New Books Published…

Here are two new books with a link to purchasing and information:

As Raindrops Fall: Collected Poems

Apologies and Treatises

They will also appear on amazon.com shortly.

JZ Holloway

Two Articles on Abortion, Pro-life, and the like…

Here are two articles I wrote and posted toward the end of the election cycle last year. I am re-posting them because several people have asked me about these articles, and they could not find them, plus, related to the last post, they contain some source material, as well as other questions that pertain to the last post and its issue. Thanks! Note, a link to the original posts, with the comments from them are listed below, just below them, the articles are also re-posted.
JZ Holloway

Article 1 – Insert [Name] Here… thoughts about contraception, abortion, and the like…

Article 2 – Pro-Life Reality Check – Real or Fake?

Insert [Name] Here… thoughts about contraception, abortion, and the like…

Today, my brother sent me a link which discussed the statistics of abortion rates in countries where abortion is legal – http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/journals/2504499.html. For instance, for every 1000 pregnancies, roughly 2.5% have ended in abortion since Roe v. Wade. Also, in the United States, and other developed countries, birth control methods are available, and abstinence is not the only means of “protection” that is being taught. In other words, even though abortions do occur, the rates are not only low, but have decreased in most developed countries fitting these criteria. In contrast, “In Uganda, where abortion is illegal and sex education programs focus only on abstinence, the estimated abortion rate was 54 per 1,000 women in 2003, more than twice the rate in the United States, 21 per 1,000 in that year.” – http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/12/world/12abortion.html

So, my question is not whether abortion is right or wrong – I believe it is wrong myself, but whether a single minded approach should be made in dealing with pregnancies that are unwanted, etc. Should birth control, and the use of condoms not be considered? Should abstinence be the only way taught?

First, people have been “copulating” since the beginning of time, married, unmarried, extra-marital, pre-marital, post marital, and so on and so on (and so on). Its a historical fact. In fact, the very nature of sexual activity is mandated by God – “Be fruitful and multiply,” and the only way to do that is to have sex (unless your the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary). To tell someone not to have sex is, in essence, telling that person to go against there nature. Now through cultural development, both through the Judaic and Hellenistic codes of culture, the with who, and with how many have slowly, through the course of history, become defined. For example, as Christians, we receive the idea of marriage from the Old Testament. On the other hand, we receive the idea of the number of spouses from the Hellenistic side of things (Greek then eventually Roman). But even with all of the cultural, and even moral growth, the simple fact of the matter is that men and women have sex, and one could argue that a majority of them due, regardless of being married or not.

Now, the point of the article is not to establish proper mating rites, nor to argue the sinfulness of pre-marital sexual relations, but ot make a point that maybe the foundation of those trying to prevent abortions, unwanted pregnancies, and so on, might need to shift slightly. To me, the two biggest arguments against the use of birth control (i.e. pills, condoms, “pulling out,” etc) is that a. it “spills the seed,” and b. that is kills the life that is in the sperm – which of course, goes back to the spilling of the seed. The second argument is that its “playing God,” but to me that side of the argument lacks any foundation due to the fact that once you wake up, you play “god” all day long, freely making choices… freely choosing to sin or not to sin, and therefore lacks any fortitude as an argument, but the spilling the seed, that is were I would like to go.

The argument, simply is, life is in the sperm… generations are held within the sperm, etc. Now, keep in mind, scientifically, there are millions of sperm in a man’s reproductive organ. These sperm do not stay still, in fact, even without intercourse or some other sexual experience, can, and do leave the body, even with out the provocation of the said man in which the sperm reside. So, even without sexual activity, the “seed will spill.” Again, the man, married, along with his wife, decide to try and “make” a baby. So, as men and women due, the try, and try, and try again, but, alas, she does not get pregnant. The sperm, along with the eggs from the female, eventually get flushed from her body… is this killing the seed? Again they try, and to no avail, she still does not get pregnant. Again, flushed. So, they go to the doctor, and they discover she is not able to have kids. So, the dilemma is… now that THEY KNOW they cannot have kids together, is the husband simply “spilling/killing his seed” just to have a pleasurable experience. I mean, they are not having sex to follow the mandate from God to be fruitful and multiply… his seed is dying by the millions each time… so, is this wrong? On the other side… when I man uses a condom… its the same process, the sperm die in the same way (except one is in rubber), or when a woman uses birth control… which most pills do not kill the sperm, they just make the eggs inert… which is possibly the same condition woman mentioned above had… whats the difference? Now, you could argue that in the last mentioned instances, they were preventing a pregnancy for the sake of pleasure… and that the God mandated sex drive is for reproduction, not pleasure, but if thats the case, if one cannot reproduce, then what the point of sex? And if the only point of sex is reproduction, then all sexual activity not for reproduction – married or not – would be sin. And any seed killed by such sexual activity should be considered killed.

