January 2015

Have you ever had a Divine Appointment? If you don’t know what I mean, let me explain. A Divine Appointment is when you know that God has placed you in the exact moment, situation, and with the right person as He wanted to. There is no question that God arranged for you to be there in that exact moment. I had one of these recently, with some students from our youth group that I would like to tell you about.

I always tell the students if they come to youth group, and only a couple people show up, that I will take them out for a treat. Well, on a recent Wednesday this happened. There were only 3 people that came and they asked me if we would go out for a treat. I actually was thinking of making them help me wrap Christmas gifts, but I had to keep my word.

We decided to head to Bakersfield because one of the students lived there and needed a ride home. On the way I asked them for suggestions of where they would like to go. Dewar’s and Freddie’s were the suggestions, but I decided to go to Starbucks. Don’t ask me why because I didn’t even order anything when we got there!

As we sat and chatted, a girl (college aged) got up from the table behind us and asked us if she could ask us a personal question. She asked if we were religious and we said ‘yes.’ She asked if we were Christians and we said ‘yes.’ I wondered how in the world she knew? She told us she was writing a paper about how people choose religions just to fill a void and they don’t even know the exclusive claims that their religions make. She asked if Christianity claims to be the only way to God, and if so, where in the Bible it says that. I quoted her John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” She said that definitely sounded pretty exclusive.

It looked like that was the end of her questions, so I asked her about her spiritual state. She said she was raised Catholic, but was ‘whatever’ now (that means ‘nothing’ in today’s lingo). I told her the gospel message of Christ and told her she could have her sins forgiven by faith in Christ. Then I asked if we could pray for her, which we did. I must admit, I wish I could say she got saved, but she said ‘thank you’ and went back to her table.

I was floored by this Divine Appointment and I couldn’t stop talking about it on the way home. Just imagine: if one or two more students had showed up to youth group, then we wouldn’t have gone for a treat anyway. And, if I had simply gone where the kids asked, we wouldn’t have been at that Starbucks. And, if one student didn’t live in Bakersfield, we would have stayed in Shafter, not going to Starbucks. And, if we hadn’t sat where we sat she may have never approached us. Now, I’m not endorsing skipping youth group, or advocating my excellent choices of where to get treats. But, I know without a doubt that God wanted us to be there at that Starbucks at that exact day and time to speak the gospel to this young lady.

Now, I ask again, have you ever had a Divine Appointment? Well, they aren’t all as magical as the one we experienced. We have Divine Appointments every day! Each and every person we come in contact with is a Divine Appointment. God, in His sovereign plan, has orchestrated the events of our life to cause us to be in each situation that we are in. The reality is that it is up to us to not waste those opportunities. It may not be a gospel message, it may be an act of kindness, or a smile. But we need to think of each situation we are in as a Divine Appointment.

Pastor Mark Scialabba

December 2014

My wife and I have completely stopped watching the news. There was a time when we would make sure the channel was on early in the morning so we could see the latest events in the world. We may have stopped watching because our kids were getting older and would probably want to know what “killed” or “raped” was, and we didn’t want to have to explain those. But I think the overwhelming reason was simply that we got tired of hearing all the stories of darkness in the world.

The world is full of darkness and if something hard/evil hasn’t happened to us then we should consider ourselves fortunate. But just watch the news for the first few minutes and I guarantee you will hear stories of stabbings, murders, and shootings. And we know that those stories are just a smidgeon of all the different variations of darkness that go in other parts of the world. There is some solace that I find from Scripture in a world full of darkness. It is 1 John 1:5 and it says, “God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all.” The idea of light here means righteous, without evil. There are two important truths taught in this verse that should give us comfort in a world full of darkness.

The first truth is: God is light. That is a profound statement made by the apostle John. It is one of the few statements in Scripture that proclaim what God is. He is also called Spirit and He is called love. God, in the perfections of His character, is light. John does not say that God chooses the light or that God likes the light, He says that God is light. This means there is no outside source of goodness and righteousness that God adheres to. He is, in fact, what is good and righteous. I think we as Christians make the mistake of thinking that there is some universal standard of right/wrong floating around in the universe and God always picks the right thing to do. We need to remember this verse though. God is light, He is the very definition of what is right.

The second truth is: there is no darkness in Him. John wants to make it absolutely clear that there is no tiny speck of impurity or evilness in God whatsoever. Notice the emphasis by John. He said there is no darkness, but then he adds, at all. Have you ever read the label on those hand sanitizer bottles? They say that they kill 99.9% of bacteria. (I always wonder if the bacteria that I’m touching is the .01%!). But killing 99.9% of bacteria is still very clean and very pure. To say that God is 99.9% light would be an utter blasphemy. He is absolutely, 100% pure and free of any imperfection at all.

The two truths in this verse should bring total comfort to the Christian. No matter what happens in your life you can be absolute sure that God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all. I think we have our own definition of what should/should not happen and we try to tell God He should do that. The problem is, our view is limited and impure. God’s is not. I think the next time an event or situation happens in our life that causes us grief or hardship we should remember 1 John 1:5.

This verse also has a very important application for us in how we behave as well. If God is light, then we should be light as well. That means being a people of purity, holiness, and righteousness. As we behave like that we reflect the character of God. Also, there needs to not be any darkness in us…at all. We need to strive with as much prayer and effort as possible to root out any sin and any impurities that are lurking in our hearts. As we do that, we reflect the character of God as well.

Pastor Mark Scialabba

November 2014

Beware! The push for ‘tolerance’ has struck again. Recently, a city’s mayor subpoenaed the sermons and writings of some local pastors to find out what they were preaching on and if it conflicted with the mayor’s views. Where did this attack on civil rights happen? In Iran? In China? In Syria? No, in Houston, Texas.

If you are surprised to hear that, so was I. But after reading about the context of why the mayor did this, I understand this is the new ‘tolerance’ of our country. You see, the mayor of Houston is an open practicing lesbian and she recently passed some laws that are gender neutral laws. These laws basically say that you can use any public restroom that you feel you are inclined to any day of the week. Say for example, a man felt more like a woman on a certain day, he could walk into a woman’s public restroom and use the facilities without any question.

Well, some residents of Houston were not ok with these new laws, specifically pastors of local churches. The mayor took this as an act of intolerance and bigotry by the pastors and subpoenaed their sermons and writings to look for any anti-homosexuality or trans-gender content in them. Why would she care what these local pastors say in their local congregations? Because if she could find anything said that was offensive she could publicly denounce it and ruin their reputations and/or churches.

What is really bizarre is that this is nothing more than an elected official acting like a bully and a thug. No public servants are elected to office to carry out these kinds of actions. They are there to serve the people, not run a dictatorship. How does she get away with this? (The legal proceedings are ongoing). Isn’t this a clear violation of the 1st amendment? We would expect to see this in a country like China or Iran, but never in Houston, Texas.

