The Rise Of The Couch Potato Christians

 Dr. Mike Murphy

December 31, 2021

“What is going on in this world today?”

“How could this nation have turned so far from God?”

“Will we soon see the day when the Lord says no more?”

“Where is the Church?”  “Why does the Church not speak up?”

“Who is behind all this evil we see in the world?”

“When will the Lord say no more, and return for His people?”

These questions ask us the who, what, where, when, and why of the state of this world today.  They even go a step farther, and ask us the how.  All question we have heard so many ask, even questions that have found their way to so many of our own lips. Questions that cause the mind to ponder.  Questions that cause the soul of many a man to stir and tremble.  Questions that do not seek out an answer, but questions that demand an action.

But as we look around us today, we see everything but action.  We see a Church that speaks these words with hollow meaning, often attempting to go through the motions without ever taking a step.  We look out from our pulpits and no longer see the pews, but see empty faces looking back from sofas and recliners.  We see our churches overwhelmed by what many have termed “Couch Potato Christians”.  Those who see the world deteriorating around us, who are outraged as the darkness of evil fills this world, but only speak of this outrage from the comfort of their couches.  They are troubled by all the see, but not troubled enough to get up from their recliners.  They find neither the will nor the strength to do more than shout from the comfort of their chairs.

Strength.  A word that fills the pages of our Bibles.  A word used to describe the heroes we learned about on Sunday morning, and a word that Paul used to describe his mission and his journey with Christ.  But what is strength? And where do we find the strength to get up from our couches, and put the words God gives us into action?  

One Bible verse about strength stands out to most Christians above all others, Philippians 4:13.  “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” We all know the words, but just what do those words mean?  The first three words of the verse, tell us more than most ever see.  “I can do” takes on great meaning when we read it in the Greek.  The Greek word used in the verse means “to be able, to be a force, to be serviceable”.  The word tell us that we are able to be a force for God, to be of service to God, because of the strength that Christ brings into us.  Our strength is not one of physical means, it is one of spiritual means.  Christ alone is the ability that meets all our needs, including our strength. It is His strength that is found in us, and that strength alone enables us to do all things.  In the man who wrote these words, in Paul, that strength allowed him to serve God in ways he could have never imagined.  It led him to met countless numbers in the name of Christ he never thought he would ever meet.  It brought him to places, preaching the Good News to those his eyes thought they would never see.  That strength brought Paul to his knees, and it brought Paul to the firmest of stands.  It brought him to experience the greatest of joys, and it brought him to share in the most heartbreaking of tears.  But above all, that strength brought Paul to action. 

The strength that Christ brings to us not only requires our action, it demands our action.  It not only requires our voice, but demands our mind and every part of our body. That strength demands that we take the words we yell at the television screen, and put those words into action.  That strength may bring us the awareness to hear the words we hear from the comfort of our couch, but that same strength then seeks to yank us off that couch, taking the purpose and warning of those words out our doors and into the world around us.  And as that strength takes us into this world, that same strength will hold us strong when the world may mock us, and it will show in us hope when this world may hate us. That strength not only helps us to recognize His footsteps, it drives us to follow wherever those footsteps may lead.  It is a strength that guides us, it is a strength that empowers us, it is a strength that emboldens us, it is a strength that humbles us, and it is a strength that encourages us.  A strength that is so often ignored from the comfort of our couches.

This is a strength that lead Paul to proclaim, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”(Philippians 1:21).  Paul knew that whatever life, time and strength he had was given to him by Christ, and it was that strength that drove him to live for Christ(Galatians 2:20). That strength was the force that drove him, defining the purpose of his life, and the service he gave his all for. A strength found in him that had made dead the sin that had once filled him, the life that had once confined him, and a law that had once restricted him.  A strength that had freed him to service for Christ, a strength that had brought him to life so others may know the grace and love he had found.  A strength that showed him his life had already been taken, a life he had freely given to Christ.  A strength that took away the hold that this world and Satan had once had on him.  A strength that each day showed him, that in his life and in his death, his greatest desire was to glorify Christ.  A strength that made him forget his own wants, and placed his focus on God’s needs.  And a strength that made the impossible possible in front of his eyes each day.

This was a strength that showed Paul his divine calling.  A strength that came with it responsibilities, and a strength that taught him the true definition of faithful obedience to the Lord.  Each day, that strength led him to listen to the call and the voice of God.  It lead him to teach and preach that Word to anyone who would listen.  It led him to warn all who would hear of the threats the Lord had shown him, and to warn future generations of dangers they would also face.  And that strength led Paul to speak the truth of His love, and to be devoted and loyal to that love, despite whatever this world may throw his way.

You cannot read a single verse that Paul wrote and not see and feel that strength. And with each verse we read, we must stop and ask ourselves a few basic questions.  If the Lord made that strength so obvious to Paul, does He not now desire to make it just as obvious to us today?  Does Christ not seek to place in us the same strength that we all see in Paul? Does the Lord not wish for that same strength to drive us with the same passion it drove Paul? Does Christ today, not place in us the same strength, and long for us to share with this world all the love and beauty that strength brings us?

