Born To Win Podcast - With Ronald L. Dart

As I watch the way our government is changing, I can’t help thinking back to a time when man enjoyed maximum freedom under God. The story is in the Bible, of all places, and it describes, of all things, a theocracy. Many nowadays worry that Christians want to establish a theocracy in this country, but they needn’t worry. You can’t establish a theocracy in a country that doesn’t recognize God. In the Bible, the story of the theocracy (and its end) is told through the books of Joshua, Judges, and Samuel.It began, ironically, with another freeing of slaves—in that case, the children of Israel from slavery in Egypt. If you think about it very long, you’ll know that you can’t just grant men Liberty by setting them free. Merely freeing the slaves leads only to anarchy. To really be free requires an internal commitment to the rule of law, and the only law that can guarantee Liberty is the Law of God.So, God brought Israel out of Egypt and 50 days later, spoke to them all fro

Is there such a thing as the unpardonable sin? It’s a disturbing idea—that there might be something I could do that could never be forgiven. And, since I have had the question in last day or so, I thought I might tell you what I know about it. It is, I think, rather more complicated than a set of a few proof texts commonly quoted and explained. Let me start with what God is really like.The images people carry around in their heads about God often bear little resemblance to the real God of creation and the Bible. To some, God is a kind of grandfather in the sky. Not really a Father, because a father is more immediate and judgmental. No, a grandfather is better, because they let you get away with more stuff. I might despair of really understanding God if it weren’t for some revealing statements in the Bible. Take this quote from Jeremiah, for instance.Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his

The conscience is the inner sense of what is right and what is wrong in our conduct and our motives. It’s supposed to be that guiding light that says, You should feel good about this act. You should feel awful about that one. It’s that sense which impels us towards the right kind of actions. It’s that complex of moral and ethical principles that controls or inhibits our actions and thoughts. And, when that’s gone or corrupted, how are you going to live your live? It is possible that we’ve brought up a generation of kids with no conscience, no shame?Let’s talk about this for a minute. A generation with no conscience will be governed by what? Well, it won’t be governed by any sense of right and wrong. What’s left is that they will be governed by what they can get away with. If nobody will find out about what we have done, it isn’t necessarily wrong. If it doesn’t hurt me, cause me any problems, or get me in trouble than it isn’t something I have

In doing research for a book I was writing, I came across something that was new to me, and likely new to you as well—unless perhaps you are an observant Jew. I was browsing the book titled Judaism when Christianity Began by Jacob Neusner, and the chapter that dealt with the coming of the Messiah naturally caught my eye. In it, I found that the Jews believe something I didn’t know they believe.(Before I discuss it, I should note that Neusner is writing about Rabbinic Judaism, with the full awareness that there are other sects of Judaism. It is almost as risky to say that Jews believe something as it is to say that Christians believe a given dogma.) That caution considered, here is one sentence that stopped me in my tracks. It is the first sentence in a section titled, The Messiah. Neusner wrote this: When Israel really wants the Messiah to come, he will come.It is a stunning idea. Here we are as Christians, looking for the second coming of the Messiah (and the Jews are out there waiting for the first) and the

What do you do when you cut loose from God? How do you live, what guides your decisions? How can you tell right from wrong? And when you think about it, who consciously cuts loose from God. Does anyone say, I don’t care about God, I’m going to dump him? Maybe, but those are generally out on the fringe somewhere. Let me show you a more pertinent example of how it might happen. It’s from Moses’ last sermon to Israel:See, I have taught you decrees and laws as the Lord my God commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land you are entering to take possession of it. Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, "Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people." What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him? And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am s

An article recently showed up in my email about the state of Christianity in China. I almost didn’t read it. I have heard about Chinese Christians before, but nothing to make me think they could do any more than struggle along against the various obstacles in that country. But I began to read it. And when I got started, I couldn’t stop.Something important is happening in China that runs so counter to what one might expect that it sounds like, well, a miracle. And the miracle is remarkably similar to the one that turned the Roman world upside—down in the days of Paul and Barnabas.But there is no Chinese Paul. There isn’t even a Chinese Billy Graham or Rick Warren. Christianity is not on television or radio, as far as I know. But there are now some 70 million Christians in China. How on earth did that happen?

The holy days in Israel were prophetic, illustrating God's plan through annual cycles that reflected his work and intentions. Although the people of Old Testament times might not have fully grasped their significance, these holy days carry profound meaning for Christians today.One of these, the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost and was a time to thank God for the bounty received. It required the firstfruits of the harvest to be offered to God before the harvest could be enjoyed. This act symbolized the beginning of a seven-week period of work, culminating in Pentecost. Although we may have distanced ourselves from these agricultural roots, Pentecost remains a festival of thanksgiving for the harvest.The seven weeks leading up to Pentecost represent the Messiah's work—from his acceptance by God as the first of the firstfruits until his return and the establishment of his kingdom. This period was marked by labor, punctuated by rest, symbolized by the seven Sabbaths leading up to Pentecost.In this prophetic scheme, th

This weekend marks one of the most important occasions in the history of the Christian Church. It is the day of Pentecost, and you may not know that it is actually a lot older than the church. Considering what happened on that day, I am surprised that there are so many Christians who know so little about it and what it signifies. Consider one statement from the Book of Acts to explain what I mean:And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they [the disciples of Jesus] were all with one accord in one place.Acts 2:1 KJVNow, that the disciples were there observing the festival is beyond dispute. They were all Israelites, they had observed this festival all their lives, and there was absolutely nothing in all the teachings of Jesus up to this point to suggest any change in that practice.In fact, there were three pilgrimage festivals—that is, feasts where they were expected to come to Jerusalem to worship at the Temple. They were Passover, Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles. So they were there. (Jesu