It is sad for me to write this but we as Christians need to wake up. This is the new ‘tolerance.’ Before, tolerance meant that we acknowledge other people have different beliefs and opinions. Now, tolerance means you MUST heartily agree and support everyone else’s views and opinions, without saying anything to the contrary, or else you will be the target of attack. You see, criticism is not enough anymore. Anyone not being ‘tolerant’ is destroyed. Case in point: Houston pastors. Forget civil dialogue and debate, the ‘tolerance hunters’ are on the attack. Even though they don’t realize that in the name of ‘tolerance’ they become mighty intolerant of those with views opposing them.

Also, this is the culture’s new view of homosexuality. We have seen the shift in our culture come at a rapid pace. At first, homosexuality was viewed as a deviant form of sexuality. Then, it became more of an accepted practice. Now, it is being shoved in the face of everyone in this country. “You must agree with this…or else” is the mindset of proponents of homosexuality. And it’s not just homosexuality anymore. Now it’s transgender desires and inclinations.

I say again: Beware, Christian. The day is fast approaching where you will be asked what you think of homosexuality. Not as a question of genuine interest or in the spirit of civil dialogue, but as a probing to see whether or not you are in line with the new ‘tolerance.’ And if you are not, be ready for the consequences. What will we see when that day of questioning comes? Will we willingly receive the consequences for standing on our convictions?

Pastor Mark Scialabba

August 2014

One of my hobbies outside of work is watching sports. I’ve inherited this trait from my father, who could watch any sport on TV at any time. I love watching sports because it is real (not like reality TV), unscripted, and very human. One thing though that I cannot stand about sports is trash talking. There are always certain players who love to trash talk and it always seems like they get the most camera time. Nobody wants to interview the humble athlete who is just doing his job. Everybody wants to hear what the trash talker has to say.

What’s amazing about trash talkers are those that can back it up with action. Anybody can trash talk, but certain players have the gift of being able to back up the talking with action. All the basketball players who played against him said Michael Jordan was the biggest trash talker ever. But he backed it up by winning 6 championships! This year the Seattle Seahawks gained notoriety for their trash talking, and went on to dominate the Broncos in the Super Bowl. Those two examples talked the talk and walked the walk.

When it comes to our faith, we know how to talk the talk. We have no hesitation telling people we are Christians, or that we go to church, or that Jesus is our Lord and Savior. Where we struggle, however, is having our actions in life back up our talk. When it comes to the Christian life, we have to walk the walk not just talk the talk.    

The second part of 2 Timothy 2:19 says, “Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness.” Do you see the talking and the walking in this verse? If you name the name of the Lord, then that is talking the talk. But if you talk that talk, then you must back it up with staying away from wickedness.

The verse is very clear that we are to abstain from wickedness. It is not ok to dabble with wickedness, or try out wickedness, or be slightly wicked. We are to abstain from wickedness. Some kinds of wickedness that come to mind would be: lying, stealing, cheating, gossiping, complaining, hurting, insulting, etc. Those are all forms of wickedness and those are the things we are to abstain from.

What is at stake is the name of the Lord, as the first part of the quote says. If we go around naming the name of the Lord, then we have to live in such a way that it brings honor to His name, not shame. In Biblical times, they lived in a very shame/honor society. Doing something evil or wrong would embarrass or shame your family name. Honor and respect was held to very high esteem. We can imagine what it would be like for someone to shame their family name, but it goes even deeper for the Christian. We not only have our name, but the name of our Lord. If we name Christ as our Lord that means He is our master, we belong to Him. Any wickedness we do brings dishonor to His glorious name. Imagine how embarrassing it would be to have a servant do something that brought dishonor to his master. We need to think of this the same way for us. Jesus is our Master, we are His servants.

As we go about our everyday life we must consider all of our actions as to how it will affect our testimony of Jesus as our Lord. If it will bring shame or dishonor to our Lord then we must abstain from doing it. Even if the Bible doesn’t specifically say it is wrong, we should still abstain for the sake of the name of our Lord. We have to make sure that in all we do, we must not only talk the talk but walk the walk as well.

Pastor Mark Scialabba

July 2014

In just a couple of weeks we will be sending our young people out to summer camp again. We go to camp every summer, and while the possibility of repetition is always a possibility, we continue to see the Lord working in this ministry.

I did not grow up in a Christian home so I never went to a summer camp, let alone a Christian camp. My first experience at Christian summer camp came when I was a counselor for our Junior boys back in 2009. I had no idea what camp was like, but I was the counselor! The impression that Hartland camp left upon me was nothing but positive. The teaching, as well as all the fun stuff, was top notch. That is why we have continued to go there all these years.

I used to think that our young people only wanted to go to camp just to get away for a week, or to play some really cool games that they can’t play at home. But what I have seen is that they truly care about the spiritual side. Our young people ask me, “who is leading worship?” And, “who is the speaker this year?” Those are things I thought would not even be on their radar, but they want to know.

Also, whenever I ask our young people about their best spiritual moments or most memorable spiritual moments, their time at Hartland camp always comes first. There is just something about summer camp, being away from the everyday, separated from all the cell phones and TV’s, that allows the Word of God to really get through to these students. And, we have seen some of our students come to faith in Christ at camp, and even students who weren’t a part of group have come to faith there. Seeing someone else come to faith can be a tremendous experience for young people to have.

I also take our youth group to camp every summer because of a selfish reason. It’s not that I enjoy the games…and the mud, I really don’t. In fact, I laugh with our students telling them I’m the worst counselor when it comes to participation (I haven’t been in the mud pit in 5 years!). I go to camp for the teaching and fellowship as well. I want to learn and grow just as much as everybody else. Even last year I was able to meet and fellowship with another youth pastor and we formed a really neat bond. I would even challenge anyone reading this to consider being a counselor for our young people just so you can be taught and challenged as well!

It may seem like the same old thing going to camp every year, but it really has brought our young people amazing experiences, including salvation. Please continue to support and pray for our campers.

Pastor Mark Scialabba

May 2014

Back in the first week of April I was able to attend a Pastor’s Conference on Evangelism to prepare me to become a Senior Pastor. The conference was called Together for the Gospel, which is a group of pastors who agree on one central thing: the gospel. These pastors may differ on other points of theology or church organization, but they come together for this conference because they all agree on how people get saved.

The conference was in Louisville, Kentucky because that is the home of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (one of the largest seminaries in the world). Students from the seminary, as well as pastors from all over the country were there with a total registration of over 7,000. Be encouraged that there are men proclaiming the gospel all over this country! I’ve never heard such world class speakers in all my life and I would encourage you to check out the website to view any of the sessions for free (www.t4g.org). In this article I would like to share a few takeaways I gleaned from the conference.

First, there is no flashy, new, evangelistic gimmick that causes more salvations that others. It all boils down to Christians speaking the gospel to people who are not Christians. Too many times we can emphasize the program or the event and we forget that evangelism occurs when Christians speak the gospel to non-Christians. We could have a huge outreach event, draw lots of people, but if the gospel is not spoken, we have not evangelized.

