Today we continue looking at question 3 of the DIMES Framework:

M – What MOTIVATES me most?

Yesterday we began to examine what motivates us and drives us through life, overcoming obstacles and difficulties. We saw the first two avenues of motivation – our calling, what we see as the ultimate purpose of our lives, and our compulsion, the priorities of our life that we must achieve over everything else. Now let’s look at the next …

Companions

When we’ve identified our calling in life and the motivating factor that compels us, we must carefully consider the company we choose to keep. This is such an important issue that it appears as the very first issue dealt with in the Psalms:

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
Psalm 1:1

Our relationships help connect our inner compulsions to how they’re expressed in the real world. The company we keep shapes how our calling and motivations play out in daily life. Those we choose to surround ourselves with will inevitably influence our thinking, our attitudes, and our actions. The age-old problem of peer pressure is not something limited to young people. Generally speaking, we like to be liked, and we tend to assume that differences in thinking prevent people from liking us. Sadly, there is likely an element of truth in this.

We cannot keep close to us those who have unbiblical opinions and ideas and not expect to be influenced in some way. Even if it’s “just” watering down something that used to be a soul-deep, spirit-led conviction and is now a personal opinion or preference – that is damaging enough to make our witness and values less sure, less impactful.

The issue of choosing companions who will influence us for the better is illustrated throughout the Scriptures in relationships such as Naomi and Ruth, Moses and Joshua, and Barnabas and John Mark. The mentoring John Mark received from Barnabas was so impactful that it transformed John Mark from an unreliable missionary companion into someone whom Paul himself admitted was “profitable … for the ministry” – a wonderful example of a helpful relationship.

Ultimately, we need to move beyond the initial reasons why a relationship was formed to a point where we can evaluate which relationships we should prioritise. Only then can we begin to recognise the one relationship we value above all others. That relationship is our motivation. It is the one relationship we’d sacrifice all others to preserve, and for the believer, that should be our relationship with the Lord. Any other connection that helps us maintain that priority is worth keeping, but those who become an impediment to our relationship with Christ need to be reconsidered, and even, in the worst case, abandoned.

Conversations

In all relationships, we are only known by what we choose to reveal to others What we reveal is partially behavioural – our actions and body language portray a particular character that has been moulded by our central motivation. But in order to understand what is within our heart, our mind and soul, we need to express it in words. That’s the principle Paul taught in 1^st Corinthians:

For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
1 Corinthians 2:11

Just as the Spirit of God reveals the truth about God to us through the written Word of God, so we reveal the truth about our innermost thoughts only through the words we use, whether written or spoken. At this moment you are reading my thoughts, given form through words, first typed onto a screen and now printed on a page.

How do people see what motivates us? How can they find out what our calling is, what it is that compels us in life? How can they discern the reasons why we keep certain people close to us but keep others at a distance? It will be through our words

On at least two occasions, Jesus spoke of the heart being revealed by use of the mouth. On both occasions, it is presented in a negative light:

O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
Matthew 12:34

But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
Matthew 15:18

However, it is also true in a positive sense. Take, for example, Paul’s description of how we receive salvation:

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Romans 10:9-10

Whether they are used in praise, in testimony, or in sharing God’s Word, when the Lord is our prime motivation in life, our words will be filled with references to Him. He will become the main subject of our conversations, and His Word will fill our speech.

So what motivates you most?

What inspires your calling, drives your compulsions, shapes your choice of companions, and fills your conversations?

Whatever, or whoever, that is , it is either God or a god to us.

If God really is God of our lives, our ultimate motivation will be His glory. Everything else will be relegated as secondary in comparison.

The post No other gods? – Pt 3.2 appeared first on Now Nearer Ministries.

DIMES Framework question 3:

M – What MOTIVATES me most?

From the time the Endurance got trapped in pack ice until the crew of Shackleton’s ill-fated Trans-Antarctic Expedition were rescued, nine months had passed. Surviving on seals, penguins, and even their dogs, the men endured the ice, uninhabited islands, and weeks on the open water on two lifeboats. Against all odds, every crew member made it back home alive as Shackleton’s sense of duty and responsibility toward his men motivated him to do everything possible to make sure every one of them survived.

