The Danger of Idolatry

Date:  Jan 25, 2012
To:  The Body of Christ
From:  Aldwin and Wendy Naruse
Subject:  Daily Devotional Journal
Re:  Idolatry

Idolatry

Exodus 20
3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.
2 Kings 17:12
for they served idols, of which the LORD had said to them, “You shall not do this thing.”

Ezekiel 37:23
They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions; but I will deliver them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. Then they shall be My people, and I will be their God.

Definition of Idol:
any person or thing regarded with blind admiration, adoration, or devotion.  (dictionary.com)

Commentary:
When we place value on people or hold them in high esteem, we are treating them like idols. We all value different things and people on different levels. There are basically three types of values: Face
value, special value and divine value. Face value is what you see in front of you. Special value is that element(s) about that person that makes him more valuable than anyone else in your eyes. Divine
value is when you worship that person as if he is your god. When we place value on some one or some thing, we spend all our time and energy on it. We think about it. We exercise it. We take care of it. We dream about it. We meditate on it. We mull over it. Over time, it builds value. It then becomes something special. When something is determined special, more value is added to the face value. At that point, it becomes special value. Left unchecked, the special value continues to grow and the need level in you increases and it becomes an idol. Idols are derived from one who places divine value on a person, place, or thing. This entity has then become his idol because it has high value to him. This is why people kill themselves when they lose a loved one, a huge amount of money, or their job. They have placed so much value on this one person, thing, or place that when this entity is removed from them, they feel like they have no more reason to live. This is the danger of having idols.

Most people are ignorant of the devil’s schemes. They do not know that the devil wants them to have idols. The devil hates God and does not want us to worship God. So he tries to get us to worship
another human being (i.e. actor, singer, etc), or our job or even our own self. If the devil can get you to worship something or anything other than our Lord Jesus Christ, he has succeeded in pulling you
closer to him (the devil) and away from our Lord Jesus Christ. If we never come to the realization in our lifetime that we are worshiping man more than God, we have sold our soul to the devil and thus,
we will lose our salvation. The only person who deserves all of our worship, praise and honor is our Lord Jesus Christ. No man on this earth, no matter how seemingly successful or great he is in the eyes
of man, is worthy of all praise, glory, and full worship.  When you have idols in your heart, the Lord Jesus Christ is kicked out of your heart. The two cannot co-exist in your heart. Either you serve Jesus or mammon. You cannot have two masters. Many believers today who sit in the churches will lift up holy hands to praise the Lord Jesus Christ while they are in possession of one or more idols in their hearts. This grieves the heart of God more than anything. If the Lord is not your Lord of all, He is not your Lord at all. Our Lord Jesus Christ will never share His glory with anyone else. If He is only in your heart half the time, then He really isn’t your  Lord at all. He is not a part-time Lord. He is an all-the-time Lord.  

Questions to ponder
● Do you hold anything in your heart more valuable than Jesus?
● Think about the people in your life? your money? your job? your position? How do these
entities stack up against the Lord Jesus?
● Is the Lord Jesus Christ really your Lord? Or is He more like an extra-curricular activity?
● If Jesus told you today to give half of your money to the poor, how will you respond?
● Would your answer be “No way, man, it took me 10 years to save up this money,” or “Lord, are you serious? Can I just give $50?” Or will it be “Yes, Lord, I will do that immediately.”

Sobering, isn’t it, when we are face with the decision of whether to choose Christ or some other person, place, or thing? Who is your idol? Who do you value most in your heart? What do you value
most in life?

The first commandment says, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” “The sin against this commandment which we are most in danger of is giving the glory and honour to any creature which
are due to God only. Pride makes a god of self, covetousness makes a god of money, sensuality makes a god of the belly; whatever is esteemed or loved, feared or served, delighted in or depended on,
more than God, that (whatever it is) we do in effect make a god of. This prohibition includes a precept which is the foundation of the whole law, that we take the Lord for our God, acknowledge that he is God, accept him for ours, adore him with admiration and humble reverence, and set our affections entirely upon him.” (Henry)

Some common forms of idols in today’s society are the following:
● an actor or actress that you really love to watch over and over again because he or she is either good-looking, talented in acting, or makes us laugh.
● a teacher that you secretly admire and think about all the time.
● an ex-girlfriend that you cannot seem to forget because she was such a good catch.
● a pastor that you love to talk to every chance you get because he is such a holy man of God and preaches a great sermon every single Sunday.
● a statue in the temple that you bow to religiously three times a week.
● your television set, your car, your house, and your baby....did you know people idolize their baby all the time? That is why by the time the baby turns two, he is running the house and his parents are running around the house catering to his needs and wants.
● the self, the ego which strives to be seen, heard, recognized, admired, and so forth. This is the most prevalent idol in today’s society.

