“The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8)
Doctrine & Disciplines
Do All Speak With Tongues?
Sometimes you just have to laugh at yourself. Hopefully, you can ignore the angry looking face in the still shot. LOL! This is my first attempt at posting a video here, as well as on YouTube. I’ll get better at it.
Do All Speak With Tongues?
1 Corinthians 12:12-31
In this lesson, I explain the difference between speaking in tongues when you initially receive the Holy Ghost, compared to when you have the gift of tongues and interpretation.
Four Reasons People Are Afraid To Be Alone Inside Their Own Heads
Photo Credit: Rusty Russ Flickr via Compfight cc
It concerns me when I see someone who refuses to cease from their hectic lifestyle for even a short time to be still and quiet. Whether it’s an overwhelmed mom, an overachieving businessman, an overzealous teenager, or an overburdened Christian, the reason is usually the same, fear.
1. FEAR OF FACING THEMSELVES
Aloneness and loneliness are different states of being. I’ve spent a lot of time alone through the years, but rarely have I been lonely. I like the person that lives inside my head. I’ve made peace with her. I like the the way she thinks. I like her value system.
Most people don’t want to take the time to get to know themselves. Perhaps they are afraid of who they will find. If you don’t enjoy spending time with yourself, why would anyone else?
It’s a very intimate experience to meet yourself face to face. A very productive and telling exercise is simply to pretend you are meeting yourself for the first time. Look at yourself. Are you approachable? Are you trustworthy? Are you sincere? Do you have depth of character? Do you express yourself well in conversation? Do you manifest the Fruit of the Spirit? Do you add value to relationships? Being honest with yourself about yourself is the starting point to overcome the fear of facing yourself.
2. FEAR OF FACING THEIR PAST
Perhaps you have done things in your past that you are ashamed of. Even though the enemy of your soul wants you to believe that you have sinned in a way that is different or worse than the rest of humanity, Romans 3:23 declares, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” Satan knows if he can make you feel condemnation, he can keep you from approaching God in repentance. 1 John 1:9 assures us, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
The devil is a liar. Yes, your past may be filled with unimaginable sin so dark that you keep living faster and faster to outrun it. If you want peace, you must stop, turn around, and face it head on. You must confess it to the Lord, repent of it, and change your way of living.
Another part of facing your past is to make things right, not only between you and God, but also between you and whomever you may have wronged. This may not always be possible, but to the best of your ability you should ask forgiveness, restore and rebuild trust as you are able.
3. FEAR OF FACING GOD
Another reason people are afraid to get quiet and go inside their own head is because God is there. In every single person who has ever lived, God has put an awareness of Himself. A person may not be a Christian or even have any knowledge of God personally, but there is a drawing to know Him. A perpetual rapping at the door of the soul. The sound can be drowned out by large living, but in the quiet, it refuses to be unheard.
Understandably, coming face to face with the Creator of Heaven and Earth is an overwhelming thought. However, King David got it right when he wrote, “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.” (Psalm 139:7-8)
The Living God is:
Omnipotent-All Powerful.
It does no good to fight against Him.
Omniscient-All Knowing.
It does no good to avoid speaking to Him.
Omnipresent-All places present; no place absent.
It does no good to run from Him. He’s already there.
4. FEAR OF FACING THE FUTURE
Many are fearful of their future because they know it will be dictated by choices in their past, hence, the need for repentance. We may have to live with certain consequences of past sin, but that doesn’t mean we can’t face the future with hope. Jeremiah 29:11 assures us of God’s intentions toward us, “I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”
*Notice that these four fears are progressive. To whatever extent you make or do not make peace with yourself, you will be able to make or not make that much peace with your past, with God, and with your future.
Warm Regards, -Pat
As always, please feel free to leave a comment, email me at pat@patvick.com and SUBSCRIBE to my mailing list.
Program Your Brain With Divine Data
“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”
(Psalm 119:11)
Did you know that the computer inside your smart phone would barely fit in a room a few decades ago? This generation literally holds in their hands more computer power than it took to send a man to the moon. Is the “smart” phone truly smart? No. Someone had to program it, and that initial data came from the depths of the human brain.
The human brain is an amazing organ. A super computer, really. Think, right now, of all the things you know. Let me get you started. Begin by thinking of every person’s birthday that you can recall. Husband, children, grandchildren, parents, siblings, friends, church family, co-workers, childhood playmates, teammates, celebrities, historical figures, a few beloved pets. How many would you say that you can remember? Between thirty and fifty is reasonable to assume.
Now think about all the addresses and telephone numbers you know. I’ll admit the number of telephone numbers is most likely significantly lower than a decade ago because we all have them programmed into our “smart” phones. This doesn’t reflect our lack of recall ability, but the agenda of “dumbing down” our generation. What about all the sports statistics filed away in your head? Or recipes? Or song lyrics? We are capable of learning, cataloging and recalling vast amounts of information, but that data must first be put into our brains.
I remind myself of this when I am tempted to pass on reading the Word of God. Our brains don’t come preprogrammed with scripture. If it’s not put in, it can’t be recalled. We have the Bible available to us in so many forms that it’s easy to take it for granted. We think that it will always be available when we decide to read it.
Throughout our lives, we will find ourselves in situations that we desperately need a scripture for comfort, for courage, for protection, for wisdom, for healing, for faith. In that moment of need, what will we be able to remember from the Word of God? Bits and pieces of scriptures that a dear old saint use to quote? A line from an old hymn or a catchy phrase from a praise chorus? The echo of a grandparent’s prayer?
While all of these are encouraging for a while, personal need requires personal knowledge. There’s nothing like facing a situation, praying for the Lord’s help and having scriptures begin to flood your mind. Scriptures that you have personally read at some point in your life that you thought you could never remember and would never need. What assurance! What power!
This is why I read three to four chapters of the Word of God every day. Day after day, month after month, year after year. I’m simply programming my super computer brain with Divine Data. If you do this, you will be amazed over and over at how much of the Word you have filed away to be recalled when you need it. Don’t wait. Start programming your super computer today!
POINTS TO PONDER
Do you read the Word of God every day?
How do you feel if you miss a day?
Share a situation when a scripture came to your mind and brought you comfort or direction.
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As always, feel free to leave a comment, share to social media, and email me at pat@patvick.com.
Warm Regards,
~Pat~
THE WORD OF GOD: Is It In You?
The world and satan would have you believe that the Word of God cannot be understood -that it’s a mystery. While it’s true that the Bible does contain many mysteries, God wants you to understand His Word. Why would He speak it in the first place if He didn’t want you to hear it? Why would He commission it to be written if He didn’t want you to read it? Why would He allow it to be protected through millennia of time, bound and reproduced if He didn’t want you to study it?
The true mystery might be why does satan NOT want you to understand God’s Word? Why indeed? Could it be because God and His Word are inseparable? Could it be that to know God’s Word is to know God Himself? Could it be that to know God is to know His Plan? Could it be that to know God’s Plan is to know that satan will be defeated and that God’s people will be victorious in the end? Mystery solved.
So you want to draw closer to God? If so, you must get His Word in you. There have been generations of people who have lived and died, never having the opportunity to study God’s Word for themselves. That’s certainly not the case for our generation, at least generally speaking. There are Bibles in every bookstore, library, and hotel room. They are collecting dust on family coffee tables and office bookshelves. There are Bible apps for every device and multiple devices at once. There are video and audio Bibles for the non readers, and Braille Bibles for the seeing impaired. They are uploadable, downloadable, programmable, digital, and my personal favorite, the old school, leather bound, paper edition. Truly, we have no excuse not to read God’s Word.