Few of us are ever going to experience this kind of intense survival situation, and yet we all have a motivation for life. Beyond the temporary motivations required for passing exams or completing a DIY job at home, we have something in our lives that drives us. It’s our “raison d’être”, our life’s purpose.

Whatever “it” is, it moulds our actions, reactions, and interactions. It is our dominant motivating factor, in that it governs our core being. Our personality, belief system, worldview, and ethical morality is assembled and shaped according to this driving force.

Heart start

The primary motivators of our life begin within our spiritual heart. Where that spiritual heart is spiritually alive and governed by the Lord and His Word, our thoughts and desires will be most strongly influenced along a godly path. That doesn’t mean the godly path will always be chosen, but that is where the most satisfying and fulfilling path lies.

On the other hand, when that heart is spiritually dead, its primary motivators are more carnal, earthly, and natural. Our natural state is sinful and selfish. Even generosity and kindness, though outwardly noble, arise from self-centred motives: a desire to feel good about ourselves, to feel that our lives have meaning and purpose, without reference to God. Yet that meaning and purpose, disconnected from honouring the Lord, is not of faith, and whatsoever is not of faith is sin (Romans 14:23).

Therefore this role of the heart, as understood from a biblical perspective, gives us a scriptural “handle” that helps us grasp the importance of the things that motivate us, since it is from that heart that all the “issues” of life flow.

Human beings are complex and full of contradictions, as seen in James’ teaching concerning the tongue:

But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. …
James 3:8-10

Double-mindedness is at the root of this problem. It requires us to accept at least two conflicting value systems, but this always leads to spiritual instability. Back to James:

A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
James 1:8

Yet it is possible to overcome this kind of thinking and reverse the contradictions, restoring harmony and stability:

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
James 4:8

This suggests that double-mindedness is sinful – but why?

Practical polytheism

Double-mindedness does not treat the Lord as the only God of our lives. We may still treat the Lord as more important than anything else, but if there are other things that we feel obligated to, our allegiance to the Lord is being split.

God does not want to be the first of many. He desires, and deserves, to be the first and only. Our relationships with everything else must be viewed through the lens of His sovereignty over every aspect of our lives.

This is why it can be so hard to identify those things that intrude into God’s place in our lives. Doing so may reveal a faith that, practically speaking, is polytheistic – acceptance of multiple gods.

To most Christians that might be a horrific thing to say. We would never in a million years consciously worship false gods, yet allowing anything else into God’s rightful place, functionally speaking makes them into gods. It’s idolatry in practice even if not in belief.

Practical polytheism is subtle and identifying it requires serious and detailed self-examination. Our motivations are a strong indicator of what we truly treat as God in our lives. That’s why we ask this question – “What motivates you most?” – and it occupies the central position in the DIMES framework. Although that was not necessarily by design, it is appropriate. The question associated with this aspect of the framework is this: “What is the central purpose or driving force of your life, shaping your decisions and interactions?”

Consider four avenues of examination:

Calling

What do you hope to achieve by your life? This goes beyond having a career or personal accomplishments.

The word “ambition” suggests something more than goals or dreams or completing a “bucket list”. It speaks of the contribution our existence on earth has made, the feature that gives meaning to our lives. The greatest motivating factor of your life will determine that principal ambition.

If your greatest motivator is wealth, your ambition may be to accumulate wealth to become the richest person in the world. If your motivator is fame, your ambition may be to make yourself a household name that everyone in the world recognises.

Most of us will never reach that level of excess, so our ambitions need to be more realistic. Perhaps it’s to live a comfortable life with enough to leave a legacy for your children. Perhaps it’s to be seen as the person everyone can rely on – a confidant and stalwart support that others turn to. Perhaps your ambition is to do all in your power to help your children succeed in achieving their dreams.

But what if the Lord is your primary motivator? Well, there are a number of ambitions that are godly and biblical. There’s even one desire we should have that is named as our calling:

Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power: That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Thessalonians 1:11-12

According to Paul, our calling is to glorify the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. That should be the ultimate calling of every Christian – to live in a way that glorifies and exalts the Lord.

Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 10:31

True worship in all its forms will in some way lift up (exalt) the Lord or enlarge our view (magnify) of the Lord.

Compulsion

What pushes us to act a certain way? What is it that motivates us to overcome obstacles?