God wants to bless us more than we can ever know. But He will not bow to our needs. He will not bow to us. He knows who He is, the Almighty God. He came first. He created all of humanity. He is
omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscience. We bow to Him. He does not bow to us or our needs. In fact, if there was no God to begin with, you and I would not be here today. He is our creator. He is the potter. We are the clay. Sometimes, we forget that and we think we can run the show.

2 Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV)
14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

This passage clearly shows us that God’s people (you and me) can be wicked in our ways. He is saying “IF” My people who are called by My name will do these four things which is to be humble, pray, seek God’s face and turn from their wicked ways, then he will hear from heaven, forgive their sins and heal their land. God is saying a few things here. He is saying that if you will do your part, I will do mine. In this case, we are talking about idolatry, so we are to humble ourselves and pray and seek His face and turn from idolatry. Also, notice that God said “if My people..... will turn from their wicked ways.” This shows that God’s people, who are called by His name, have the ability to be wicked. “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9) How sobering!! God’s people can choose to be wicked. Many of them go to church every Sunday. Everything stems from the heart. Righteousness is a daily choice, not a gift.

How do we turn away from idolatry? 
Answer:  Take all that blind admiration, devotion and adoration that you had for a human being. Then confess, repent, forsake it and cast it to hell, and give back to the Lord Jesus what is rightfully His which is your total, exclusive and complete admiration, devotion and adoration. Idols are from the pits of hell. Idols make you tie to the devil and separated from God. The more idols you have, the more tied you are to the devil, our enemy. And they are there to draw you away from Jesus, not closer to Him. The more idols you have in your life, the farther and farther you will be away from the Lord Jesus and if left unchecked and undealt with, you can lose your salvation. So wake up before its too late. Turn or burn.

Prayer to God:
Gracious Abba Father, in the name of Jesus the Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we ask for forgiveness. We admit and confess the idols in our hearts and lives. We pray to denounce all these idols, rebuke, and cast them all into the dead sea. We ask for forgiveness for putting these idols above You and in place of You, oh Lord. We pray to sever all negative soul ties with people, places, and things that we held in high esteem. We pray to denounce all these idols today and forevermore. We ask for forgiveness of the sin of idolatry. We ask to be restore into full fellowship with you, Lord. We give you all the worship, praise, admiration, devotion and adoration which is rightfully Yours. We thank and praise You, Lord. In Jesus most precious and holy name, we pray. Amen.

Work cited:
1. Henry, Matthew, commentary on Exodus 20, http://www.blueletterbible.org/commentaries/comm_view.cfm?AuthorID=4&contentID=698&commInfo=5&topic=Exodus

What is a holy kiss?

Date: August 22, 2012
To: The Body of Christ
From: Aldwin Naruse
Subject: Daily Devotional Journal
Re: Holy Kiss

What is a“holy kiss?’

In light of our last document that we wrote regarding “Hugging and Kissing in the churches,” we were directed to do research on the topic of “holy kiss.” We see pastors and church leaders use this term casually, but it is not certain if the intended meaning of this term from the Bible is really understood.  Therefore, the Lord has led us (husband and wife) to do further research and a study on the “holy kiss.” Here is what we found.

Keywords to define here are “holy” and “kiss.”  “Holy” means a fitting sanctity, godly, pious, pure from evil contact, ceremonially pure, without spot, sacred, associated with God, sincere, pure. (Zodhiates)

Holy means separated from sin, consecrated to God, sacred, often presented in a way which involves divine demands on the conduct of believers, forsaking sin, living a holy life. It is characteristically godlikeness.

Holy means free from anything inconsistent with their calling as saints. (Strong’s)

A kiss of charity -

There was to be an absence of formality and hypocrisy. Freedom from prejudice arising from social distinction, from discrimination against the poor, from partiality against the well to do. In churches, masters and servants would salute each other without any attitude or condescension to one another. The kissing took place between persons of the same sex. (Strong’s) Greek word for “kiss” is Philema (Strong’s)

Kisses were in common form of affectionate greeting for family members, intimate friend, or those who were objects of respect. Due to abuses in subsequent centuries, the church limited the practices of liturgical kiss of fellowship to men kissing men and women kissing women. (Keener)

Different Kinds of kisses
1. Deceitful - 2 Samuel 20:9-10, Luke 22:48

2 Samuel 20:9-10 (AMP)
9 Joab said to Amasa, Are you well, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with the right hand {as if] to kiss him. 10 But Amasa did not notice the sword in Joab’s hand. So [Joab] struck him [who was to have been his successor] with it in the body, shedding his bowels to the ground without another blow; and [soon] he died. So Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Sheba son of Bichri.