Now, I seriously doubt you would consider the fictional married couple to be killing the man’s seed and living in sin… but all I ask you to do is think about it. Abortion is a great atrocity… if not the greatest of our time. We should not be single-minded in our approach to stop these murders, and we should also not be naive and think that people will stop having sex because we tell them to, or show them pictures of venereal diseases, or scare them with AIDs… or even worse, the fires of hell… All people have sinned and fall end short of the glory of God, all men (and women) are human… the majority of which will succumb to the desires of the flesh, and yes, they will suffer consequences, and yes, they, as well all, need to repent, but please, open you minds, and get your heads our of where ever they are.

Pro-Life Reality Check – Real or Fake?

Pro-lifers are everywhere. On street corners, on TV, in supermarkets, on college campuses – including my own here at the University of Georgia. In fact, for many years, I have considered myself amongst their numbers. Even so, I find myself here, today, right now, questioning the ideological foundation of the very term.

Many who are pro-life are also pro-death penalty. I will not get into the semantics of what pro-death penalty is, but lets just say that it is for premeditated, methodical murder. In other words. John Doe wakes up one morning and decides to go buy a gun, take that gun, and then shoot and kill Jane. He thought about it, considered it, and did it. Not only did he think about it and do it, he also planned it out. For the majority of pro-lifers who believe in the death penalty the sentence is simple… death.

Now to the second part. For a pro-lifer, life begins at conception. Once the sperm meets the egg and they do their dance and become an organism that is capable of multiplicity, it is alive, and it is human, therefore, sacred. Also, alluding to former posts and comments, it has been affirmed through the Scripture that the shedding of innocent blood is the most heinous and immoral act considered by God. Also, it was made clear by Bishop David Epps that early Church Fathers had the same opinion of many today, life begins at conception, the unborn is a child, human and alive, and that abortion is one thing, murder.

Now, we have established abortion as murder, and we have also established many pro-life believing individuals as pro-death penalty – which, in many ways is simply ironic to me – and it is why I personally prefer the title of anti-abortion, and pro-death penalty instead of pro-life, but that is another argument for another post (Big Brother maybe able to antagonize me into it!). Now, for the sake of argument, we are going to say the death penalty should only be for those, again, who committed premeditated and methodical murder. Now, for the crux of the argument, can anyone say that abortion, which we are saying, as “pro-lifers” is murder, is not premeditated?

For example, except in the case of rape, the woman (As well as the man), choose to have sex, and even more so, without “protection” – yes I know, abstinence is the “only way,” but as I have already discussed previously… its just not happening, and never has historically. The choose to copulate, for pleasure, without protection… and bam (paid for), she is pregnant… with child… knocked up. But, this was done with her own permission, her own decision (again, along with the man, and he is just as responsible). Now, four weeks later, she takes the test, finds out she is pregnant, and she has a decision – again, another choice – to make. And she does the unthinkable – the unthinkable decision, which 2.5% of Americans make each year, and have on average since the passing of Roe v. Wade – she decides to have an abortion. Later that same week, either she drives herself, or the man responsible for the seed that took root within her drives her, or maybe her mother, or aunt, or even a co-worker, to the abortion clinic. She freely walks in, signs in at the counter, fills out the forms, and then waits. After a short, or maybe long, wait, she is called back, and she chooses to follow the instructions of the doctor, who then performs the abortion. She then gets up, and she leaves.