The answer depends very much on our calling. Whatever our highest calling is, we will be driven to overcome any disruption to it.

One popular ice-breaker activity is “Would you rather …?”, in which each person is offered a choice of two outcomes and asked which they’d rather have.

• “Would you rather lose your sight or your memories?”
• “Would you rather communicate only in emoji or never be able to text at all ever again?”
• “Would you rather have a pause or a rewind button on your life?”
• “Would you rather get trapped in the middle of a food fight or a water balloon fight?”

What if we were to do a “Would you rather” test on all of your plans and intentions? Then get all the winners and pit them against one another again. Then keep whittling down the list until we’re left with just one goal? Whatever you’re left with is your primary motivator. That’s the thing in your life you’d sacrifice everything else for.

But in doing such an exercise, it’s very easy to choose those answers we know we should choose. Perhaps it would be better to look back at what we have already sacrificed or prioritised.

• When faced with either reading the Bible or scrolling through social media, what have you chosen?
• What about attending a church meeting or having family time at home?
• An extra few minutes in bed or a time of prayer to start the day?
• Talking about the match watched on Saturday or about the message preached on Sunday?
• Joining the outreach team knocking doors or adding another episode to your binge-watch?
• Filling every moment with work or activities and falling asleep in church the next day, or preparing yourself the night before so you’re fresh to hear God speak?

Being honest about these will help discover what compels us in life. And it’s not a “would you rather” hypothetical, but an honest examination of what we have done that will reveal what we really value as our major motivating factor.

Tomorrow we’ll look at the other two avenues that determine our motivation.

The post No other gods? – Pt 3.1 appeared first on Now Nearer Ministries.

12^th June saw the release of the third batch of declassified Pentagon files relating to Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAPs) and Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs). (For brevity I’ll class all these sightings as UAPs)

A rational person is naturally sceptical of such reports, and justifiably so. The idea of ‘little green men’ visiting Earth from distant star systems and stories of alien abductions make for great entertainment, but surely they shouldn’t be taken seriously … should they?

Fact Check

There are a few facts that we need to keep in mind when we consider these declassified files:

1. A UAP is exactly what it says – unidentified. Calling an unknown object a UAP is not concluding that it came from another planet. Some UAPs that were later identified turned out to be a balloon, a missile, or a natural atmospheric phenomenon. The name does not automatically scream “Aliens”.

2. The existence of unexplained and unidentified objects is well documented by multiple sources. Having watched some of the released video footage, it is clear that actual physical objects are present, often moving through the air in unnatural or seemingly impossible patterns. By definition they are difficult to distinguish, but they vary greatly in shape: cylinders, orbs, blobs, discs, eight-pointed stars, etc. Remember that these images and videos come from official government sources, not some backroom of the “Tin-Foil Hat Society”.

3. Ancient inscriptions and artifacts include examples of images that some have described as ‘alien-like’, including figures with elongated or inverted-egg-shaped heads and enlarged eyes. These are similar to modern reports, although this does not automatically mean there’s a connection, despite the similarities.

4. The Bible states that God created the Earth to be inhabited, that is, capable of supporting life:

For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.
Isaiah 45:18

This would be a strange verse for God to include in Scripture if He had created other habitable worlds and the life forms that fill them. We can only conclude that the only planet with indigenous life is planet Earth. There are no alien life forms in this physical creation.

5. Even if we accept evolutionary assumptions (and we don’t), aliens would not have had much more time than us for technological development or to overcome the limitations of the physical laws of the universe to travel through space to reach us.

6. If there were aliens, would they be sinless? Would they have souls? Did Jesus die for them? Only man was made in the image of God, so would aliens be little more than animals? And if God knew that aliens would reach us, why is there no revelation of them in Scripture, considering how monumental a moment it would be for mankind?

7. Christians do not deny the existence of beings beyond this world. We believe in a spiritual realm that is mostly unseen but still very real. That spiritual realm exists in a dimension of reality beyond our own physical experience, and it is populated with spiritual beings: cherubim (Eze 10:8-16), seraphim (Isa 6:2-3), evil spirits of varying ranks (Eph 6:12), etc.