Second, when people get saved it makes God happy, really happy. How happy? Heaven throws a celebration every time someone gets saved. You can see this in the 3 parables of Luke 15. There is the parable of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son. In all 3 of these parables, Jesus says that heaven rejoices when one sinner gets saved. What an excitement for us that God would use our mouths and our words to bring about spiritual regeneration and the celebration in heaven.

Third, there is assurance that God will save His people. Now, He may not use me specifically to bring about thousands of conversions, but God will save. Thinking back to the first two of the three parables of Luke 15 you notice the certainty of God’s work in finding His sheep/coin. The verses say ‘when’ He finds it. The sheep and the coin are searched for until they are found. God gets his man. This reminds me that the gospel of Jesus Christ will still convert people, no matter what the culture does or says. Our society is moving away from Christian values, and Christianity is more marginalized than any other time in history, but that will not stop God from getting His people.

The fourth lesson is the hardest for us to admit, but it is true: all the reasons we don’t evangelize are self-centered reasons. When I heard this I snickered, but then I started to realize it was true. We say things like “I don’t know what to say,” “I’m scared,” “it could make my friendship weird,” etc. All those reasons, and other ones that are similar, are all self-centered. Would we defy the orders of our Lord (Matt 28:18-20) because of the inconveniences it will bring us? We wouldn’t do that with the Lord’s other commands, would we? But we casually dismiss the command to ‘make disciples’ because of some petty, non-eternal reasons. I told you this was the hardest one for us to admit.

I hope we look at evangelism for what it really is: a command of the Lord to speak the gospel message to non-Christians. Either we obey or disobey. It’s one or the other. But you can be greatly encouraged that God will save His people, He will. And when He does, the celebration begins anew in heaven for that sinner who has been reclaimed. What an exciting privilege for us to be a part of.

Pastor Mark Scialabba

April 2014

It seems that we are in a very busy season for ‘Christian’ movies. Son of God came out a few weeks ago. God’s not Dead is currently playing. Noah comes out soon (at the time of printing this it will have already come out). And lastly, Heaven is for Real comes out near Easter. I can’t remember a time when so many ‘Christian’ films or films about Christian topics have ever come out. Is there a Renaissance happening in Hollywood? What should we think/do about it?

First, Hollywood has been for years and will continue to be, against any sort of positive Christian message. Just watch films and see how Christians are portrayed. They are seen as wacko, religious nutcases who really have no redeeming feature whatsoever. An example of this is the remake of the movie Carrie where the mom is a Christian and a complete crazy lady who cuts herself and locks her daughter in closet to “pray for forgiveness.” Even the movie The Passion of the Christ had trouble getting a studio to fund it, and Mel Gibson had to invest his own money into making it. This is a bizarre stance from Hollywood because Christian movies really do make a lot of money. The Passion of the Christ went on to become one of the top 10 grossing movies of all time! One would think that making more Christian movies or portraying Christians in a positive light would be a good business decision by Hollywood since Christians have such a big movie-going presence.

Second, don’t be fooled by the ‘Christian’ stories of some of these movies. For example, the movie Noah was directed by an avowed atheist who bragged in an interview that Noah was going to be the “least Biblical Bible movie ever.” Just because the story is about Noah’s Ark doesn’t mean the message is Biblical or Christian. In fact, the moviemakers made it a specific point to never mention the word “God” in the entire movie. Should I take our youth group to see this movie? I don’t think so. Another example is Heaven is for Real about a young boy who visits heaven while he is clinically dead in a hospital. Even though this boy’s descriptions of heaven are completely different from anything the Bible says, Christians are going to flock to see this movie. And, it is not an accident that the studio decided to release this film during Easter week. Is this a movie that I would recommend Christians to see? Not at all. Do I sound like the ‘Grumpy Gus’ who takes everything so seriously? If we are talking about the integrity of the Word of God, then absolutely. Know the details of the movies before you go.

Third, the real issue here is a lack of discernment amongst Christians. Just because something is labeled ‘Christian’ doesn’t mean the message is faithful to the text of Scripture. I guarantee you that there will be copies of Noah and Heaven is for Real being sold at Berean and Christians without any discernment will pick them up and their confidence in the Bible will be shaken because what they see on screen is not what they read in the Word. We have to remember that Hollywood is in the business of fantasy, not Biblical accuracy. If you can watch these movies with solid discernment then do it, but I’m afraid many will not.

Now, the movies Son of God and God’s Not Dead are pretty solid in their message and they were made by Christians. Also, believers who have seen them have made many positive comments about the nature of the films and the gospel message therein. I do find it a positive thing that the gospel was communicated to millions through the medium of film. I also don’t have a problem with people making Christian films. I do think we need to approach all Christian movies with a bit of skepticism because it does run through so many Hollywood channels, which are primarily anti-Christian. Also, I think the best way for Christians to impact Hollywood is not to go see all the Christian movies, but to make it a point to NOT see movies that glorify and celebrate the things that God says are wrong. The Christian public can make a big statement to Hollywood if they refuse to spend their God-given money on films that rejoice in homosexuality, revenge, violence, filthiness, etc. I fear however, that this is actually more of a challenge to us than to support the Christian films.

March 2014

The Grammy awards are the most prestigious and recognizable music award in the industry. Recently, however, a show about music became a political and ideological statement. During one performance of a song about the nature of love, and how it takes different forms, and people cannot help whom they love, a group of homosexual couples (and a few straight couples) actually got married in the aisles during the performance. While intended to be a statement about the legitimacy of gay marriage, in reality, it was a throw-it-in-your-face, deal-with-it pronunciation.

Of course any public criticism of this event would be harshly condemned in the name of the new buzz word of our society: tolerance. People who do not welcome and receive this statement from these musicians would be labeled intolerant and bigoted. Are we as Christians guilty of being intolerant if we do not support gay marriage?

First, I would say that we have to define ‘tolerance.’ The classical definition of tolerance is to “accept the existence of different views.” To that definition, Christians are tolerant. We accept the fact that different views of marriage exist. However, our society has redefined what tolerance really means. Now, tolerance means “accepting different views.” While you may not catch the small difference, the implications are massive. The first definition acknowledges other people’s rights to different views, but the second definition makes us no longer allowed to disagree. Christians are told they must no longer disagree with other people’s opinions, that they must accept all opinions, or else they are not ‘tolerant.’ I would say Christians can tolerate other views on gay marriage according to the first definition. We must acknowledge that other views of marriage exist, and people have the right to hold those views, but we are still allowed to disagree with those views.