I have decided that I’m going to get God’s Word in me in as many ways possible. I’m also going to make it a number one priority each day. First thing each morning, usually at 6:00 a.m., I sit down in my library with my coffee. I have my old school King James Bible and my GoBible Traveler. I listen and read three to four chapters, picking up where I left off the day before. In this way, I can read/listen through the whole Bible in a year. Listening and reading simultaneously helps me to focus more clearly and retain more of what I read.
This way of ingesting the Word is not sufficient for in-depth study, however. I also have a system of study that I follow most days where I choose a book of the Bible and work my way through each chapter verse by verse. Currently, I am in the Book of Acts. I usually cover about a chapter a week, using a concordance to break down the meanings of each word and taking notes with multi-colored pens in a spiral notebook as I go. It’s not uncommon to collect four to five pages of supporting notes on one or two verses as I spin off studying various subtopics and running references.
These handwritten notes are tangible proof that I have been in God’s Word, and are the seedbed for many teaching points. This is a slooow process, but that’s okay. I don’t have to be in any rush. Unlike the previous year-long Bible reading method, this verse by verse study will take me a lifetime. Coincidentally, that is exactly how long I have.
I also take opportunities when I am walking on the treadmill, riding in a car or flying on a plane to listen to scripture. No moment is ever wasted if it’s used to ingest God’s Word.
Is it in you?
POINTS TO PONDER
How do YOU get the Word of God in you?
As always, feel free to leave a comment, share to social media, and email me at pat@patvick.com.
Warm Regards,
-Pat
Product Review: GoBible Traveler
I’ve been reading the Bible through yearly for many years using a B.R.E.A.D. Chart, which stands for Bible Reading Enriches Any Day. You can purchase a pack of charts at http://Pentecostalpublishing.com.
This year, however, due to travels, sickness, and well, dare I admit, a good bit of laziness thrown in, I fell way behind in my Bible reading. So far behind that I didn’t know how I would catch up.
Now, I’m not suggesting that you must read the Bible through every year. It’s actually a lot to consume so quickly. For me, however, I just don’t feel like my day is complete unless I’m up to date with my BREAD Chart.
Enter the solution to my problem, the “GoBible Traveler”, an MP3 player that is preloaded with the entire Bible. I purchased this little piece of technology and it has been worth every penny. Now before all you techies start snickering under your breath, I do realize that I can use my smart phone to listen to the Bible, and have done so.
I prefer the GoBible for several reasons. I don’t have to worry about using up my phone battery or data. I also don’t have to worry about multitasking on my phone and not catching a call or text. I can bookmark the last chapter that I listened to and start right where I left off the next time.
I am a King James Version girl (But that’s a different story.) which you are able to choose when you make your purchase. The scriptures are read by Alexander Scourby, who most people agree is the best Bible narrator of them all.
One thing that could be perceived as a negative is that this model has no external speakers. This hasn’t bothered me in the least. I could not wear the style of earbuds that came with this model (pictured), but the jack is universal, so I just popped my old faithfuls in and now my ears are happy.
It has been perfect for me to listen my way through the B.R.E.A.D. chart while I am walking on the treadmill and riding in the car. I am also looking forward to using it on upcoming flights. Now I can spend more of my Bible reading time in actual study.
You can check out this little helper at http://GoBible.com. They also have other models to choose from. Let me know what you think in the comment section and feel free to share.
The Day I Received the Holy Ghost
I clearly remember the day that I first received the infilling of the Holy Ghost. Many people are overcome with such joy at receiving the Holy Ghost for the first time that they are caught up in an exuberant display of praise and worship. This is normal and to be expected when the God of all Glory comes in to make His abode with you. While I have experienced this joyful elation many times since that first encounter, it’s not what I remember the most.
We lived out of state at the time, and were in town visiting family. It was Sunday morning service at Rushing Chapel, where my husband’s family had attended his whole life, and that we pastor today. (But that is a different story.)
I had been baptized in Jesus’ name about five years earlier, and had been seeking the baptism of the Holy Ghost ever since. Service after service, year after year, I would sob and pray and beg God to fill me with His Spirit, until I was embarrassed to go to the altar yet again. I felt like I had “worn out the saints of the Most High.”
