I Am Pilate!

Dr. Mike Murphy
April 14, 2022

“There was something in his eyes that was different.  Something separated him from all the others that had appeared before me.  So many had been brought in front of me to judge in this rebellious country, they became nothing more than faces without a face. Names spoken without a sound.  But something in his face brought his name to my lips, something in the sound of his voice caused me to speak it.”

“He was unlike any man I had ever met.  Most came in front of me filled with fear, speaking whatever words they thought I wished to hear so their life might be spared.  But in his voice, I could hear no fear.  In his eyes I could see only a certainty, as if he knew my words before I spoke them.  It was as if death had no hold over him, and my words and my judgement brought no fright or panic to him.”

“Twice that day, I tried to place his future into the hands of others, hoping both times they would do what I could not bring myself to do.  But twice that day, his future, his life, fell back into my hands.  Although I found no fault in him, my own ambitions required me to be the judge over him.  So as I sent him to his death, I washed my hands of him.  But as the hours and the days passed, I found that although I had washed my hands, I could not wash away my thoughts.”

“Since that day, I have passed judgement on more men that I could begin to count.  I have sent more men to their death than I could ever begin to number. But among all the men, among all those faces, one still haunts me.  One face, one voice, never escapes me. One set of eyes that were unlike any other.”

Many names from history stand out before us, implanted in our minds and unable to escape our thoughts.  Men and women of valor, like George Washington, Winston Churchill, and Joan of Arc.  Brilliant minds like Isaac Newton, Copernicus, Madam Curie, and Albert Einstein.  Villains of evil, like Adolph Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Ivan the Terrible, and Attila the Hun.  Men and women of God, like Moses, Abraham, David, and Deborah.  But as we approach the Easter season, a name from history always comes to our minds. One not known for his heroism or for his intellect.  One we remember for the decision he made on a day that changed history.  The name of that man, Pontius Pilate. 

Although Pilate is a name that we all know, little is truly known about the man.  From AD 26-36, Pontius Pilate served as governor of Judea for Emperor Tiberius of Rome. Besides his name appearing in the Gospels, it is also recorded by such historians as Tacitus, Philo, and Josephus.  In 1961, a famous engraving know as the Pilate Stone was found. Writings on the stone dated its’ origins to AD 30, and on the stone Pilate was described as “Prefect”(overseer) of Judea. 

In the Gospels, Pilate is mentioned solely in connection with the the trial and last events of Christ.  The Gospels portray Pilate as a man who was reluctant to send Christ to the Cross.  He stated that the charges brought against Christ were baseless, and more than once proclaimed Christ as an innocent man.  The Book of Matthew(Matthew 27:19), indicates that Pilate received a message from his wife, warning him to not be involved in the trial of this righteous man.  But despite all he saw, all the warnings given him, it was a trial that Pilate went forward with.  A trial, he is still to this day remembered for.

In the Gospel of John, we are given a very detailed account of the trial of Christ, and are told much of the conversation between Jesus and Pilate.  John tells us that Jesus acknowledged that He was a king, and that He, alone, represented the truth.  To this, Pilate replied, “What is truth?”  This question, these three words, would set the stage for all that was about to happen.  As Prefect of Judea, Pilate was set as a judge over the people.  As a judge, he was called on to seek the truth.  But here we see a judge, who by his own question, did not know or recognize the truth.  A human judge, perplexed and bewildered by the truth, would sit in judgement over the Righteous Judge of all mankind.

Before he was done, Pilate would seek a compromise to avoid the truth he did not understand.  Knowing that Jesus had been handed over to him, not out of guilt, but out of the envy of the religious leaders, Pilate decide to form a plan to get him out of the middle of this problem.  It had become a custom for a prisoner of the people’s choosing to be released at the time of Passover each year.  Pilate then picked the worst person he could possibly find, a murderer and man convicted of insurrection.  A man by the name of Barabbas. There is an interesting find in the meaning of Barabbas’ name, as the name means “son of the father”. On that day, Pilate gave the people a choice of who they wanted released. Barabbas, “son of the father”.  Or Jesus, the true Son of the Father.  

Pilate found himself amazed by the name the people yelled out.  Because the religious leaders had persuaded the crowd, Pilate heard the overwhelming cry that day for him to release Barabbas.  Unable to believe the name he heard, Pilate asked the crowd, “What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?”. Their reply, amazed him even more, “Crucify him!”.  Knowing he could not sentence a man who had not been convicted of a crime, Pilate replied to the cries of the crowd, “Why, what evil has he done?”  Again, he heard the words, “Crucify him!”. More afraid of the crowd rioting and damaging his public reputation and standing, than he was of sending an innocent man to his death, Pilate commanded for Jesus to be flogged, and delivered to be crucified.

As tragic as the events of that day were, no tragedy was greater than what happened that day to Pilate.  He ignored his responsibilities as judge.  He disregarded the warning his wife gave him.  He chose his own selfish pride over the life of an innocent man. And he failed to acknowledge and accept the truth, when the Truth was standing right in front of him. 

So what became of Pilate?  What happened to his life after that unforgettable day? The writings of Philo and Josephus both give us information about Pilate.  Both describe Pilate as an insensitive and often brutal man, who had little regard for the Jewish people or to their religious beliefs.  Both tell us he insulted the people by placing pagan gods on their currency. Josephus wrote that as Pilate brought troops in from Caesarea to Jerusalem, he had the troops bring in idolatrous statues of Roman emperors to be placed in the courtyard of the Temple. Josephus tells us that this was done by the cover of night, so that the Jewish people would not be aware of what was happening until the statues were already in place. Philo tells us of how Pilate reappropriated Temple funds to build aqueducts.  As the Jews protested this action, Pilate had Roman soldiers disguise themselves among the people.  At his command a signal was given, and the Roman soldiers openly attacked the people in the streets.