This was an abortion… which, as before said, is murder. But… it is also premeditated and methodical murder. Wait… seriously, think about it. IF abortion is murder, and the woman thinks about it, plans it, and then has the abortion – i.e. commits the murder… its premeditated. See the irony? IF we are pro-death penalty for one, how can we not be for the other, yet, if we claim we must love and nurture those who have committed abortions, lead them to Christ and His love, forgive them, show them grace and mercy, how then can we be pro-death penalty. Yes, the laws of the land, in some states, have the death penalty, but as a Christian, one can not have it both ways. So, which direction will you support? Will you be Pro-life, or simply anti-abortion… or neither?

Abortion, Obama and the Pro-Lifers

Recently, The Most Rev. David Epps, a bishop in the International Communion of the Charismatic Episcopal Church ( ICCEC.org, ICCEC News ). The article, though extremely well written, to me still has the ever looming problems that seem to persist in the “pro-life” argument to me. So, I am going to repost the article, entitled “A Washington Road Experience,” and then follow with the questions I had concerning the article.

A Washington Road Experience
by Bishop David Epps

Barack Obama is now the President of the United States of America. It is my commitment and covenant to pray for him, his family, the Vice-President, and all who serve the current administration. It is an historic time in American history. It is also a time of increased danger for the most innocent, vulnerable, and voiceless Americans.

President Obama is the most pro-abortion President ever to hold the office. The House of Representatives and the United States Senate are now under the dominion of pro-abortion leadership. Depending on who retires or dies and when, the Supreme Court could soon fall under that same ideology. Apparently, most of the country doesn’t care.

Roman Catholic voters, representing the most pro-life segment of Christianity in the nation, voted for Mr. Obama to the tune of 54%, according to “The Catholic World Report.” Reports indicate that a large number of Evangelicals, who normally vote a pro-life ticket, also voted for President Obama. Other issues, it seems,—such as the economy and the war—have relegated the abortion question to the back burner. Still, the death toll mounts at a staggering rate of 1.4 million children each year who have their lives ended before ever seeing the light of day.

Mr. Obama has pledged to sign the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) which would do away with any and all restrictions on abortion—presumably included would be the current ban on the horrific and barbaric “partial-birth abortion.”

Father Frank Pavone, leader of the Catholic “Priests for Life” organization said on his website, “…the 7,000 or so appointments that will be made by the new President to various positions that influence public policy will be pro-abortion ones, with the only likely exception being the ambassador to the Vatican.” If, on the one hand, Mr. Obama’s election is the fulfillment of a dream proclaiming that racism no longer rules in America, it could also be the beginning of a nightmare for those who hold all life, including the life of the unborn, to be sacred.

It could also, however, be the precursor to a Divine moment. In the Book of Acts, Saul of Tarsus, a religious zealot and Pharisee, was busy persecuting the growing Christian Church. On the road to Damascus, to do additional damage to the believers there, Saul had a dramatic encounter with the risen Christ, an experience that left him shaken and blind. Following Saul’s conversion, healing, and baptism, he began a new life as the Apostle Paul, the greatest evangelist and theologian of the New Testament. The “Damascus Road Experience” transformed him into a mighty force for the Church whose influence continues today.

I do not doubt President Obama’s faith in Christ. I take him to be a man who desires to make a positive difference in the nation and in the world. I will, with God’s help, be faithful to pray for him privately and in the services of worship. But I will also pray, as one man at our church suggested, that Barack Obama have a “Washington Road Experience” that will enable him to see with new eyes the horror and sinfulness of abortion.

I greatly desire for Barack Obama to succeed as President of the United States. I pray that he will be mightily used and that he will be a blessing to this generation and to those that follow. May God richly bless the President. And may God have mercy on the 44 million Americans (and counting) who will never have an opportunity to vote.

Questions

Please keep in mind, I will not share the sources for all of the information I will share in these questions, however, much of the information can be found in previous posts I have written concerning abortion and the pro-life movement.

1. The first paragraph states that “It is also a time of increased danger for the most innocent, vulnerable, and voiceless Americans,” However, at this time, the abortion rates are lower then they have ever been, and since Roe. v. Wade, the abortion rates have steadily dropped. Now, I am against abortion, but before abortion was legalized, the abortion rates were higher. The same can be said for virtually every country in the world. Countries like Uganda, where abortion is illegal, have the highest abortion rates, as well has very high HIV/AIDS rates, in the world.