Luke 22:48  (AMP)
48 But Jesus said to him, Judas! Would you betray and deliver up the Son of Man with a kiss?

2. Insincere - 2 Sam 15:5 (AMP)
5 And whenever a man came near to do obeisance to him, he would put out his hand, take hold of him, and kiss him.

3. Fatherly - Genesis 27:26-27 (AMP)
26 Then his father Isaac said, Come near and kiss me, my son.
7 So he came near and kissed him; and [Isaac] smelled his clothing and blessed him and said, The scent of my son is as the odor of a field which the Lord has blessed.

4. Friendship - Exo 18:7, 1 Sam 20:41

Exodus 18:7 (AMP)
 7 And Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed in homage and kissed him; and each asked the other of his welfare and they came into the tent.

1 Samuel 20:41   (AMP)
41 And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose from beside the heap of stones and fell on his face to the ground and bowed himself three times. And they kissed one another and wept with one another until David got control of himself.

5. Esteemed - 2 Sam 19:32-39   (AMP)
32 Now Barzillai was a very aged man, even eighty years old; and he had provided the king with food while he remained at Mahanaim, for he was a very great man.
33 And the king said to Barzillai, Come over with me, and I will provide for you with me in Jerusalem.
34 And Barzillai said to the king, How much longer have I to live, that it would be worthwhile for me to go up with the king to Jerusalem?
35 I am this day eighty years old. Could I now [be useful as a counselor to] discern between good and evil? Can your servant appreciate what I eat or drink? Can I any longer enjoy the voices of singing men and women? Why then should your servant be still a burden to my lord the king?
36 Your servant will only go over the Jordan with the king. Why should the king repay me with such a reward?
37 Let your servant turn back again, that I may die in my own city and be buried by the grave of my father and mother. But here is your servant Chimham; let him go over with my lord the king. And do to him what shall seem good to you.
38 The king answered, Chimham shall go over with me, and I will do to him what seems good to you; and whatever you ask of me I will do for you.
39 So all the people went over the Jordan. When the king had crossed over, he kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and [the great man] returned to his own place.

6. Sexual love - Gen. 29:11, Song of Solomon 1:2
Genesis 29:11  (AMP)
11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and he wept aloud.

Song of Solomon 1:2 (AMP)
 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! [she cries. Then, realizing that Solomon has arrived and has heard her speech, she turns to him and adds] For your love is better than wine!

7. Illicit love - Proverbs 7:13
Proverbs 7:13  (AMP)
13 So she caught him and kissed him and with impudent face she said to him,

8. False religion - 1 Kings 19:18, Hosea 13:2
1 Kings 19:18  (AMP)
18 Yet I will leave Myself 7,000 in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him.

Hosea 13:2  (AMP)
2 And now they sin more and more and have made for themselves molten images of their silver, even idols according to their own understanding [as it pleased them], all of them the work of the craftsmen. To these [very works of their hands] they speak or pray who sacrifice to them; they kiss and show homage to the calves [as if they were alive]!

9. Holy love - Romans 16:16, 1 Cor 16:20
Romans 16:16  (AMP)
16 Greet one another with a holy (consecrated) kiss. All the churches of Christ (the Messiah) wish to be remembered to you.
1 Corinthians 16:20  (AMP)
20 All the brethren wish to be remembered to you and wish you well. Greet one another with a holy kiss. (Broomall)

Commentary:
“Greeting, by means of a kiss, appears to have been a common practice in the early church, and to have been followed for some centuries after the beginning of the Christian area. The custom is mentioned by Justin Martyr, Tertullian…Augustine, and numerous other early writers….According to the historians of the early church, the abuses to which the practice would ordinarily lead were avoided by the separation of the sexes when the church assembled for worship, an arrangement inherited from the synagogue…” (A Commentary on the New Testament Epistles by Guy N. Woods, Vol. 7, pg. 136).  The early synagogue already knew that this “holy kiss” may be abused, so they separated the sexes in churches. Men sat on one side and women sat on the other side of the church. How great is that. The church knew that there are people (men or women) who would take advantage of this holy kiss in the church.

The holy kiss ( Romans 16:16, 1 pet 5:14) which later entered the church liturgy was an expression of christian love and was presumably restricted to ones own sex. (Marshall)  Here, another author is saying that the holy kiss is “restricted to one’s own sex.” That means, if you are a man, you can only kiss another man and same with the women. I have never been to these churches in the Bible times, but I think that they really took much preventive measures. They understood human appetites and provided restrictions. They really kept the church holy and pure.