The Lord today desires for nothing more than a world filled with men and women like Paul.  Those who will take the strength that He offers us, and put it into action.  Taking the grace, mercy, love and truth that is found in that strength, and willfully sharing it with the world around us.  A strength that comes with all the promises and purpose that He so lovingly yearns for each of us to know.  A strength that offers this world a true Atlas, holding this world up in the mercy of His hands and keeping all of its’ pieces in their created and desired place.  

But for all this strength offers, it can never be fully know from the comfort and complacency of our couches.  It is a strength that cannot be heard or felt in the half-hearted screams we make at our television.  It requires our full voice, our full efforts, and our endless actions.  It is in that strength that our greatest opportunities can be found, and it is in that strength that the wonder of its’ blessings can be received and given.  But from the comfort of our couch, that strength can only be seen as a blurred image, and its’ joys can never be experienced.  And from the comfort of our couch, that strength is wilting, fading from the sight of the eyes of this world.  But from the comfort of our couch, there is still hope.  Hope that we will again rise from our couches, find our way out of our doors, and into the waiting and longing arms of Christ’s strength.

I pray that future generations will look back on this day and see it as the moment the “Couch Potato Christians” rose again.  The day His strength led this Church to rise off of our couches, bringing His Word, His Truth, and His Grace to a needing world.  The day the Church again saw the opportunities that can only be found in His strength.  The day when meaning was once again heard in our words, and action was once again seen as we speak those words.  A day that Heaven will always remember, and a day we will never let Satan forget.  A day that His strength has prepared us for. A day when the impossible was once again made possible.  A day when His strength was heard and felt beyond the comfort of our couches.

I pray this day does not pass you by, or find you tucked away on your couch.

My Final Christmas List

 Dr. Mike Murphy

December 24, 2021

As a child, I started making my Christmas list before the leaves even began to turn. And as the days to Christmas became shorter, my list grew longer.  With each commercial came another toy I just had to have.  My list read each year like a novel, far more resembling Tolstoy than cliff notes.  With each Batman and Superman episode, my list grew.  As I watched the Saturday morning cartoons, I sat with pencil and paper in hand.  From Erector sets that I quickly lost the pieces of, to electronic football games that vibrated the players all over the field, each were toys that Santa just had to find a way to make fit in his bag.

As I grew, my list greatly changed.  Although my list became much shorter, the toys I added to the list became much more expensive.  Televisions, stereos, and video gaming systems soon replaced Legos and Battleship. I wanted Santa’s bag no less full, just filled with items that required a lot more space.

It took me years to figure out what was really important enough to add to my list. Years to realize that what I wanted the most could not fit in Santa's bag, but could easily fit in my heart and in my soul.  That true happiness could not be found in the presents left for me under the tree, but could only be seen in the eyes of the One who gave me the only present I will ever need.

Although the words and the purpose of my list has changed, I still make the time to fill out my list each year.  As I sit here today, I find myself again with pencil and paper, ready to make out my list.  But as I pick up my pencil, I realize this will probably be the last time I do so.  The reality and current state of my health, tells me that I am close to permanently placing my pencil down and no longer being able to reach for the paper.  The cancer that attacks my body has spread to the point that I realize my time is greater measured in terms of months, than it is by years.

But as I make out my final Christmas list, I find myself today just as eager to pick up my pencil as I was when I was a child so many years ago.  Just as anxious for the items I place on my list, as I was watching the commercials of those Saturday morning cartoons that filled my childhood.  A list this year that is more a prayer than a request.  A list that can not be filled by Santa, but only be seen in the prayers that I offer to the Lord above.  Prayers that my eyes long to see for this Church.  Prayers that I long to hear in the words of my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.  And prayers that my heart desires for each of you that are reading this today. 

I pray for this Church, that we will remember again what it means to be the Church. A Church that is not defined by what this world sees as our calling, but will again become what the Lord has always been calling us to be.  I pray the Lord will open our doors to hear His words being taught.  Not hearing words from our pulpits that make excuses for us, but words that bring growth and maturity to us.  Words that echo the voice of Paul as he told us, “Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.”(Ephesians 4:14).  

I pray that He will again find this Church as a place of fellowship.  A fellowship that encourages us.  A fellowship that instructs us.  A fellowship that commits us.  A fellowship that brings out every ounce of true compassion that is in us.  A fellowship that is seen in the reflection of love that Christ has placed in each of us.

I pray the Lord will again be able to describe this Church by the blessings that flow out of us, not by the elaborate structures that so often holds us.  A place where God’s glory is honored, and a place where the Cross stands tall.  A place where bread is not just broke, but shared.  A place so filled with the Spirit that it forces us out of the doors, and into the communities that surround us.

I pray the Lord will not find this Church cowering in a corner, but proudly and powerfully on our knees before the only One who can ever lead us.  Fully armored, and ready for battle.  Realizing this battle cannot be won through appeasement to this world, but can only be fought and won with our heads bowed, and His Word in hand.  A place where prayer is not just taught, but practiced.  Where our battle cries are proclaimed with our eyes closed, and our hands raised in praise. 

I pray the Lord will find this Church again giving a clear message of salvation, not heard in us repeating the whispers of this world’s desires.  A place where faith is not just heard in our voice, but seen in our deeds.  A place that shines in the darkness as bright as the light that Christ has placed in all of us.  A place that again is not just Christ-like, but a place where the hinges of the doors are removed so we can be Christ following.