Second, notice the huge inconsistencies of those who claim Christians are ‘intolerant.’ Are supporters of gay marriage really accepting of all views of ‘love?’ What about pedophilia, bestiality, or polygamy? Do gay marriage supporters accept those different views too, or would they be ‘intolerant’ of such definitions of love? Also, the statement that Christians should tolerate all views is an inherent contradiction. The people that say that are actually being ‘intolerant’ of the Christian’s views! And they are demanding we conform our beliefs to theirs. Sounds eerily similar to what they accuse Christians of, doesn’t it? Do they not see the contradiction of the values they declare?

In this world of political correctness and ‘tolerance’ I would propose one piece of advice for Christians: be tolerant in spirit, not in mind. Let me explain. First, we should have a tolerating spirit. That means we should be able to hear people out, we should be able to listen respectfully, we should love all people, we should evaluate all arguments that oppose us. That is having a tolerating spirit. Christians who are angry, violent, and refuse to listen are not showcasing a tolerating spirit. The Biblical word would be: humble. We should be humble enough to understand it is only God’s grace that keeps us in the Truth and revealed the Truth to us. It is not the genius of our own mind.

But, Christians cannot be tolerant in mind. What I mean is, certain things God has unequivocally declared as ‘wrong’ or ‘right.’ And no matter what the culture says, what the world pushes on us, or how much society has progressed, does not change what God has declared. There are such black and white things that are always wrong. Things like lying, stealing, kidnapping, and even homosexuality, God has declared to be wrong. We cannot let our minds be changed about those things because society disagrees with us. Have a tolerating spirit to hear people out and listen to their disagreements, and acknowledge they have that right. But do not have a tolerating mind, where you let society change how you think about what God has so clearly defined. (For further help on this issue see The Intolerance of Tolerance by D.A. Carson).

Pastor Mark Scialabba

February 2014

Recently we had our winter retreat for our youth group. The topic was: Resisting Worldliness, and was selected by our student leadership because they thought it was such a necessary topic for young people to hear. I think that this topic is necessary for all of us. We do not have to look hard to find the world’s ideas, thoughts, mindsets, and evaluations. They are on the radio, television, in the movie industry, in the fashion industry, and in our fascination with celebrity. Here are 5 ways that we can still live and exist in the world, but not be conformed to the ways of the world.

Number one is to enjoy your life. Just because the world is bad doesn’t mean you have to walk around with a scowl on your face all the time. It’s ok to enjoy the things that God has made and provided. Enjoy things like nature, good food, friendships, laughter, good art, etc. Those are things God gave us and wants us to enjoy.

Number two is to engage the world. Christians are called to be ‘light’ in the world, so be the light! Don’t separate yourself completely from the world and go live in a monastery or a cave. Get into your job or your school or your club and be the light in that place. One of the reasons I enjoy the COLOURS festival is that instead of refusing to produce art, the makers of that festival have decided to engage the culture by producing wholesome and good art. That is engaging the world and being a light.

Number three is to evangelize other people. Too often we think the culture is going to change if we just pass this law or elect this person to office or get this TV show cancelled. That is not how culture is going to change. The world’s values and mindsets will continue even if we get another president. The real change will only come as people get saved and give their life to Christ. One soul at a time; that is how culture can change for the better.

Number four is to equip your mind. Romans 12:2 says, “do not be conformed to the world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” We understand we should not be conformed, also we understand we are supposed to be transformed, but transformed into what? Into what the Word of God says we should be like! The only way to really be unlike the world and to be different is to equip our mind with what Scripture says our life should be like. What does God say about what our clothes should look like or what our entertainment choices should be? It’s there in that Book, we just have to equip our mind by using the right tool.

Number five is to evaluate your heart. This is the hard part. We really have to get down to the nitty gritty of why we do what we do. And we have to be honest with ourselves. It’s easy to just make a rule like: I won’t watch any rated R movies. It’s harder to truthfully evaluate and ask why I want to see that particular movie. Could it be that we really find our entertainment in evil and perversion? The answer to that question is more soul searching than simply making a rule to follow. Or ask yourself, why do I dress or talk the way that I do? Is it that I want others to notice and be impressed? Evaluating our heart can be a messy exercise but it makes all the difference in real life change.

One famous preacher said, “The reason the church holds such little influence over the world is because the world holds such big influence over the church.” That was said 150 years ago, and it still rings true today. Let us take to heart those words from Romans 12:2, “do not be conformed to the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”Avoid conforming to the values of the world and pursue transformation through the Word of God. 

Pastor Mark Scialabba

January 2014

Now that the holidays are over, I feel like I can write this article without being labeled a Scrooge. I was talking with a family member a few weeks back about Christmas, when I mentioned that we (Angela and I) do not tell our children that Christmas gifts come from Santa Claus. (Stop reading if you still believe in Santa Claus). The family member was shocked and surprised thinking that we were in some way depriving our children of some childhood right. But as I thought about this for the past few weeks, I became even surer of my conviction on this matter.

Now, I am not saying that we do not let our children utter Santa’s name, like he is some kind of Voldemort. We tell our children that Santa is one of the Christmas stories, like Rudolph or Frosty. We always knew it was going to be a problem because we do not have a chimney in our home, so it would be a little strange to tell our children that Santa sneaks in through the back door or something like that. But we have other reasons for why we don’t tell our children that Santa brings them gifts on Christmas Eve.

First, we do not want to compromise our integrity as parents. Over and over again we tell our children to not lie, we tell them to not tell half-truths, and we tell them to speak the truth at all times. I always tell my girls it will be better for them if they confess, than if they lie to hide something. It is hard to escape the fact that the tale of Santa Claus is a lie, told to children.  Calling it a lie sounds harsh, but what other word could I use? My parents were the ones who would write Santa’s name on our gifts, when in reality, it was mom and dad who bought them and wrapped them. When I was old enough to understand, my inevitable question was, “you’ve been lying to us for years?” I don’t want to face that day when my children challenge our integrity as parents by saying, “you tell us not to lie, but you lie?”

Second, we do not want to compromise what we tell our children about the character of God. Let me explain. The folklore behind Santa Claus is that he knows when you are sleeping, he knows if you have been bad or good. This is kinda scary for a child, thinking that if they push a kid down on the playground, Santa saw it and is going to withhold gifts. But the idea that Santa knows all and can see all, is an attribute that God alone possesses. They should be scared of God seeing them, not Santa. It is called omniscience; that God knows everything. I do not want to give my children the impression that a man (Santa) is able to share one of God’s incommunicable attributes. What makes God, God, is that He alone knows everything, not Santa. I want my children to be in awe of God, not Santa Claus.

Third, we do not want to compromise how we explain the gospel to our children. It may sound like this has nothing to do with Santa Claus, but hear me out. The message of Santa is that if you are good, he brings you presents. And if you are bad, you will not get any presents. But this teaches our children that if they do good, then good things happen to them. That does not always happen in real life, and it for sure, is not the gospel message. The gospel message is that we do bad things, and God forgives us. Unfortunately, the gospel is usually taught like the message of Santa Claus: be a good person and God will do good for you. That is not the gospel message and I do not want to be the one who is confusing the gospel, I want to make the gospel ring clear to my children.

