There’s a trend today for Christians to not be ashamed over sinful lifestyles and choices. This might be expected within the secular world, but sinful lifestyle choices shouldn’t be embraced by Christians. We claim to follow Jesus and that claim carries responsibility. We like to quote Scripture and make ourselves seem holy and in love with Jesus. But our actions speak louder than our words.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every- one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16).

Many Christians are proud to claim this verse, and rightly so. But living as if you’re unashamed of Him takes commitment. Too often when temptation comes along we cave into anger or lust of the flesh. Our flesh gets in the way of honoring God and our actions say, “I’m ashamed of Christ. I choose to follow the god of this world.”

Spiritual hygiene is important to a Christian. Just as we need to get the dirt out from under our fingernails in physical hygiene; we also need to get the dirt out from our spiritual lives. How do we do that? We need to desire to follow Christ and not be afraid to go against friends and family.

If you’re a Christian and are having sexual relations outside of a one man one woman marriage, or if you listen to secular music, enjoy pornography, use foul language, dress provocatively, etc., then you need to get the dirt out of your life.

“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15).

John got right to the heart of the matter. If you can embrace carnal ways of the world then do you really love God? What are the things in the world that we aren’t to love? Puppies? Hot fudge sundaes? No, John is talking about deeper things. Satan is the god of this world, so things that are opposed to God are the things of the world.

“For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever” (1 John 2:16-17).

Works of the flesh will pass away, along with the temporary pleasure they may bring, but honoring God will bring eternal peace and rewards. The temptations around us are strong, but they are all of Satan. If you drown yourself in things that are inspired by Satan, such as illegal drugs or drunkenness, then you will soon succumb to more lusts of the flesh.

Secular music of today is just plain evil and glorifies sin. No Christian should listen to any of it. Katy Perry, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Kanye West, and so on are people who need our prayers, but not our attention. Their songs glorify sin in many forms. Katy Perry sings of desiring sexual encounters with extraterrestrials and demons, and Rihanna sings of killing and bathing in blood.

Brothers and sisters, it’s time to take an unashamed stand for Christ. Be ashamed of activities these pitiful, lost human beings sing about, but don’t be ashamed of Christ. The same is true of television and movies. Satan is behind the entertainment industry and I urge everyone to turn off the television.

Christians need to fellowship with other Christians—to encourage one other to honor God. Many people like to say that they don’t need to go to “church” in order to worship Christ. That’s true. On the other hand, what do you do instead? Do you worship Him while you’re out fishing or at the mall shopping?

It’s easier to join the world in sin if you don’t have the grounding afforded by Christian fellowship. Most people who say they have no need to join a congregation in worship never study their Bibles and slip into the ways of the world. Without Bible study it’s easy to go to bed with your “significant other” or accept homosexuality as “normal” because you have no moral guide.

How many young girls do you know who are pregnant but not married, yet they claim to be Christians? Chances are they’ve stopped attending a Christ-centered fellowship of believers; and instead listen to secular music and watch television shows that make sin look like fun. The problem goes far beyond sexual sin (but that is a major problem today).

“If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:6-7).

The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from sin, but that doesn’t give us a license to continue to choose to sin. You may not be ashamed of Christ, but is He ashamed of you? If you choose to follow Satan in sin then you might want to search out the answer to that question.

There’s a fine line between driving everyone who sins out of our congregations and standing firm on God’s expectations for Christians. If we run everyone out who sins there would be nobody in the pews or in the pulpit. We all sin. So what do we do about it?

We begin by recognizing the sin in our own lives and turn to God for forgiveness and help to overcome it. When Paul wrote his first letter to the Corinthians he addressed many issues in that congregation that were opposed to God. One that he was particularly upset with was fornication.

“It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife. And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you” (1 Corinthians 5:1-2).

The congregation in Corinth was “puffed up” (proud) about this, as if it were a good thing. Times haven’t changed much since Paul wrote that letter. Sin is seldom addressed from the pulpit, so fornication and other sins are “accepted.” It’s time that Christians stop being ashamed to live according to biblical morality and live for Christ.

The problem of people giving lip service to God isn’t new. Speaking through the prophet Isaiah, God said:

“Wherefore the Lord said, forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men” (Isaiah 29:13).