2. “President Obama is the most pro-abortion President ever to hold the office.” How is this so? And if it is, does it really do anything except spread fear and panic. It is obvious is is pro-choice, he has made that clear, just as many democrats have done. First, when President Clinton ran for office, he was the most “pro-abortion,” now its President Obama. The fact is he is pro-choice, whether or not he is the most or not really does not matter, it adds nothing, nor takes away anything, from what the man has already promised to do.

3. “Still, the death toll mounts at a staggering rate of 1.4 million children each year who have their lives ended before ever seeing the light of day.” Is this in the USA, or the World as a whole? Also, as noted before, the majority of abortions to not happen in the USA, or even in “western” or “first-world” countries, but in countries, such as Africa, which are poorer and less developed. Likewise, mopst of the countries have very high HIV/AIDS rates, and have made abortion illegal – though abortions still happen. As a note, the HIV/AIDS rates in Africa, under President Bush, along with the abortion rates, have begun once again to rise. Even though President Bush allocated a lot of money to HIV/AIDS prevention in Africa, its most done in the area of abstinence only, which once again has led the area of sex and its consequences into taboo land. This has led to a decrease in sex education, as well as to abortions.

JZ Holloway

Was Constantine the Great the Anti-Christ?

A thought, and yes, I know, one that if even true, would not be popular. But, as a thought, I wanted to explore the possibility, that, if the anti-Christ is, or was to be a real person, an actual individual, that would come to persecute the faithful, and lead them into heresy, Constantine could fit that bill.

First, before Constantine became emperor of Rome, and before is signed the Edict of Milan, allowing for “freedom” of religious expression, Christianity was illegal. Tolerated by some emperors, ignored by others, and then, with some like Nero or Diocletian, severely punished. Christianity was forced to remain in the “communal” model of the the Book of Acts (not yet canonized, yet believed to be wide spread), truly living the message of Christ, to love one another, etc, to provide for the poor, the widow, etc, to take care of each other, etc, and to worship God with fellowship, etc. On top of this, the followers of the Way, or Christians, were not only given the privilege to suffer for their faith, as both Christ commanded them as well as predicted, but they also were honored – as the Church has taught – to be allowed to give their lives for their faith, i.e., to be martyred.

However, once Christianity became legalized, and then eventually became the state religion on Rome, this all began to change, and thqat change has never looked back. Now, before going further, it is well documented that persecutions towards the faith, as well as martydom continued and still continues, however, the entire faith, world wide, has never since felt persecution like they did under the old pagan Roman Empire – unless of course you include how the Church persecuted believers once they became legal, “ending” in things such as the Inquisition, Witch Hunts, the “Glorious” Revolution, The IRA, Kosovo, etc etc etc.

Once the changes Constantine made took hold, Christianity not only went from being poor to rich, but it went from being a religion constituted by relationship with fellow believers and God, to being a state religion that melded both the State and the Religion like a welder placing two pieces of steel together. Of course, this is what the Romans knew, religion to them was the state, and the state was religion, so naturally, Constantine (who did not “convert” until his death bed), kept the natural Roman way. This continues even today, no longer do Christians solely rely on God for their provision, but look to the state to be the hand in which God must move… this, all thanks to Constantine. Even so, not to be out done with himself, he himself convened the council of Nicaea, he himself prosided, and though the debates were done by the bishops, etc, he himself ratified the council’s decision. This of course completed the welding process, and gave rise to the Church being the power broker in politics, especially in the West for centuries, even continueing today in places in the world… in other words, the focus went from God, and His Kingdom, to the Church and Her Kingdom, and sadly, these two entities have not always been the same, in fact, I would argue, on the historical record, it was hardly the case.

My question is not whether Constantine was a bad man, he was typical of men then, and now, and he was brilliant, for he knew the empire needed a fresh start, a fresh face, and a fresh religion. My question is, was this truly the greatest thing for the Church? Yes, I know the arguments that is was, etc, and frankly, I understand them, but I do not buy them. For if you look at the Church in Acts, and you look at the Church of today, and you see how it got here, and the main catalyst is obviously Constantine, then I believe the argument has a sound foundation.

JZ Holloway

Am I Resting in the Father? – Father Michael Birdsong

Am I resting in the Father?

All throughout the scripture we read about saints who felt during certain times that thought they would be better off dead or as some put it cut off from the land of the living. David even wrote in one of his Psalms, “My soul clings to the dust.” Job cursed the day he was born. Who knows exactly what they were going through during this time but it is obvious it was a very dark time for them. Yet, when we read about these times during the lives of the saints the end proved to be a better time. How? They entered God’s rest.

It is my prayer that when you read this article that you have one thing settled in your heart and spirit.

“The Father desires you to enter his rest and he desires to give you times of refreshing.”

Psalm 62:5-8 (New International Version)

5 Find rest, O my soul, in God alone;
my hope comes from him.

In this verse we see that David speaks to his soul, his mind, will and emotions to find rest in God alone. Did you notice what I just said? David spoke the word of God to himself. The book of Hebrews tells us that the word of God is a two edged sword. Not only does it pierce through the darkness, it also pierces our own hearts to aid us in the remembrance of the word of God he has spoken over and about us. He acknowledges to himself that from God alone come his hope, joy and peace. He acknowledges in God is his rest.

The word rest here means; a time of refreshing or renewal. Also another biblical word for rest is peace or quiet.

There are basically three types of rest that I see in the scripture:

1. Rest from physical Labor.

2. Rest from enemies

3. Rest in the comfort of salvation or peace in the Lord.

Some examples in the scripture would be:

(Exodus 23:12) “Six days you shall do your work, and on the seventh day you shall rest, that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your female servant and the stranger may be refreshed.

(Exodus 33:14) And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

(Numbers 25:12-13) “Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give to him My covenant of peace; {13} ‘and it shall be to him and his descendants after him a covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was zealous for his God, and made atonement for the children of Israel .’”

(1 Kings 8:56 ) “Blessed be the LORD, who has given rest to His people Israel , according to all that He promised. There has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised through His servant Moses.

(Isaiah 30:15) For thus says the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel: “In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.”

(Isaiah 32:18 ) My people will dwell in a peaceful habitation, In secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places,

(Ezekiel 37:26-27) “Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them, and it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; I will establish them and multiply them, and I will set My sanctuary in their midst forevermore. {27} “My tabernacle also shall be with them; indeed I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

(Matthew 11:28-30) “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. {29} “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. {30} “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

In Hebrews chapter 3 & 4 we can read once again about a promise of God’s rest and entering into it. But for the sake of time I will cover the 3 main points.

1. The promise is still available to all. (Through the work of Christ.)

2. The good news of it has been preached to many, yet many do not enter. Why? Let us look at Hebrews 3:7-11.

Hebrews 3

7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you will hear His voice, 8 Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, In the day of trial in the wilderness, 9 Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, And saw My works forty years. 10 Therefore I was angry with that generation, And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart, And they have not known My ways.’ 11 So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’”

In this scripture we can see the reasons we do not enter God’s rest:

• We have lost focus or become spiritually deaf.
• We have hardened our hearts.
• We have entered rebellion.
• We acknowledge the works of God but deny the power of it in our own lives even though we have seen God’s work.
  

3. The third main point is it has been available from the foundation of the world. Let’s get this settled in our hearts, God desires your presence. See the scripture below.

Ephesians 1

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world,

Hebrews 4

2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. 3 For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said: “So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest,‘ although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

So, why are we talking about the word rest and why do we need it. The Father has shown me three main reasons.

1. There are times that we need to be silent before God to hear him. We are too busy to enter into personal times of personal worship before the Father just to simply “Be,” Meaning a non-distracted time that we can simply listen to the voice of the father and truly see the Father around us in our daily lives. I truly believe that if you take the time to do so He will reveal Himself to you in such a way that there would never be a reason for you to ever doubt him.
   

See the below scripture:

Zephaniah 1

7 Be silent in the presence of the Lord GOD; For the day of the LORD is at hand, For the LORD has prepared a sacrifice; He has invited^[d] His guests.

• We can actually miss our invitation to commune with the Lord.
  

2. Our Spirit, Soul and body needs time of renewal and refreshing. One way to achieve this is through confession, personal confession with your priest so that you can receive counseling and encouragement, not corporate confession as on the Lord’s Day.

Acts 3:19  (New International Version)

19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.