Historians tell us, that in the year that Emperor Tiberius died, Pilate was removed from office because of charges brought against him.  It was stated that Pilate was openly executing people without ever giving them a trial.  Eusebius tells us that Pilate was exiled to Gaul, and it was here that Pilate took his own life.

As we remember Pilate today, most look at the man and see the one who sent Jesus to be crucified.  But when I look at Pilate, the image that stares back at me is a familiar one. As I look at the man who had Christ flogged, and who sent Christ to the Cross, it is not Pilate’s image I see.  It is my own.  As I look closely, I realize, I am Pilate. It was me who sent Him to be scourged, and it was me who placed the thorns on His head.

For years of my life, I sat in the judgement seat of Pilate.  Day after day, Christ was brought in front of me.  I looked directly into His eyes, and I asked the same question that Pilate once asked.  As the Truth stood right in front of me, I turned to my selfish pride and my own foolish stubbornness.  I looked into the face of an innocent and righteous man, but I only heard the cries of the crowd.

As I look even closer, I realize that I was far more cruel, and far more lost than Pilate ever was.  As Christ spoke to Pilate, He told him that those who had handed Him over were guilty of the “greater sin”.  Meaning that those who had handed Him over to Pilate, knew all the signs and prophecies that identified Him as the Messiah, that unmistakably pointing to Jesus as the Son of God.  They were aware of who He was, not ignorant of why He had come to this earth.  They knew He was God, but denied the Truth that was evident in front of them.  This was me.  I knew who Christ was, I knew He was God.  I knew the Truth that stood in front of me, but I denied that Truth because of the changes it would require of me.  I simply found it easier to hear the voices of the crowd, than to accept Christ as my Savior. More willing to follow the crowd, than to allow God’s Word to rule my life.  So not just once, like Pilate, but each day I sent Christ away, and washed my hands of what I knew and saw.

But praise the Lord, Christ is patient.  And praise the Lord, the Holy Spirit is persistent.  Praise the Lord that Christ returned to that judgement seat I sat on each day, and that each day He continued to speak the Truth to me.  And praise the Lord, that the day came when I heard the voice of an Innocent Man speaking the Truth, louder than the shouts of the crowd.

Today, Christ stands in front of you, speaking the Truth to you.  You sit in the exact seat that Pilate once sat in.  The exact seat that I sat in for so many days. Will you look into His eyes, and see the Truth that stands so obviously in front of you?  Or will you hear the voices of those who selfishly deny Him, and the crowds who call for you to send Him away? Will you fall on your knees before Him, or will you wash your hands of Him? That choice is yours, and yours to make alone. But as this day ends, I pray you will not repeat the words that haunted so many of my past days. Three words I pray you will never be heard to say, “I am Pilate”.

May you be led by the Truth, not by the crowd.

Never Forgotten!

Dr. Mike Murphy
March 19, 2022

The stars that night filled the sky.  Their beauty did not escape him, and their elegance mesmerized him.  The heavens flickered with their presence, drawing his attention to look toward the One who had made them.  Who had placed each one there with a reason and a purpose in mind.  As he stared at those stars, he seemed to have counted each of them that night.  Sleep had escaped him, as the anxiety of what the coming day would bring filled his mind. As he lay looking up that night, the stars had been his escape, the one thing that keep his mind from what tomorrow held. As he focused on the stars, he realized how many of his forefathers had seen the stars as he was now seeing them. Looking up at them from the same land, the same angle at which he now saw them.  For years he had wondered if he would ever see the stars as his father had seen them.  His whole life he had seen the stars from a distant land, a land the generations before him had never known.  A land that had filled his life, but a land that did not hold his heart.  But as he looked up at the stars again, his heart sang, and his eyes filled with tears.  For the first time in his life, he knew he was home.

For weeks he had traveled to see those stars, to see the land that his father had so often walked.  The only land his grandfather had ever known.  The land his grandfather’s grandfather had fought for.  That so many of his ancestors had given their life for, and so many of his distant relatives had yearned for.  A land that the One who made the stars had drawn them to, and promised to them. The same land that he had prayed for a lifetime that he would have the chance to see.  He had prayed that if just for one night, he could look at the stars as he now looked up at them.

Tomorrow, he did not know what would lie ahead of him.  The task that now brought him here was overwhelming.  He had heard the reports of what tomorrow would show him.  The devastation that awaited him in the city that laid just over the hills before him.  The city he had heard about his whole life.  The city that filled his dreams, and was at the heart of many of his desires.  The glorious city that had filled all the stories he was told of in his youth.  The city that once held his heroes, and the city that held the graves of his relatives.  But those were worries for the next day.  Tonight he was thankful, thankful to the Lord for letting him just see the stars.

The next day would challenge him.  He must begin to restore the city, to rebuild the once great walls that protected that city.  Others had been called to task in the city before him.  But he knew the importance of task the Lord had called him to.  Without walls, a city was not a city.  Unprotected, waiting to fall to the devastation and destruction that now held it again.  But he knew he would not fail.  He knew this, because he knew that God would not let him fail.  God’s handwriting was on this city, and he knew that the Lord had a plan and a purpose for this city.  He knew that what God desired, what God foretold, would be accomplished.

For all the years of his life, he had heard the stories of the Lord, of His land, and of His city.  Stories that always lingered in the back of his mind, stories that were celebrated each year.  But as he had made his way home, those stories came to life.  He saw many of the places that had filled those stories.  His path had led him over the footsteps of his forefathers, footsteps that filled the joy and the tears of those stories.  But today, they had become more than stories. Today, he saw firsthand that the Lord had not abandoned his people, and that God had not forgotten them.  For not one day had He not walked each step with them, wanting nothing more than for them to again turn to Him.  His people may have forgotten God, but he now knew that God had not for a moment forgotten them.  And as he stared again at the stars that night, he once again remembered the One who made the stars.  And as he looked at those stars in amazement, he promised he would never again turn his face from the One who had made them.

