Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Posted on July 31, 2017 by Steve Husting

I recently re-watched the movie, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I found in this viewing some uneasy parallels with today’s church. In this episode, the Ministry of Magic took over the running of the Hogwarts school, denying the return of the enemy, He-who-shall-not-be-named (Voldemort), which occurred in the previous movie. The ministry made many efforts to squash any affirmation of his existence.

The Defense of Magic teacher was replaced by a Ministry official, Dolores Umbridge, who taught that the mere theory of defense was good enough to learn, as there was no enemy to defend against anyway. This was disturbing on several levels because it mirrors the affair of the church at present. Seminary-trained teachers have entered our pulpits and insist that there is no spiritual enemy. He-who-shall-not-be-named (Satan) does not exist as a literal person, and he and hell are only metaphors of evil or error. Continue reading →

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Jack Romey, 1956-2017

Posted on June 30, 2017 by Steve Husting

I want to talk about how my friendship with Jack changed my life and his. I first met him at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa around 10 years ago. We were both seated in front of Lessie, the sign language interpreter, for the 9:30am service, since both of us were deaf and needed the help. Eventually we got to talking and I found out that he lived in Fountain Valley like I did, about 20 minutes away. I offered to drive him up and back Sunday mornings. Then we began going out to dinner on Fridays then to the prayer meeting. We often had lunches on Saturdays and attended the matinee now and then together. In this way, our friendship took form. Continue reading →

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Sin Perverts the Law

Posted on May 30, 2017 by Steve Husting

A scribe asked Jesus which was the greatest of all the commandments. Jesus answered that these two laws are the framework upon which all the OT laws hang: love God with all you are and love your neighbor as yourself. From Jesus’ answer we can derive some fascinating aspects of the law and its connection to our sinful nature. If we love, then we already fulfill all the commandments; we are living as the God of love has designed us.

In a fascinating twist, all the commandments in the Mosaic books, Proverbs, Prophets, and Psalms are all about helping us see how we as sinners have turned away from loving God to loving self. The law helps us see in what way we are sinners — we don’t love God and man from the heart, or “authentically,” as some like to say. Continue reading →

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Meditation: Love for the Saints

Posted on May 1, 2017 by Steve Husting

“since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints” (Colossians 1:4)

The fruit of the Spirit is love. Not self-love; not love of the world’s cultures and values; not love merely as an emotional feeling. Rather, it’s a love for other people.

Paul was ecstatic to hear of their love for all the saints. It meant that the Spirit was working in them, and they were responding to the teaching of God. God was reproducing Himself in them, and they were being His helping hands in a needy world.

I’ve known how to be obnoxious, difficult, reclusive, and harsh with my lips. In addition, I’ve been a project-oriented person, doing things on my own. I want to build relationships with God and others. More and more, I watch what I say, because I know what impact my words can have, whether to heal or hurt, build or destroy. God’s word builds me up, and I know it can build up others as well, so I share it more.

To do:

  • Tame my bad attitudes about other people, for they are made in the image of God.
  • Guard my tongue, for I want to use words that will build healthy relationships.
  • Don’t be miserly with my time, goods, or talents, for others need what I have to offer.
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Meditation: Judging in the Kingdom

Posted on April 8, 2017 by Steve Husting

Matthew 7:1-2 Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.

This judging refers to condemning someone, not judging whether something is right or wrong. Later in the chapter Jesus will tell us to know the difference between true and false prophets. So we are still to judge or discern among things good and bad. Jesus seems to have in mind here people picking on each others flaws, criticizing them harshly.

As Jesus said, the standards by which we judge others will be the standards people use to judge us. These words are true on a human level and a God level. I remember telling a woman her fault and she replied, “Oh yeah, what about you?” And so the measure we use is measured right back to us. We know very well that if we are not walking the talk when we are pointing out another person’s flaws, we open ourselves to ridicule. “Why are you blaming me? You do the same thing!” We are then revealed as hypocrites for knowing the standard and not living up to it. If we can’t, why are we imposing it on others? Continue reading →

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Meditation: Colossians 1:10, “A Higher View”

Posted on March 13, 2017 by Steve Husting

“That you may have a walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.”

What do you long to have? Perhaps a simple and quiet life. Maybe more peace or security from ongoing troubles. A special person with whom to share your life. Recognition in your field. And more money wouldn’t hurt.

I’m glad I’m reading the Bible. It tells me of greater goals than I can come up with for myself. But the Bible’s views are rather high, aren’t they? “Walk worthy of the Lord.” Is that even possible? “Fully pleasing Him.” I barely please myself, with all these worries churning in my mind. “Fruitful in every good work.” My scraggly garden shows that I’m no green thumb. “Increasing in the knowledge of God.” Don’t we forget sermons within the hour?

