a wildfire sent by God as punishment for sin? How about hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, earthquakes, famines, plagues, pandemics, and the like? Are they divine occurrences, “natural” circumstances, or permanent consequences of the fall of man (Genesis 3:17) but unrelated to mankind’s current refusal to submit to God as kurios? Is it as “cut and dried” as many think?

Where, in the Bible, did the people of God remain faithful as a whole and suffer disaster? Yes, there were individuals who remained faithful and suffered. They are heroes of the faith: Joshua and Caleb, Daniel and his three friends, Jeremiah, the disciples, etc. But their faithfulness stood out against a backdrop of unfaithfulness on the part of the people as a whole. On the other hand, the Israelites where all made slaves in Egypt and this is not specifically identified as being caused by their sinfulness but, rather, by the Egyptians wickedness (Exodus 1:8ff). Does the fact that God saved them from the plagues that fell upon the Egyptians and delivered them from that slavery negate the fact that they suffered as slaves?

From an argumentative standpoint, all have sinned and the wages of sin is death. So, we are all guilty. That argument, however, must include that many have repented and are secure in the hands of God. Sin continues but so does repentance and forgiveness. There is a distinct, important, and eternal difference between sin as a permanent foundation upon which a life is built and sin that is confessed and forgiven. King David was an adulterer, a murderer, and a man after God’s own heart. Such is possible only through God’s mercy and grace when a sinner repents.

When God forgives sin, He removes its guilt from us. The guilt penalty/price was repeatedly paid by sacrificed animals and has been eternally paid by Jesus on the cross. That is what atonement is. That is what atonement does. (Leviticus 10:17; 16:30; Psalm 103:12; Romans 4:7; Ephesians 2:5; etc.)

But people as a whole, particularly nations and specific people groups, remain unrepentant and continue to bear the penalty. When they continue in sin—denying, deflecting, and/or defending it—are they subject to God’s wrath? Would God—does God—bring punishment on them? What form does that punishment take? Did God only use plagues and disasters in nature as a punishment in Bible times? If so, what does He use now? If not, how do we distinguish between God’s wrath and, say, the natural shifting of tectonic plates or development of weather patterns?

The truth will set us free. But do we declare our own version of truth or do we seek God’s Truth?

Such thoughts and discussions can be interesting, even fascinating, and can certainly be time consuming. But we should desire that they be productive. It is vital that we focus our examination to inside the circumference of our own arms' reach. A good starting point can be Amos 5:12-15.

Something To Chew On

“Don’t put so much food in your mouth all at once and wait until you chew and swallow what’s already there before you take another bite!” That compound sentence is taken from the files of, “Things My Parents Had To Tell Me Too Many Times.” The urgency of the moment did not allow for a thorough account of the rationale behind it. The basic idea was, “Do what you are told and you will eventually understand… hopefully… maybe… someday… if we let you live.” Agreement, understanding, and wisdom may have been in short supply but past experience had instilled a sufficient measure of fear and a more exhaustive level of mastication immediately commenced.

Having finished reading Jeremiah yesterday, this morning’s devotion time included beginning Lamentations. Normally this would include several chapters, perhaps twenty minutes to half an hour or more. But this morning ended up just being that first chapter. Even before finishing the second verse, it was clear that it was too much, too fast. The need to more fully chew on it and swallow before moving on was clear.

Jerusalem had fallen and, with it, the last hope for Judah. The writer portrays the emotions, the questions, the grief, the bewilderment, the inevitability, the feelings of betrayal, the loss, and the despair so vividly and within such a relative economy of words. Had they ignored what was coming? Was it the worst of all nightmares? Were they dumbfounded? Did they deserve it? Was God’s wrath more than they could bear? Was there enormous regret and grief? Were their spiritual weaknesses now exposed and undeniable? Were they overwhelmed with shame and embarrassment? Did they plead for help?

Yes. To all those questions, the answer is a shivering, “Yes”.

There was no way to read those twenty-two verses without recognizing the course our nation has been on for a very long time. It is as if one is looking into a future—being given a preview of coming attractions—to which we have been prepaying our admission. And it seems to be a future to which we have finally and fatally arrived.