Both the northern and southern kingdoms turned their hearts from God. They turned to idols and the sin that goes along with idol worship. Ultimately they ignored the commandments of God and they only honored Him with words. Time has passed since then but not much has changed.

We may mouth the words, “I am a Christian.” But our hearts are removed from serving Him. Jesus told a parable which compared the kingdom of heaven to a mustard seed which a man sowed in his field.

“Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof” (Matthew 13:32).

In that parable, the birds of the air symbolize Satan and his minions whose evil ways are taking hold in our congregations and drawing Christians into sin. Isaiah had written to people who had removed their hearts from God, and Jesus told of sin taking hold amongst God’s people.

We give lip service to Christ, but honor Satan with our actions. Sin is not addressed because the “birds of the air” are infiltrating the Christian leadership and trickling down to the individuals sitting in the pews—who claim to be Christians. Like Paul wrote to the Corinthians “… And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned.” Shame on us.

Jesus doesn’t take sin lightly.

“Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation: of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels” (Mark 8:38).

He hears everything you say and sees everything you do. He even knows what you think. If you claim that you believe in Him—then act like it and honor Him with your choices in life. It might cost you a friendship or your family may turn against you, but if you love Jesus then you will unashamedly stand for Him—not for the world.

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

Open your Bible and start reading. Then live as if you aren’t ashamed of Jesus.

Brethren, stop “playing church” by just giving Jesus lip service. Take a stand against sin by living set apart lives that please Him.

“And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming” (1 John 2:28).

The Rapture will happen soon. Before that call from above comes ask yourself if you have truly accepted Christ for salvation. If you can happily continue in sin you might be unhappily surprised by the answer to that question.

If you’re ashamed to follow Him now, will He be ashamed of you when you stand before His judgment seat? His love and forgiveness are unlimited but if you’re ashamed to live for Him, maybe you haven’t truly accepted His free gift of salvation.

Jesus gave His life to pay the price to redeem you from sin. He wasn’t ashamed to go to the cross and shed His pure blood for your redemption. Are you ashamed of Him? If you aren’t then start living for Him now.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham

We all know what faith is, but it’s a hard thing to define. The writer of Hebrews says:

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).

That’s the best description you’ll find anywhere. After making that statement, the author lists people who accomplished great things because they believed God. Christian’s have faith in Jesus Christ and what He accomplished on the cross.

We look back and know His shed blood bought our salvation. If we look farther back into the Old Testament we can see that the people who made the most difference in history all looked forward to the cross. One of the most remarkable people in the list of the faithful in Hebrews, is Moses.

Moses was born to Jewish parents during the time that the Israelites were slaves in Egypt. When Jacob and his family had first entered into Egypt, life was good. They went there to escape famine and over the years they prospered. Time passed and Pharaoh began to fear that the children of Israel would come against Egypt so he enslaved them.

“But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel. And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour” (Exodus 1:12-13).

Pharaoh wasn’t pleased and he told the Hebrew midwives to kill all newborn Hebrew baby boys. The midwives feared God more than Pharaoh and refused to kill the babies. Pharaoh was relentless and required the Egyptians to kill the Jewish boys. When Moses was born his parents chose to stand in faith against Pharaoh and honor God.

“By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment” (Hebrews 11:23).

Whenever the government makes laws that contradict God’s laws, always honor God.

Pharaoh’s daughter found Moses and he was raised as an Egyptian. That meant he was taught Egyptian ways. He was raised as an Egyptian but he didn’t become one of them. He cared about the plight of the children of Israel as they suffered under Pharaoh.

“By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured as seeing him who is invisible” (Hebrews 11:24-27).

Being raised in Pharaoh’s court, Moses was accustomed to riches and fine living. But notice that the writer of Hebrews says he esteemed “…the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt.” Moses lived many centuries before Christ was born in Bethlehem, but he held Christ in higher honor than the riches of Egypt.

Moses looked forward to the cross and chose to honor God Almighty over sin and above the wealth to be had in Egypt. How many professing Christians today honor God above the pagan practices all around us? It isn’t easy to identify Christians from non-believers. Many Christians use foul language and embrace pagan lifestyles. Generally, we can see little difference between the non-Christians who dishonor God and some professing Christians. But not Moses. Moses esteemed Christ.