Supernatural, not stellar

If we consider all these facts, and if UAPs do not have a natural or human explanation, the only alternative is that these are physical manifestations from the spiritual realm whose intention is to confuse and deceive humanity. Since God cannot lie and is not the author of confusion, the supernatural source must be demonic, a strategy of Satan.

But why? And what is the significance of all these documents being released now?

Satan is far from stupid. In fact, the Satan-filled serpent in the garden of Eden is described as being “more subtil [cunning, crafty, devious] than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made”. Satan knows what the prophecies from God teach, and he’s wise enough to know that he can’t stop the rapture from happening. So he plans on using the rapture to his own advantage, sowing a lie to explain it away and, at the same time, deceive humanity into following his puppet, the Antichrist, to give a sense of stability and control.

While many alien-centred movies and TV programmes have aggressive invaders trying to wipe out or enslave humanity, there are many others in which the aliens are trying to help or even save humanity.

One of the most recent additions to the genre is Disclosure Day, directed by Stephen Spielberg. According to a synopsis of the movie (spoilers!), the aliens are benevolently trying to bring about world peace and prevent an imminent nuclear holocaust. Their message is revealed as one word – “Listen”.

In a recent interview about the movie Spielberg said, “What does this do to the fundamental beliefs that many of us have? Is God our God only on this planet or is God a God for every system where there’s civilisation, intelligent life, and even developing life?”

Those are indeed the questions that bona fide aliens would raise, yet even the fact that Spielberg refers to “developing life” reveals that there an assumption of the truth of evolution, which is incompatible with the clear and obvious teaching of Scripture. The entire belief in alien life assumes evolution.

Maybe I’m reading too much into it, but this movie is getting a lot of attention at the same time that the Pentagon is releasing declassified reports of UAP sightings. The notion of benevolent aliens coming to rescue humanity has captured the public’s imagination. What a novel way for Satan to explain away the disappearance of millions in an instant and raise his man to lead the world to a new era of “peace”. Because of course, if humanity can be saved from the brink of destruction by benevolent aliens, what need have we for God?

Deception and delusion

In 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12, Paul speaks of the revealing of “that Wicked” (v8) – literally, “that wicked one” – that is, Antichrist, aka the Beast. He will be empowered by Satan “with all power and signs and lying wonders” (v9). He will exhibit “all deceivableness of unrighteousness” (v10) which he will use to propagate the “lie” (v11).

God, in turn, will send strong delusion upon those who heard but rejected the gospel prior to the rapture so they will believe this lie of all lies.

Imagine the world’s population softened toward accepting benevolent aliens as a reasonable concept for rescuing humanity, an idea reinforced by decades’ worth of declassified material documenting encounters with aliens. All this is etched into minds by the media industry, legitimised by Antichrist’s lie, and sealed by strong delusion sent by God.

Such a population will easily and willingly accept a story in which all the climate-change deniers, homophobes and transphobes, islamophobes, extreme right wing opponents of globalism, and supporters of the “genocidal Zionist entity” become the scapegoats for all the world’s problems, but the kind aliens came and got rid of them with their highly advanced technology.

If we truly believe the return of Christ for His Church is imminent, even right on the threshold, it is no big leap to see how the demonic power, signs, and lying wonders masquerading as “aliens” for millennia could be used to deceive the world.

The truth is in there

The hit TV show The X-Files was accompanied with the tagline “The truth is out there”. The reality is that God’s Word is truth. It’s in there that we’ll find the answers we need to this issue and all others.

James exhorted believers:

Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.
James 5:8

As the benevolent aliens rhetoric continues, remember that God’s Word gives us a firm foundation and secure principles that help us understand even this so-called alien phenomenon.

Satan, his demons, and evil spirits are real. Let these phenomena be a reminder to us that “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” – even in the skies above us.

But never lose heart:

Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
1 John 4:4
Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Romans 8:37
But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:57

Keep looking up – not to spot the aliens, but to expect the coming of our Lord to the air. Satan may be the prince of the power of the air, but Jesus is still King of kings and Lord of lords!

The post Aliens Declassified appeared first on Now Nearer Ministries.

Question 2 in the DIMES framework:

I – What INFORMS me most?

We’re living in the Information Age. International travel has never been easier (or for many, more affordable) and knowledge is at our fingertips, fulfilling Daniel 12:4: “… many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased”. As of February 2025, almost 68% of the world’s population use the internet – that’s more than 5.5 billion people!