Who will save us? The answer God gave Solomon remains true today. "If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14 ESV)

Since God always keeps his promises (Numbers 23:19; Psalm 103:17) and in light of 2 Chronicles 7:14, why is our nation not being healed? Where do we point the finger of blame?

The YMPCA?

One of the benefits of living in this area is the ability to pay dues at one YMCA but being able to use any of them in Kitsap and Pierce Counties. There are currently a total of twelve facilities including camps, family Ys, etc. By and large, most folks have their favorite and that is the one they use. We have enjoyed using the "Y" but are now rethinking our membership.

Recently, "to demonstrate our commitment to our transgender community", the YMCAs of Kitsap and Pierce Counties created a policy allowing people to use whatever locker room (shower, changing, etc.) they identified with in their minds. They want us to be assured that they are taking steps to keep any sex offenders from abusing this.

Really? Consider the following: 1. The policy was created in April and only made public very recently; 2. There is no way to keep all sex offenders from abusing it, only known convicted sex offenders; 3. When a church member inquired about it just yesterday, the person at the front desk said she did not know anything about it.

A person observing this might come to the conclusion that the acronym, YMCA (Young Men's Christian Association), has secretly added the letter "P" to the middle of it and changed the formal name to the Young Men's Politically Correct Association. The "M" has apparently become just a nod to the old days when the physical body and chromosomes identified a person's gender rather than the person's current feelings.

Folks were encouraged by the "Y" to send their responses, etc. so I sent the following to the person I believe is the President and CEO of the YMCAs for the two counties:

Dear Bob Ecklund,

Please, know that you are being prayed for during these sensitive times of establishing, refining, enforcing, etc. new policies that are affected by sexual identification/orientation at the YMCA. Navigating the various laws and varying moral standards from different groups at times seems to be a "no win" situation since you can not possibly please everyone.

As a local Pastor, I understand the desire to have those who come be a reflection of the community. In the past year or two, we have seen something I did not anticipate: Lesbian, gays, and unmarried couples with children have been coming to our church. Some come into the worship service and some tend to hover outside the auditorium. In some cases, life circumstances have brought them to the church rather than a thirst for God's truth. Whatever brings them, we recognize our responsibility to love them and teach them God's truth without compromise.

It is my prayer that you will lead the YMCA to continue to be a place open to all people but without being governed or manipulated by any standards other than those God has given us in His word, the Bible.

In His love,

Jim Gantenbein

Jim Gantenbein, Pastor

Kitsap Lake Baptist Church

5802 Wilmont St

Bremerton WA 98312

(360) 373-7728

D.P.B.

(This is a true story that happened many years ago on a particular Sunday morning.)

The youth sat in a circle during "Large Group" time. On the table were milk and brownies. They learned the brownies were made from scratch, heard the list of ingredients, and something to the effect: "There is one more ingredient but there isn't much of it so it doesn't matter. So, who wants a brownie?" A couple of youth began to get up and move toward the table until one girl asked, "What's the other ingredient?" Upon repeating that there wasn't much of it so it didn't matter, she repeated the question. Those youth who had started to come and get a brownie sat down as others began to ask the question. After reading the original list of ingredients again, the unknown ingredient was revealed: "Dog poop." At first they didn't believe it but the worker whose dog contributed the ingredient confirmed the fact.

Thankfully, no one threw up. Astonishingly, one youth said, "I don't care. I'll eat them anyway!" He was even adamant. However, those brownies were disposed of without him eating any.

The point was clear (except to the one): Purity is lost with any amount of contamination. Some of those youth (and workers) still recall that illustration. It made some things very clear and it was not uncommon to hear a response of "dog poop brownies" whenever they heard something that just didn't sit right. It was quickly abbreviated to "D.P.B." as a way to communicate the meaning to each other without seeming vulgar to those who were unfamiliar with the whole story.

All of that to say this: Since videos of Planned Parenthood executives, doctors, etc. callously, even jokingly, talking about the business of murdering babies and selling their parts to eager customers, there has been a rising wave of people defending the industry because of all the other "good things" they do.

I've seen a number of posts defending Planned Parenthood from Facebook friends, including a relative or two, and even posts by one or two former youth. But I don't believe I've seen any by those who understood the truth of the D.P.B. I hope it will continue to impact them throughout their entire life.