I love to read the story of Nehemiah, and I can only imagine what it must have been like as he returned to Jerusalem.  The emotions that filled him, the task ahead that drove him.  Nehemiah’s story is a story of devotion, a story of forgiveness, a story of promise, a story of faithfulness, and yes, a story of love.  A story whose words stir my heart today the same as if I was travelling with Nehemiah those many years ago.  His words are more than just a story, in each word we see assurance and attainment of God’s Word.  In each word we see the hope that He has for everyone of us.

Nehemiah shows us just what our faith should be, and what God can do with that faith. Nehemiah’s story starts the way each of our stories should go.  When Nehemiah heard what had become of the city of his forefathers, Nehemiah did the one thing that could bring the greatest of results, the one thing that could address the problem immediately.  Nehemiah humbled himself and prayed(Nehemiah 1:4-10).  Nehemiah showed a willingness to put his words into action, and turned to the only One who could fulfill those words and put purpose to those actions.  In Nehemiah’s prayer we see him praise God, give thanks to God, repent before God, ask specific help of God, and make a commitment to God.  Nehemiah’s prayer teaches us three things.  It shows us that any problem we may be facing, it not a problem that God is not there to help us with.  It shows us that with God’s help, there is nothing we cannot overcome.  And it shows us that we have to be willing to allow God to work through us in order to often hear the answers to our prayers.

Nehemiah knew the promises that God had given his forefathers, and his people(Nehemiah 1:5).  Nehemiah also knew that God’s Word was unchanging, unfailing, and the promise He had made in the past held just as true as Nehemiah prayed. “Remember the word which You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, 'If you are unfaithful I will scatter you among the peoples; but if you return to Me and keep My commandments and do them, though those of you who have been scattered were in the most remote part of the heavens, I will gather them from there and will bring them to the place where I have chosen to cause My name to dwell.”, Nehemiah 1:8-9.  Nehemiah trusted those words, and Nehemiah knew that God had not forgotten those words.

And forget, God had not!  Nehemiah restored the walls of Jerusalem in record time with the Lord’s help!  In fifty-two days, God accomplished through Nehemiah what many a man told him could never be accomplished.  He restored the walls and the gates that protected the earthly City of God, the place the Lord had chose to dwell on this earth.  What man had seen as impossible, God made simple.  And what man had destroyed, God made anew.  God had not forgotten His promise to His people, and the people saw that promise come to life as the walls went back up.  But through Nehemiah, the Lord had not just rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem, He put into action another plan.  A plan wrapped in another promise.  A plan that would forever change the world!

As we read the words of Nehemiah, and how he rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem and the city, the words of Daniel jumps off the pages at us.  Another who had found himself exiled in Babylon, far from the city of his forefathers, wrote down the words that the Lord gave him.  Words that would foretell God’s ultimate plan for all mankind.  A plan that would bring an end to transgression and sin, that would atone for all wickedness, a plan that would bring everlasting righteousness, a plan that would conclude and seal all other prophecies, and a plan that would anoint the Most Holy Place.

Daniel’s seventy week prophecy(Daniel 9:24-27) gives us incredible specifics.  The angel Gabriel gave Daniel the exact times this prophecy would start and would end. “ So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress.”, Daniel 9:25.  Nehemiah rebuilt the walls so the city would be protected, and then spent years overseeing the redevelopment of the city. Little did Nehemiah know where his faithfulness and willingness would lead.  Little did he know that his desire to put his prayers into action would be used in such a powerful way.  Little did he know that the decree he sought from the king to return and rebuild Jerusalem would lead to the greatest promise the world has, and will ever know. The next words that Gabriel gave Daniel from the Lord, tell us where this prophecy would lead.  “Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing”, Daniel 9:26.  His faithful actions would trigger the timetable that would lead to Christ and His Crucifixion.  And as Gabriel would go on to give Daniel, to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, the time period we know as the Tribulation, and the second return and reign of Christ(Daniel 9:26-27).  With each stone that Nehemiah laid to rebuild Jerusalem, his faithful actions paved the way for the Promised One!  God had not forgotten Nehemiah, nor had He forgotten the plans and promises that Nehemiah faithful actions would make him a part of!

The same can be said of each of us today!  When we are willing, there is no limit on what God can do with us and through us.  Each day, God seeks in us what He found in Nehemiah.  A heart that is filled with a hope that can only come from above, a faith that is never forgotten and ever present, and a willingness that is diligent to serve Him.  And as He finds those things in us, nothing is impossible with what He can accomplish through us!

Many of you may have heard of Joni Eareckson Tada, but few know her story.  As a teenager, she found herself doing what teenagers do.  One day, while swimming, she dove into a lake the same as she probably had many times before.  But on that day as she dove, her head hit bottom, breaking her neck and leaving her paralyzed from the neck down.  For months afterwards, she lived a life that was filled with despair.  It was during this time, that she found herself having to lay face down, staring at only the floor below her for a three week period. And if that was not trying enough, during one of these weeks she came down with a case of severe flu.  For several days, she found that not being able to move was nothing compared to not being able to breathe!

With all she faced, she felt that God had abandoned her.  But what she came to learn, was that the Lord had not for a day forgotten her, that the whole time He was standing right there beside her.  With a brush in her teeth, the Lord showed her that He still had an incredible purpose and plan for her life.  She has went on to paint many incredible paintings.  She has wrote over fifty books, and has a ministry that helps disabled people the world over see the purpose that the Lord has for their lives.  She has hosted a radio show, and spoke the world over about what Christ has done for her life.  And she has sang with an incredible voice in an award winning movie.  Each day her presence reminds us that with the Lord, nothing is impossible.  And each day she shows us that if we are willing, the Lord can use us in ways that are nothing short of amazing!