Now, some may think I have gone way over the deep end with this. “It’s just a fun, Christmas thing, lighten up,” I can hear people saying. But I take my task as a parent very seriously. And if I am going to choose a story to tell my children that could compromise my integrity, God’s character, or the gospel message, then it is my responsibility to refuse it. I am not saying every parent or family should take my family’s stance on this, each one needs to make his/her own decisions. All I’m saying is, we have reasons for choosing this way that we have thought long and hard about. And don’t worry, I also teach my children to not run around telling everyone “there is no Santa Claus!”                                                            

Pastor Mark Scialabba

December 2013

Every once in a while, when in a public place, we may overhear another’s person’s conversation. We don’t mean to, it just happens since we are in such close proximity. Sometimes the conversations can be funny or weird, or in my recent case, very disturbing.

I was eating lunch with my family at a restaurant when behind us I could hear someone upset at another person. It was the table behind us and clearly someone was not happy. However, the person talking was not yelling or raising his voice. Instead, he was uttering the most obscene and vulgar language I have ever heard toward someone else at his table. I assumed it was some young people picking on each other in a joking way, and was about to ask him to keep his voice down because there were children nearby. As I turned I realized it was not young people having fun at all. It was a dad speaking to his son.

I was so shocked I couldn’t say a thing and instead started talking louder at our table so my children couldn’t hear what was being said. I heard words from that father, directed toward that son, that I would never say to my worst enemy. It left me deeply disturbed because if that was a normal conversation in public, what went on behind closed doors? The son was of course crying at the verbal insults he was receiving which made the dad stretch his vocabulary even more.

This whole situation left me thinking of my responsibility as a parent. And God has given clear guidelines for parents about what they need to be communicating to their children.  The most comprehensive passage is Deuteronomy 6:1-9. In this passage God makes it very clear that parents are to teach their children to fear the Lord, love the Lord, and obey the Lord. While every parent will readily admit that they are not perfect, we can have some measure of confidence that we are heading in the right direction if we are teaching our children to do those three things. And we compromise our integrity as parents when we sin to try and get our children to do those three things.

To all the young people out there who have parents who are trying to teach you to fear the Lord, love the Lord, and obey the Lord, be thankful for them. Yes, thank God for those parents. They may not be perfect, they may mess up, but that is so much better than the alternative. The alternative is for parents to simply do whatever they think is right in their own eyes, and that leads to parents who can abuse and harm. Thank God for parents who are striving to raise their children in the ways of the Lord.

Pastor Mark Scialabba

November 2013

Sometimes we, as parents, can get very focused on behavior. What is our child doing? How do we correct or improve the behavior? Well, we have to remember that Scripture says it is the heart that produces behavior. So changing behavior can sometimes leave the heart unaffected, which can be disastrous in the long run. What we really want in our children is heart change; we want their hearts directed toward God. If their heart is pointed in the right direction, the right behavior will come. Here are some behaviors or actions that if seen in a teenager, may reveal their heart is directed toward the Lord.

First, does your teenager have a time of personal worship to the Lord? I’m talking about a private devotional time. Does your child have his/her Bible near the bed? Do you see them reading? Or, is the only time they pick up their Bible is when parents make them go to church?

Second, is closely related to what I just said. Does the teenager desire church, fellowship, and instruction? Is it a fight every Sunday morning to get up and go to church? Does your teen enjoy spending time with other like minded teens, or do they prefer to run with the ‘wrong crowd?’ Is the teen trying everything in his/her power to get out of hearing a sermon? If you can see evidence of a desire for church, fellowship with other Christians, and hearing instruction then your teen is on the right track toward developing a heart for God.

Third, is the teenager willing and open to talk about spiritual things? Or, every time you open your mouth about God or the Bible, does the teen start rolling his/her eyes and storming out of the room? A teen who has a heart for God is not opposed to such discussions. Does your teen ask you to pray for him/her? Do they ever ask what God’s will is or what God thinks they should do? If so, be encouraged because God is working on the heart.

Fourth, do they take into account the Bible, when making decisions? We do not want our teens to be impulsive, or driven by their emotions, or self-centered in their decisions. We want them to consider what God has to say, or what God wants them to do. If they are concerned about those things when making decisions, then we see evidence that the heart is moving in the right direction.

Now, as a parent, these are things to look for in your teen. But you can also work to try and encourage a heart for God. First, you must model personal devotion time and make church a priority. Don’t be surprised if you have no devotional time, that your teen doesn’t as well. If you like skipping church, of course they will learn that as well. Second, refer to God often. When your teen is venting about life and school, point the conversation towards the Lord. What does the Lord want, think, or say about this situation? In this you will train them to think Biblically. Third, be positive with your use of Scripture. Don’t beat them over the head with the Bible and cause them to hate Scripture. Use Scripture to give hope to them and show them that God always has an answer. Lastly, be willing to admit and ask forgiveness when you mess up. You will mess up sometimes because parenting is a learning process. But teens will grow leaps and bounds in their respect for you when they see you humble and willing to admit wrong. Maybe that will rub off on them as well.  To the teenagers I would ask: do you have a heart for God or are you simply trying to behave in a certain way? Spend time with God, and with people who love God, and ask the Lord to shape and mold you into a person who has a heart devoted to Him.

Pastor Mark Scialabba

October 2013

For as long as we can remember, teenagers have gotten a rush out of doing dangerous things. Whether it is racing in a car or using drugs, unwise and dangerous choices have marked the lives of teenagers. Recently, however, a new way to achieve this rush has become popular. This is found in what is known as ‘cutting.’ When someone ‘cuts’ they purposely use a sharp object to pierce the skin and draw blood.

If you go back 15-20 years ago, if somebody was injuring themselves in this way it would be seen as a cry for help, or the definition of someone who is suicidal. However, recent research has shown this is not necessarily the case. Researchers now think it provides a rush, or to put it another way, a ‘high.’ It is the modern day free drug. Rates of people who injure themselves have skyrocketed, and specifically amongst teen girls. In the 1990’s the rate was lower than 3%. More recent research has shown numbers as high as 1 in 5 teenage girls between the ages of 10 and 18 either cutting or burning themselves. 

While I cannot offer a complete treatise in this article on cutting and how to deal with it, I would like to show what the Bible says about such self-harming/self-mutilating practices. In short, the Bible describes cutting as the actions of pagan and false religion worshipers. While I’m not implying that anyone who cuts is some sort of a Satanist, I am saying that those who cut as a recreational escape, are engaging in acts of pagan worship and they might not even know it.

