If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right had causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. Matthew 5:29-30

Do a thought experiment with me for a moment. How much would you sell your right eye for? $1000, $10,000, A million dollars? What about your right hand? If I gave you $10 million for your right hand, right now, would you take it?

Jesus teaches here is that your soul is of more value than any of your members. What do you gain if you have the whole world and lose your own soul? And on paper we all nod our head and agree. But do our actions show this belief. Sin leads to death. Do you believe this? Or do you believe you can continue in your sin, at least one more time, and it will be ok. You’ll be able to repent before you die. 

If your hand causes you to sin, it is better that you cut it off right now, than continue in sin.  

But what is the cause of your sin? James teaches that each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and sin when it is full-grown brings forth death. James 1:14-15

It is your sinful heart. 

And if it would be better to lose a hand then continue to sin, then how much more would it be better to get rid of that thing in your life that you love, that tempts your heart away from Christ. What holds your heart? Is it your pride? Is it some level of control? Is it a pleasure? Your hand is a very good thing, but it would be better to be without hands and headed for glory. Your job, coffee, wine, football, a soft bed, hot showers, TV, movies, your computer, your phone, that app on your phone, going to the park, eating out, running for mayor. All good things, but if they cause you to sin, cut them off today. 

But even so we can never cut deep enough, for it is our heart itself that needs to be cut out. And there is only One who can take away a heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

Zach Browning – January 21, 2024

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“Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: but I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”

Matthew 5:27-28

This exhortation is specifically aimed at the men.

So Men, you are fighting in a war. Sometimes the battle will be fierce, and at times it may even feel impossible. But make no mistake, this is a war that you cannot afford to lose. The war against lust is at the very center of all of life. “Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.” I Corinthians 6:18 – So, either you will wage the fight against lust or the alternative is that you will be fighting to destroy your own body.  There’s no middle ground. When you give into sexual sin, you are setting a grenade off in your life, and you cannot control the destructive consequences.

So, first, you must reject the lie from the world that this is just how men are, and it is normal to look at porn occasionally or enjoy the tight outfits at the gym. Second, reject the lie from some Christians that this a battle that you will always struggle with but never win. Is God’s arm too short to save you out from this sin? Remember, “God is faithful who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make a way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” 1 Cor 10:13. 

So, take heart. Pull out the sword and slay the dragon. Your weapon is the Word of God. Be immersed in the word and prayer. First thing in the morning, late at night. Secondly, remember the wisdom from Solomon, “though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” If you are struggling, seek out a Godly older man, one of the elders, confess to him and ask him to hold your line with you in the battle so that you may not be pushed back. 

This is no trivial matter. If you want your family to flourish, if you desire to see reformation and revival in this land, if you want to see abortion abolished, if you care about your freedoms. Right here is where to start the fight. Kill lust, kill it dead, then cut off its head.

Zach Browning – December 31, 2023

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The light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. John 1:5

God almighty tabernacled among men. God of God and Light of Light. He was born as the prophets foretold. A host of angels announced His birth. A star was sent across the sky to lead kings to his house. And yet one of the striking things in this story is the darkness, the blindness that is settled over the people. Think of King Herod in this story. He is an old king, about to die, and he is informed by the wise men of this astrological phenomena marking the birth of a Heaven-sent King, and after gathering all the priests and all the scribes in the land he realizes that this must be the birth of the Messiah, sent from God. And yet somehow rather than going to worship Him, he decides to kill Him. What kind of mind games did he play to convince himself that he could defeat God? 

Or think of the pharisees, they were the best of the best, they knew every verse of scripture by heart. And yet they were dumbfounded by Jesus. They said, “search and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.” John 7:52 – And yet the most famous passage of the coming messiah in all of Scripture, Scripture of which they had the punctuation memorized, Isaiah 9 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given..” just a few sentences earlier in the prophecy it is declared this would happen in Galilee – “By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, in Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.”

And yet the darkness did not comprehend it.

Judas saw every miracle that Jesus performed. So did the chief priests. And they both decided the best action was to kill this man.