Yet with the monumental advancements in information technology over the past 150 years, truth is harder to find than ever. The advancement of AI puts a huge question mark over much social media content. News organisations no longer report – they promote their political bias. Education systems are manipulated by pressure groups, most of whom have an antibiblical agenda. Even religious content (broadly speaking) has never been as accessible, not all of it good (from a biblical perspective).

A whole heap of teachers

The years since COVID in 2020 have seen an explosion in the volume of online religious content, including “Christian” content. I believe this is the time Paul spoke of in writing to Timothy:

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears.
2 Timothy 4:3

Even believers have itching ears, devouring online sermon from many varied, often contradictory, sources. With an astonishing lack of discernment, they are drawn to the charismatic personalities, the eloquent and humorous preachers, the exciting life stories, the large congregations. Meanwhile those churches seeking to remain true to the Word of God often suffer because they don’t have the profile or ‘pizzazz’ of the big-name celebrity preachers.

People want comfort, not conviction. They want something soothing, not spiritual; funny, not faithful; exciting, not exhorting; emotional, not expository; devotional, but at the expense of the doctrinal. And to get it, they gather up their online teachers: a church that denies the godhead in the morning, a charismatic prosperity gospel preacher in the afternoon, a music concert in the evening that has as much spiritual depth as a children’s Bible colouring book, and a devotional at night that tends to take verses out of context. But that’s all okay because it’s nice, easy, soothing!

On top of that, we have an epidemic of butterfly Christians who flit around from church to church, never settling, never serving, attending only if it suits, moving to another congregation on a whim. That whim may be driven by the sermons: it’s too hard to understand, it’s too confrontational, it’s not giving what the people want (even if it’s what they need). There are those who rarely make a contribution, arriving late, leaving early, not mingling, not getting involved, and then they accuse the church of being unfriendly, and that’s their excuse to move on. Or maybe they just feel like a change.

All of this has led to a society of believers who have few convictions about what they believe, flitting between denominations because they’ve used up whatever else was available, and switching doctrines as easily as changing wallpaper.

But along with a lack of conviction comes a lowering of standards. It starts small. First there’s discomfort, but they just decide to say nothing. Then it’s resignation – this is just the way it is, I’m a lone voice so there’s no point. Then there’s acceptance – it becomes a secondary issue, and sure we agree on the gospel and that’s all that’s important. Then eventually there’s agreement – after all, we’re still believers, and we’re friends now, so don’t you dare say anything bad about my friends.

Our 21^st century environment does not help the situation. The media almost feels omnipresent. If the TV isn’t on, it’s the radio. If not the radio, it’s YouTube or TikTok. If not that, it’s social media and instant messaging. It’s overwhelming! One of the hardest things for a Christian to practice today is “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).

The Monkey Principle

One of my GCSE subjects at school was Computer Studies, back in the days before Windows 95. My teacher constantly reminded us that computers are thick, quick machines that only do what you tell them to do, or as he put it “Monkey see, monkey do”, or “Garbage in, garbage out”.

That’ll preach! What we put into our minds will come out, one way or another. That’s why we need to be on our guard.

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
Colossians 2:8

This is no new thing. John Bunyan understood this. In The Holy War, first published in 1682, the city of Mansoul has five gates, corresponding to the five senses: Ear-gate, Eye-gate, Mouth-gate, Nose-gate, and Feel-gate. The gates can never be breached from the outside – they can only be opened from within, and so the enemy, Diabolus, assaults Ear-gate and Eye-gate with flattery and deception. When these tactics work, the gates open and Diabolus enters the city.

David wrote about the importance of guarding what we set our eyes on:

I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes …
Psalm 101:3

And regarding the hearing, we read:

Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge.
Proverbs 19:27

On the contrary, our eyes and ears ought to be tuned into the Word of God and the teaching of the Holy Spirit:

Mine eyes prevent the night watches, that I might meditate in thy word.
Psalm 119:148
I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways.
Psalm 119:15
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches …
Revelation 2:7

Our whole environment will feed into our worldview and moral understanding. So it’s very important to ask the question, “What INFORMS you most?” What has the biggest impact on our beliefs and standards?