The clearest example of this is found in 1 Kings 18 in the showdown between Elijah and the prophets of Baal. The wicked king at the time, King Ahab, was promoting Baal (pagan god) worship and Elijah felt it was time to take a stand. So Elijah ordered a showdown to see who the boss was. The prophets of Baal went first calling on their god, but there was no answer. So they began to “cut themselves according to their custom with swords and lances until the blood gushed out on them” (1 Kin 18:28). Notice it was their ‘custom’ to cut themselves in such a way. It was ingrained in their pagan worship, a tradition. It was these pagan cultic practices that made God give the command to “not make any cuts in your body for the dead…” (Lev 19:28). Clearly there was some sort of prescribed form of pagan worship that involved self-mutilation.

In the New Testament the only mention of self injury is the man who is demon possessed and when Jesus casts out the demons they indwell a bunch of pigs and the pigs run down into the sea (Mark 5:1-13). In that passage it says he “gashed himself with stones” (v 5). Again the situation is pagan, occult, demonic influences.

I want to make it clear that I am not insinuating that anyone who cuts is a pagan worshiper or a demon possessed person. What I am trying to say, to those who cut for simply a recreational high, is that you have to realize the dark history of such a practice. If Satan can convince us that such evil practices are simply ‘recreational’ then he is already winning the battle of our minds.

To those who struggle with cutting because of depression or anger, I would encourage you to seek Pastoral Counseling. The real solution to the problem is understanding your identity in Christ, not a temporary diversion from life’s problems. We are not to try and escape life’s problems, but seek the Lord in the time of life’s problems.

Pastor Mark Scialabba

September 2013

For as long as we can remember, teenagers have gotten a rush out of doing dangerous things. Whether it is racing in a car or using drugs, unwise and dangerous choices have marked the lives of teenagers. Recently, however, a new way to achieve this rush has become popular. This is found in what is known as ‘cutting.’ When someone ‘cuts’ they purposely use a sharp object to pierce the skin and draw blood.

If you go back 15-20 years ago, if somebody was injuring themselves in this way it would be seen as a cry for help, or the definition of someone who is suicidal. However, recent research has shown this is not necessarily the case. Researchers now think it provides a rush, or to put it another way, a ‘high.’ It is the modern day free drug. Rates of people who injure themselves have skyrocketed, and specifically amongst teen girls. In the 1990’s the rate was lower than 3%. More recent research has shown numbers as high as 1 in 5 teenage girls between the ages of 10 and 18 either cutting or burning themselves. 

While I cannot offer a complete treatise in this article on cutting and how to deal with it, I would like to show what the Bible says about such self-harming/self-mutilating practices. In short, the Bible describes cutting as the actions of pagan and false religion worshipers. While I’m not implying that anyone who cuts is some sort of a Satanist, I am saying that those who cut as a recreational escape, are engaging in acts of pagan worship and they might not even know it.

            The clearest example of this is found in 1 Kings 18 in the showdown between Elijah and the prophets of Baal. The wicked king at the time, King Ahab, was promoting Baal (pagan god) worship and Elijah felt it was time to take a stand. So Elijah ordered a showdown to see who the boss was. The prophets of Baal went first calling on their god, but there was no answer. So they began to “cut themselves according to their custom with swords and lances until the blood gushed out on them” (1 Kin 18:28). Notice it was their ‘custom’ to cut themselves in such a way. It was ingrained in their pagan worship, a tradition. It was these pagan cultic practices that made God give the command to “not make any cuts in your body for the dead…” (Lev 19:28). Clearly there was some sort of prescribed form of pagan worship that involved self-mutilation.

In the New Testament the only mention of self injury is the man who is demon possessed and when Jesus casts out the demons they indwell a bunch of pigs and the pigs run down into the sea (Mark 5:1-13). In that passage it says he “gashed himself with stones” (v 5). Again the situation is pagan, occult, demonic influences.

I want to make it clear that I am not insinuating that anyone who cuts is a pagan worshiper or a demon possessed person. What I am trying to say, to those who cut for simply a recreational high, is that you have to realize the dark history of such a practice. If Satan can convince us that such evil practices are simply ‘recreational’ then he is already winning the battle of our minds.

To those who struggle with cutting because of depression or anger, I would encourage you to seek Pastoral Counseling. The real solution to the problem is understanding your identity in Christ, not a temporary diversion from life’s problems. We are not to try and escape life’s problems, but seek the Lord in the time of life’s problems.

Pastor Mark Scialabba

August 2013

One of the scariest topics to come across or read about in the Bible is the wrath of God. His wrath is not some uncontrollable outburst that is an imperfection of God. Instead, it is a settled and determined response to sin against His holy character. It is actually something to praise God for.

God’s wrath comes in different forms, as well. There is God’s temporal wrath, where He punishes a person with wickedness (David and Bathsheba). There is also God’s eternal wrath, where He will punish sin forever and ever (Lake of Fire). But there is another form of God’s wrath that could be just as scary as those other two. I am talking about the wrath of abandonment. This is where man continually rejects and abandons God, and God then leaves man to his choices. To put it in other words, continual rejection of God pushes God to then withdraw and give man over to his sin.

This is most clearly described in Romans 1, where 3 times it says “God gave them (man) over.” Man continues to abandon the truth of God, so God abandons man to his choices. The first part of this wrath comes when man rejects that God even exists, and replaces God with something else (vv 24-25). This is seen today where atheism is the fastest growing ‘religious’ mindset in our country. This is the essence of man rejecting God, and God gives man over to this mindset.

Consequently, if there is no God, then there are no objective rules for morality or sexuality. This brings about the expression of the mindset that rejects God, when homosexuality and other perversions become the norm and are accepted (vv 26-27). This is the second part of where God gives man over to his decisions.

Finally, if man makes his own sexual decisions, then he decides to just make any other decisions he wants in all other areas of morality and ethics. Man decides he is his own boss and he does what he wants. This leads to things like wickedness, boastfulness, untrustworthiness, and even the casual acceptance of those things (vv 28-32). This shows the extent of the mindset of man rejecting God. And God gives man over to this decision.

Why do I bring this up this month? We need to realize that we have already passed phase one of this wrath of abandonment in our country. Atheism is growing, the ‘smartest’ people in our positions of science and mathematics do not believe in God, and we should not be surprised if it becomes the majority opinion. In the USA, we are currently in phase two of this wrath of abandonment. With the landmark rulings of the Supreme Court, perverted lifestyles like homosexuality are now not only accepted, but defended. This will quickly lead to phase three, where subjective morality reigns and anything goes.

Why do I think this is happening in our country? I believe it is because of the Christian church turning away from the true gospel. In the last 50 years we have seen a rise in easy-believism, seeker-sensitive, prosperity gospel churches thriving. These three types of churches are not preachers of the true gospel so we have many people who can speak Christianese but are not truly converted. Without truly converted people preaching the true gospel, leads to the culture rejecting God. Just ask a Christian in England, because this happened there. England was the source of the world’s greatest preachers, and now you cannot find a church if you want to.