I pray for my brothers and sisters in Christ.  That Christ will not just be heard in our needs, but will heard in every word of our wants and in each syllable of our desires.  I pray that our words will not just speak of Christ, but that each word will call us into action for Christ.  For too long, the Lord has seen us as the observers, not as the doers.  We have becomes those that slow down when they see a wreck on the side of the road.  Starring from a distance at what we see, eyes wide and mouth opened in shock.  But never finding it in our hearts to stop our cars, rushing out to help in the tragedy we see.  So sadly, we have become more attracted to the dramatic than to the need.  A need Christ has called us to.

I pray that we will again understand what it means to be the Body of Christ.  A Body that never forgets that Christ is our Head.  A Body that follows the lead of the Head, and is enjoined in His glory.  A Body that reflects Christ, and allows the world to see Christ.  A Body that is always Spirit filled, and is always Spirit driven.  And a Body that knows the importance of each part, knowing that if each part works as it was created, the Body as a whole is capable of astonishing this world.  A Body that does not just speak, hear, see, and feel His love, but would never think to let a day go by when we do not demonstrate that love.

And I pray for each of you.  I pray that each of you will realize what Paul meant when he told us, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”(Philippians 4:13).  I pray these words will not be limited to the pages you read, but will be words that leap from the pages, calling you to action each and every day.  Christ told us that nothing is impossible with God(Matthew 19:26), and a part of that nothing includes each of you.  Place no limitations on God, and expect no limitations on what the Lord can do through a willing heart.  Never wait until tomorrow, what He is calling you to do today.  Each day, He lays so many opportunities at our feet.  Opportunities that allow His hands to use each of you in the most incredible of ways.  Opportunities to change the lives of those around you. Opportunities to bring endless glory to His name.  Never feel these opportunities are to great for you to handle, nothing is too big when you have God by your side.  And never feel each opportunity He gives you is too small to really matter.  With the smallest of sparks can come the greatest of fires. That single spark you start today, may be the flames He calls others to fan tomorrow. That single spark you set, my create a fire so bright all the world can see the Light from it.  Never let these opportunities pass you by.  I have so often said, the opportunity you let slip by today, may be the blessing you will never know tomorrow.

As I finish my final Christmas list, I do so not with a tear, but with a smile. A smile of hope,  Hope that I hear in the voices, and see on the faces of so many of you.  God has incredible plans for so many of your lives.  Plans that will lead you in the most amazing of directions, touching the lives of the most remarkable people, bringing glory to His name in the most wondrous of ways.  There is no item I could write on my list that I wish I could see more. No words I could place on the paper than would ever mean more.  Items on my list that I know the Lord is going to fulfill through so many of you.  Although I may not be here to see my list delivered, I have faith that each prayer on my list will be answered.  Answered by God through each of you in the most amazing of ways.  

I pray that my final Christmas list will serve as the smallest of sparks, a spark that the Lord will use so many of you to turn into a flame.  A flame that will burn so bright that I will see it in the heavens.  A flame that will fill your life with the most amazing stories of what God is doing through you each day..  Stories that will have me awaiting your arrival, so I can hear for an eternity all the amazing things the Lord has accomplished through each of you.

Praying each of you will be a part of my final Christmas list.

A Hero Was Called Home

 Dr. Mike Murphy

September 19, 2021

He never preached a sermon.  He never led a Bible study.  He never taught a single Sunday School class.  He never sang a song on Sunday morning that inspired others.  But he helped bring more to Christ than all those who had filled each of the above roles in the church.

He was a quiet man.  A man of few words, who spoke only when necessary.  He would occasionally joke, saying that he was not quiet, it was just that words were too precious to waste.  By most standards, he lived his life in the shadows.  But in the cover of the shadows he shined, serving Christ with a passion that few would ever duplicate.

When the services were over each Sunday, and the church was again empty, he was still there.  Cleaning the leftover bulletins from the pews, placing each Bible and hymnal back in place.  Making sure visitor cards were collected, and placed in the office where they could be followed up.  He walked the vacant halls, making sure the trash was emptied, the bathrooms were left clean, and everything was in working order.  He did all the things that no one thought about, that few even noticed.  The unappreciated things that keep the church doors open each week.

Since retiring, he made his way to the quietness of the church each morning.  He sat alone in the church and spent time with God.  He prayed for the pastor and the staff of the church. That God would fill them with His Spirit, that each of their words would reflect His. He prayed for those who had needs.  That God would wrap His arms around each, comforting them in His protection and care.  He prayed for each who visited the church. That the Lord would lead them to the place they needed to be.  And he prayed for those who had yet to visit. That Christ would reach their heart with His truth, and direct their paths to where He needed them most.

Every Sunday morning, his car was the first one in the parking lot.  He made the coffee, and placed the pastries on the tray that he had brought for each to enjoy.  He made sure each classroom had all the chairs needed, and the nursery had all the supplies each little one could need that day.  He set up the microphones, and made sure each was in working order.  He made sure each acolyte and choir robe was laid out and ready, and he made sure that each tithing plate was in its’ place.  He did all the little things to make sure the day went smooth, that each word and song was heard, and each touching moment was felt.

From the quiet of the shadows he towered.  Towering not in the thoughts and minds of man, but in the eyes of our Lord.  Each unnoticed moment was heroic in the Lord’s eyes. Each unnoticed effort placed the needs of God above his own needs.  Each unnoticed endeavor was an achievement that placed a smile on the Lord’s face.

On a quiet Thursday night, in an emergency room not far from the church, you could hear the heart monitor go silent.  He had breathed his last breathe of this earth’s air.  The church parking lot would sit empty that following Friday morning.  And on Sunday, all would only notice that everything was not quite in place.  For on that quiet Thursday night, a hero was called Home.

Hero.  A word we use to place those on a pedestal.  One who is idolized for their courage, worldly achievements, and noble qualities.  Men and women of fame and fortune, that this world holds above all others.  But we often find that those we raise onto our shoulders, are not the same as a hero in the Lord’s eyes. What God and man define as heroic, are often described with conflicting words, in very different terms.

So what does God see as a hero?  I believe that Corrie Ten Boom said it best.  “It is not about my ability, but my response to God’s ability, that counts.” God does not measure a hero by talent, but by what we do with the talent He gives us.  Each talent is a gift from God, and each talent is given to us with a purpose in mind.  And each of these talents are as uniquely given from God as each of us are unique.

Paul said, “In His grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you.  If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well.  If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging.  If it is giving, give generously.  If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously.  And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.”  Romans 12:6-8.  Paul makes it clear, God is not looking for the man with the most talent.  God is looking for the man who is willing to use the incredible talent He gives us.  God sees no more talent in the pulpit than He does in the pews, in both He sees the potential.  The potential to make the most for His glory with these incredible gifts He has given each of us.  God calls on us to use our gifts wisely.  To use our gifts with purpose and intent.  But above all, He just calls on us to use our gifts for Him. Knowing that if we are willing to use them, He will take care of everything else.

I, myself, am the perfect example of this.  There are many who could speak this message to you with more charisma than I will ever be capable of. Whose words could move you in ways I never could.  Those who could write these words with more clarity and passion than my mind will allow.  Who could take these words and paint a picture for you with more detail than I have the simple ability to do.  But we must remember, God is not looking in us for greatness.  He is already great!  He does not need greatness from us, all He needs is the effort.  The willingness to let His greatness be seen or heard through us.  It is for this reason, I always pray that God will not make me great, that He will just find me willing.  For it is in that willingness, that His greatness can be found.

Every gift already comes to us with perfection(James 1:17), already perfect in every way.  God just needs us to take these gifts and show the world the perfection in them.  Each time we use the incredible gifts He gives us, we show the world the Perfect Hand that created each gift.  Each time we are willing to use these gifts for Him, or words tell others of Him, and our actions point those around us to Him.  Each time we use these gifts to glorify His name, we show this world the only Hero this world will ever need to see.  And each time we are willing to use these perfect gifts, the world sees the image of that Hero reflecting in each of us.

Nowhere do we see this taught to us more than in the words that Jesus taught us. In the Parable of the Talents(Matthew 25:14-30), Christ paints for us the perfect picture of what we can do if we are willing to use the gifts God has given us.  In the parable, a wealthy man is about to go on a journey, and entrust his servants with what he has.  To one servant, he entrusted five talents.  To another, he entrusted two talents.  And to another, he entrusted one talent.  The first servant, takes the five talents and puts them to work, making his master another five talents.  The second servant does the same, doubling the two talents to four.  The third servant, decided to dig a hole in the ground and protect away his master’s funds.  After a long journey, the master returns and calls each of his servants to him.  The first hands him the ten talents, and the master praises him. Knowing he can trust his servant with even more.  The second does the same, and the master again praise his servant.  As the third comes in, he hands the master the one talent he protected away.  The master is disappointed, and furious with the servant.  The master sees that he has done nothing with the talent he gave him, taking the talent from him and sending him away.

Like the master in the parable, God wants each of us to make the most of the talent He gives us.  To use that talent to bring glory to His name, to be willing to put that talent to work so others may know what He alone has done for each of us.  For each of us to see what a blessing each talent can be, and what each talent can accomplish for our Master. But He does not want us to bury our talent away.  To deposit it deep within ourselves, never to be used for gain.  Wasted away, forgotten without purpose in mind.

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in various forms.”  1 Peter 4:10.  Every talent we have belongs to God.  A precious gift given to us with a purpose in mind.  Just like the Word of God, each time we use those gifts their value increases.  Our talents not only become blessings to others, but a blessing to ourselves that draws us closer to the One who gave us each of those gifts.

Today, be a hero!  Whether you find yourself in the shadows or in the spotlight, be a hero for God today!  Put your talents to work for the Lord.  Be willing to hear His voice, to follow His call.  Go wherever that call leads you. Whether that be speaking to the masses or sweeping your church, do it with joy. Knowing the Lord has a purpose in mind for what He is calling you to do.  From the smallest of our efforts, history is filled with God creating the greatest of miracles. Miracles that only required for us to step forward, to be willing to let God use us as His hero!

And on a distant day, when Heaven opens its’ gates for you, I pray the Lord will call another hero Home.

Today, I pray, you will be a hero!

Identity Crisis

Dr. Mike Murphy

September 6, 2021

As he woke, he began to gather his bearings.  He found himself in a hospital room not knowing why.  He was connected to monitors and his head was bandaged.  For the life of him, he could not remember why, or how he had got there.  He began to realize that he could not remember anything, that his life was a complete blank.  He could not recall what he had done, what he did, or even who he was.

After several weeks of recovery, his body healed but his mind had not improved.  At his release from the hospital, he decided he was given a second chance, and that he would spend his life to make the most of it.  He spent the next several years involved in a charity to help those in need.

One day, he noticed a man that continued to stare at him.  The man looked at him so often it gave him a very uneasy feeling.  Soon he saw the man approach with two policemen by his side.  The policemen immediately placed him under arrest, and he was brought to the station and he was fingerprinted.  He soon learned he was being charged with a series of robberies in a town several miles away.  He had committed a slew of crimes that he could not even remember.  Who was this man who had done such things?  And how could this man possibly be him?

We have all watched as movies and television shows have been created on this very premise.  The plots and twist of these shows pull us in, and connect us with the characters of the story.  But what few of us know, many of us today are witnessing similar events to this story.  We are a part of a real life case of amnesia.  Those of us in this country who believe in Christ, are watching as the plotline of this story plays out around us.  We are caught in the middle of this thriller, not even realizing we are the lead character.  We, the Church, go about our daily lives without knowledge of who we are, or of the Word that directs us. Our history and our purpose have become a blur, tucked away in the depths of the conscience in our mind.  We walk around aimlessly, not knowing where we are going or where we have been.  The Church today suffers from amnesia, we find ourselves caught in a dangerous identity crisis.

A famous man once said, “In this hour I would ask of the Lord God only this: that He would give His blessing to our work, and that He may ever give us the courage to do the right. I am convinced that men who are created by God should live in accordance with the will of the Almighty. No man can fashion world history unless upon his purpose and his powers there rests the blessings of this Providence."  He went on to say, “As a Christian I have no duty to allow myself to be cheated, but I have the duty to be a fighter for truth and justice.”

So who made these comments?  What man of history am I quoting?  A worthy world figure, or a Church leader?  Would you believe neither.  The man who said the two above quotes was none other than Adolf Hitler!

At the time Hitler rose to power, ninety percent of all Germans professed to be Christian.  But when we look at the society of Germany in that day, we soon discover that although ninety percent claimed to know who Christ was, few believed in what Christ did or taught.  Most considered themselves a Christian is they had received infant baptism or occasionally attend a worship service.  A belief in Christ was not a prerequisite for being called a Christian.  Hitler, himself, was baptized as a child in the Catholic Church.  He served as an altar boy, and at one time in his life wanted to become a priest.  Hitler’s life and history would show us that one who attends church, and one who professes Christ as their Savior are two completely different things.

In the early 1930’s, Hitler saw the Church as a tool in which he could use and control the people.  In 1933, Hitler signed the Nazi-Vatican Concordat with the Catholic Church.  This pact announced the Catholic Church’s support and acceptance of Hitler and Nazism, and in return Hitler would guarantee many religious freedoms for the Catholic Church.  At this time, Hitler proclaimed the praises of a Christian faith and went on to say how he wanted to rid Germany of all atheism.

So why would Hitler go to such trouble to gain the support of the Church? Hitler knew that if he did not first trick and deceive Christians into following him, they would interfere in what he had planned in the future.  His eventual goal was not just to rid the nation and the world of Jews, but to change the very beliefs of the Christian faith into one that followed his own sadistic views.  One of Hitler’s closest followers said at the Nuremberg Congress in 1936, “I am absolutely clear in my own mind, and I think I can speak for the Fuhrer as well, that both the Catholic and Protestant churches must vanish from the life of our people.”

Few realized in that day, but Hitler’s goal was to replace Christ with himself in the views of the Church.  Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi Propaganda Minister, once said, “Our Fuhrer is the intermediary between the people and the throne of God.  Everything the Fuhrer utters is religion in the highest sense.”  He even went a step farther. teaching that every house of worship needed a standard to follow. In 1942, the New York Times published Hitler’s plan called the “National Reich Church”.  This was Hitler’s plan to raise himself up in the place of Christ.  A few of the rules stated.

--The National Reich Church has no scribes, pastors, chaplains or priests but National Reich orators are to speak in them.

--The National Reich Church demands immediate cessation of the publishing and dissemination of the Bible in Germany as well as the publication of Sunday papers, pamphlets, publications and books of a religious nature.

--The National Reich Church has to take severe measures in order to prevent the Bible and other Christian publications being imported into Germany.

--The National Reich Church has made it its sacred duty to use all its energy to popularize the coeternal "Mein Kampf" and to let every German live and complete his life according to this book.

-- The National Reich Church will clear away from its altars all crucifixes, Bibles and pictures of Saints.

--On the altars there must be nothing but "Mein Kampf", which is to the German nation and therefore to God the most sacred book, and to the left of the altar a sword.

-- The National Reich Church does not acknowledge forgiveness of sins. It represents the standpoint which it will always proclaim that a sin once committed will be ruthlessly punished by the honorable and indestructible laws of nature and punishment will follow during the sinner's lifetime.