3. Avoid burnout. We can be too busy within our daily lives that we do not take the time to communicate with the Father. That is the main reason why we are to rest in the Lord. Here are a few questions that you should ask yourself:

• Have we lost enthusiasm?
• Have we lost the desire to do God’s work?
• Has my words lost power?
• Have the things of the church become a ritual?
• Do I see Christ in the Church?
• Is it easier for me just to stay at home?

If you have answered yes to any of these you are heading toward a spiritual stagnation. You need to enter into God’s rest and allow the Father to give you times of refreshing in his presence. Let us begin now dear saints and enter into the rest of the Father and become refreshed. Allow that spark to ignite in our hearts once again. Allow the Spirit to break the dam and allow the river of life to flow once more in our hearts.

Yours,

Mike Birdsong+

This is an article written by Father Michael Birdsong.  This article is posted by request of the author who is a regular contributor on this blog. JZ Holloway

frmike@charter.net

Seven Deadly Sins – Part 7, Pride – Rev. Canon Robert Wills, Th.D.

This is the seventh, and final part, of a multi-part series on the Seven Deadly Sins written by Father Robert Wills, Canon Theologian of the Mid-South Diocese, ICCEC. I would like to thank Canon Wills for letting me share this series with you. As a note, Canon Wills notes these are the Seven Deadly Sins recognized by a group of monks in the 5th Century.

JZ Holloway.

7. Pride– putting oneself in the place of God, above everything and everyone.

The Sin of Pride.

Pride is not only putting oneself in the place of God, it is becoming self absolute. We express pride with an attitude such as: “We’re number 1”, or “Be all you can be.” The sin of pride becomes deeply rooted in our personalities and is often difficult to recognize or to admit to in our lives.

Pride is undue confidence in and attention to one’s own skills, accomplishments, state, possessions, or position. Pride is easier to recognize than to define, easier to recognize in others than in oneself. Many biblical words describe this concept, each with its own emphasis. Some of the synonyms for pride include arrogance, presumption, conceit, self-satisfaction, boasting, and high-mindedness. It is the opposite of humility, the proper attitude one should have in relation to God. Pride is rebellion against God because it attributes to self, the honor and glory due to God alone. Proud persons do not think it necessary to ask forgiveness because they do not admit their sinful condition. This attitude toward God finds expression in one’s attitude toward others, often causing people to have a low estimate of the ability and worth of others and therefore to treat them with either contempt or cruelty. Some have considered pride to be the root and essence of sin. Others consider it to be sin in its final form. In either case, it is a grievous sin.

Paul describes this sin and its results in his Epistles to Timothy.

2 Tim 3:2  For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

2 Tim 3:3  unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,

2 Tim 3:4  traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

2 Tim 3:5  having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

1 Tim 6:3 If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness,

1 Tim 6:4  he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions,

1 Tim 6:5  useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself.

Forms of Pride

1.        Vanity—Striving for perfection and trying to be the center of attention.

2.        Narcissism—Creating oneself in whatever image one desires and becoming completely self centered and self absorbed; ie the most important thing in the universe.

3.        Domination—Expecting others to always see to our own creature comforts.

4.        Selfish Ambition—Wanting to achieve something at the expense of others without any concern about the means or cost of that achievement.

5.        Self Deification—Self becomes a god and whatever self wants, self tries to possess.

6.        Hypocrisy—Setting the highest moral standards for others but not for oneself.

7.        Sacrilege—Either using holy things and holy words for one’s own advantage, or blasphemy (denying the real power of God).

Other Words for Pride

“Boasting” can be committed only in the presence of other persons.

1 John 2:16  For all that is in the world; the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life; is not of the Father but is of the world.

1 John 2:17  And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

“Haughtiness” or “arrogance” measures self as above others (Mark 7:23; Luke 1:51; Rom. 1:30; 2 Tim. 3:2; Jas. 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5). This word refers primarily to the attitude of one’s heart. First Timothy 3:6; 6:4; and 2 Timothy 3:4 use a word literally meaning “to wrap in smoke.” It emphasizes the plight of the one who has been blinded by personal pride.

Often, we recognize pride as vanity or self-conceit. In the Bible the English word “vain” is usually a translation of a number of words that mean, “nothingness” or “unreliability.” In relation to God, trying to thwart His will is vain (Ps. 2:1; see Acts 4:25).