As you read the words of this article, I pray it will lead you to read the words of Nehemiah.  That it will inspire you to overcome, to not let man put limits on your life, the same way Joni Eareckson Tada has.  I pray that each of their stories will show you, that no matter what you may face, God is always there.  He will never abandon you, and He does not even know how to forget you.  I pray that each of you will come to know, it is not enough that we talk to God, we must also desire to walk with God.  Make His steps, your steps.  With each step, I pray you will see that there is nothing but beauty on the path where it will lead you. And with each step of that path, your life will be filled with opportunities to bring others to see the beauty of that path also.  I pray that each day,with each step, that walk will lead you to incredible places, to accomplish amazing things in His Name.  I pray that He will find you with a  willingness without limits, and a faith for Him that will know no boundaries.  And I pray that with each day of your life, you will not forget God.  Because each day that goes by with God, you are never forgotten!

Praying the Lord will find more than a little Nehemiah in each of you!

Vice Gripped, But Not Squeezed Of Hope!

 Dr. Mike Murphy

March 6, 2022

“Vice is a monster of so frightful mien,

As to be hated needs but to be seen;

Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face,

We first endure, then pity, then embrace.”

Through the years, I have often used this quote from An Essay On Man by Alexander Pope.  In thirty-two words, he describes with definition what it would take most of us pages to define.  Pope speaks of the wickedness we see around us, and how obvious it is to see that wickedness.  He goes on to speak of how man deals with that wickedness. How we will look to justify that wickedness, having sympathy for those caught up in that wickedness, and to eventually accept and welcome that wickedness.  

The dictionary defines the word “vice” as, moral depravity or corruption, abnormal behavior that is detrimental to health or usefulness.  As we look around this nation today, we do not have to look far to see each word of this definition. With each newscast and newspaper headline, we see the wickedness that is gripping this nation.  The face of our society shows us the vice that has gripped this nation today.  A vice that was once scorned, and every attempt was made to keep it from our society.  But a vice that over the years, we began to endure.  A vice we then began to excuse and take pity on.  And a vice today that we openly embrace, and have often tried to redefine as normal.

Sin has become the vice of this nation. Sin has become the frightful monster that now drives us, the familiar face that now governs over us.  We watch today as sin is not only being endured, as it is not only the pity of our society, we hear the words of our society as it tries to force our arms open to embrace it.  We watch as politicians and judges pass laws and hand down rulings in an attempt to change the face of sin.  Looking to give this vice of ours a facelift, in an attempt to show it as appealing to all around us.  A society that has determined they can better define sin than God ever could.

As we watch many of our political leaders climb the Tower of Babel, looking to again build a stairway to the heavens that will place themselves on equal footing with the Lord, we must remember the words that He once spoke to Moses.  In Leviticus 18:20-25, we hear the warning God gave about the nations of Canaan.  Warnings of action that would cause the Lord to raise His hand against a nation.  We see that warning start with adultery.  We then see it move on to child sacrifice, what we would call abortion today.  God then warns of homosexuality.  Then, He finally warns of sexual behavior so perverse that it is seen as nothing less than an abomination in His eyes.  All actions that God said had defiled the land. Actions that make us look a lot like the Canaanites today. As we read these words, we must ask ourselves, if God judged the Canaanites for such actions, why would we expect Him to do anything less to us today?

Will God judge this nation as He did the Canaanites?  Or will this nation find a Jonah on our shores, and fall to our knees before the Lord?  I pray for His mercy, and my trust is grounded in that mercy.  I pray that God will awaken this Church, and thousands of Jonah’s will be called on to bring His truth again to this nation.  I know, without a single doubt, that He alone is able.  He has done it before, and we must fervently pray that He will do it again.

Will this call to the Church come easy?  I fear it will not.  I fear this nation and this society will look at us mockingly.  I fear they will look to silence us, instead of opening their ears to the words the Lord has called us to speak.  I even fear they may look to persecute us, making many in this Church fearful to open their mouth.  But never forget, God changed the hearts of many in Nineveh with a reluctant Jonah.  Many stand in His presence today because a reluctant Jonah spoke the words to Nineveh the Lord called on Him to speak. How many hearts could be touched today if a reluctant Church would once again find its’ voice?

Church, do not let the fear of persecution frighten you.  Let those stripes of persecution encourage you.  Rejoice in each stripe this world gives you.  Wear each of those stripes with pride.  Let the words of Christ rally you, “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”(Matthew 5:10).  Never forget, you hold the answer.  The answer to every question this world has ever asked.  The answer to every question this nation has today.  Hope is found in that answer, Christ is that answer! Do not keep that answer quiet in you, shout that answer so everyone may hear!  If others shout another answer mockingly back at you, shout louder! Do not let their threatening answers quiet you.  Remember the words Paul gave you, “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.”(Romans 1:16).

Do not wait for others to speak first, let God first speak through you.  Do not wait for another to lead you, let the Lord guide you, and others will follow. Many in the Church today see men and women who pour out the heart daily for Christ, and point to them with praise, proclaiming how extraordinary they are.  But talk to any of these men and women, they will be the first to tell you they do not look to be seen as extraordinary, but wish the Church would see them as ordinary.  That what they are seen as doing was the normal, not the exception. Let Christ move through each of you, so that this Church is seen as extraordinary. Let this nation see what extraordinary things Christ can do through each of us, so that an ordinary world may want what we have.

I will give you a prime example of this, at the sake of embarrassing a young couple that I know.  They would be seen as an ordinary couple by this world’s standards.  Both have normal jobs, and attend a small church.  But the love of Christ that is seen in each, makes both far from ordinary.  When their church needed someone to lead the music on Sunday morning, she was the first to raise her hand.  She would be the first to tell you, others have a much better voice than she does.  But she stands on Sundays and sings with all her might. Not because she has to, but because the Lord has called her to.  She does it because Christ needs her to, and she does not question what Christ needs.