Moses wasn’t perfect. He had to flee from Egypt because he murdered an Egyptian who was beating a Jewish man. He went to Midian where he spent 40 years. Eventually Pharaoh died and the children of Israel finally cried out to God because of their bondage.

“And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob” Exodus 2:24).

God hadn’t forgotten His covenant, but the Hebrews finally turned to Him and He was faithful to answer. God is always ready to help in times of trouble, but He won’t force His way into a situation. It took hundreds of years for the Jewish people to turn to Him for help, and He was ready. God was preparing Moses for the task of freeing the Hebrew slaves.

Many times in life it may seem as if God is far from us. In truth, He’s always with Christians and always knows what we’re doing. Moses had fled Egypt because he murdered a man, but during the next 40 years God knew where to find him. He was in exile in Midian when God spoke to him from a burning bush. Actually, there was fire but the bush didn’t burn.

“And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed” (Exodus 3:2).

The term “angel of the LORD” is used when Jesus makes an appearance in the Old Testament. Moses was 80 years old and had lived 40 years as a prince in Egypt then 40 years as a humble shepherd of his father-in-law’s flock.

It was time for him to choose to serve God. Moses had many excuses as to why he couldn’t do what God asked. All God wanted him to do was to go back to Egypt, face Pharaoh, then lead the Israelites out of captivity and into the Promised Land. Simple wasn’t it?

“Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt” (Exodus 3:10).

With God all things are possible, but Moses wasn’t sure he was ready for such a task.

“And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11).

We’re like Moses. God chooses us for a task, but we argue. We dig in our heels and find every excuse possible to not accomplish even the smallest task. Love your neighbor, share the gospel, turn from the pagan lifestyle of the world, and so on. These are things that God asks of Christians, but like Moses we have a choice.

Moses’ excuses were, “They won’t listen to me” and “I’m slow of speech and slow of tongue.” With a final plea he wanted God to send somebody else. Isn’t that just like us? There just has to be somebody else who can witness to the grouch down the street.

Many plagues were sent upon Egypt. At any time Pharaoh could have set Israel free, but that wasn’t to be. It took the death of the firstborn of Egypt to finally get Pharaoh to agree to set the children of Israel free from their captivity. Moses was faithful to God during these trials.

“Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them” (Hebrews 11:28).

In faith the children of Israel put the lamb’s blood on their door posts and death passed over them. Today it’s only the blood of the Lamb of God that protects us from eternal death. When we accept the blood sacrifice of Jesus we are given eternal life.

“By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:10).

Our bodies will die but our soul will live eternally with Him.

The faith Moses had didn’t stop when they left Egypt. Pharaoh had second thoughts and sent his army after them. Things looked bad because the Hebrews seemed trapped. Moses trusted God, held out his rod, and the Red Sea parted.

“By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned” (Hebrews 11:29).

It’s interesting to note that God parted the sea, but He also dried the land. The Israelites didn’t slosh through mud, but passed through on dry land. God pays attention to details when He does miracles!

Even Moses stumbled in his walk with God. When they came to the Promised Land he sent twelve spies to see what they would face. What they found was unnerving to human thinking, but not a problem for God.

“And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight” (Numbers 13:33).

The Hebrew word nĕphiyl is translated “giants,” but this is also the word used in Genesis 6 to describe the offspring of the fallen angels and human women.

No wonder the ten spies were afraid. Joshua and Caleb trusted God and said “Let’s fight.” Instead of trusting God, Moses listened to the wrong people. Thus they would wander in the wilderness for 40 years. Eventually they did enter the land, but because of disobedience, Moses was not allowed to enter.

All the people 20 years old and over who did not trust God to fight for the Promised Land would die in the wilderness. Only Joshua and Caleb, along with those who were under 20 years old at the time of their disobedience, would enter.

This land still belongs to the Jewish people and today they are fighting for their rights to the land. It won’t be easy but they will win it back and they will rebuild the Temple. In order to win the land back they will need to turn to God in faith. Prophecy says it will happen, and by faith we know that God’s Word is true.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham