A Hypocrite - So What?

With regard to all the hot topics circulating the Christian blog world these days, it's not hard to find discussions on homosexuality, recreational drug use, Hell, and the like. What I have found so frustrating is the approach many Christians are taking when addressing these issues. 

Time and time again, I both read and hear Christian pastors, bloggers, and concerned-filled Church-goers "caution" the Church about fulfilling one of the most significant roles of the Church - speaking the Truth found in the Bible. 

The point of contention centers on hypocrisy. How can a person share what the Bible says when they themselves are failing to live out the Truth they are proposing?  

Without a doubt, hypocrisy is a devastating issue, but it is a separate one. 

Lets consider something...

When demons confessed that Jesus was the "Holy One of God" in Luke 4:33-36, did it make the claim untrue simply because the Truth came from untrue ones?  

What makes the Word of God (Bible) the Truth is not the piety of the ones proclaiming it (the Church?), but the One whom it reveals. 

I, as a preacher, have validated this by my own shortcomings. Haven't we all?  Hasn't every preacher, teacher, and average-Joe-Christian shared some nugget of Truth from the Bible that has not been fully synchronized, at whatever degree, into their own personal walk with Jesus?  Does our own shortcomings dilute the actual Truth?

I don't think it does. ...or at least, it doesn't have to. 

I recently read a quote from a lady named Dorothy Day. You might have read the more edgy translation of it. 

"The Church is a whore, but she's still my mother."

Perhaps the better approach, when broaching such topics as those surrounding the LGBT movement, Hell, recreational drug use, and abortion, is to let the Bible be the Bible and the Church be the Church. 

The moment the Church, or anyone belonging to it, moves the validity of The Message from Bible to the Church, we immediately lose our center of gravity and fall over in defeat. 

Share the Truth...

Disciple believers...

Love the lost...

Do not tolerate sin

Walk with Jesus...unceasingly

jb

Bury Your Head in the Sand

My wife tells me from time to time, “Burying your head in the sand won’t make the problem go away.”  

Now, in case you’ve never heard that little phrase before, it means that ignoring something won’t fix it.  Pretending that it’s not there or not happening, doesn’t help.

By default, I spend a lot of time hanging around the Church - I mean, I’m a traveling preacher, where else would I be?  Therefore, I hear a good amount of “Church-people-perspective” on political and social issues.  All to often, and most of the time with good intention, Church folks embrace the “bury your head in the sand” approach to the World around us.  I often wonder, is this the best approach to the World in which we live?

I wonder…  Is my “bury my head in the sand” approach more about fear of rejection and persecution and less about keeping my “white hat” free from the dirt of this World?

I wonder…  What does “garbage in / garbage out” really mean?  Should I shun the world and isolate myself from all ungodly people or should I be aware of / familiar with / keenly in-tune with the World in which I live?

I wonder…  Are we, the Church, cowards?  I think not…  Ignorant?  Maybe irresponsible is a better term.

I wonder…  How did Jesus act to the World He lived in, 2,000 years ago?  Did He bury His head in the sand and go about His business?  What was His business?  What is our business?

I wonder…  In the midst of a world where everyone is shouting, fighting, parading, rebelling, hurting others and being hurt, showcasing, fronting, posing, and defending - if there is a place for some who calmly linger in their midst...whistling softly...with a smile on their face?

If a tree falls in the woods and no one is around to hear it, does it still make a sound?  Yes, it does.  But that is irrelevant when the tree falls through your TV set onto your pretty, clean, and organized ottoman.  

I think…  In the same way that a father is inherently responsible for his child, perhaps the Church is equally responsible for the neighborhood / town / state / country in which it is located.  Perhaps me being a Christian is just as much about me as it is about the World in which I live. 

I wonder if you will wonder with me…  What are we going to do about what we see taking place around us...everyday?

A non-bury-my-head-in-the-sand guy,

jb 

It Can Be Complicated...

To judge or not to judge, that is the question?  

Jesus says, "Do not judge, or you too will be judged."  Matt 7:1

Paul says, "What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. 'Expel the wicked man from among you." 1 Cor 5:12-12

Okay, now that's all cleared up...

I hate thinking of myself as judgmental, but hate even more not knowing if its true. 

It seems obvious, in light of the mountainous evidence in the New Testament, that labeling sin and unright-ness is what Christians are called to do. I mean, from Jesus, to the disciples, to Paul - the early church had no problem calling out behavior that was wrong in the sight of God. That is a fact. 

Were they judging?  Are we to judge?  ...I'm confused!!!

FACT - There is such a thing as judging...and it is wrong and Jesus calls us not to do it. 

FACT - We are to judge rightly and distinguish evil from good. 

FACT - We are to not yoke-ourselves with unbelievers (correct judgement is needed here). 

FACT - We are to distinguish false from true prophets. 

Consider this...

“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... 

---John 3:16-17a

Condemn (John 3:17) and Judge (Matt 7:1) are the same word. 

Do you think it is possible to see wrong behavior, not tolerate wrong behavior, call out wrong behavior, and yet not condemn the wrong-doer?  

There is ungodliness, and that ungodliness must be confronted - not excused, over-looked, dismissed, etc. There is far to much "over-looking" for the sake of not "judging" taking place in the church today. 

Judging is wrong when condemning is its cloak. 

Perhaps confronting (judging) is real love toward those we see living unrightly...  Confronting is confessing that we've ALL been there and done that. We've ALL chosen our way over His way at some point. 

Perhaps real Love is confronting one another in dedication, understanding, unswerving loyalty, and an I'm-not-going-anywhere type of attitude that says, "I understand and I don't condemn you - I want to walk with you through this so that you can overcome it!"

I want to be this to others...  ...just as Jesus was and is this way toward me. 

An Optimist...

A Helper...

A Shoulder...

A Christian...

Jeremiah 

While In Rome...

Since becoming the companion of Jesus in 1995, virtually everything in my life has changed. That is how He is and Who He is.  He is the immovable one, the influencer. 

Yet after all these years, I still struggle with how that "change" in my life works. There are times, whether during temptation or simply in a self-taught response, that I feel like the "old" me. I feel no different than the way I was before He entered my life. But then I know, without knowing how, that I am different. Not because of any physical or spiritual change of my own, but because of a perspective He has shared with me. 

What used to be pleasure for me in this world, still at times looks appealing, but whatever is facing me in that moment, has new knowledge attached to it. It is His perspective, His way of seeing it.   ...and change is recognized. 

I am different because He is with me. I am no longer living independent from Him. He reveals and I see. What is more, it is not simply new knowledge, but Truth. It's how it really is. 

This is the Answer, Him, that our world is looking for. The answers are not morals, the inclusion of this, or the exclusion of that. There is no rule or law of righteousness apart from Him. It is only through Him that living rightly, to ourselves and to others, is found. 

Just a thought...

Jesus is the Answer

Jeremiah Bolich

Sermon Title: Jesus is The Answer

Passage: Revelation 2 & 3

 

Of all the things I learned during my time in the United States Marine Corps, how to approach the enemy on a battlefield was among the most significant.  During boot camp I learned, when approaching an enemy who is firing at me, to repeat the phrase, “I’m up, he sees me, I’m down - I’m up, he sees me, I’m down.”  Saying this phrase, while jumping up, zigzagging across an open field, and then diving for cover, would most certainly save my life.  The training I received grilled into my head that how one approaches something makes all the difference.

 

I found it intriguing, after studying Jesus’ addresses to the seven churches of Revelation chapters 2 and 3, how much emphasis he put in His approach.  If you were to stand back and look at Jesus’ addresses as a whole, you would find some striking consistencies.  Jesus approaches each church the exact same way.  He uses the same format of address, calls for a response, and always promises an outcome.  This isJesus‘ approach to each church and He never deviates from it.    

 

Some Particulars in the Text

 

The consistencies tucked away in Jesus’ approach are so exact that it demands our attention.  Jesus uses reoccurring phrases, words, and promises, which reach beyond the individual circumstances of each church, to paint an overall perspective that every church should see.  This perspective is crucial when trying to understand the message Jesus gives to each church.  What is more, this perspective of Jesus’ approach lays out for the reader what the Gospel message looks like in the practical, everyday settings of life. 

 

At a first reading, processing all that Jesus speaks to the churches, you will find that each church is very different from the others.  Each church has a cultural setting, level of persecution, economic situation, and level of intimacy and devotion to God.  Just like today’s churches, each of these are unique and have real people struggling to live in a real world with real problems.  

 

At a second reading, other details of Jesus’ address might begin to appear.  You might see there is a three part division to His approach. There is an opening introduction of Himself, a revelation of His knowledge to the specific church’s context, and a result that He wants to bring about for that church.

 

Jesus’ introduces Himself to each church in the exact same manner.  In Revelation 2:1, 8, 12, 18; 3:1, 7, and 14 this same expression appears when Jesus begins His introduction.

 

“To the angel of the church in_______ write:”

 

Similarly, Jesus then enters into the body of His address to each church.  Each elaborate description of the church’s context always contains the words “I know.”

As the details of each church’s context is laid out, Jesus moves to a result that He desires for each church.  This result always contains the phrases,

 

“To him who overcomes…” and “He who has an ear, let him her what the Spirit says to the churches.”

 

These consistencies are important in identifying the three part approach Jesus chooses when addressing these churches.  Again, they are: 

 

1.

Jesus introduces Himself

2.

Jesus speaks of the church’s context

3.

Jesus calls for a result

 

In order to understand what Jesus desires for each church, and most importantly, what Jesus wants to speak to the seven churches, this approach needs to be looked at more closely.  Let’s walk through it together.

 

(I) Jesus Introduces Himself as the Answer  

 

The first thing Jesus does in His approach to the churches is present Himself as the Answer.  This is important and very specific.  Jesus does not present Himself as one who has the answer, but as the One who is the answer.

 

I would imagine that at some point every Christian has sought from Jesus an answer to a specific problem in their life.  If you’re like me, you have probably sought godly counsel, read books, and prayed.  Maybe you’ve even resorted to flipping through the Bible, suddenly jutting your finger intoyour Bible and randomly finding a passage with hopes that there you would find what you were looking for.  This certainly is an option and one of many approaches Christians have used, and still use, in hopes to find direction in their life.  Yet this method seems to contradict Jesus’ call in this first aspect of His approach.  Jesus does not call the Church to seek an answer from Him, but to embrace Him as the Answer itself.  Jesus tells His disciples in John 14:6, 

 

“I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”

 

Jesus has never been an avenue to something else.  He is not a step on a staircase leading to some other place.  He is not a ticket to heaven, nor the one who shows the way.  Jesus is the Way!  Knowing Him isHeaven!

 

“Now this is eternal life; that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”  John 17:3

 

What Jesus desires for the churches in Revelation, and even for us today, is to embrace Him not only as the solution to every problem and issue in our life, but that He is the explanation of life itself.  Christianity is not about solving problems and avoiding wrong actions, it is about allowing the Spirit to conform us into the image and likeness of Himself.   Christianity is about living life as a Spirit-sourced human being.

 

(II) Jesus Speaks to the Church’s Context

 

After presenting Himself as the answer to the church, Jesus speaks of each church’s context.  Everyone has a context of life and that context is marked by financial stability or instability, healthy or unhealthy lifestyles, cultural norms, persecution or comfort, temptation and addictions, relationships and everything else that contributes to life as a human being.  Jesus calls boldly to each church that He is the Answer to that context of everyday life.

 

Now, you might be thinking something like, “How does it work that Jesus is the Answer to my situations of life?  How does that play out?”  It makes sense that Jesus is the example of who God desires me to be, but how does that change my marriage or the problems I’m having with my teenage daughter?”

 

To embrace Jesus as the Answer to our context of life is to see, in Jesus, what we are to look like in that context.  Jesus gave countless parables to illustrate this one Truth.  Take the parable of the Good Samaritan.  I have read many well intending Christians who portray Jesus’ actions as the “right ones” when alleviating the sufferings of the hurting of this world.  This is a misunderstanding of the parable.  Jesus was not giving a “how to” on ministering to beaten foreigners found on the side of the road, He was presenting, through a Samaritan man, what God Himself would do in that situation.  Jesus wanted us to see Spirit-lead motive and compassion. He wanted us to see what He looks like in that sort of scene.

 

Jesus speaks about this idea again in His parable of the sheep and goats in Matthew 25.  In this teaching,Jesus puts more emphasis on the identity of theperson - than what the person did or did not do.  After all, there wasn’t only one animal type gathered, but two different types.  There were both sheep and goats present before the judgement.  Sheep did sheep stuff___ goats did goat stuff.  Jesus was speaking of the kind of person each one was which determined what each one did.  It was the type of person that produced the action, not the action that produced the person.

 

This is the Answer that Jesus is for the Christian.  The Spirit-sourced believer does not need the right answer, they do not need the “fix” for whatever the problem presents.  For the Spirit-sourced believer, it is enough that Jesus already knows about every aspect of our context of living.  Nothing has escaped His sight.  Jesus’ address is a reminder of His intimate involvement and knowledge of where we live, everyday.  We are to, not only recognize that insight, but to trust in it.

 

(III) Jesus Calls for a Result

 

The most encouraging aspect of Jesus’ address to the churches in Revelation is the result He seeks to bring to pass.

 

After leaving the addresses to the churches in chapters 2 and 3, you enter chapter 4 where a great throne room scene unfolds.  In this room, Jesus receives a scroll from the very hand of God the Father.  As revealed in the following pages of the prophecy, this scroll represents the redemptive plan of God for all humanity.  This scroll is placed in Jesus’s hands, which shows that He is the avenue by which God the Father will reconcile fallen humanity to Himself.  The result that Jesus reveals to each church in chapters 2 and 3, which is the third aspect of His address, are ordained consequences of the Father’s will being exercised through Jesus.

 

This is a profound truth to ponder.  What if what Jesus desires to produce in, and through your life, is nothing short than the dreams of God the Father Himself.  Humanity was not created to be a tool or means to something greater.  Adam was not an instrument, He lived in relationship with the Father as His son.  Jesus reveals to us what that looks like, both while here on earth and in the future coming kingdom.  The results God desires to produce in and through your life are not merely fixes or right outcomes, they are ordained consequences of God’s choice to spill through humanity, whom He created in His image and likeness.

 

At the close of each address, Jesus tells the churches that releasing Him into their context of life will enable Him to bring about the dreams God desires for their specific situations.  Therefore Jesus is not justresponsive to the churches, He is the initiator, proactive in His Father’s plan for each church.

 

The reality for the Christian, the one who lives a Spirit-sourced life, is their life does not flex and bend according to the pressures of this world.  On the contrary, the Christian lives a life controlled, dictated, and produced by Jesus Himself.  This is a familiar theme throughout the Bible.  God spoke to Jeremiah the prophet affirming this truth saying, 

 

“For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  Jeremiah 29:11

 

and,

 

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."  Jeremiah 1:5

 

 

Passages like these do not reflect a removed and distant God who pops in and out of our context of living, but of One who has purpose and intent with His children.

 

Jesus is our banner and He is sourcing us as we live in our context of life.  He is leading, guiding, protecting, and enabling us to be who God has called us to be in the moment when life seems impossible.  This is the approach Jesus takes to communicate His message to the churches in Revelation.

 

First, Jesus is the Answer for anything and everything life throws at them - in Him they are to see what the Spirit wants to accomplish in them as they face their context of life.  Second, He knows every detail of their context of life and longs to source every decision they make.  Lastly, with this intimate involvement, Jesus is able to accomplish all that is needed to sustain them through God’s plan for their life.

 

Concluding Remarks

 

What if we embraced the call that Jesus gave to these seven churches?  What if we lived like Jesus was The Answer to our life and instead of demanding He change our circumstances, allowed Him to change us instead?  What would change if we allowed Him to source our life?

 

It is my desire that you see Jesus as The Answer to your life and that you, in turn, release Him into your context of everyday living.  The result of your trustingin Him will not only be that you will overcome and live victorious, but also that you might become the event where the Spirit of Jesus spills out into your world.  Release Him to do what He wants to do in your life and then marvel at the result He brings about in your context of everyday living. Embrace Him today and allow Him to accomplish through you what only His Spirit can produce.

 

The Homeless, the hopeless...

It had been a powerful service!  Not necessarily due to the preaching or worship or response, but simply because God had chosen to move upon us.  Many had responded to the alters and were both praying and being prayed for when I stepped to the pulpit to close in prayer.  

While praying, I began hearing a “ticking” sound.   At first, it seemed far off, but as it continued, it grew louder and drew closer to me.  I opened my eyes just in time to see a man in a wheelchair speeding down the center isle on a collision course with those at the foot of the stage.  After leaping down and preventing the five-person-pile-up, I spun the man around, wheeled him back up the isle, and finished praying from the back of the sanctuary.    

Christopher was one of the many homeless men who lived in the neighborhood where the church was located.  He was a Vietnam vet, occasionally attended the church, and lived “most of the time” - his language - under a bridge just around the corner.  Christopher looked what most-long term homeless look like.  He was dirty, his clothing was weather-beaten and torn, he was missing most of his teeth, and he reeked of alcohol.

As we spoke, I was bombarded with conflicting emotions.  I was concerned for Christopher: he clearly did not look well.  Yet I was also frustrated with him!  Christopher was completely oblivious to the scene he had just caused.  All Christopher was concerned about was...well...Christopher.  

A Forgotten Truth...

Of course, I don’t have time to go through the entire discussion that Christopher and I had that evening, but there are some highlights to our conversation that were good for him and good for those of you who are reading this article to hear.

After setting with Christopher, listening to him as he shared some of his story, giving my Bible to him, and then praying for him, I asked him if I could personally get him to one of the local missions in the area.  Christopher’s response did not surprise me, nor encourage me...for I have been working with the homeless for several years and expected his answer.  He said, “I don’t need the mission.  I am happy just the way I am.”  He continued to explain that he was content and was a Christian living “free” and “right with God.”  

Now… I don’t doubt Christopher’s motives, but I do challenge his assumptions.  As I told him, I will share with you.  Christianity is not about living “good,” nor is it about avoiding the “bad.”  It’s not about “going to church,” nor is it about giving money, time, and acts of service to the needy.  Of course, these are all things that Christians do, but doing these things, doesn’t make you a Christian.

I told Christopher that being a Christian was about asking Jesus to come into our life as Savior and Lord, asking Him to forgive us of our sins, and then, live life in response to His direction and leading and purpose.  This last part was a struggle for Christopher, and apparently, a forgotten Truth among some in the Church today.

You see, Christopher was not a bad guy.  Sure he had some substance abuse issues (but you might also, if you were in his position...so stop judging him), but he was making what seemed like an honest attempt at going to church, praying, and reading his Bible.  Christopher’s “hold-up” in his walk with Jesus was, he wasn’t allowing Jesus to be Lord of his life.

Christopher wanted to serve Jesus on his own terms.  I gathered very quickly that he was a good man, but again, Christianity is not being simply a good man.  Christianity is about responding to Jesus and walking in His will for your life.  I mean, really, remember the words Jesus spoke to the woman caught in adultery.  He did not judge her, nor did He condemn her.  He said, “Go and sin no more” (NLT).  God’s will for this woman is very similar to His will for Christopher.  As she was to no long to stay in her “way of life,” Christopher was to no longer stay in his.

Call me narrow-minded and capitalistic, but I believe God has more for Christopher than sleeping his days away under a bridge, finding dinner at the local dumpster, and collecting cans to sell for his daily alcohol rationing.  God’s plan for Christopher is BIGGER!

Silver and Gold I Do Not Have...

I travel a lot and visit around 30 states each year.  While on the road and during our stay at each church, I see a lot of homeless standing on street corners holding signs.  The message varies, but most of the time it boils down to them needing money.  I must admit, it is a bit awkward setting at a stop light with a man or woman holding a sign, only a few feet away, peering into your car window.  Normally they don’t speak and normally I don’t either, but on the occasion that they do, usually asking for money, I reply and say, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I have, I will gladly give to you.”

Their reaction varies from annoyed to curious, but regardless, I am completely serious...just as Peter and John were when speaking to the beggar on the Temple steps (Acts 3:6).  And just as Peter and John certainly had money, I too have money (normally...though I usually on carry my Visa).  But I do not give it, just as Peter and John did not give it.

Why?!!!

Perhaps the answer is in Peter’s response.  Listen to what he says…

“But Peter said, ‘I don't have any silver or gold for you. But I'll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!" - New Living Translation

Notice that Peter says, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you.”  

I think there is valuable Truth in this statement.  The circumstances and culture are a bit different, but the Truth is applicable in our day just as it was in Peter’s day.  Perhaps the “Church” should respond more like Peter to the needy of our generation. 

I have to admit, it does our conscience well and fits nicely into our time-crunched-rushed-lifestyle to quickly spit out a few $$$ and get on with our day, but is that the real...Christian...answer in such circumstances?  I think not, and apparently, neither did Peter.

Loving People...

Is Not Always Giving Them... 

What They Want...

I imagine there are going to be some who will verbally pound me for such comments, but I think it’s more cruel to contribute to poverty than to embrace, love, and help people out of it.  I think, in general, people think it’s cruel to not give money to the homeless.  I want to challenge this….and yet...not necessarily prevent.  If you want to give money, fine, do it!  But don’t stop there!  Reach out!  Draw in!  Walk them, being pushy if needs be, into a new direction!  Remember, Peter said, “In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!"

What does that mean?  I don’t know, maybe, “walk in a new direction.”  “Try something new.”  “Follow Jesus!”

A Lesson From a Crippled Beggar…

In John 5:1-15, we find a story about Jesus healing a man who had been a cripple for most of his life.  Notice, Jesus did not “buy him off” with a few quarters from his pocket.  He asked him, “Do you want to get well?”  It was a life-defining question for the man.  

So what happened?  You know, Jesus healed him and set him on a new path...a new direction...a new way of living.  There was no conditions, no qualification, and no demands.  The man didn’t even have to believe or follow Jesus.  He was free to live, fresh and new.  

...but did he?

We gather that he did not.  At the end of the story, Jesus finds him still in the temple...still in his old ways...not moving forward...returning to his mat.  Jesus speaks openly to him, “Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.”  What does that mean?  “Move on my beloved!”  “God has more for you than this.”

Ponder this as you calculate if you should’ve wasted your time in reading this radical article by a non-caring middle-class snob (I get that from time to time): it may be easier and make you feel better to give money to the down and out...and maybe you should, but please, don’t stop there!  You’ll more than likely do more harm the good.

To give someone “Jesus” is to give them YOURSELF!  

As a prop to hold on to?  Yes.  

As a shoulder to lean upon?  Yes.  

As a Light in the darkness?  Yes. 

Even as a hope for the hopeless.  Indeed!

I hope you’ve heard my heart and participate in your world rather than being a spectator within it.

His Alone,

Jeremiah 

Recreational Marijuana

Recreational Marijuana

Disc Golf

I took up playing disc golf a couple years ago.  Having worked in teen ministry over the past 18 years, I was familiar with throwing frisbees in baskets.  What I had never witnessed was watching a Professional Disc-golfer make a disc fly like it was on a remote control.  So, after being exposed to the “next level” play of the sport, I became thoroughly hooked!

I quickly learned that “casual” play and recreation marijuana use, often times, go hand-in-hand.  In fact, it’s unfortunately common to play a round of disc golf and bump into a friendly group of disc-golfing, pot-spoking, locals at your local disc golf park.  Therefore, although I support the sport and encourage regular play and practice, I would advise that you prepare yourself to encounter this sub-culture in the disc-golfing community.  