And now, the rest of the story:

After we got rid of the contaminated brownies, I shared that they were made after I had made two uncontaminated batches. In fact, the contaminating ingredient wasn't even allowed in the house until the pure batches were mixed, baked, divided, placed on trays, sealed, and secured away from the D.P.B. 

Still, none of the youth would eat one (again, except the one). 

I asked, "Would it help if I ate one?" 

"Yes!"

I took one, took a bite, slowly chewed it (as they watched to see if I would throw up)…

and swallowed it.

They were satisfied and the brownies were gone in a heartbeat!

Decisions are so much easier when you have your heart set on purity. Sadly, there are so many people willing to eat the D.P.B. this world offers.

The Self-Labeled Christian

I just read an article (linked on a Facebook post) titled, "Four Reasons–From A Christian Perspective–Why Kim Davis Is 100% Wrong".

It should have been titled, "Four Reasons–From Someone Who Labels Himself A Christian–Why Kim Davis Is 100% Wrong."

Each one of his four reasons was from a human/worldly perspective and, therefore, were weak. The closest it came to referencing God's word was: "The Bible actually says nothing whatsoever about same-sex marriage." Does any faithful follower of Jesus Christ actually buy that? By that "logic", so many horrible things must be perfectly fine because the Bible "says nothing whatsoever about" them from the author's perspective. He then goes on to do what has become more and more popular among Christians: Talk trash about Christians in general (and usually the church), especially if they differ from him. I should have known better since the subheading of his blog is "Jesus, Politics & Bathroom Humor." That is not a misquote, either. So a Christian finds that bathroom humor is a proper thing to put out there for the world as a part of following after Christ. After all, nowhere in the Bible does it use the phrase "bathroom humor" so it must be okay. And we all know what a political activist Jesus was.

So, down to the matter at hand: The self-labeled Christian. To be clear, this is referring to our habit (or need?) to verbally or in writing give ourselves the label. There are probably some scholars who can tell us when this began. Although I am not able to pin a date on it, we can be reasonable certain it did not occur until "Christian" was no longer a term of derision and it even enjoyed a degree of acceptance outside the ecclesia. But when the label was created, it was done so by others who observed the lives of Christ followers in Antioch and decided they were all acting (or at least trying to act) like Jesus. Looking at Acts 11:26, they were simply called "disciples" (learner/pupil) until it was too obvious whose pupil they were.

Have parts of God's church ignored its Cornerstone so much and for so long that we have created a new and commonly accepted definition and identify of "Christian"? In truth, I have known less than a handful of people who, because of their actions, were labeled "Christians" by those outside the church. It is always my goal to live so that people see Christ in me and call me by that identity. It is also a goal to not take His name in vain as in the article I just read. I would rather be like Peter and John in Acts 4:13 – "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus."

If you were arrested for being a Christian,

Would there be enough evidence to help convict you?

If they took you in front of a panel of judges,

Could they find a staunch witness to help convict you.

Or would they find somebody who's seen you in the shadows,

But they couldn't repeat all the naked truth they know?

Would the prosecution have the evidence to hang you,

Or would the Master suffer by your show?

If they put you in prison for being a Christian,

Would they have enough evidence to help confine you?

If they gave you a chance to obtain your freedom,

Would you stand your faith or would you deny him?

Would you cop a plea just to save your earthly body,

And let Satan win the soul Jesus bought to save?

Would the prince of darkness win you for his gallows,

Would the Judgement Day see God send you away?

Gary S. Paxton, Evidence, 1977 (hear it here)

We Continue On

This week in review…so far: The Supreme Court upholds Obamacare and declares same-sex marriage legal in all fifty states, whether those states like it, want it, or not; without declaring it, many "people of faith" react as if the world will soon come to an end; and I was finally able to schedule a medical appointment to get an infusion in my back.

Starting at the back and going forward—
As a result of getting older, my L4 vertebra shifts around. Also, a nice big cyst has grown in/on my L3 vertebra. There is a chance the infusion will allow the back to heal over the next few weeks. If not, another infusion will be tried, also attempting to drain the cyst (not a high probability of success). If both infusions do not produce the desired results, surgery will be scheduled to remove the cyst and "bolt" the lower vertebrae (L3, L4, L5?) together and after a period of recovery, I'll be in great shape.