One week from tomorrow is Pentecost, otherwise known as the Feast of Firstfruits. Traditionally, we have said that Pentecost pictures the receiving of the Holy Spirit. It's not hard to figure out why, because on that first Pentecost of the church (a day often called the birthday of the New Testament church) the Holy Spirit was poured out in incredible power.The description of those events in Acts 2 is enough, even 2,000 years later, to make the hair stand up on the back of your neck and marvel at what that might have been like. There was a great noise like a tornado that filled the room, and fire descended—shimmering sheets of fire through the ceiling and across the top of the room, then a tongue that descended upon each of those present. That must have been incredible, and one can only imagine. I don't think they expected it; I can't imagine they did. There's not a hint that they had a clue as to what was going to take place on that day. We've talked a lot about that over the years, and of course, the natura

I had a call recently from a lady who was very complimentary of one of my programs. It seemed what she appreciated most was my honesty with the scriptures. Now, I was flattered by that, but I couldn’t help wondering if honesty with the scriptures was all that unusual. I don’t want to sit in judgment of anyone, but if there is any cause to be less than honest with the Bible, it probably grows out of church or denominational affiliation.I don’t intend any criticism of any church membership or affiliation, but when a church publishes a creed—a statement of beliefs, a doctrinal statement—there is a serious need to defend that creed. And since these creeds are not word-for-word from the Bible, there is almost certainly going to be a problem with some passages of scripture that, at first blush, don’t seem to fit. They may not fit at second blush either, and there may be no small amount of explaining to do which some unsophisticated soul may declare to be less than honest with the

When the last words of the Ten Commandments had rolled down Mount Sinai, and the last echoes had faded away amid the hills and valleys, the people standing at the foot of the mountain were a total wreck. They were shattered. The earth had moved beneath their feet, the mountain had smoked, the air had been split by lightning and peals of thunder, and the words—preceded by an ear-splitting trumpet blast—were strong enough to move your chest.And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they moved, and stood far off. And they said unto Moses, Speak you with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.Exodus 20:18–19 KJ2000You and I probably think that we would really like God to speak to us. I would like him to tell me, Ron, here’s what I want you to do. But, you know, I’m just not sure that I would survive the experience.

Of all the Ten Commandments, there’s one that can be called the “Peace of Mind Commandment”, or if you prefer, the “Mental Health Commandment”. It is the Tenth Commandment, “Thou shall not covet thy neighbor's house. Thou shall not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is your neighbors” (Exodus 20:17).At the bottom of the scale, “We are not to covet our neighbor’s ass.” That says it all, doesn’t it? What is there to want or covet about a donkey? Would you covet the pretty ones? You know, if you see one jackass then you have seen them all. So why covet those things?You know covetousness, all by itself, would seem to be a harmless fault. It wouldn't seem like a very big deal, merely to sit and wish you had something that you don't have, it doesn’t seem to amount to much. But in another way, it’s a sickness, and perhaps from this sickness much of the violation of

The very foundation of our legal system is truth. If people can come into court, swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth and then lie through their teeth, justice flies right out the window. No one can get judgment. No one can get justice. It's over! The Old Testament system was a little different from ours, but it was based on the same principle. Actually, I think in some ways it was a better system than we have.Leviticus 5, verse 1 says this:If a person sins because he does not speak up when he hears a public charge to testify, regarding something he has seen or learned about, he will be held responsible.Now, in our court system, we have to go out and find the witnesses. We have to bring them into court. We have to swear them in and question them. And they have all sorts of ways, it seems like, to avoid getting into court and being held there, to have to answer these questions. It is at that moment of swearing, in court, you get them there, you make them stand up, raise their righ

The last six of the Ten Commandments are said to be summarized by the statement You shall love your neighbor as yourself. And that’s well enough, but I want to take another look at them from the community standpoint. Now we come to commandment number eight. And as I was preparing for this program, for some reason, it really struck me how important these laws are to society.The Fifth Commandment is the one that establishes and maintains family ties. It is a fundamental need of any society that families take care of their own. It’s the fragmentation of the family that leaves people sleeping on grates in the wintertime in the cities. The Sixth Commandment establishes a right to life. Thou shalt not kill, says God, and that includes manslaughter and any other unlawful or immoral destruction of human life. Any society that diminishes the right to life has set itself on the road to the trash heap of history. The Seventh Commandment establishes the sanctity of marriage and who has the rights to somebody

The days between Passover and Pentecost were heady days for the first disciples. Jesus had been raised from the dead after they thought he was gone forever. They were joyful beyond belief. Down through the generations all sorts of people have tried to duplicate that excitement of the Pentecost. The problem is it's all been artificial, contrived, manipulated. But man-made excitement is temporary, and when the excitement is gone it may leave depression behind as a legacy. What the disciples were feeling during this period of time was certainly nothing like man-made excitement. They had a joy that I don't think we quite can understand. They also had a challenge before them of enormous proportions.I want to come today to four ideas that we need to take a look at, instead of just looking for some sort of excitement. They form a neat acronym: C.O.P.E.. These ideas, frankly, can transform your life and can also turn your church around in its tracks, if you just understand what is meant by these four words.(Apologies

When Israel settled into the promised land, they enjoyed a time of freedom like few people have ever enjoyed in the history of the world. But I don’t think very many people understand or appreciate the foundation of that freedom and what it took to maintain it.It wasn’t just a matter of God handing them everything on a silver platter. They had to fight for the land, to fight for their freedom, and to work like the devil for their prosperity.But none of that would have worked without the foundation of freedom. Israel was given a law, and a system of worship designed to maintain that law, to implant the law in their national memory, and to shape the national conscience. Moses, in one of his speeches, made some statements on this point that I think are worth remembering. We’ll find them in Deuteronomy, chapter 4.