I must start by letting you know that I did not watch the SOTU address.  I am sure that President Biden said some things that resonated with both sides of the aisle.  Perhaps he didn't.  That is a matter of public opinion that is extremely relative.  Many professional writers--most, who have previously written speeches for past Presidents-- grade each SOTU on an A-F scale similar to academic grading.  However, even this is relative and divisive.  While this is not the nail I wish to hammer it is important as a Christian to note Paul's words in 1 Tim. 2:1-4 when he instructs us to offer entreaties, prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority.  Yes even the President you may not agree with or like.  I will be the first to say I need to repent of this and pray instead of criticize.  You too!  Again, this is not the point of this short diatribe.

First, I think it safe to say that no one has to be a rocket scientist or multi-talented super genius to understand the state of the union.  With inflation at 6.5% it is difficult for most to afford basic needs.  Additionally, we have normalized mental and emotionally devastating child mutilation (trans-gender surgery), very explicit and provocative "family friendly" drag queen performances, clothing and apparel companies using extremely suggestive themes in their advertisements that (intentionally or unintentionally) exploit children, and if you thought it couldn't get worse; the Grammy's came to town and said, "hold my drink."  I do not perceive to know what goes through each individual's mind when they choose to act in a certain fashion; but, it is safe to assume that the heart is indeed wicked and desperately sick (Jer. 17:9) when a once popular television awards show that celebrates music opens with a satanic ritualistic performance.  I will not link to the video because I would not willingly want anyone subjected to it.  I strongly advise caution if you so choose to watch it.  Additionally, I would not label it R, rather X-Rated.

I do not know Sam Smith nor Kim Petras (a man identifying as a woman), in fact I only just heard about both when reading articles about their "performance" at the Grammy's.  Here is what I do know.  They performed a set with pyrotechnics, stage performers, backup dancers and caged humans.  Both were dressed in blood red outfits and Sam Smith's top hat had horns popping off the top.  Kim was dancing provocatively in a cage with fire all around.  Various dancers and stage performers were seen bowing down to Sam Smith and worshipping him (bear in mind he was representing Satan).  If their "show" was not enough to feed the flesh, their song, titled unholy, was peppered with lyrics about "daddy committing blatant adultery on the side while mommy was unaware."  While the song lacked "curse" words it was littered with vulgar language about adulterous acts.  But even this is not the shock factor.  Why?  Because there is nothing new under the sun (Eccl. 1:9).  

The shock factor is not the debauchery and wickedness of the entire performance.  The shock factor is not even that it was streamed across the world and seen as "musical performance."  The shock factor sets in when you come to realize that these are the people influencing your children through music, entertainment, books, cartoons, and in many schools around the nation.  What adds a bit of bite to that sting is that the majority of Christians don't do anything about it.  Why?  We have bought into the double standard lie that has been shoved down our throats by the anti-Christ crew over the last few decades.  We are told to keep Jesus to ourselves, to keep our religion private, to worship in our homes, churches, and cars but do not dare bring that true unashamed, bold, exclusive Biblical Christianity with its "intolerant" Jesus to bear on the public sector.  Yet in their double speak they willingly perpetrate vulgarity in the most depraved way knowing its evil and encourage others to do the same (Rom. 1:32).  It is piped through the sewer line directly into your living room, pocket, your kids phone, and their school in the name of "tolerance."

Jesus was very clear, "he who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters," (Mt. 12:30).  There is no such thing as tolerant neutrality.  If you are for Jesus dear Christian, you cannot be for anything that goes against Him.  We have seen increasingly over the years that America is moving further and further away from any discernible notion of being "with Christ" and is rapidly moving toward being against Him.  This is not entertainment, this is not art, and it is not tolerance in any way.  It is a blatant prideful, arrogant, and intolerant spitting upon the name of Christ.  It is a hatred for the things of God because that is what Satan does, he hates God and anything that represents Him.  Bake the cake or be shut down.  Support the LGBTQ+ agenda or be shutdown.  Worship at the altar of Satan or be shutdown.  Is this not why Satan fell.  He wanted to be worshipped and take the place of God.  If you want to know the state of the union, look around at what is celebrated, accepted, and praised.  Newsflash, it is not Godliness.  It is sin! The state of the union is Satanic worship, idolatry, wickedness, and depraved.   Move off the fence dear Christian and insert yourself into the battle.

The other day I was sitting in the car at the local superstore.  As I sat there, people watching waiting for our groceries to be brought out I noticed a couple women heading into the store.  In their hand each carried a mask.  As you know we are currently in the middle of some crazy times.  But this wasn't what stuck out to me.  What really stood out to me was what one lady was gripping in her other hand.  You see, in one hand a mask.  She was tightly gripping the assurance of the cloth in her right hand but in her left was a cigarette.  In one hand she held what she believed would save her from things unseen, more specifically, a virus.  Tightly gripped in her other hand was death.  It was that which both can be seen and causes over 4 million deaths a year.  The cigarette.  Then it hit me!  

When God told us through the apostle Paul in 2 Timothy that God "did not give us a spirit of fear but of power and love and discipline" He meant it.  We are living in a time of spiritual fear and we are all looking for 100% assurance that if we do certain things life will go the way we think it ought to.  Yet many of us walk around with false assurance.  It's wrong!  Nothing in this world can give us the assurance our inner most being so desires.  We are made in the image of God and nothing can satisfy that desperate longing but God.  C. S. Lewis said it this way.  “If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.”  

