Fundamental Baptist Christian

As I'm doing some reading of "Thru the Bible Commentary" by the late J. Vernon McGee, I thought that having read through 1st and 2nd Kings, and 1st and 2nd Chronicles, has had me thinking of the roads from revival to ruin. While Israel all had wicked kings (and Jehu wasn't even really righteous even if he did purge out Baal worship) but Judah had a few good kings. But what was the cause of the up and down trends of the Davidic Dynasty from Solomon up to Jehoiakim? We can notice the incidences of Judah's good kings that have their reforms countered by their wicked sons: Rehoboam (though he later repented) reversed plenty of Solomon's reforms. He could have started to reverse taxes as Solomon's advisers would have told him. However, he listened to his peers and worsened the economic mistakes that Solomon made. He also never learned from his father's mistakes of having many wives. Jehoshaphat held strong to the reforms of Asa except that he made the ...

It's really tragic to how we have fathers who spend way more time in making money than their families. Although one's job (whether it's one's business or working for somebody else' business) puts food in the table - it's never an excuse not to spend time with the children! Some fathers are too focused on making billions (while neglecting their children). Then they wonder why their children are not as financially adept as they are. Did they expect that their children would just inherit their greatness without lifting a finger or without them training their children early on, on how to make money? To make up for their absence - they decide to foolishly replace presence with presents. Hmmm, should I even call that Santa Claus parenting? It's because the mythical figure of Santa Claus only shows up once a year to give loads of goodies to those who were supposedly not in the naughty list. Now, nothing is wrong with giving presents but the presence is more imp...

Happy Children's Day 2019! A good topic to write about today is how political correctness is actually doing more to hurt than help children. Political correctness is defined as, "the avoidance, often considered as taken to extremes , of forms of expression or action that are perceived to exclude, marginalize, or insult groups of people who are socially disadvantaged or discriminated against." Doesn't it make you wonder why the United States of America (USA) has become a nation of thin-skinned people? Now, let's discuss how political correctness is indeed and will indeed do more hurt than help our children! There's the truth that says trying to please everyone is often is a surefire recipe to failure and that you just can't please everyone. Unfortunately, political correctness is really on that road. There are many people today protected by the politically correct agenda. While the oppression of minorities, because they are minorities (such as ethnic mi...

A good topic to talk about this love month is courting and marrying based on physical appearance than one's character. Now, this isn't a call to condemn outwardly beautiful women and telling men to marry the ugliest woman they can find. This is rather a call to marry based on inner beauty regardless if said woman is outwardly beautiful or ugly. The problem of marrying for beauty than character was recorded as far as Genesis 6:2 where it says, "That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair and they took them wives of all which they choose." This isn't about angels marrying human women. Rather, this is about the descendants of Seth marrying the beautiful descendants of Cain. We know Cain's descendants were ungodly and followed in the path of their ancestor. The path of Seth was the godly line. Remember Seth had several sons and daughters though only Enos was mentioned. Then we know that this line was polluted because the descendants of Se...

It's the start of a new year and the world isn't getting any better. The good news for Christians is that this world is no their home. Now, here's the biggest problem of people today is that they want to go back to the "good old days". I remembered how often it's often done by old school parents who love to brag about it to their children something like, "When I was your age... (insert achievement)." more often than not. Though the parents may not be necessarily belittling their children (or at least it's not in their intent) - they may even have it as an intent to inspire or make sure their children walk the right way but do they even realize that times have changed faster than they can count it? Don't they realize children do have a preconceived mindset that they are being belittled? I often find myself still wanting and wishing for the good old days - never mind said good old days happened when I wasn't saved yet. I would think of th...

I remembered that I was lied to about the boogeyman and worse when I confronted my elders about it - they decide to excuse it as a little "white" lie. Does the Bible really justify "white lies" over "black ones". It's really proof of double standard when parents are allowed to lie to their children while complaining why their children are such liars. Again, parenting starts with example and if Santa Claus isn't the only star in parental lying then you've got the boogeyman. Where does the boogeyman fit into Proverbs 22:6 parenting? The answer is clearly no. Parents try to use the boogeyman to scare their children into good behavior and Santa Claus to reward their children for their good behavior. It's stupid to say, "I never taught you how to lie!" Then the child says, "What about the boogeyman? You said you'd never lie!" Then the parent once again makes the excuse, "That was just a little white lie? Who told...

Many people think that the Bible is oppressive. You have crazy feminist groups that say that the Bible condones to spousal abuse. Others use the Bible as a license to beat up one's wives. Yet does the Bible condemn to wife beating? Not at all. In fact, the great Presbyterian preacher Matthew Henry's  commentary on Genesis 2  reveals the very reason why the rib was taken out of the rib. This is the kind of submission that wives are meant for their husbands. It would make sense to believe that Eve was taken out of the rib out of Adam for this reason. This is how it would be portrayed by a godly marriage: Ephesians 5:24-26  Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. [25] Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; [26] That He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,  Colossians 3:18-19  Wives, submit yourselves unto y...

Some say that nothing divides like politics and religion, doesn't it? Such would be the case of Jonathan who is termed as the boy who would not be king. I remembered from a series of lessons by Dr. John F. MacArthur of Grace To You in a sermon called "Jonathan: The Boy Who Would Not Be King". Jonathan was supposed to become the next king of Israel - if it wasn't for the curse that was inflicted by King Saul's disobedience earlier in 1 Samuel 15. Now, let's do a bit of a jet tour across 1 Samuel 16-18 which talks about the relationship between Jonathan (the boy who would not be king) and David (the boy who would be king). 1 Samuel 18 tells us that David was now a part of the royal household. Both Jonathan the king's son and David the future king formed a friendship. David was behaving wisely and he soon became a man of war. It didn't take long for Saul's ugly envy to emerge. Verse 8 shows how Saul was soon envying David because the women were pr...

It's a big problem in secular parenting where parents think it's not okay for their children to lie to them but the other way around is okay - especially if something is just a "little white lie". This is a clear case of double standard. They can go ahead and appeal to the Bible to spank their children (because it's biblical) but did they forget these verses? Romans 2:21-23  Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? [22] Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? [23] Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God? There's one ugly truth that parents fail to see - it's that they are the very first source of truth for their children. If they promised that "Mommy or daddy will never lie!" then they must be true to it. This is whe...

Here's how a pastor's wife should operate. Here's something that Pastor Paul David Washer shares about his loving wife Charo. Unlike Mrs. Job, Charo decides to lovingly rebuke her husband who was getting frustrated. I'm happy to know that there's a great woman behind a great man like Pastor Washer. 1 Timothy 4:1-7  This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. 2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; 3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; 4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; 5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) 6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the Devil. 7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which ar...

It's Mother's Day and perhaps the greatest mother recorded in the Bible is Mary. There's no greater woman recorded in the Bible as the greatest mother to set a good example for Christian motherhood but Mary. While she may not be born sinless and she's not the proud madonna that Roman Catholicism (and its offshoots such as the "Orthodox" churches) claims her to be but she's indeed the greatest example in the Bible on what it means to be a Christian mother. Mary can be looked up as a sister-in-Christ to follow. Who can forget these wonderful words as she acknowledged herself as a handmaid of the LORD? Luke 1:38  And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. She was willing and obedient to the will of the Father. At first, the idea of the Creator of the Universe was going to be in her womb that she was troubled (Luke 1:29). She was chosen among women. Perhaps in her mind, she was ...

Many Bible scholars agree that Lemuel is indeed Solomon and the mother here is Bathsheba. Although the very first thing that appears in our heads is David's scandal at the estimated age of 49 (since Solomon was 20 when he reigned and David was 70 years old that time) but we can't dismiss her role as the mother of Solomon. 2 Samuel 12:24-25  And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and she bare a son, and he called his name Solomon: and the LORD loved him. 25 And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he called his name Jedidiah, because of the LORD. Bathsheba had a bad start yet she later played a role as the mother of Solomon. David ended up having her has his only love as having all the other women deprived him of enjoying true love. Proverbs 31 has Solomon getting taught by his mother Bathsheba on the important points of how to rule wisely. Proverbs 31:1-9  The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught...

Being a friend to an unbeliever is one while getting into a romantic relationship with one is another. I remembered Pastor Robert Kent Jesalva said, "Never marry an unbeliever, you don't do God's Law by breaking God's Law!" This is the highlight of the Bible that no Christian should even consider dating a non-Christian and much more even marry one. Since it's February then it's time to warn Christians about never getting into a romantic relationship with an unbeliever. The problem of interfaith marriage Genesis 6:2 warns of the intermarriage between the Sethites and the Cainites. No, these sons of God aren't angels. We are not dealing with pagan mythology but biblical theology. There are no such things as demigods or half-angels because humans can't reproduce with spirit beings. Instead, this is talking about how the male descendants of Seth (the saved) had illicit relationships with the female descendants of Cain (the unsaved). The mistake w...

It's really sickening how parents these days will always try to justify the Santa Claus lie isn't it? If you think about it, it's very common to lie during Christmas. What's even worse is that you have parents who lie about Santa Claus and say, "If you lie to me, I'll tell Santa Claus you lied to me and you're not getting any gifts!" Then come Christmas morning and the child discovers that Santa Claus isn't real. The problem of lying about Santa Claus while teaching your child not to lie is basically follow what I say but not what I do type of parenting. It's a bad case of double standard. Let's see what the Bible says about the problem of double standard: Matthew 23:3 - All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that obseve and do, but do not ye after their works; for they say and do not. Romans 2:21-22 - Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? Thou that preachest a man should not steal dost thou steal? ...

Try listening to this video and you may notice a couple of stuff that really show what's wrong with the typical family today. Take a look at what the parents are saying and you may find out why their son is turning out to be a horrible brat. They said that they've never spanked him as a child. He's had his way all his life. Doesn't that tell you that their rebellious son was spoiled all his life? He's not even ready to hear the word no. By not giving him the badly needed dose of Vitamin No when he was a child then the parents are reaping what they sow. The problem is calling the father an "excellent" father. How can he be an excellent father when he spared the rod? You say you don't punish your child because you love your child. The Bible says in Proverbs 13:14 that true love requires discipline. You can always have discipline without love but never love without discipline. The father in this video admits that his son is not ready to hear the word n...

Christmas is just around the corner and I pray to God that this article will continue to offend those politically correct parents who think lying about Santa Claus is just harmless fun. How does the Bible tell us to parent our children? Proverbs 22:6 says, "Train up the child the way he should go, when he is old, he will not depart from it." So where does Santa Claus parenting fit in that one? There's no place for Santa Claus parenting for this reason. Santa Claus is only meant to believed when you are a child but the Lord Jesus is meant to be believed from childhood to the grave. So what's the difference between Santa Claus parenting and the fear of the L ORD  parenting? The difference isn't only with the truth that Santa Claus isn't real and Jesus Christ is real. The reason of parents lying about Santa Claus and parents who tell the truth about Jesus Christ is very different. One only wants their children to do good while the other talks about the natura...

I remembered reading through the seven sacraments or ordinances of the Roman Catholic institution in a catechism. One of the teachings is that marriage must be treated as a sacrament. What it also implies is that if your marriage is done in a civil court that even if it was duly registered, that both couples were in a sexually pure union then it's not a marriage. So does that mean that a person can marry in a civil court, get divorced and marry his next spouse in the Roman Catholic institution? Let's address the issue of civil marriage that is pure and holy. In short there was no incest, no adultery and it was between two people who are eligible for marriage. So why should the Roman Catholic institution even think that two people who got married with the sexually pure prerequisites in the eyes of God should be rejected. Is it because unless it's a priest who performs the marriage then the marriage can't be validated? It's a problem with how Roman Catholics have the...

Politically correct parenting is already the norm of parenting in this fallen world. What most parents don't see is that everyone needs a healthy dose of both Vitamin Yes and Vitamin No. But like anything beneficial in excess or in scarcity too many people have either too much or too little of Vitamin Yes and Vitamin No. While it's not okay to have an overdose of Vitamin No but what's so upsetting is that many people today take the opposite extreme. They aren't giving enough Vitamin No and are given too much Vitamin Yes. Either way both are overly misguided approaches in parenting. Is there anything wrong with giving the child what they want? It depends on what the child wants. If a child wants something that's going to honor God (ex. They want their own copy of the Bible that they can read for themselves) then the parent should say yes if what the child wants is God honoring. But if the child only wants to be like the secular children with all their nice stuff ...

There's the criticism that the Bible commands rebellious children to death. Here's the verse that disturbs a lot of people because it sounds like it condones parental abuse: Deuteronomy 21:18-21  If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them: then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place; and they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard . And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear. It seems the Bible says that parents should directly kill their rebellious children for the slightest sin. But they don't realize that there's a much bigger cont...