These are but a few of the thirty rules that Hitler looked to replace the Church with.  Although during his early political years Hitler often quoted the Bible, he later claimed the Bible was a fairytale invented by Jews, thus banning the Bible in all of Germany.  He would then print his own bible, removing all Hebrew words and replacing the Ten Commandments with twelve of his own.  He also rewrote the Lord’s Prayer, making it mandatory to recite to the youth on a daily bases.  “Adolf Hitler, you are our great Fuhrer. Thy name makes the enemy tremble. Thy Third Reich comes; thy will alone is law upon the earth. Let us hear daily thy voice, and order us by thy leadership, for we will obey to the end, even with our lives We praise thee; hail Hitler Fuhrer my Fuhrer, given me by God. Protect and preserve my life for long. You saved Germany in time of need; I thank you for my daily bread; be with me for a long time, do not leave me, Fuhrer my Fuhrer, my faith, my light – hail, my Fuhrer.”

Hitler even used one of the most loved and renown German figures of history to sell his false doctrines to the German people.  Martin Luther had been a founding father of the Reformation Movement, and his work forever changed the Church as we know it.  Luther taught that salvation and the heavenly eternity that springs from it, was not earned by our good deeds, but could only be received as a free gift of God’s Grace through our belief and faith in Jesus Christ.  He taught that the Bible was the sole source of Divine knowledge, and God could only be understood through the Bible itself.  He also taught that sin could not and did not need to be forgiven by a priest(Sacerdotalism), it could only be given to man by God Himself.

For most of his life, Martin Luther taught a kindness toward the Jewish people, with an aim of converting them to Christianity.  But in his latter years as his health faltered, something in Martin Luther snapped, and his kindness toward Jews turned to hatred.  He became angry that many did not convert, and his words became venom.  Shortly before his death he said, “Such a desperate, thoroughly evil, poisonous and devilish lot are these Jews, who for these fourteen hundred years have been and still are our plague, our pestilence, and our misfortune.”

In his publication, On the Jews and Their Lies, he stated seven actions that all Christians should carry out against the Jewish people.

--First, to set fire to their synagogues or schools and to bury and cover with dirt whatever will not burn.

--Second, I advise that their houses also be razed and destroyed.

--Third, I advise that all their prayer books and Talmudic writings, in which such idolatry, lies, cursing and blasphemy are taught, be taken from them.

--Fourth, I advise that their rabbis be forbidden to teach henceforth on pain of loss of life and limb.

--Fifth, I advise that safe-conduct on the highways be abolished completely for the Jews.

--Sixth, I advise that usury be prohibited to them, and that all cash and treasure of silver and gold be taken from them and be put aside for safekeeping

--Seventh, I commend putting a flail, an ax, a hoe, a spade, a distaff, or a spindle into the hands of young, strong Jews and Jewesses and letting them earn their bread in the sweat of their brow.

Sound familiar?  These were the very practices that Hitler implemented against the Jewish people.  The very practices that led the world to devastation and brought the deaths of countless millions.  And much of the German population followed blindly.  Many, if not most in the Church, did nothing until it was way too late.  The Church in Germany bought into the lie, often without question they followed the ravings of a lunatic, marching to the edge then following him over the cliff.  

You may ask yourself, why would the Church in Germany allow and then follow this?  Because they did not know the truth!  They were not based in God’s Word, so anything could be presented and sold to them as the Word of God. Many of the pastors, priest, and churchgoers of that day in Germany, knew the name of Christ, but did not know who Christ was or for what purpose He had come.  They knew there was a Bible, but they could not tell you the Words of God that filled it!  Their own ignorance and apathy had been used against them, thinking themselves secure, they had become lost.

When you look at the Church of Germany in the early thirties, and you look at the Church in our nation today, it is not hard to see a few parallels.  We see how many within the Church and this nation as so easily deceived because they no longer have a bases in God’s Word.  We watch today as God’s Word is twisted and misquoted to make fit the circumstances of the day, and the personal beliefs of men.  We are often told what the Bible says, without knowing or seeking out exactly what God’s Word does actually say.  Truth has become circumstantial, relative to the situation we find ourselves in.  God’s Word is twisted to justify our own actions. We watch as many lessen the purpose and the life of Christ, placing other religious leaders on equal footing.  And we see many replace the promises made to God’s chosen people with the Church itself, often spouting hatred and venom at the nation of Israel as they do this.  The scariest part about this is, we do not just see this in the pew, we often hear this from the pulpit.  If we actually knew and spent time in God’s Word, we would have read Paul’s warning, “and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them”(Acts 20:30).

We must find ourselves again following another quote from Paul.  2 Corinthians 13:5, “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you-- unless indeed you fail the test?”  When we find Christ in us, we find ourselves grounded and based in the Truth of God’s Word.  The ways of the world become just that, the world’s ways!.  Only then can we begin to see, the failed logic of man can never stand against the wisdom we can only find in God. The Church in this nation must once again find itself proclaiming, “man does not have all the answers, but we know One who does!”  But for us to make this proclamation, the Church must once again find itself.