Whatever that is, it will set the context for the information we consume. It will become the filter by which we choose whether to accept or reject the views we see and hear. We need therefore to set a guard over what we allow in to influence us:

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
Proverbs 4:23

If, for example, personal emotional satisfaction is the focus of your life, your morality will be shaped by what makes you feel good. If your focus is humanistic, that man is the author of his own destiny, then your morality will be determined by the general consensus of society.

If the Lord is our focus, then morality is determined not by opinion, but by His unchanging Word. His character and attributes will inform our actions and beliefs on these issues. If He is immutable (unchanging), then what He has declared to be sinful 2-, 3-, or 4000 years ago will still be sinful today.

The God who is revealed

Our understanding of who the Lord is, His attributes and morality, and what He has revealed to us through His Word, work together to give us a foundation upon which to view the world.

How we perceive the Lord determines how we perceive His creation. It will determine whether we consider morality to be fixed and unchanging or dynamic and flexible.

There is an interesting parallel to this tension in the form of the US Constitution.

There are those who say that the Constitution needs to be reinterpreted with each new generation so that it remains current and relevant. Others disagree and say that it should be understood as read, that the text is clear and unambiguous, and if it needs to be adjusted or amended, then there is a mechanism in place to do that, as seen in the 26 amendments already ratified.

Similar arguments are made concerning the moral law as revealed in Scripture. The so-called “Progressive” Christians reinterpret the Bible according to modern societal standards of morality, not taking the face-value meaning as correct, but re-imagining and reapplying Scripture according to a societal context. More conservative Christians are opposed to this contextualisation of morality. They say that this is God’s moral law and God never changes, therefore His moral law never changes, and so it is society that must conform to Scripture, and not Scripture to society.

The Word of God is our first, final, and only authority for truth. It is our standard measurement for truth, and unlike the standard for the length of a metre, it is unchanging and eternal.

Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
Matthew 24:35

That answers the question about the relevance of the moral law of God. Everything else must be measured up against these Scriptures. Where the “facts” and Scripture are not in agreement, the Scriptures must always be assumed as truth, and the “facts” must be re-examined.

What INFORMS you most? Is it really the one true and living God revealed through the Scriptures? Or have you let other things cast doubt on the Word of God? If so, your morality and worldview is being gradually moulded and formed by something other than the Lord.

It is time to silence the world’s voices and return to the first, final, and only authority – the Scriptures – so that God, not the world, INFORMS us.

The post No other gods? – Pt 2 appeared first on Now Nearer Ministries.

Since 1543, when it was conferred on Henry VIII by the Parliament of England, every English (later British) sovereign has held the title “Defender of the Faith”, (except Mary I, a Catholic), and by Each new sovereign reinforces this at their coronation. At Charles III’s, he was handed a Bible with these words:

Sir, to keep you ever mindful of the law and the Gospel of God as the Rule for the whole life and government of Christian Princes, receive this Book, the most valuable thing that this world affords. Here is Wisdom; this is the royal Law; these are the lively Oracles of God.

The Coronation Oath itself binds the sovereign to preserve Protestant Christianity in the state. In the ceremony, the King promised:

Archbishop: Will you to the utmost of your power maintain the Laws of God and the true profession of the Gospel? Will you to the utmost of your power maintain in the United Kingdom the Protestant Reformed Religion established by law? Will you maintain and preserve inviolably the settlement of the Church of England, and the doctrine, worship, discipline, and government thereof, as by law established in England?
…

King: All this I promise to do.

King Charles went further in his vow, declaring before God:

I Charles do solemnly and sincerely in the presence of God profess, testify, and declare that I am a faithful Protestant, and that I will, according to the true intent of the enactments which secure the Protestant succession to the Throne, uphold and maintain the said enactments to the best of my powers according to law.

The king then acknowledges that he is serving under God and asks in prayer that he might receive knowledge of God’s truth.

Just a ceremony?

Some will say this is just ceremony and tradition with no binding power. Scripture disagrees:

When thou shalt vow a vow unto the LORD thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the LORD thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee.
Deuteronomy 23:21

This command was singled out from the Mosaic law and named as sin – which makes it binding on all people, in all times, not only Israel under Moses.