Her husband, does many things quietly for the church.  He is there to do the things many never see, but the things Christ needs him to do so that others may hear the message of the Lord. Today, he is looking to go into the ministry. At a time when others are running from the Word of God, he is running to it.  Not because he has to, but because Christ needs him to.  He goes, without question, where Christ leads him.

Church, be this couple!  Be the extraordinary!  Do not just hear His voice, follow His voice.  Go where He leads you.  Show this nation, by your words and actions, what they are missing.  Let them know the truth that only Christ can bring, and show them the difference that only Christ can make.  Go wherever Christ leads you, and bring the people of this nation with you.  Speak each word that He gives you, and let all around you watch as you bring those words to life.

Listen closely Church.  The sound that you have tried to keep in the background is a familiar voice.  A voice that keeps calling you, a voice that keeps reminding you.  A voice that grows louder each day.  A voice that calls you for this very hour.  I beg of you, do not ignore that voice any longer!  Call out to that voice, and go where it leads you.  This does not have to be a time in this nation that silences us.  Make this a time that emboldens us. Do not let this world tell you this is the Church’s last hour, make this the Church’s finest hour.

We live in a day where all we see makes us shake our head.  We live in a day where we see the smile forming on evil’s face.  We watch the events unfold, and we look to the sky as we know that His return draws close.  Let “close” reminds us of the importance of each day, of how vital each hour is.  Let us not waste a single second, let us make the most of the precious moments we have left.  Let us spend each of these moments fulfilling the call that He gave us, bring the Great Commission to life(Matthew 28:18-20).  Let us not forget, facing this day every word the Apostles gave us carries more importance than ever.  Let us put each of their words into action, reaching more than we could have ever imagined in these final moments we have left.  So on the day He appears in the clouds, and calls us with a shout, we can flood the sky with the souls of those we have reached.

As for this nation, where America will fall on the future day of judgement(Matthew 25:31-46), I can only pray.  But through it all, this is a nation I am willing to fight for.  A nation, with every ounce of my heart, I know this Church is being called to lead this fight for.  It is time the Church put on its’ armor(Ephesians 6:11), and let the Lord lead us onto the battlefield.  As I enter this battle, each stripe I take I will do so with joy.  Each wound I inflect, will just embolden me more.  As the Lord calls me, I will gladly spend my days pointing out the evil that thinks it has surrounded us.  But I will not get so caught up in pointing out evil that I forget to point everyone to Christ.  Evil may think it has imprisoned us, but I call on this Church to show evil, we are a slave to Christ, not to sin(Romans 1:1).  May the Lord raise my voice on this battlefield, and allow me to shout each of my days.  On the day when He calls me home, may I leave this world hoarse, having shouted every word He called me to speak.

Satan may think He has a “vice grip” on this Church and this nation.  Time to remind him, once Christ Jesus gets His arms around us, a single squeeze can eliminate all sin!

Praying Christ leads you to be extraordinary in this battle!

Confidence To Believe!

 Dr. Mike Murphy

February 27, 2022

I grabbed my keyboard, ready to jump in and help.  We have all been there, seen someone on social media who placed themselves in the eye of the storm. Knowing that the attacks were getting ready to come at them from all sides, because of a comment or reply they have made.  As I watched that day, I saw an older woman I knew speaking up to defend Christ.  Speaking up in the middle of a discussion where many were looking to do nothing but attack Christ, and the faith she held dear.  Before her reply, a couple of others had looked to respond, to question why so many attacked a belief in God.  But the sarcasm, demeaning words, and hatefulness of the replies they received, had driven them from the discussion.  Chasing them, out of fear, from daring to reply again.  But despite what she knew she would face, she spoke up anyway.

And speak up she did!  She not only stated why she believed, but questioned how anyone could not believe.  Asking how anyone could take a single look at the world around us and not see God.  With each response, those who would attack her became fewer, and those who would belittle her, became less.  By the end of the discussion, only her words were seen, only her words remained.  And by the end of the discussion, the glory of God stood.  Each of her replies showed me, she did not need my help.  She was already receiving the help of One who had far greater insight and words to offer than me.

We have all been in or seen someone in the situation this older woman found herself in.  The question becomes, what did you do when you found yourself or someone else in this situation?  Did you quickly jump into the discussion to defend your faith?  Did you stay quiet, not knowing what to say?  Or did you remain silent, hoping another would step up to speak?  As a Christian, we do not have to shy away, but can boldly defend our faith with the greatest of confidence.  We so easily forget, our faith is not a blind faith, but one supported with the greatest evidence and proof this world has ever known.   God’s Word tells us, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”(Hebrews 11:1). Just as we can have complete confidence that the sun will rise tomorrow, we can have the same confidence that each word of God’s Word is just as real!

Often in discussions of our faith, many will ask for proof of Christ outside of the Bible, wanting historical evidence to be given of Christ.  But I would ask, what better historical evidence is there than the Word of God?  What book, what historian, could we better turn to than the One who set into motion all of history? There has been over twenty-five thousand archaeological finds that support exactly what the Word of God tells us.  On top of that, there are well over twenty thousand manuscripts that completely support word for word what God’s Word says. The Bible has been, by far, the top selling book of history. No other even comes close.  You can take the total sales of the next top twenty books combined, and they will not even come close to how many Bibles have been published in the last two hundred years alone.  And the Bible continues to find itself in the hands of billions despite the fact that it is the most attacked publication of history.  But with every dispute, a truthful answer is given, and absolute proof is shown.  And each dispute soon finds itself left without teeth, silent and pointless, because each attack proves that you cannot dispute a word that our Lord has said.