This morning didn’t feel any different…at first. I was with my husband in about the third pew from the back on the right side, when I felt it. The pull of the Spirit. Just a gentle tug, easily ignored…at first. A few minutes later the gentle tug became a persistent tapping. I dug my fingers into the back of the wooden pew in front of me, my knuckles whitening. The third time He passed my way, He spoke to my heart. Not an audible voice, but one that I heard just as surely. You might think that He wooed me with pleasant words of comfort, but He did not. As shocking as it may seem, He said, “This is the last time that I will call you,” …and I believed Him.
The Pastor was right in the middle of his message. It didn’t matter that he wasn’t finished or that it wasn’t time for the altar call. I could wait no longer. I stood up and stepped past my husband into the isle, lifted my hands to the Lord, began worshipping Him out loud and speaking in a heavenly language that I had never learned. Pentecost was mine.
As I said, upon receiving the baptism of the Holy Ghost, many understandably break into loud and joyous praise and worship. I just remember being so filled with sweet relief. My desperate soul had found rest in His Spirit.
We often make receiving the Holy Ghost so much more difficult than it need be. After a few minutes of quietly speaking in tongues I wondered why I had taken so long. As soon as I gave everything over to Him, even the small, dark recesses of my mind, He came in to abide with me.
If you are seeking the baptism of the Holy Ghost, don’t make it hard on yourself. Remember:
-The Holy Ghost is a gift. God wants you to be filled with His Spirit. His Word says He is our Heavenly Father, and He will withhold no good thing from us.
-The Day of Pentecost in Acts 2 is the only time in scripture that people “tarried” for the Holy Ghost. This was because it was appointed to be poured out on this particular day, so they had to wait for it. You don’t have to wait now.
-Do your part. Repent of your sins and be baptized in Jesus’ name for the remission of those sins. (Acts 2:38-39)
-Lift up your hands and begin to praise the Lord out loud. The Holy Ghost comes when we praise Him.
-If you have been seeking the Holy Ghost for a lengthy time, it is always good to check yourself and ask, “Have I given over every part of myself to Him? Is there something I’m holding on to? Blatant sin, habits, addictions, attitudes, pride, fears? No matter what it is, how seemingly small or insignificant, if you are thinking about it right now as you read this, there is a good chance that is the thing that is keeping you from experiencing your own Day of Pentecost.
“For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.” (Isaiah 28:11-12)
I would love to hear from you. Feel free to leave a question/comment below or shoot me an email at pat@patvick.com, if it’s too personal for you to share here. God Bless.
All Rights Reserved
-Pat Vick
What If You Weren’t Beautiful?
A Reflection on Holiness…
I once met a lady (Let’s call her Naomi) who had been burned severely over the top half of her body. She had leaned in to light a stubborn gas stove and it ignited with her bent over inside. The flesh of her scalp, face, arms, hands and upper torso was literally melted off in a second. In a flash of heat, she was no longer beautiful, at least not in any way that society defines beauty.
You might be thinking that you know people who are not beautiful, but I disagree. Perhaps not every feature is aesthetically pleasing, but most of us have what we consider to be our best feature that we rely on to charm our way into other people’s affections. Maybe it’s dark, soulful eyes with sculpted brows, or full pouty lips. Maybe it’s chiseled muscular runner’s legs, or velvety skin the color of warm honey. Maybe it’s a thick, flowing mane of hair, or dimples that beg for attention.
These features become tools of the trade, if you will, to express ourselves, to glean attention, and I dare say to manipulate others into doing, thinking or feeling the way we want them to. Depending on whether we are an extrovert or an introvert, our features enable us to shine in the spotlight or blend into the crowd.
For most of us, our features dictate how we feel about ourselves and how we project ourselves to others. Someone with pearly white teeth is likely to smile more, thereby projecting confidence, while someone having a bad hair day might not make eye contact, and thereby seem withdrawn or standoffish.