Psa 2:1  Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing?

Psa 127:1  Unless the LORD builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the LORD guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain.

Observing vanities in life forsakes mercy for self exaltation.

Jonah 2:8  They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.

Trying to do things without God’s help is vain (Ps. 127:1). We are warned not to take God’s name in vain (as though it were nothing) in the Ten Commandments (Ex. 20: 7; Deut. 5:11). Mark warned that believers are not to give God vain lip service but obedience from the heart (7:6-7; see Isa. 1:13; 29:13; Jas. 1:26).

Pride may appear in many other less obvious forms. Some of the more common are pride of race, spiritual pride, and pride of riches. Jesus denounced pride of race (Luke 3:8). The parable of the Pharisee and the publican was directed at those guilty of spiritual pride, the ones who “trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others” (Luke 18:9). James 1:10 warns the rich against the temptation to be lifted up with pride because of their wealth.

James 1:6  But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.

James 1:7  For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;

James 1:8  he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

James 1:9  Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation,

James 1:10  but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away.

James 1:11  For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits.

What Did Jesus Say About Pride?

Luke 18:9  Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:

Luke 18:10  “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

Luke 18:11  “The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men; extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.

Luke 18:12  ‘I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’

Luke 18:13  “And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’

Luke 18:14  “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

What Are the Results of Pride?

Prov 13:10  By pride comes nothing but strife, But with the well-advised is wisdom.

Prov 16:18  Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.

Prov 16:19  Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, Than to divide the spoil with the proud.

Prov 21:24  A proud and haughty man; “Scoffer” is his name; He acts with arrogant pride.

Prov 29:23  A man’s pride will bring him low, But the humble in spirit will retain honor.

Amos 6:8  The Lord GOD has sworn by Himself, The LORD God of hosts says: “I abhor the pride of Jacob, And hate his palaces; Therefore I will deliver up the city And all that is in it.”

The Sin of Lucifer Was Pride

Isa 14:12  “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations!

Isa 14:13  For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north;

Isa 14:14  I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’

Isa 14:15  Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit.

Repentance

God’s answer to the seven deadly sins is repentance. Repentance is a feeling of regret, a changing of the mind, or a turning from sin to God. As a feeling of regret the term can apply even to God. In the days preceding the flood, God was sorry that He had created the human race (Gen. 6:6-7). He later regretted that he had made Saul the king over Israel (1 Sam. 15:11,35). God also repented in the sense of changing His mind (Ex. 32:14). Most occurrences of the term in the Bible, however, do not refer to God but to people. These also do not indicate mere regret or a change of mind; they mean a reorientation of the sinner to God. In this more common sense, then, God does not repent like humans (1 Sam. 15:29).

In ancient Israel repentance was first expressed corporately. When national calamities such as famine, drought, defeat, or a plague of locusts arose, the people did not feel responsible individually for these catastrophes. Rather, they sensed that the incidents were caused by the guilt of the nation. All shared the responsibility and, consequently, the ritual of repentance. Fasting, the wearing of sackcloth (the traditional attire for mourning), the scattering of ashes (Is. 58:5; Neh. 9:1; Dan. 9:3), and the recitation of prayers and psalms in a penitential liturgy characterized this collective experience of worship.

With the use of such outward tokens of repentance, however, the danger of sham or pretense also arose. Ritual not accompanied by a genuine attitude of repentance was empty. Against such misleading and, therefore, futile expressions of remorse, the eighth-century prophets spoke out. Their attacks upon feigned worship and their calls for genuine contrition on the part of the individual gave flower to the characteristic biblical concept of repentance. What was needed was not ritual alone, but the active involvement of the individual in making a radical change within the heart (Ezek. 18:31) and in seeking a new direction for one’s life.

Ezek 18:31  “Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel?

What was demanded was a turning from sin and at the same time a turning to God. For the prophets, such a turning or conversion was not just simply a change within a person; it was openly manifested in justice, kindness, and humility (Mic. 6:8; Amos 5:24; Hos. 2:19-20).