If someone wants the greatest of proof that Christ was exactly who He said He was, the Bible provides us with that undeniable proof.  Christ fulfilled over three hundred prophecies with His life, death, and resurrection.  Think about the power of that for a second.  If one man were to fulfill just eight prophecies, he would do so at the odds of 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000.  For one man to fulfill forty-eight of those prophecies, he would do so at the odds of 1 in 10 to the 157th power, that is ten with one hundred and fifty-seven zeroes behind it.  For one man to fulfill over three hundred prophecies, would be odds greater than a man is capable of calculating, much less ever being able to fulfill.  No man could ever accomplish this, only One could, only God!

When we look to the confidence of our faith, we have to look no farther than Christ for the greatest of examples.  Time after time, Christ told all who would listen that they should believe in Him because of the undeniable evidence His life brought to this world(John 2:23, John 10:25-38, John 14:29).  And with each word Christ spoke to us, He made it clear that every word of God’s Word serves as a witness to the truth, and provides us with all the evidence we could ever need to believe.  Without evidence, every man should rightly refuse to believe whatever is being presented to him.  I could tell you tomorrow that aliens are real, and “little green men” are about to land on this earth and take it over. But if I did so, most logical people would never take me serious, because I would have no real evidence to support that the Martians were landing tomorrow.  I could only hope that you would blindly believe what I say, trusting what I said despite the fact that I had absolutely no proof of it.  But with God, we are not left blind.  We have enough evidence to fill every library in the world with the proof that we can trust what each word of the Bible tells us, and what each day that Christ walked this earth brought us.  Christ removed the blinders for all men, and left us with a perfect vision of exactly what the truth looks like.

Evidence alone, will never bring someone to salvation apart from the influence and presence of the Holy Spirit.  But the Holy Spirit does not leave us with an absence of logic, but instead fills us with the wisdom of God.  And it is in that wisdom that all evidence is found.  One of the most powerful ways the Spirit reaches a needing world is through reason, and it is through the proof and logic of that reason God often works through us.  When we tell others about Christ, and show them the evidence of truth that can only be found through Christ, we become a powerful tool in the Lord’s hands.  A  powerful tool that shows this world that there is no more logical decision we can ever make than to accept Christ as our Savior.  

There are two primary ways we fulfill Christ’s call to take the Gospel to this world(Matthew 28:18-20).  First, we share the proof and evidence of Christ with this world, showing this world the difference that only He can make in our lives. Second, we confront the preconceived ideas and assumptions this world falls back on about God.  Showing them how reason and logic can only be found in His words, not in our own.  With both, we proclaim the name of Christ, and show this world the wisdom that can only be found in Christ, and the beauty that can only be seen in a personal relationship with Christ.

Not one place in the Word of God does He ever tells us to believe in Him “just because”,  but shows us with every word that our faith is based on trust.  A trust that is rooted in the proof that history shows us, and a trust that is evident in the difference He, alone, makes in our live each day.   God does not expect you to follow Him blindly(1 Thessalonians 5:21), and He sure does not expect you to accept Him ignorantly(Acts 17:11).  God knows that believing in Him is the most intelligent decision you could ever make.  And He offers you the evidence for making that decision everywhere you look.  You can see His proof in the nature around you(Psalm 19:1), in the science that informs you(Genesis 1:1), in the logic that grounds you(Isaiah 1:18), in the history that educates you(Luke 1:1-4), and in the experiences that define you(Roman 1:20-21).  God even goes a step farther. He does not just give you the evidence to belief, but leaves you with the confidence to follow.

Your faith is far from blind, it is a vision of all the evidence and proof God has surrounded you with.  All He ever ask of us is to open our eyes and see that proof.  To realize, it is this world that blinds us, and only He has the cure we need for that blindness. The Holy Spirit places in you the greatest wisdom this world could ever know, the truth to every situation you could ever find yourself in, and the answer to any question this world may ask.  In you is found His Truth, and that is a truth that no man can ever dispute.  In you is found the most incredible gift of reason, logic, and wisdom this world could ever know.  In you is found the confidence to believe!

May the confidence of your faith be seen in you each day!  

Churchanity

 Dr. Mike Murphy

February 6, 2022

“Bill, I know you are new to the neighborhood, so we would love to invite your family to church with us on Sunday.”  

“We have not found a new church yet Ron, so tell me about your church. The church we went to before moving here had this great bakery as you walked in, and they had a coffee and juice bar right beside it!  We would get the best soy mocha cappuccinos each time we went to a service.  Does your church have one of those?”  “No Bill, but we do make a good cup of coffee in our Sunday school class you will be welcome to.”

“Our old church had an indoor play center for the kids.  We would drop them off before Sunday school and pick them up after services.  They would play the whole time, and would be so worn out they would sleep all that afternoon.  I am sure your church must have one of those doesn't it?”  “No, but we do have a great children’s minister, and she has taught our kids all the amazing stories of the Bible.”

“Well, my wife Amy, would go to the church in the mornings and do her yoga class, and they had an indoor golf simulator where I would go and practice my swing.  Your church must at least have something like this?”  “We do not have a gym, but we do have a great fellowship center where all the families get together and have family night.  We come together and watch faith-based movies and play games, all of us enjoying the time we get to spend with each other in fellowship.”

“Well Ron, if your church does not have any of these things, then what do you go to church for?”

We could all laugh at the ridiculousness of this story if we were not already crying at the truth this story holds.  We watch today as many are building churches that are there more to entertain us, than to share the Good News with us.  Churches that catch our eyes with a multi-million dollar fish tank, an elaborate cascading light show fountain, a retail center built around the church, and an extravagant fitness center built into the church.  Now the retail center and the fitness center may not bother some of you, but both.remain opened and staffed on Sundays while services are being held.  And if the view we see from the outside does not trouble us, then what we see as we enter the doors of many of our churches will.. We watch pastors preach sermons that do not reference a single Bible verse. Sermons that try to tell the news without the presence of the Good News.  And we look in our pews and see them full of people who hold out their hands in praise on Sunday, but cannot remember His name come Monday.