When we think from a human perspective, we think small. Really small. But with the Bible, we get the mind of Christ. With a renewed mind, we find possibilities beyond ourselves that are worth desiring. And with those possibilities, we aim our lives in new directions.

Yes, there’s a catch. You have to want these things. Paul prays for these blessings because they are not automatic. If we settle for “small” things, we’ll aim our lives in that direction. If we aim higher, the Spirit will train us how to get there. We have not because we ask not.

To do:

  • Make a prayer list and add these high thoughts to it. Pray that they would be your own.
  • Baby steps: “Fully pleasing Him.” What one thing can I do today to please Him?
  • Baby steps: “Increasing in the knowledge of God.” What can I read to know God more?
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The Symbolism of Revelation 12

Posted on February 11, 2017 by Steve Husting

Revelation chapter 12 is usually called by teachers and commentators a break, pause, or flashback as we jump back in time to the Satanic persecution of the Jews and the birth of Christ. But Jesus protects us from that thinking by dividing the book into three parts when He gave direction to John in Revelation 1:19: “Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.”

With these words, Jesus divides Revelation into “the things which you [John] have seen,” which is the vision of Jesus in chapter one; “the things which are,” which refers to chapters 2-3, and “the things which will take place after this,” which is chapters 4-22. (Note that 4:1 begins with, “I will show you what must take place after this,” which begins the third section of the book.) So there’s no room in the three divisions for the past. We can’t place Revelation 12 before John’s vision of Christ.

Revelation 12 could take place before John’s encounter if Jesus had said, “Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this, and the things before My visit to you, and the things which will take place after this.” But that would be pointless, wouldn’t it? It pretty well sums up all of history past and all of the future. If He meant this, Jesus might as well have said succinctly, “Write the things that take place in the past, present, and future.” But then why bother to say it at all? By eliminating the times before His encounter with John, Jesus places the bulk of events of Revelation where they belong, each part in its own time. With this reasoning, there is no room for the past in the whole of Revelation. Continue reading →

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Meditation: Colossians 2:9, “All the Fullness”

Posted on February 3, 2017 by Steve Husting

“For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9, KJV).

The bottle I drink from is a package composed of the plastic bottle itself and a paper wrapper around it, which itself is paper and ink. The bottle is not 100% plastic nor 100% paper. Now I’m looking at a book that is mostly paper that is coated with words in ink. It is not 100% paper nor 100% ink. Now I am looking at a computer case that is plastic. But its insides are a wide conglomeration of materials. So it is not 100% plastic.

But Jesus Christ is 100% Man and 100% God, and one person of the trinity. He is the Son of God who came to earth in the flesh, yet retained His full deity. He had always been God from eternity past, but He was not always a man. As a man, Jesus experienced the breadth of human life, except He never sinned. He was not partly God and partly man, but the divine Son of God who took on flesh. Continue reading →

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All does not always mean All

Posted on January 21, 2017 by Steve Husting

In the Bible, “all” sometimes means all, and sometimes it has a much more limited sphere. This is also true for “whatsoever” and “everything.” In many cases, these all-inclusive words are not referring to everything in every possible scenario in the world, but everything in a defined, limited application. In other words, the Bible uses these words the same way we use all, whatever, and everything in normal conversation.

When things go very wrong, for example, we may say that “Everything’s falling apart.” Do we mean everything in a manner that includes the whole world? No; we are declaring that a large part of something we are involved in is coming undone; we are declaring how overwhelmed we feel about it. This is what I mean when I say that these words have a defined, limited sphere. So it is with several uses of the word “all” in the Bible.  Continue reading →

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Our Righteous Standing in Christ

Posted on January 2, 2017 by Steve Husting

If I were reading the articles on my web site as a new Christian, I would have felt anxious. I would have examined my life and wondered if I’m good enough, if I’m working hard enough, or if I’m committed enough.

I have been saved for over 30 years now and realize that some of my recorded observations make more sense to a person familiar with the cross and its power than those who are still giving in to the flesh on an ongoing basis.

My articles are not to be interpreted as a works-based salvation. For this reason, I want to explain a rock-solid foundation that belongs to every believer in Christ. We who focus on doing the best we can may lose sight of some tremendously important truths that are meant to stabilize our daily walk. Without these truths, we will be prone to self-recrimination and depression. Or we may go in the opposite direction and identify with our works like the Pharisee. Been there, done that. Continue reading →

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