Our king said, “I solemnly promise”, “All this I promise to do”, and “I … do solemnly and sincerely in the presence of God profess, testify, and declare”. These words are the language of a solemn vow made before God.

On 25^th June, the annual Sovereign Grant report was published. That may sound like a good read to send you off to sleep, but under “The Official Duties of the Sovereign” it states:

His Majesty is Supreme Governor of the Church of England and protects the space for Faith within the multi-faith nation. [Emphasis mine]

In this official report from the House of Commons, the king is no longer “Defender of the Faith” but merely protector of “the space for Faith”, all kinds of faith.

This is huge, a bombshell declaration. For centuries, our rulers have defined this land as a Christian nation, not meaning that every citizen is a Christian, but that our laws and values rest on a Christian and Biblical foundation, while individuals remain free to believe otherwise.

Abandoning this definition opens the nation to mutually exclusive worldviews, as if religion is merely decoration, cultural artistry, rather than a rival claim to truth.

More than tradition

Religion is not liturgy, clothing, or music. It is morality – the basic principles of right and wrong that define a society: the dignity of all life or the supremacy of one group over others; blind justice or discriminating justice; living peaceably or under subjugation. But it also deals with eternity – the ultimate destination of the soul. Once entered, it cannot be changed, and therefore it is vital we have the truth about salvation.

Every religion, whether it involves belief in a supreme deity or not (yes, atheism is a religion) is in essence a set of beliefs that govern behaviour and values. And every religion but one requires the individual to contribute something toward their own “salvation”: effort, works, or merit to achieve the ultimate goal, whether Heaven, Paradise, Nirvana, or a lasting legacy and memory.

Biblical Christianity alone offers salvation already purchased by Christ, simply received by faith alone, not earned.

This is why the king’s pivot away from “the Faith” to “Faith within the multi-faith nation” matters so much. Despite vowing that he is “a faithful Protestant” and to maintain “the true profession of the gospel”, King Charles III has affirmed the validity of Islam – most visibly at Easter when he gave no Easter message but did deliver one for Ramadan.

What does this mean for the United Kingdom? Scripture is clear:

It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness: for the throne is established by righteousness.
Proverbs 16:12

Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.
Proverbs 14:34

Everyone sins, but the sin of a king impacts the whole nation. King Charles sinned by breaking his vow before God and that sin is a reproach upon the country. But he is not the sole source of blame for a country under God’s rebuke. His rejection of the truth of God’s Word in favour of Islam’s false doctrines reflects a deeper, prevailing spirit of rebellion against God running throughout the nation.

He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.
When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.
Proverbs 29:1-2

As the leader of the nation, King Charles bears responsibility to lead his subjects towards the one living and true God of the Bible. It is one thing to provide a safe space for individuals to practise their chosen faith freely; openly endorsing other religions while rejecting the gospel as the only way of salvation is another.

Christians must recognise that the world’s religions are incompatible with the gospel. This is not just a clash of philosophies or a mere a difference of opinion. All “religions” are not equal – truth is not a shared commodity. The gospel is the truth of God. Anything contrary to it cannot be the truth. Rejecting the gospel does not lead to a benign ignorance, but to a lost eternity (Rev 20:15; 21:8).

King Charles has broken his vows before God. I would hope he did not lie in taking them, but he has since abandoned them. He has failed to maintain the true gospel. He needs to repent from this course, or, failing that, to be honourable and abdicate so another might uphold the Oaths he would not.

A higher throne

Yet we must remember that “the powers that be are ordained of God” (Romans 13:1). Perhaps God deems this nation ripe for reproach, and so has given it a “breaker of vows”.

But God is still on His throne. He is still King of kings and Lord of lords. Whatever the sovereign’s course, the Church’s responsibility to spread the gospel has not changed. Not the Church of England, but the true body of believers – those who have repented and believed the gospel, receiving Christ as Saviour. We have been called to go and preach the gospel, to be salt against the rot of sin and light to every heart.

So Christian, don’t be discouraged by the king’s actions. Our hope for the nation was never in his hands anyway. Our hope is in God. He can change hearts and minds. He can revive our nation, no matter how unlikely that seems. But even if He doesn’t, He is still on the throne. His Word will endure, the gospel will never lose its power, and souls will continue to be saved.