For years the polls have been showing us this was coming.  But much like the Word of God, many of these churches choose to ignore the truth these polls show us.  Almost two in three regular churchgoers now believe there is more than one way to Heaven.  Over half question if there is an actual Hell, or a literal Satan.  And a growing number say they no longer think it matters if Christ is actually God.  What we see from our pulpits is no less troubling. Almost half of all pastors do not believe that God’s Word is inerrant.  And a growing number of pastors say we should follow our own feelings more than we should follow the proven Word of God.

It is from this rising foolishness that I use the term “Churchanity”.  A Church today that is being driven by their own insanity.  A Church that is lost in the wilderness without even realizing it is wandering aimlessly.  A Church that although lost, continues to point people to the Cross, without even knowing which direction they are pointing or where their directions are leading.  A Church in this country that is in greater need of having the world send us missionaries, than for us to prepare those to send out into the world.  A Church that thinks the “little white coats” we now find ourselves in, has us dressed in our Sunday best.

So just what is “The Church”?  Many hear the word “church”, and their first thoughts go to a building they pass by while driving down the street, or a place they attend on Sundays.  But a “church” is actually the farthest thing possible from a building!    The word “church” first appears when we see Christ telling Peter, “Upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.”(Matthew 16:18).  Jesus spoke these words to Peter because of what Peter had said when Christ asked the disciples who they said He was. Peter proclaimed, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”(Matthew 16:16). The truth about Jesus is the foundation of the Church.  And all those who believe, accept, and follow that truth are the Church.

The word “church” comes from the Greek word “ekklesia”, which means “those called out”.  Church is not about the building, but is all about the people. The Church are those who have been called out by God.  Those who have been called out by His name so they can make a difference in this world.  Those who have been separated from the sin of this world(1 Peter 1:18), so they may be a light for this world to see(Matthew 5:14).

Although we can see the wisdom that Peter showed when he declared his belief and faith in Christ, it would be many more days until they would have the power to put that wisdom into action.  The day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit filled the hearts of men(Acts 1:1-4), was the day the bricks began to be laid on the foundation Christ had come to build.  The Holy Spirit brought a voice, a direction, and a purpose to all those who we called out.  And it brings that same voice, direction, and purpose to each of us who are called out today.

So if we are the Church, then what is the purpose of the Church?  Two places in His Word give us the perfect picture of what Jesus saw as the purpose of the Church.  First, a famous command that Christ gave to His disciples, a command that speaks just as loudly to us today.  “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”(Matthew 28:19).  Before the Holy Spirit came, Christ was already preparing the Church for the purpose it would serve.  “Go”, “Make”, “Teach” are all words of action.  Words that not only bring Christ to us, but words that call us to bring Christ to the world.  A purpose that will not only bring many to one day proclaim the glory of God(Revelation 7:9), but a purpose that leads us each day to praise Him with that same glory!

Second, as the Holy Spirit fell on the disciples that day, we read the words that Peter preached to the crowd that had gathered(Acts 2:14-35).  We are told the purpose those He called to that day, those who became the first bricks of the Church.  “They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”  What we see in those words gives us the purpose that the Church should always follow.  We should always make sure we are teaching sound biblical doctrine.  Words that teach people of Christ, not words that excuse them in the world’s eyes.  We should look to bring believers together so we came proclaim His glory, and we can study His Word.  When we come together, there is no limit to the power He can show us, and to the difference He alone can make through us(Matthew 18:19-20).  We should always honor, preach, and teach the Lord’s Supper.  We must always remember the sacrifice that only He could have made, and the salvation that only He could bring(1 Corinthians 11:23-26).  We should always find ourselves engaged in His Word and turning to Him in prayer during every situation.  We must seek His wisdom, search for His truth, and find ourselves quick to take a knee, placing ourselves in the one position He can use us most.(Matthew 7:7). And we should share the Gospel with each of our words, and in all of our deeds. The world must see in us what it means to be called out.  They must hears His voice in ours, and see His footprint in each step we take(Ephesians 5:1-2). 

Above all, the Church needs to remember that we are the body of Christ(1 Corinthians 12:12-27).  We are His hands, His eyes, His mouth, and His feet.  We are called to be doing daily the same things that Christ did when He walked this earth.  We must speak the words He would speak.  We must see this world as He would see it.  We must take our hands and reach out with the same love His hands held.  And we must be willing to walk where His footsteps would lead us. Remembering that in order to be Christ-like, we must first be Christ-following.

The Church today must get back to the truth, the innocence, and the simplicity of the words “Go”, “Make”, “Teach”.  We must again remember the purpose He called us to.  A purpose that does not require spectacle and flash, because it already beams bright in His truth. The Church must get away from its’ own selfish, inward contemplation, sending the world a confusing message of what He called us out for.  A message that has us looking more at how Christ and our churches can glorify our own lives, than how Christ can use our lives and our churches to glorify Him.  We must again build structures of worship, and start tearing down structures we have built to worship.  From our pulpits must again be heard messages that reflect the truth of Christ, not messages that reflect a truth the world desires to  hear. And from our pews, Christ must not only be seen in our raised hands on Sunday, but seen as we seek to follow in His footsteps come Monday.  The Church must remember again what it means to be the Church. We must get back to the truth that He brought us, and to the purpose He gave us. His truth, His wisdom, and His purpose is the only cure for the contagious disease of Churchanity.  If the Church does not quickly roll up its’ sleeve, fill the needle full, and take a heavy dose, I am afraid this disease is about to become an epidemic.

Praying His truth, His wisdom, and His purpose is all the cure you will ever need.