Now, regarding the SCOTUS rulings and despair by the family of God—
Given:

• We are ambassadors for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20) who communicate His message ("be reconciled to God") to the world.
• Reconciliation to God can only occur through Jesus (John 14:6) who died on the cross that our sins might be forgiven (Romans 6:10).
• Jesus commissioned us make disciples (followers/students) of Himself wherever people are (Matthew 28:18-20).
• Though many "Christians" don't get it, our lives are already forfeited for the cause of Christ (Romans 6:3; Galatians 2:20).
• Dead things feel no pain (It only hurts roadkill the first time it's squished).
• God doesn't change (Hebrews 13:8) so His Truth remains unchanged.

Then:

• The judgements/decisions/actions of man do not alter our God-given mission/purpose.
• We should continue in obedience to God (or, for some, get started).

Living To Die (and Vice Versa)

This is going to be short and sweet. There are two questions I must consistently ask myself: Am I living for Jesus? Am I willing to die for Jesus?

In truth, it is one question. I am unwilling to die for Jesus if I am unwilling to live for Him and I will never live for Jesus if I will not die for Him.

God came to live as a man so that He might die for me. Jesus' death on the cross for my sins was the capstone of His life.

Literally, I live in order to die and I must die in order to live.

"The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him." —2 Timothy 2:11

Gantenbeins' 2013 Not-So-Annual Christmas Letter

You are right: There was not a "Gantenbeins' 2012 Annual Christmas Letter." We were waiting for something in particular to develop. It did, so let's get right to it with an abbreviated timeline.

2012

~Jim and Cathy turned 60!

~May 26 — On our 38th anniversary. We met Shane Calhoun and five minutes later Alison surprised us by showing up at our front door for a visit. We began to wait for that relationship to develop.

~September - October — A rare and cherished blessing as we were able to visit with each of our children twice while on vacation.

~Christmas — The whole family was home for Christmas! (The picture at the top of this page.) We continued to watch the relationship develop between Alison and Shane.

2013

~March 16 — Cathy and I began the Ideal Protein Diet.

~Spring — A lot of emails, text messages, and phone calls between Alison and us regarding possible venues for the not-yet-official upcoming event.

~May 5 — Alison sent us the picture that officially confirmed that the relationship had developed as all had hoped and expected.

~June — David came for a brief visit while attending his high school 10-year reunion.

~August 9 — Alison was shocked when she saw me two days before the wedding. I had not told her about the weight we were losing.

~August 11, 2013 — Shane and Alison were married!

~November 23 — I finished my weight loss after dropping 100 pounds. Cathy continues to slim down.

~Christmas — The whole family was home again!

And now, for updates on the family:

Aaron and Denise continue to live and work in Winston OR where Aaron is Associate Pastor of Community Baptist Church and Denise works hard to develop the Children's ministry. This summer they were heavily involved in World Changers as their church hosted this event. We are praying for Denise's family. Her father is battling cancer.

Shane and Alison continue to settle in to married life in Ontario CA. Shane is on faculty as a counselor at California State University, San Bernadino. Besides each other, they enjoy their dogs, Cody and Dexter, their pallet garden, and Shane's pottery.

David continues to live and work in Phoenix where he stays extremely busy as Student Pastor of Foothills Baptist Church. He is still single but is not opposed to changing that status should a relationship develop with the right lady. We are not opposed to it, either!

Cathy and I are pretty much the same as in our last Christmas letter except we are two years older and many pounds lighter. We are looking forward to having grandkids…someday…maybe…nothing yet… but are happy we are able to be with the grand dogs.

Even though this has been relatively brief, our lives are very full. We thank God for His increased blessings and for your friendship (or "relationship" for those who have the distinction of being family). May 2014 be a year of blessings for you, as well.

In His love,

Jim and Cathy

Liberate Yourself Politically

The wonderful people of Kitsap Lake Baptist Church in Bremerton know that I try hard to keep politics out of what we do as God's people. As a rule, I do not discuss politics. There are more important things.