I’m not trying to be entirely pessimistic here about the future of our country. I want us to see the dire importance of true preaching of the true gospel. Without it, man turns away from God, and scarily God turns away from man.

Pastor Mark Scialabba

July 2013

Batman and Joker. Dogs and cats. Parents and children. What do these 3 groups have in common? They are all sworn enemies. But one of these groups doesn’t have to be. Of course I’m talking about parents and children, although I have seen dogs and cats cooperate.

As a youth pastor I get to deal with each of the parent/child groups extensively. What I find is usually a back and forth tug of war. The parents think it’s the children that have problems, and the children think it’s the parents who have the problem. Usually neither one will admit their own faults, and they will try to convince outsiders of the irresponsible behavior of the other group. I may be a dreamer, but I believe parents and children can coexist in harmony and actually have a thriving relationship with rules and discipline. Of course this can happen when each group determines to follow Scripture.

Ephesians 6:1-4 is the primary passage that deals with children’s responsibilities and parent responsibilities. For the child it is simple: obey and honor. For the parent it is also very clear: don’t provoke to anger but raise children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Of course it is hard to actually live out these instructions, but nobody would argue that the Scripture is unclear.

What parents and children both have in common is that they have the same motivation. In v 1 it says for children to “obey your parents in the Lord.” In v 4 it tells parents to “bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” The common denominator is the Lord. He should be the motivating factor for children and parents alike. In fact, the Lord is the motivation for wives and husbands as well (5:22-33). And the Lord is the motivation for employees and bosses (6:5-9). To summarize: the Christian child, the Christian parent, or even just any Christian has as their supreme motivation to please the Lord Jesus Christ. Our entire goal in all we do is for the Lord to be happy with us.

This is where parents and children need to come together to build harmony in the home. Children need to understand obeying and honoring is the right thing to do, because the Lord is pleased when they do that. They also need to understand that parents are trying to raise them with discipline and rules, because that also pleases the Lord. Parents must understand they have to instill rules and discipline, but also be consistent and reasonable, because the Lord has required that of them, and He is pleased when they do that.

If you find your home a constant battlefield, then you need to sit down with each other (parents and children) and begin here. Both groups need to confess where they are falling short and ask the other’s forgiveness. Then each group needs to remind themselves that there is something bigger at stake here than simply extending a curfew or going to a dance. What is at stake is the Lord being pleased with this home. So a child who is not obeying is not pleasing Christ. A harsh, demanding, unreasonable parent is also not pleasing Christ.

Let me just say, in no way is this a negotiation. Parents absolutely have the authority in the home. But a parent’s most convincing strategy is being a humble, honest, pleaser of Christ. Lord willing, may this lead to joy and fellowship in the home, rather than bickering and battling.

Pastor Mark Scialabba

June 2013

This has happened to all of us: someone, who is not a Christian, has challenged our beliefs and our faith demanding we defend ourselves and provide a good answer. The demand usually comes in the form of a question like this: “Where is the proof for God?” or, “Why does God allow evil?” And what do we say? We fumble about for an answer trying our best to defend God and give a good answer. Most of the time we are on the defense, trying to answer challenges, but in this article I would like to propose a new strategy: go on the attack.

II Cor. 10:5 says, “We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God.” This is not a defensive strategy. “Destroying” is never associated with defense, its an offensive strategy. I’m proposing we go on the attack against unbelieving thought and reason because in the end, unbelieving thought is foolish. It seems wise, but it really is not. Our offensive strategy is to expose the foolishness bound up in unbelieving thought. (Remember, we are never to attack the person, but the worldview he/she is holding to).

For example, somebody might say, “I don’t believe in God because there are no proofs for him.” Go on the attack against that statement. Ask them a question like this, “So are you admitting that if there was good proof you would convert and worship God?” Or this, “What would be a good proof? If Jesus appeared to you today would you take that as proof?” The answer would be a definite “no.” They would interpret that vision as a dream or a hallucination. In the end, why would God prove Himself to you, if you wouldn’t accept the proof anyway?

Or, somebody might say, “Why does your God allow evil?” Again, go on the offense and attack that statement. An atheist/naturalist cannot even ask that question because they do not believe in a God! Call them out on that. Say, “Are you assuming that God exists with that question?” Or to get even deeper, “Why does God have to adhere to your standard of morality? Isn’t that your problem with Christians?  They are always trying to convince people to follow their morality? You are guilty of the same thing!”

At the root of atheistic thought is the desire for no accountability. Admitting there is a God would endorse a higher being who can tell us what to do, and sinful man doesn’t want that at all! But to hide that admission, the atheist hides behind “proofs” or “problems with evil,” when in reality those statements don’t even hold up and cannot even be asked.

I think we don’t have to cower in fear when it comes to defending the faith. There are many proofs for God, but atheists won’t accept them because they have already decided that they don’t want a God.  A Christian can really wrestle with the problem with evil, but the atheist can’t even ask the question because it assumes God exists (the very thing they don’t believe in)! These are just a couple of examples how we can “destroy speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God.” Sometimes the best defense is a good offense.

Pastor Mark Scialabba

May 2013

In just a few days, members of our youth group will be heading out to the Cinco de Mayo festival here in town to share the gospel with people who come up to our table. Our goal is not to recruit people to come to our youth group or even the church. Our goal is to speak the gospel of Christ to people who haven’t heard it.

For some of us, even the thought of sharing the gospel is terrifying. We are afraid of getting into an argument, or being asked a question that we don’t know the answer to, or just being considered weird. Some are hesitant to evangelize because they feel they are not ‘gifted’ or not adequately trained in how to do it. Others understand the necessity of evangelism and they will pass out a flyer or a tract, but they still won’t talk to somebody. Whatever our hesitancy to share the gospel, we must remember two things: Evangelism is a matter of obedience, not giftedness; and, evangelism is the speaking of the message of Christ, not just the handing out of the message of Christ. In this article I’d like to propose 3 tips for helping us get the gospel conversation started.

The first tip would be to pray beforehand. If you know a person at work or school, who is not a Christian and you want to share the gospel with him/her, begin to pray for opportunities to do so. Paul asked the Colossians to pray this for him in Col 4:3. Specifically, he asked for an open door to share the gospel. You will be amazed at how God answers this prayer faithfully. I’ve had this happen in my own life where, out of the blue, someone will randomly bring up spiritual things or questions about Christianity. I was completely shocked by their question, but then I remember I had been praying for an opportunity and God gave it.

The second tip would be to relax. Of course we want to do a good job in our gospel presentation and we want to faithfully honor God, but we can relax knowing that the other person’s eternal destiny does not rest on how amazingly incredible our gospel presentation is. Its not because of us that people go to hell, and its not because of us that people get saved. Salvation is entirely God’s work, from beginning to end, so we need to stop placing this pressure on ourselves to make our conversation absolutely perfect. In Phil 1:15-18, Paul says that some people are preaching Christ out of love, and others out of envy. But whatever the reason, he says, he’s just glad they are speaking of Christ. Don’t wait to get it perfect, because then you will never begin! Just begin speaking of Christ.