And because this is the truth for everyone, we want assurance that this is not all there is, we want assurance that we won't die, our relationships will be fixed, our marriages won't fail, and our kids will grow up to lead wonderful lives.  But we look for assurance in all the wrong places.  Hebrews 11:1 says

 Did you today hit your knees today and put your assurance in Jesus as much as you did the mask?  Did you hit your knees today and plead with God to give you the assurance that when this life is over you will spend eternity with Him in His glory?  Did you seek the assurance, the 100% assurance that can only come from Jesus. That lady that was grasping in one hand her false assurance yet in the other the very thing that causes death reminded me of how most of us live our lives.  In one hand we hold onto Jesus Christ the author and finisher of our faith and we love Him oh God do we love Him.  

He died a brutal death on the Cross to save us from our sins.  Yes we Love Him!  But in the other hand we hold so tightly to the false assurance of this world.  That if we just do certain things the virus wont get us.  If we push our kids hard enough they will succeed in life, if we try harder we can fix the things that are broken.  But… we can't!  There is no assurance without the Son of God.  There is no assurance without Jesus the Messiah.  You cannot have any assurance in this life other than what Jesus can give but the only way to receive that assurance is to put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ.  Romans 10:9, if you confess Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart God raised Him from the dead, you, yes you will be saved.  Jesus must be the ruler of you life and you must believe or you will have 0 assurance for this life and the life to come.  My brother, my sister, trust in Jesus He is 100% assurance of everything you need in this life and the next.  God bless you! ​

Last week we talked about doubt and how it was a good thing.  Doubt motivates us to questions which then lead to answers.  Subsequently this leads to a more thorough understanding of something.  Doubt exists because of the Genesis 3 fiasco.  The serpent created doubt in the mind of Eve and as a result she took of the fruit ate and gave some to her husband who was with her.  Since then the entirety of humanity has doubted just about everything.  But just because doubt exists in our minds about something specific, namely Christianity and its veracity, it does not nullify or void the truth contained within it. 

In the last post, which you can find here (Does Doubt Nullify Christianity); we briefly covered what God says about His word, the Bible, Jesus, and Christianity.  The truth of Christianity is not based on our emotions, whether we have a good day, a bad day, or any other convictions we might have.  Christianity is true because God attested to its truth when He revealed Himself in His word.  However, the next logical question or contested opinion would be "how do you know God is real?" 

In a word, Bible.  It repeatedly attests to God's existence and Jesus Himself said, He was the way, the truth, and the life and no one comes to the Father except through Him.  But this may not be good enough for some.  Before we get into the four main questions of life, let me take this opportunity to convince you of God's existence in 30 seconds.

When you look at a painting, how do you know there was a painter?  The painting is proof of the painter.
When you look at a building how do you know there was a builder?  The building is proof of the builder.
The same logic follows when you look at Creation.  Creation is proof of a Creator.  See Genesis 1:1. 

See!  Told ya!  30 seconds was all it took.  Now that we have that established let's address those questions. 

1. The question of origin - Where did I come from?
2. The question of destiny - Where am I going?
3. The question of purpose - Why am I here?
4. The question of morality - How shall I live?

In this post we will address the first question.  The reason for this is simple.  The other three questions must derive logically, consistently, and coherently from the first.  That is to say, the answer to question one will ultimately determine the answers to questions two through four.  One of the most fundamental and foundational questions that every has asked or will ask in his / her lifetime is "where did I come from?"  The reason for this is simple.  Genesis 1:26 which says, "Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness;…"  Verse 27 says, "God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them."  Therefore, the answer is simple.  You and I come from our Creator in who's image we are created. 

Christianity is the only belief system that can answer this question (and the other three) logically, coherently, and completely.  I realize that some will argue that no everyone believes that.  Now some believe that we descended from ape like creatures over millions of years through the process of evolution,  First, the process of evolution is scientifically impossible.  There is no scientific possibility for nothing to create everything.  It is intellectual suicide to subscribe to such a notion.  Second, if this was indeed how everything came about the answer to this question would not be satisfactorily provided in such a belief. 

Let's entertain the notion of evolution, millions of years, and ape like creatures.  After all this is what is primarily taught in our public institutions and scientific communities as fact.  Any and all dissension from this flimsy belief system is suppressed or written off as "intellectually inferior" or "narrow-minded simpletons." Consider for a moment how none of what this belief system purports can be observed, and all of the supposed "facts" to support such a belief are based largely on assumptions. 

However, nevermind that.  Let's pretend that we all descended from ape like creatures over millions of years of random accidents that produced life.  That life then somehow developed into more complicated life forms until you have mankind.  If this is our past, than our future does not matter.  If we are the result of an accidental beginning, then who cares where we are going, we have no existential purpose, and it does not really matter how we live.  The reason for this logical progression is simple.  If we are by-products of accidents that occurred over millions of years then there is no existential absolute truth.  This means there is no absolute morality, no intrinsic meaning, value or purpose, and ultimately no absolute rules to follow past our relative agreements.

But, if we were created in the image of a triune God who is just, holy, loving, relational, and many other things; it makes sense that we, the pinnacle of His creation would then be able to answer these questions satisfactorily.  You and I were created in the image of God; (where did I come from) therefore, you and I are going end up in Heaven or Hell (where am I going).  Subsequently, our purpose is found in the One who created us (we have intrinsic value).  We are to glorify Him.  Naturally, we would then live our lives in a way that honors His commandments and statutes (existential morality).  You see God sets that standard of truth.  It is not arbitrary.  God sets the standard of morality.  It is not dictated by majority or up for debate.  God sets the standard for meaning, value, and purpose.  You are not only worth what you can contribute.  You are intrinsically valuable to an all-powerful, all-knowing, omniscient God who created you for good works in Christ Jesus. 

You see, the only belief system that can answer these questions satisfactorily is biblical Christianity.  Next week we will look at question number two.  Where am I going?  The question of destiny.