Many years ago, I made a decision: I will no longer be aligned with any political party. That decision has produced numerous benefits. Here are a few:

• I am free from "loyalty" to any political party or agenda.
• Distinctions between a conservative political view and a biblical view become much clearer.
• The responsibility God places upon His own people to repent appears much greater.
• There are more prayers "for" than "against" (things, people, etc.).
• I am more inclined to search through information on all the candidates and issues to see who supports God's views instead of a political stance.
• I care much more about God's truth and much less about worldly ideologies.
• National patriotism is always subject to and filtered through patriotism to God's kingdom.
• Arrogance cloaked in false piety is quickly evident and disgusting…especially in myself.
• The two greatest commandments are more in our heads than in our lives.
• Satan loves politics.

Bonus:

• My "non-alignment" has made my involvement more meaningful.

Don't Curse the Waves

While reading the words of the gospel song, Count Your Blessings—"When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed"—I was reminded of a common misperception: The big waves that hit us in life are the problem. In truth, they are not. The analogy of waves representing difficult circumstances is appropriate but the idea that the waves are somehow at fault is erroneous.

Waves do not create themselves, nor do circumstances. Waves are water set in motion by a variety of external forces—wind, earthquakes, storms, the moon, landslides, passing boats, underwater detonations, etc. Circumstances also occur naturally and by the efforts of man. Both can be regular in size, happening all the time as part of the ongoing rhythm of life, or they can be much larger, even catastrophic in nature.

Instead of cursing the waves (our circumstances) we need to recognize that they are there and be as prepared as possible. When the catastrophic happens, we need to have an emergency plan in place so we will know where to go and what to do.

___________________________________

When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,

When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,

Count your many blessings, name them one by one,

And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?

Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?

Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,

And you will keep singing as the days go by.

So, amid the conflict whether great or small,

Do not be discouraged, God is over all;

Count your many blessings, angels will attend,

Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.

Count Your Blessings,  Johnson Oatman Jr.

___________________________________

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. –James 1:5-8 (ESV)

P.S. Ever notice how "regular" varies from one individual to the next? One person may barely notice a particular challenge while another is devastated by the same trial. It is commonly because the one has survived this type of incident before, witnessing God's provision and is confident that God will continue to carry him while the other may be experiencing it for the first time. It may also be because the first is indeed being carried along by God rather than by the waves and the second is attempting to make it on his own resources alone. That is such a bad idea!

Before the Sun Sets

This is from another site where I was also posting a blog. I just thought I ought to bring it all together in one spot.

_______

I enjoy gardening and building simple things for the house and garage. The time for such things is while it is still light out. Once the sun begins its daily plunge to and below the horizon, I am forced to prioritize the remaining work and fit it into the remaining daylight

My life is like that. The sunset is becoming easier to picture than the sunrise is to remember. I have an increasing desire to know what is most important and get it done while there is time. There are consequences to such thinking. Priorities come with a price.

For all of my life, family has been a priority. When I was young, it was my parents and siblings, then my aunts, uncles, and cousins. Since 1971 it has been Cathy with Aaron, Alison, and David becoming permanently engraved as each entered our lives. Someday, I believe… I hope… I think I want… we will also gratefully and joyfully embrace our new son and daughters when our children get married. And then, joy of joys, GRANDKIDS! But that is yet to be and this is now.

Above my family I have desired, at least in word and intent, to lace my relationship with God. Yet, words and intent are vaporous if not indurated by consistent and sincere lifestyle. It is at this point that the willingness to pay the price for such a priority becomes evident to all. Talk is cheap but the cost of living… Suffice it to say that the desire to please people has too often been a barrier to pleasing God. Jacob Marely had his heavy chain, comprised of countless links. I have mine, too, with many of those links being forged from truths twisted or softened in order to make them more agreeable to others. There is no way of knowing how many people were pushed away from the cross because of my weakness. I have been in disparate need of the wisdom and insight of Jim Elliot who wrote, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose."

So, now that I am closer to the grave than the cradle, I may begin to appear a bit more rigid and inflexible, particularly with regards to God's eternal truths. May the appearance reflect the reality, but may those characteristics be refined and presented in companionship with an increasing love for God and others. May I be willing to forfeit their friendship for the cause of their salvation.

Always In Him,

Jim