Look beyond the throne of this kingdom. Look to the throne of Heaven. Approach it often with boldness, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need”.

And the next time you sing the national anthem, make it a prayer: may “God save our gracious king”!

Keep looking up!

The post The king’s oath appeared first on Now Nearer Ministries.

What if I told you that Christians are breaking the first commandment every day? Not necessarily every Christian, but many.

You might respond with, “Well, I know I don’t break it, but okay – maybe it’s true, though I don’t know how.”

“Thou shalt have no other gods before me” is probably the most fundamental of standards as far as the Christian faith is concerned, and the idea of a true Christian violating that standard is unthinkable to most.

In the West, the predominant thinking for many years, centuries even, only accepted the existence of one God. He may have been misunderstood, misrepresented, or misused, yet there has been a general acceptance that there is only that one God, the God of the Bible – uncreated, unchanging, eternal, holy, just, merciful, gracious, omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent.

When we think of the first commandment, we usually frame it in terms of definition, that is, the description of what God is. The technical term for this kind of definition is ontological. It defines the nature and attributes of God.

But what if we reframe the commandment using a functional definition, and rather than describing what God is we describe the role He plays in our lives. Then we could find that there are many things that we unconsciously treat as only God should be treated. The fact that the commandments use the singular “Thou” (ata [אָתּה] or at [אָתְּ] in Hebrew) rather than the plural tells us they are directed to the individual, and so it is the individual’s personal practice and duty that is being addressed.

We can see how the unsaved could easily replace God in their lives with a myriad of other alternatives, but could the believer really break the first commandment? Surely it can’t apply to them – could it?

The word “before” is more important than it seems at first read. It means “in front of”, so literally the commandment reads, “Thou shalt have no other gods in front of Me”, that is, in His presence. Nothing else can be given equal place with God. No other thing should be competing for our attention when we have God as our God.

The most obvious violation of this commandment is when people worship or serve a different “deity” figure than the one true God, but that is just the simplest and most basic approach. Anything can take God’s place in our lives, whether material or immaterial, visible or abstract. It could be sport, career, family, or money. It could also be popularity, status, comfort, success, or tradition. These could be called “secular gods” – objects, ideas, or experiences we give attention to in ways only God deserves. Yet even ministry can become a god to us when we make the ministry the focus of our efforts rather than as a means of focusing glory upon the Lord. So this functional definition of a god/God includes so many more possibilities and provides an opportunity to address this issue practically, not merely theoretically.

So how can we find out if we have treating anything else as God?

We need to examine our lives, and that isn’t an easy thing to do. It’s hard to examine ourselves, especially from a “cold start”. It would be helpful to have some tool that can guide us through the process as simply as possible. And that’s exactly what I hope to provide you with in this series of articles.

God made man in His own image, not in the sense of physical appearance, since God is spirit, but in the faculties that He has designed us to possess. I’ll deal with these faculties in detail in future articles, but in summary I would identify five faculties that represent the essence of the image of God in man:

• Individuality – the authority to choose
• Morality – the acknowledgement of values
• Creativity – the appreciation of beauty
• Spirituality – the awareness of God
• Community – the ability to love

These five faculties most fulfil their divinely ordained purpose when their focus is upon God alone. But we have to recognise that they can be expressed less fully and less correctly when directed toward other things.

With these faculties in mind, there are five aspects of life, five functions, that we can focus on to help identify the false gods in our lives. These five functions form a framework for self-examination using the word DIMES as a memory aid. This framework asks five questions:

• D – What do I DEPEND on most?
• I – What INFORMS me most?
• M – What MOTIVATES me most?
• E – What do I ESTEEM most?
• S – What do I SHARE most?

Throughout this series of articles we will examine each function and seek to apply them practically and personally. If you are serious about deepening your relationship with the Lord, this framework may help. It will require us to be brutally honest with ourselves. It will likely get uncomfortable, but the benefit of seeking to honour the Lord above all else is immeasurable.

So please join me in this journey. We’ll start next time with looking at the D of DIMES – “What do I DEPEND on most?” – considering our instinctive response to difficulties.

God bless. DC

The post The Gods We Treat as God appeared first on Now Nearer Ministries.