After playing a few months at my home course in Nashville, TN, my local club caught wind that I was a preacher.  I’ve made several friends and have handed out quite a few of our Jesus Saves Par disc golf t-shirts.  They have accepted me as part of their group and have become comfortable enough to chat about the topic of my life-style.  On the disc golf course, at least where I am playing, religion and golfing take up quite a bit of the conversation.   

Among the conversations that have taken place between me and my “pot-smoking” locals, is the open dialogue about marijuana use.  I have heard all the religious perspectives about marijuana, from it being a “seed-bearing plant” that God has blessed, to it being a religious experience that opens your mind in a special way to God.  Some ideas are strange, others border on extreme, while most are simply bazar.  

Yet most of the guys I play with are not bad guys.  They’re fun, polite, and accepting.  They’re friendly, honest, and look forward to beating me (if they can) whenever I’m in town to play.  And up to this point, they’ve politely tolerated my views on marijuana use.

The High School Years

Most of my experience with marijuana comes from my high school years.  When you think of a Hoodlum, or “Hood” as it was called in my day, you might think of the mullet-wearing, jean-jacket with the Metallica back-patch sporting, cigarette toting, pot-reeking teenager.  If you can force the images to remain in your mind, this was what I looked like for most of the late 80’s.  

No…  That’s not me!

A lot has changed in my life since that time, and more than just my hair style - I no longer recreationally (or medically for that matter - I’m a healthy guy) use marijuana.  

Now, before you jump to any conclusions, let me tell what I’ve told my disc-golfing buddies.

A Word from The Word

Revelation 9:21

Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual 

immorality or their thefts.

Revelation 21:7-8

He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 

But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually 

immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all 

liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. 

This is the second death.

Revelation 22:14-15

Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the 

tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the 

dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the 

murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and 

practices falsehood.  

3 times in Revelation the phrase ~magical arts~ is used.    

the context

In chapter 9, those who did not repent where those who used magical arts.  In chapter 21, those who practice magical arts are not children of God, but objects of God’s wrath.  In chapter 22, those who practice magical arts will not be granted the right to eat of the Tree of Life (consistent language used throughout the Bible describing salvation), nor will they be permitted into the city (Heaven), but remain outside (Hell).

The context is clear: those who practice magical arts are always among those who are rebellious (do not repent), not children of God, and will not be those who spend eternity with Jesus in His Heavenly City.  

the phase

So what are ~magical arts~ ??

The Greek word translated “magical arts” is the term φάρμακοwν, pronounced phar-ma-kown.  You may recognize this word when you pronounce it.  It’s closely associated and linked to our word Pharmaceuticals.  This word was used in three basic ways in Jesus’ day:

1. a harmful drug, poison
2. a drug used as a controlling medium, magic potion, charm
3. a healing remedy, medicine, remedy, drug

Two of the three uses of this word are obvious.  Definition (1) is used to describe poison.  Definition (3) is used to describe medicinal remedies.  Definition (2) needs some explanation...  

The word φάρμακοwν, when not used to describe (1) harmful intentions, or (3) medicinal purposes, only has one other use: Definition (2) Sorcery (King James Version), Witchcraft (New Living Translation), and Magic Arts (New International Version).  In other words, when not trying to poison or heal someone, the only other use is associated with Sorcery, Witchcraft, and the Occult.

the problem

So what does the phrase ~magical arts~ have to do with Marijuana?

It’s really not that difficult.  Christians, children of God, believers, those filled with the Holy Spirit, ...those who will one day leave this planet and spend eternity in Heaven with Jesus...do not use any pharmaceutics, including marijuana, in a recreational or non-medicinal context (...meaning smoking pot to get high...).  

As always, the above expressed is not the opinions, ideas, or desires of Jeremiah Bolich (~ me ~), but the Truth as we believe the Bible contains it.  

His Alone,

Jeremiah Bolich