What kind of insanity is this blind? The God who rolled out the heavens is before you and you think you can kill Him. What is this insanity? 

Well, it is the same insanity that grumbles when you have to get out of bed, that complains about the weather, that is lazy at your job. The same insanity that bites at the kids when they are going too slow. The same insanity that casts a lustful glance, that envies his job, that covets her kitchen. Sin is insanity. Does the God of heaven not see what you are doing when you sin. Does His Spirit not dwell among us? 

2000 years ago the Light of all light entered into this world and we no longer live in darkness, there’s no use acting like we do. Our sin is a weak lie, it is insanity. Hear the glorious truth of the gospel – we live in the light and so walk in that light. 

Zach Browning – December 17, 2023

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²³ “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.

Matthew 5:23-24

Christmas is the season of gift giving. This is the season of presents. Ask any 5 year-old in our midst and they can tell you that, and this is a wonderful thing as we celebrate the ultimate gift of Christ. But there are some rules that go along with gift giving and one of them can be found here in this instruction from Jesus. If you would seek to make an offering, a freewill gift to God, you may not do so while there is something between you and your neighbor. That gift will not be accepted. Instead, you should leave it and go make things right with your brother first. In the same way, the nicest Christmas present will not cover up sin between you and your neighbor. This is a lie that you will hear in countless commercials. “Have you been a distant husband, make up for it with this beautiful neckless!” “Have you been failing as a mother, well just splurge a little extra this holiday season. This gift will say sorry for you.” No, it will not! Your mouth must say sorry for you. That gift will never do the trick. All the blessing of that gift that you intend will not be realized by the giftee when there is strife between you. Proverbs 17:1 “Better is a dry morsel with quietness, Than a house full of feasting with strife.” 

So, leave the gift at the door and first go in and make things right. Rather than trying to make up for your wrongs with your wallet, humble yourself, confess your sins to those you have wronged and don’t hold any sin back. Once you do that, then bring on the gift-giving and it will be bless-ed. This applies to our interaction with the city of Troy as well. We are seeking to bless our neighbors by contributing to the Christmas celebration and with Christmas caroling. But that gift will not be received if you are holding onto any malice in your hearts towards them. Confess this first and go to your neighbor if you have sinned against them with sideways words or actions, make things right. We are fighting back against the world, but we must do so like our Father, with peace and goodwill toward men.

Zach Browning – December 3, 2023

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²¹ Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:²² But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

Matthew 5:21-22

Jesus pushes the application of the law into the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hatred in your heart breaks the sixth commandment. He is not equating how heinous the act is, 1^st degree murder is worse than a spiteful thought in degree, but they are both condemned by the law, and that angry thought will come under the judgement of God. We are given 3 terms here that are worth explaining. First anger, which we understand, the second one is the transliteration Raca, which we do not know exactly what it means, but most agree it is equivalent to calling someone stupid. It is a scornful term coming from a place of pride. And lastly “Thou fool” is passing moral judgement on someone, despising or detesting someone from a place of bitterness and hatred. The Westminster catechism teaches well that the sixth commandment not only condemns the taking of a life, but also requires us to preserve life so far as we are able. So taking Jesus application here, that does not just mean pulling your neighbor out of the water if they are drowning. It also applies to how you think about your neighbor. Do you look down on your neighbor in your pride? Is it easy for you to get annoyed at someone when they screw up, how about when they inconvenience you? Do you take personal offense? Are you holding on to that offense with bitterness?

Call these thoughts what God calls them. Annoyance, frustration, personal offense, are euphemisms for little bits of anger in your heart. Instead of these evil thoughts we ought to think life unto our neighbors, we ought to think of how to bless them and their family. This does not need to be in the form of major action. Just like a hateful thought is sin so turning your face toward your neighbor with a loving thought is obedience. So, confess frustration, annoyance, bitterness, quickly. And do it today, for if you let it be, it will grow deceiving you more and more as it grows. These thoughts fester if left alone and can ruin marriages, families, and communities. Instead of growing together in love you will be shrinking apart in hate.

Zach Browning – November 26, 2023

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