It is not always easy for us to face our faults.  It can be very difficult for us to admit our mistakes.  But it is time the Church took a long hard look at itself, and began to heed the words of Paul.  We need to test ourselves, and examine just where we stand.  With a long, hard look in the mirror we may not like what we see.  The imagine that shows back to us may not be one we recognize.  We may no longer remember the face that stares back.  But we must once again go back in the recesses of our mind, and begin to recall the face we once saw and knew. We must overcome this amnesia we find ourselves confused and dazed by, and remember the One who brought us here, and the Truth that should keep us here every day!

“By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.  You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.”  1 John 4:2-3

Praying each of you do not face an identity crisis, knowing the Name Above All Names!

With A Little(What Is Faith?)

 Dr. Mike Murphy

August 8, 2021

A young boy was invited to spend some time with Albert Einstein. Although very intelligent, the young boy was more than a little arrogant.  After spending time with Dr. Einstein, they walked out onto his porch to continue their talk.  As they sat on the porch, the young boy smiled, thinking of a way he could possibly trip up Dr. Einstein.  As they began to sit, the young boy pointed to a tree, and asked, “How do we even know that tree is there?” Calmly Albert Einstein looked over at the young boy and replied, “Only by faith.”

What is faith?  The dictionary defines faith as “strong belief or trust in someone or something, belief in the existence of God, strong religious feelings or beliefs, a system of religious beliefs”.  Although belief and trust are a big part of our faith, to accept this definition would mean that if we believe there is a God or have feelings for God, then we have faith in God.  This is one time Webster and the scholastic world simply got it wrong!  Faith cannot be found through positive thinking.  Faith cannot be defined by intuition or premonition.  Faith is not wishing for the best, and hoping all will turn out okay.  Although many would try to define faith in such terms, it can never be seen or identified in this way.    

The Bible defines faith in an altogether different way.  Hebrews 11:1 tells us, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”  When we read this verse, we must ask ourselves, what is the assurance and the conviction that defines our faith?

The word for assurance means “that has foundation and actual existence, a firm substance of real being.”   The word comes from another Greek word that actually means “to stand under”.  Assurance is certainty, the reality of trust we have in things around us.  When we walk up the stairs in our home, we do so with certainty, without second thought.  We have walked up those stairs so many times that we know they will support us, and get us to where we need to be.  Assurance is based in trust, knowing we can rely on something with complete confidence.

Conviction means “that by which a thing is proved or tested”.  This is why we refer to the term when someone has been found guilty of a crime.  The conviction of our faith is the same.  We have been shown the evidence, and have seen all the things that support that evidence.  We have conducted our own personal trial, and been shown all the facts.  We have intelligently looked at this evidence, and have made our ruling.  Jesus Christ is who He claims to be!  He is the Son of the living God, who came to this earth to offer each of us a true and lasting hope!

When we take a close look at these two words, we begin to see the power that Paul placed in this verse.  And when we go back and look at the verse in its’ original language, we see even more power.  The Greek literally translates, “Now faith is the reality of things being hoped for, the proof of things not seen.”  Our faith is both reality and proof, it is based on both our mindful acknowledgement and our certainty.  We cannot know and understand faith without both.  Through our mindful acknowledgement, we have the proof our faith is based on. Through our certainty, we experience the reality of knowing our faith is true.  

The best way this can be explained, is by doing so the way Jesus would have. Through a example or parable. When we see a boat, our mind quickly identifies the object and recognizes it as a boat, not as a car or a plane.  Through our experiences, we have come to know the purpose of a boat.  The boat is designed to keep us afloat on water, and to help us get to the other side.  Our faith is likened to the trust that allows us to step into that boat, knowing what it is designed for and the purpose it is meant to serve.  This is why Paul goes on to tell us that without faith, it is impossible for us to please God(Hebrews 11:6).  For the Lord knows that without faith, we will never find ourselves in that boat!

To truly understand faith, we need to understand where our faith comes from.  Faith is not something we can just learn.  It is not something we can obtain on our own.  And it is not something that we are born with.  Faith is a gift.  It is not a gift we deserve, or a gift we have earned.  Along with His grace and mercy, it is a gift that leads to His glory, a gift to fulfill His plan and purpose for each of us.  A gift that will never be any better than the One we place that faith in.

Faith is vital to the life of every Christian.  We are saved through faith(Ephesians 2:8), we are justified by faith(Romans 5:1),  our hearts are cleansed by faith(Acts 15:9), and through our faith we look forward to the return of Christ(2 Peter 3).  It it because of our faith that we please God, that we show the Lord our trust and dependency on Him, and that we seek to rely on His mercy and His grace.  

Our faith is rational(Hebrews 11:3), showing us that God is the Creator of all.  Our faith is revolutionary(Hebrews 11:4-8), making the invisible visible, and the impossible possible. Our faith is inspiring(Hebrews 11:4-40), leading us to places we would have never gone, and accomplishing things we would have never imagined.  And our faith is discerning(Hebrews 11:26), teaching us the rewards of Heaven over the riches of man. 

Our faith is trusting, our faith is rational, and our faith calls us to action.  As we closely see how the Lord defines faith, let us take a closer look at each of these.

Faith Is Trusting.  