Beyond our physical attributes, we use all manner of extras to embellish ourselves. After all, presentation is everything, right? We often feel like we can’t face the world without our makeup mask, a trendy cut, colored and permed hairdo, the latest clothing fashions and lots of bling to top it all off. These exaggerations leave very little room for the Holy Ghost to shine through.
Naomi visited our church with a mutual friend, who had prepared me ahead of time that she would be covered in bandages. I knew she would feel out of place, and expected her to be the epitome of social awkwardness. Was I ever surprised?! On the contrary, she was the embodiment of grace and contentment. It turns out, I was the one who felt uncomfortable, while she projected perfect peace.
She calmly held my eyes as I tried not to show my distress at her physical condition. She spoke genuine and kind words as I reined in my emotions. Naomi knew that she was a curiosity, but she wasn’t embarrassed or offended by it.
Through the openings in the bandages I could tell that she had no defined lips to apply lipstick to. No eyelashes to coat with mascara. No ear lobes to hang jewels from. All of the trappings that we rely on to face the world with confidence had been burned away from Naomi. Still, she was calm and reassuring, not seeking attention, neither shrinking from it.
Oh, I’m very sure she didn’t arrive at this place right away or even voluntarily. My mind flinches to think of the physical and emotional pain she had endured. By the time I met Naomi, she had gone through months of treatments and therapy. It’s not uncommon for someone who has gone through severe trauma to end up bitter toward God and to turn to every form of pseudo peace and synthetic beauty. Not Naomi; she was barely there.
So many people, both churched and unchurched, think of holiness as a list of rules and regulations. Many have called it legalism, and so it is if you are only trying to appear holy. However, if you are seeking for true holiness, you will eventually come to the realization, as Naomi did, that the only adornment the soul needs is the light of God’s pure Spirit.
“Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.”
(1Peter 3:3-4)
THINKING POINTS:
-Name an embellishment that you rely on to feel confident.
-How do you feel when you think about being in public without it?
-Do you act differently with it than without it?
The Holy Ghost Is For You
Receiving the Holy Ghost is the third step in the New Testament New Birth experience. Remember, (1) repentance symbolizes Jesus’ death, (2) baptism in Jesus’ name symbolizes His burial, and (3) receiving the Holy Ghost symbolizes Jesus’ resurrection. Just as Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins would be incomplete without all three natural elements, so would our salvation experience be incomplete without all three spiritual elements. Each one is essential to the whole.
The words “Holy Ghost” or “Holy Spirit” can be used interchangeably to describe this wonderful gift which is simply God dwelling inside of people. The same Spirit that was embodied in Jesus Christ, the Spirit of the Father, is now available and even essential to our salvation.
Only a select few ever knew God in the power of His Spirit in the Old Testament, but the Prophets foretold of a time when He would pour out His Spirit on whosoever wanted it. A time when He would abide not only with mankind, but in mankind.
Foretold By the Prophet Isaiah
“For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.” (Isaiah 28:11-12)
Foretold by the Prophet Ezekiel
“A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.” (Ezekiel 36:26-27)
Foretold by the Prophet Joel
“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.” (Joel 2:28-29)
Foretold By John the Baptist
“I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:” (Matthew 3:11)
Foretold By Jesus
“In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)” (John 7:37-39)
“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” (John 14:16-18)
“And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.” (Luke 24:49)
Fulfilled In The New Testament
On the Day of Pentecost, the Promise was fulfilled, as 120 people were gloriously filled with the Spirit of the Lord and began to speak in languages unknown to them.
“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord none place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” (Acts 2:1-4)
To the crowd that was gathered in the streets of Jerusalem that day for the Feast of Pentecost, Peter explained the phenomena, “But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;” (Acts 2:16) He also took the opportunity to preach Jesus to them, and when they responded to his preaching with sincerity, he shared with them the New Testament salvation message.
“Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every on of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.” (Acts 2:37-40)
For You Today
It has been taught that the Baptism of the Holy Ghost is not for us today, that it was only for the early Church. If this is so, how am I filled with the Holy Ghost today? We live in the same dispensation as the early Church with every one of God’s promises to them still in effect.
From the Day of Pentecost until this, throughout the New Testament, throughout the centuries and decades and years and last week and today, God has and is still pouring out the Holy Ghost on anyone and everyone who seeks Him with a whole heart in true repentance. Every day we are hearing and reading the reports of Missionary friends from all over the world of tens and hundreds and thousands who continue to receive this priceless gift of the Holy Ghost.
Is Essential To Salvation
“But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” (Romans 8:9)
“But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” (Romans 8:11)
“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:” (Romans 8:16)
Don’t let anyone tell you that’s it’s not real, or that it’s not for you today, or that it’s not necessary. The Baptism of the Holy Ghost is real. It is for you today, and it is most certainly necessary to your salvation.
Warm Regards, -Pat
As always, if you have questions or comments, don’t hesitate to reach out, either by leaving a comment here, or emailing me at pat@patvick.com.
X, Y, ZZZzzz
So, the whole transgender movement has me shaking my head. Not only at a President who has dictated his own agenda outside of any legislative process, not only at humans who insist that mine and my children’s rights are taken away so that they can pretend to be something other than God made them, not only at a country that has forgotten it was formed as one nation under God and His laws, but at a Church who is snoozing softly as the very foundation of our great America is being jack hammered away beneath us.
People get confused all the time. Some confusion is from lack of concentration, some from lack of teaching. Some confusion is from too hectic of a lifestyle. Some is because of an underlying medical issue, or some simply from the aging process. This gender confusion issue, however, is an all out deception from satan, himself.
Sometimes, the Church can even get confused, especially by issues that are marketed under the label of Human Rights. In times when we need clarity, we should always go back to the Word of God.
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply…” (Genesis 1:27-28a)
“The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the Lord thy God.” (Deuteronomy 22:5)
These scriptures clearly reveal that from the beginning, God created man and woman with their own gender specific roles and a clear distinction between the two.
I know there are many people whose core belief system is not founded upon the Bible, but on science. True science, however, will prove, not contradict the scriptures. If the transgender issue is looked at from a scientific point of view, it should all become clear, as well.
If you take a DNA sample from any person, living or deceased, it will clearly reveal whether that person is male or female. According to recent scientific research, the human body has approximately thirty-seven trillion cells (give or take a trillion). The majority of those thirty-seven trillion cells each has a nucleus which carries your genetic code. Within each of those microscopic nuclei there are 23 pairs of chromosomes. These 46 chromosomes are your genetic identity. They are who you are. One pair of these chromosomes are sex chromosomes. If you are a female, you have 2 X sex chromosomes (XX). If you are a male, you have 1 X and 1 Y sex chromosome (XY).
I’m sure that someone might point to random genetic flukes, abnormalities, anomalies, variations or mutations that I don’t have the medical knowledge to even converse about, and claim these as validity for transgender tendencies. To that I would simply say, because sin first entered into the world, death now works in our bodies. But it wasn’t so from the beginning, and since Jesus Christ offered Himself as our sacrifice for sin, it doesn’t have to be that way in any of our lives now.
Others might conclude that people should identify with whichever gender feels right to them. To that I would say, feelings are tricky things. They are manufactured in our hearts that do not always know, believe or live Truth.
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.” (Jeremiah 17:9-10)
I am not any kind of medical professional, but I have been reminded by a few internet searches on “DNA” that our bodies were created by God Almighty by specific design. He wasn’t confused when He coded our genetic identity within each of us trillions of times over. Furthermore, no amount of alternative clothing choices, restroom preferences, hormone treatments or surgical alterations will change the truth of who you are.
There is no reason for the Church to keep hitting the snooze button on this one. Be who you truly are, and encourage others to do the same.
“Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee…” (Jeremiah 1:5a)