Moving Day!

Dr. Mike Murphy
January 16, 2022

Among my many, many faults and shortcomings, not always asking others for prayer is near the top of that list.  I have always found it easier to pray for others than to ask them to pray for me. Looking to lead others in prayer for those around me in need, instead of directing that focus to the problems in my life.  And I must admit, it often leaves me trying to put the proverbial lipstick on a pig, With the cancer, others will frequently contact or message me, asking me, out of concern, how I am doing. And usually, I am quick to dismiss them, moving on to other subjects the first chance i get.

Recently though, the dismissals have become a lot harder, as the cancer is taking a greater toll.  Often leaving me facing struggles more each day that are increasingly difficult to put a good face on, and move the conversation away from. Showing me that one day soon, the cancer will leave me facing a permanent address change. But as that “moving day” draws nearer, I find the Lord is giving me little glimpses of what my new home is going to be like.

“But as it is written: What eye did not see and ear did not hear, and what never entered the human mind-- God prepared this for those who love Him.”(1 Corinthians 2:9). We read those words, and we think to ourselves just how glorious Heaven will be. But as we look closely at those words, we soon realize that mankind does not know a word that can come close to describing how amazing Heaven will actually be.  Heaven will be perfect, and without seeing perfection, there is just no way we can begin to describe what we think that perfection will look like. Simply put, we have nothing in this world to compare it to. Nothing in this world that gives us a glimpse of a place where suffering will be felt no more. Where conflict will no longer be seen. And where disappointment will never be experienced again. A place where temptation, and the evils of this world, will never again have a single ounce of influence on our lives.

Heaven will be a place where our friendships will be even closer, as there will be no disagreements or misunderstanding.  A place where all our relationships will be open and honest, as the complications of our sinful nature will be left behind.  Heaven will be a place where our work and our rest will go hand in hand. As we serve Him each day, our work will be found as perfect, sweeter than anything we can imagine, never leaving us bored for a single second.  And Heaven will be a place where our longing for home will finally be fulfilled. A place where our hunger to know Him more will forever be quenched, and a place where satisfaction will no longer need to be defined.

The glory of Heaven will not be felt in our anticipation, but will be known each day in His presence.  Think about that. All you know about Christ now, will pale beside being able to hear His voice speak to you each day.  And as our Lord creates a new Heaven and a new earth, we will share in that wondrous world with Him. A world of such perfection, the wolf will then live with the lamb(Isaiah 11:6-7).  A place of continuous joy, where we will be able to finally put all the pieces of the puzzle together, and realize just how perfectly all fits into His eternal plan.

As I now struggle with the cancer, and anticipate the approaching of that day, a verse from His Word continues to comfort me. “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with My righteous right hand.”(Isaiah 41:10).  My life is not a measure of the ups and downs that this cancer might bring to me. My life is a sum of His love, and His undying grace. And through His love, and by His grace, I am blessed each day, to get a little glimpse of what this “moving day” soon holds for me.

Each day, the Lord gives me a glimpse of Heaven, as He blesses me to be able to look at so many of you.  Most days as I turn on my computer, or check my phone, I see or hear each of the messages all of you send me. Messages of prayer and encouragement, that ask the Lord to keep His hand of protection over me. Messages of sincerity, that come my way with all the concerns each of you have as to how I am feeling. Messages that often are nothing more than a simple picture of something you know will uplift me. Messages of stories of how Christ is working in the lives of others.  Messages of hope, that tomorrow will hold for me a better day. All messages that offer a small reflection of the true love and compassion that Heaven will offer, as you take the time out of your busy day to check on me. Giving me a glimpse of the brotherly and sisterly love that Heaven will be overflowing with.  

As so many of you send me your questions each day about Scripture, and how the Word of God applies to our life, the Lord also gives me a little glimpse of what Heaven will be like.  In each, I see your sincere desire to know more about His Word, and about our Savior. A true yearning and craving in each of you to know Him more, to know everything you can possible learn about Him.  To be feed by a truth that only He can bring us. And with each new fact you learn, you do not sit quietly on that knowledge, you look to to use it to feed others. Each new detail you learn about Him, you find yourself wanting to praise Him more.  And with each of those praises, with each desire in you to know Him more, I am blessed to get a little glimpse of what each of my coming days will soon hold.

And as I watch and hear the concern that so many of you have for this world and this Church, the Lord also gives me a little glimpse of what Heaven will be like.  I see in you a compassion for all that only He can offer. A compassion that brings you to your knees in search of the certainty that will come from His lasting answers, not just leading you to turn to your fellow man in the hope he might have a temporary solution.  A compassion that helps all around you each day to understand, true peace will only come from the Prince of Peace. And that true hope, is only found in His presence.

There is no denying, I cannot even begin to imagine or fully understand what the Lord has in Heaven waiting for me.  But as I see the compassion each of you offer, the desire each of you have to know Him more, and the hope each of you find in the presence of His arms, the Lord gives me a little glimpse of just what Heaven has waiting for me.  The slightest of glimpses at the way to spell that word that no man yet knows. The perfect word to describe all that Heaven will have to offer. But each day until that word is perfectly known to me, I thank Him for allowing me to understand the perfection of that word a little more as I see it reflected in all of you.

I pray on the day you hear that I have officially moved, you will not be saddened by my leaving.  Knowing that in my new address, I am more alive than ever. And as the days draw ever closer to my “moving day”, my mind wanders forward to the day each of you will be moving also.  A day that as you stand in His presence, and find all your questions answered, you will look over your shoulder to see someone standing there with a smile so big it will not fit on their face.  And as you look closely, I hope you will begin to realize that smile has a familiar presences. A presences that you cannot help but walk over and speak to. Because behind that biggest of smiles, you will find me!

Praying the Lord gives each of you a little glimpse of Heaven today!