A direct connection between the prophets and the New Testament is found in John the Baptist. Appearing in the wilderness, he, like they, issued the call to his own generation for this radical kind of turning. He baptized those who by confessing their sins responded to his invitation (Mark 1:4-5). Likewise, he expected that those who had made this commitment would demonstrate by their actions the change, which they had made in their hearts (Luke 3:10-14). He differed, though, from the prophets in that his message of repentance was intricately bound up with his expectation of the imminent coming of the Messiah (Luke 3:15-17; see also Acts 19:4).

The Messiah came also preaching a message of repentance (Mark 1:15). Stressing that all men needed to repent (Luke 13:1-5), Jesus summoned his followers to turn and become like children (Matt. 18:3). He defined His ministry in terms of calling sinners to repentance (Luke 5:32). Moreover, He illustrated His understanding of repentance in the parable of the prodigal who returned to the father (Luke 15:11-32). Like John, he insisted that the life that was changed was obvious by the “fruit” that it bore (Luke 6:20-45).

Mark 1:14  Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,

Mark 1:15  and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

Jesus also differed from His predecessors in His proclamation of repentance. He related it closely to the arrival of the kingdom of God (Mark 1:14-15) and specifically associated it with one’s acceptance of Him. Those who were unrepentant were those who rejected Him (Luke 10:8-15; 11:30-32); those who received Him were the truly repentant. In His name repentance and forgiveness were to be proclaimed to all nations (Luke 24:47).

Acts shows this proclamation was made. Peter (Acts 2:38; 3:19; 5:31) and Paul (Acts 17:30; 20:21) told Jews and Gentiles alike “that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance” (Acts 26:20 NASB). The apostolic preaching virtually identified repentance with belief in Christ: both resulted in the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38; 10:43).

Paul described an earlier letter he had sent to the Corinthians which caused them grief, but which eventually led them to repentance. Here Paul described a change in the Corinthians’ attitude about him (2 Cor. 7:8-13). Their repentance resulted in their reconciliation with him.

2 Cor 7:8  For even if I made you sorry with my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it. For I perceive that the same epistle made you sorry, though only for a while.

2 Cor 7:9  Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing.

2 Cor 7:10  For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.

2 Cor 7:11  For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter.

2 Cor 7:12  Therefore, although I wrote to you, I did not do it for the sake of him who had done the wrong, nor for the sake of him who suffered wrong, but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear to you.

Renewal of commitment or reaffirmation of faith seems to be the meaning of repentance in the letters to the seven churches in Revelation (2:5,16,21-22; 3:3,19). Twice the letters call for the readers to remember and thereby to return to what they had been. The call is for rededication and not initial conversion.

PENANCE: CONFESSION OF SIN

The sacrament of repentance, sometimes called penance, is also known as Confession the Rite of Reconciliation. Through this sacrament of grace, Christ forgives sin and restores the soul to grace: “Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained. ” (John 20:22-23; Matt. 18:18). This covenant act has to do with the human soul. In order to experience the blessings of the covenant, the soul must remain free of sin. Sin will block the benefits of the covenant from being enjoyed. Confession cleanses the soul and restores the flow of grace that is at work in a person’s life through being in covenant with God.

Psychology is really the study of the soul (psuche in Greek), and  the soul is made up of three parts.  The mind (intellect), the will (volition), and  the  emotions (feelings) are components of the soul–  the  permanent, eternal essence of mankind. The  church’s ministry whereby it seeks to heal, comfort,  and  direct the  wounded souls of its members. It is also called the  “care” of  souls. In  early times, this was done mostly through the liturgy, in  which  there was  opportunity for  a public confession of sin and  an  announcement  of forgiveness. This gave the entire community of faith a  therapeutic  function. To help priests perform this function, the rite of reconciliation or confession was established where a penitent person confessed his or her sins before the priest and received absolution– forgiveness from God as declared by God’s representative (the priest). In the early Middle Ages, probably at first in Ireland, this custom of private confession appeared, and this soon placed the main  responsibility for the cure of souls on those who heard confession. This was a form of counseling that helped many people to deal  with problems  that might otherwise have been ignored by  society  and   church alike.  This was, perhaps, the first realization that  people’s  emotional problems  were a part of the SOULISH realm– the mind, will  and  emotions.  By seeking  and obtaining forgiveness, many people were  able  to prevent bitterness  and anger from causing deeper psychological problems.