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.”, Proverbs 3:5..  A verse many of us have grown up knowing, being taught to us from our earliest years.  Many will often try to separate the words trust and faith, but you actually cannot.  Although they are two different words, you cannot define one of these words without the other.  It is through trust that we can believe in all the promises God has given us.  And it is through faith that we trust those promises will be fulfilled.  Without trust, our faith would rely on hope.  Trust gives us the assurance of those things, and what separates the truth of God’s Word from all the other religions of this would.  We have seen the fulfillment of God’s Word, therefore we can trust His Word.  No other religion can make that claim!  They just hope the false words their ‘god’ has given them will come true.

Two hundred and forty-five times we see the word faith used in the King James Version of the New Testament.  What may surprise you, it is only used twice in the Old Testament.  But both times the word carries incredible meaning. In Habakkuk 2:4 we read, “Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him; But the righteous will live by his faith.”   The Hebrew word for faith means “firm, secure, trustworthiness”.  It is actually derived from another word that means “craftsman”.  A craftsman was seen as a one who was an expert in his field, whose actions could be trusted.  Someone whose actions had purpose and meaning, and what they made you could be secure in.  It is by no mistake that the words is used here!  It is by faith that we can have security and trust in God’s Word and His work.  This word shows us that there is far more to faith that just knowing God.  It shows us that faith is trusting God, and believing that we should follow His will.  

Trust is a call to our faith.  Trust is why we should follow God with all our heart, committing every part of our life to the Lord with complete confidence. Showing us that our faith does not rest in the logic of men, but in the proven wisdom of God.  Jesus said in Luke 4:4, “It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.”  Trust shows us why our faith in Christ is all we will ever need!

Faith is Rational.

Our faith is not a philosophical theory or even a psychological fact.  Our faith is nothing short of a spiritual force!  Our faith is living, created from a Living Word, that has produced a living proof!  Although our faith is not solely based on evidence, it is supported by every ounce of evidence this world has ever seen.

Despite what many would try to tell us, our faith is not blind.  The very heart of the Christian worldview is based on actual evidence, not on blind faith.  It is only after one is presented with overwhelming evidence that he or she is invited to place their faith in the facts of the Gospel.  Our faith is not about turning off our brains and only following our heart.  It is also not driven by the emotions of the day.  Our faith is about seeking Christ with every character and feature of our body, every cell that makes up our existence being used to follow God.  Our mind shows us the reality of all we hear, and our eyes shows us each day that our faith is not blind.

Throughout the Scriptures we are shown that reason, understanding, and wisdom are traits that are rewarded.  Proverbs 3:13 tells us, “How blessed is the man who finds wisdom and the man who gains understanding.”  This verse tells us we are blessed when we seek wisdom from, and understanding in God.  We must remember, that God created us with the ability to reason and to think.  And He gave us those abilities for a very specific purpose, so that we might seek and find the truth.  God knows that if we truly seek that truth, we will find Him.  Psalm 14:1 tells us, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’.”  The word for fool used here does not refer to a lack of intelligence, but refers to a person without morals.  This verse shows us that when we deny the existence of God, we put ourselves on a path in search of evil.  Reason and understanding that does not focus on God, soon becomes the logic that leads us to the evil of this world. Faith is not only rational, faith is a sign of intelligence in God’s eyes!

Faith Is Action.

An impala is an amazing creature.  This antelope found in the savanna of Africa, has athleticism and grace that few animals can match.  In a single jump it can reach heights of over ten feet, and can leap distances of over thirty feet.  But with all of its’ abilities, you can enclose an impala behind a three foot wall and it will never escape.  An impala will never jump if it cannot first see where its’ feet will land.  Fear, and this world, would have us be like the impala.  Entrapped in fences without knowing what lies beyond.  But our faith allows us to overcome the fear of these fences that Satan would place in front of us.  Our faith draws us into action, causing us to step over those fences.

We must begin to understand, faith is not just believing in the evidence God would have us see, it is putting that wisdom into action.  Faith is not just cheap talk, faith also requires our hard work.  Faith takes us beyond talk, it puts us into action.  Faith is more that just believing in God, faith leads us to behave by the Word of God.

Faith is an action.  Look at the Bible as an example.  Noah built an ark.  Abraham departed his home when he received the call of God.  Moses commanded Pharaoh to let the Israelis go.  Joshua fought for the Lord.  Samuel anointed David.  Each of these were acts of faith.  Faith requires action, without action there cannot be faith.  In Hebrew there is not even a noun form of the word for faith, it can only be found in verb form.  Each of the above patriarchs stand in the presence of the Lord today, because they chose(a verb) to follow the call of God.

Faith is a doctrine that is expressed through our choice, through our action.  Faith leads us from belief toward trust and obedience, and that trust and obedience requires us to act.  We must never forget, faith is our trust, our reasoning, and our understanding in action.  In order to follow God, we must first get up, and put all that God shows us into movement.  Our faith is evident in everything we do.  It is only when we put our faith into action, that the world around us can see Christ reflected in each of us!

Faith!  A word far more powerful that most of us ever imagined.  A word that Christ tells us with the smallest of amounts we could move mountains.  Our faith brought us to the Cross, put us on our knees in front of that Cross, and calls us to show the world the beauty of that Cross. Faith is not just our holding on to God.  It is knowing that God is holding on to us, and that He will never let us go!  It is us knowing that before He even thought to let go, He would move mountains. That He would and will move this very earth because of our faith.

Praying each of you will move mountains!