The third tip would be to ask good questions. You’ll be surprised to hear how many questions we ask each other in a casual conversation. Why not throw in a question about spiritual things? People love to talk about themselves, so ask them their particular beliefs about things like: heaven, hell, God, etc. At least now the conversation is on the topic of spiritual things and we can work in the gospel. Good questions are open ended questions, which means, people can’t answer with a ‘yes’ or a ‘no.’ A question like: “Are you a Christian?” is not an open ended question because they can just answer ‘yes’ and then the conversation is over or shifting to another topic. Ask a question like: “What do you think happens when you die?” That type of question must be answered with more than just a yes/no.

I hope we can begin to get over our fear of evangelism by simply beginning to engage in it. The more you do it, the less afraid you will be. Hopefully, we can use these tips to begin the conversations that may eventually lead to eternal life.

Pastor Mark Scialabba

April 2013

The Easter holiday has just passed. Usually this is a big Sunday for churches. Visitors come to church on Easter, and for the twice-a-year people this is one of the two. Churches are usually prepared and excited about having higher numbers than usual on Easter. I saw an advertisement that a local church was doing this year to lure visitors in and it greatly disturbed me. The advertisement promised a $50 gas card to every new family that visits this particular church on Easter Sunday. Only one word came to mind when I read that: bribery. Offering people a gift to come is bribing them to come to church.

Is this what it has come to in our country? Are we so cowardly that we cannot even muster the courage to invite people to church?  Do we have to bribe them to come? Are we so desperate for numbers that the ends justify the means? Do we so casually dismiss the words of Jesus when He said, “I will build my church” (Matt 16:18) and “apart from Me you can do nothing?” (John 15:5). Are we so untrusting of the gospel message that we believe good ol’ evangelism doesn’t work? Are we so unfaithful to the Great Commission and the purity of the church that we would turn to marketing strategies to grow? Are we so man-centered that we don’t care about what God thinks? Are we so confident in our own power to save that we think if we can just get them in the door, we can probably save them? Are we so full of deception that we would give a gift to get people in, and then expect them to sacrifice and serve for the church?

While I don’t think the aforementioned church is the only one doing this, and I don’t believe it is the main cause of the problem, I do think the actions of that church are the symptoms of an epidemic in this country. The epidemic is a loss of reverence for God. He has been dumbed down and simplified so much that we no longer think of Him as a “consuming fire.” (Heb 12:29). What happened to the God of the OT who warned the people at Mt. Sinai to not even try to look upon him or many of them would perish (Ex 19:21)? Where is the God who consumed Nadab and Abihu for not performing sacrifices according to His clear commands (Lev 10:2)? Where is the God who killed thousands of citizens of Beth-shemesh for looking into the ark (1 Sam 6:19)?

And where are the believers like Isaiah, Ezekiel, and John who were able to get a glimpse of heaven and could not help but fall on their face in awe of God and mourning of their own sin (Isa 6, Ezek 1, Rev 1)? Where are the believers who open the Word of God trembling (Isa 66:2) because they know that it will pierce through the thoughts and intentions of their heart (Heb 4:12)?

These kinds of believers are becoming rare because of the lack of reverence for God. Now, in our country, we can post a cute little ‘God saying’ on our Facebook wall or like a picture of Jesus and think we are giving God glory.  In reality, the way to bring God glory is to open the Word of God, trembling, and allow it to pierce right through our false attempts at humility, our prideful self-righteousness, our fear of man, and our wicked hearts.  We should allow the Word to lay us completely naked and bare before an Almighty Holy God who is the Judge of the living and the dead and will not let the guilty go free.  Only then do we understand we have absolutely no right to stand before Him or name His name; the only thing we have is the righteousness of Christ given to us, and that is the only reason why God doesn’t consume us on the spot. Friends, let’s remember who God really is. Let us bring back awe and reverence for the Holy One of Israel and let the fear of God motivate our actions.

Pastor Mark Scialabba

March 2013

Recently my daughters had to go to the doctor to receive some routine vaccinations.  Of course, they don’t give one or two, but three!  There is nothing worse than hearing your child scream out in pain.  As a parent, if it were possible, I would gladly step in and receive the pain for them.  Any other parent would agree with me.  We would do everything in our power to not cause pain to our children.

But sometimes, there is a necessary pain that we need to inflict upon our children.  Now, I’m not talking about abuse of any kind (physical, mental, or emotional).  I’m talking about the pain we cause when we rebuke our children for wrongdoing and when we punish our children for wrongdoing.  It causes a child pain to be corrected by his/her parents, and it causes a child pain to be punished by his/her parents.  That is never enjoyable to the parents, but it is necessary.

In the book of 1 Kings, David is nearing the end of his life.  He knows his reign is coming to an end, and he names his successor: Solomon.  But David had other boys as well.  One of those boys was named Adonijah. He selfishly exalted himself and said, “I will be the next king” (1 Kin 1:5).  He didn’t ask or inquire of his father or brothers about the possibility of being the next king, he just wanted it and declared it.  Verse 6 says, “His father (David) had never crossed him at any time by asking, ‘why have you done this?’”  Literally it says, David had never pained him, or caused him pain.  This is not any sort of abusive pain, but confrontational pain to Adonijah’s wrongdoing or wrong thinking.

The Bible declares that David was not complete in his parenting because he did not cause his son pain. It’s talking about the pain of confrontation or rebuke for wrongdoing.  For whatever reason, David did not or could not confront or correct his son when he was wrong.  Of course, it never feels good to rebuke and punish our children.  It pains me to have to spank my children when they do wrong.  But without that confrontation, the sinfulness in a child’s heart goes on unhindered and allows him/her full expression of selfish desires.  Case in point: Adonijah.

Adonijah wanted to be the king and took steps to attain that, and David never confronted him about it. The story has a sad ending, as Solomon ends up executing Adonijah because he is a challenger to Solomon’s throne.  The point is that we have a responsibility before God as parents, to rebuke and correct when our children show sinful thoughts or behaviors.  We are God’s main agent in the restriction of our children’s sinful tendencies.  When we let sin continue because we don’t want to hurt their feelings (or their bum) then we actually cause them more pain in the long run, because their sinful tendencies are allowed free expression.  That dishonors and displeases God.  There is a necessary pain we must cause as parents, for the long term benefits of our children.

I would also like to speak directly to children now.  If you think that your parents enjoy punishing you or correcting your bad behavior, believe me, they don’t.  But your parents have a responsibility before God to correct and train you in righteousness.  Part of that training is punishing that which is evil or wrong.  As difficult as this may sound, welcome the correction because your parents have your best interest at heart.  It would have been more beneficial for David to correct and punish his son, Adonijah, than to just let him do as he pleased.

Pastor Mark Scialabba