“Then let the men give the men, and the women give the women, the Lord’s kiss. But let no one do it with deceit, as Judas betrayed the Lord with a kiss” (The Constitutions of the Holy Apostles, Book 2, 57, page 422, Vol. 7, The Ante-Nicene Fathers).

Again, another confirmation here that the holy kiss is to be expressed within the same gender, not cross gender. Amazing. The different writers are saying pretty much the same thing.

Upon examining the article entitled “Kiss” in Smith’s Bible Dictionary, we see that it was customary to greet one another with a kiss during the apostles’ time. It still is in many countries today. But this kiss was not something God commanded the apostles or anyone to do. It was merely a custom; a salutation.

Notice that it was not a command from God. It is merely a custom (man-made). That means, God did not mandate this church practice. And if we do not engage in the holy kiss, we have not sinned.  Today, one may view the modern tradition of shaking hands as being equivalent with a “holy kiss.” This is a more acceptable greeting in our society.

There are four places in the New Testament that refer to the “holy kiss”—Romans 16:16; 1 Corinthians 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:12; and 1 Thessalonians 5:26. In each instance, the Greek words denote a kiss which is sacred—physically pure and morally blameless. It was a common custom in most nations for people to kiss each other at meeting or parting to display their love, sincere affection, and friendship for each other. The kiss is called "holy" to distinguish it from a sexual one and from a hypocritical and deceitful one, such as Joab gave to Amasa (2 Samuel 20:9) or such as Judas gave to Jesus when he cried, “Hail Rabbi,” and betrayed Him into the hands of His enemies (Matthew 26:49).

I believe there are reasons—higher principles—which may require us to obey Paul’s command in a different way than actually going about kissing one another. The higher principle is this: “Avoid every appearance of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:22). In our culture, kissing means something quite different from what it meant in the days of Paul. If kissing one another would cause some to stumble or cause unnecessary offense to the gospel, then it may not be the thing to do.
http://bible.org/search/apachesolr_search/holy%20kiss

To avoid every appearance of evil is a command from the Word of God. So we are to avoid this at all costs.

Whether or not the holy kiss should be a tradition we carry on today is not clear in Scripture. Whether or not our salutations to our brothers and sisters in Christ include the holy kiss, the important thing is that our greetings spring from real love and friendship, be characterized by sincerity, and represent true Christian fellowship.  Isn’t this the sole purpose for greeting our brothers and sisters, which is from real genuine love, friendship, sincerity and true fellowship? And if so, isn’t there any other way that we can express this genuine love and unity for one another?

In our culture, Christian unity may not be best demonstrated by a kiss. There may not be a way for us to greet others with a kiss which is truly holy. If not, then let us find some way in which to demonstrate our unity. One way is to open our homes to those believers who would not normally be invited into the intimacy of our restricted privacy and fellowship. Culturally, this would be shocking to those who wish to preserve and promote our differences. For Christians, it would be an excellent way to demonstrate the greater unity we have in Christ in the midst of our differences. Some outside the faith, who would claim us as a part of their culture or group, will undoubtedly be angered. Let it be so. Christian unity must be something we not only declare in concept but demonstrate in our conduct.

Holy kiss, like some other practices with symbolic meaning that change from culture to culture such as foot washing or head covering for wives. Holy Kiss would not convey the same meaning today  that it did in the first century and in most cultures, it would be seriously misunderstood. Such commands are best obeyed by substituting an action such as a handshake or bow, depending on culture that would convey the same meaning in a modern context. (Dennis)

If we take the word of God literally and not look at the latent meaning which is to examine the depth, the width and the height, we would only see the literal context. We will miss what the Spirit is saying through the Word of God. It would develop into a religious practice. It will be abused if taken literally. This is operating by the letter of the law and not by the Spirit. There is no discernment involved. Taking things literally on the surface is very dangerous. It must be discerned.

In conclusion, we have found out that the “holy kiss” was intended as a customary greeting in the early churches. It was never a commandment, but merely a tradition. Also, it was intended to be expressed between people of the same gender, meaning men with men and women with women. The apostle Paul’s intention for the holy kiss was for the purpose of Christian unity. It was never a commandment mandated by God Himself. It was a greeting gesture and man perverted it by including hugging and kissing in churches today and using “the holy kiss” as their basis of justification. It is clearly a perversion.

Today, some preachers and pastors use this term “holy kiss” too loosely. Their interpretation and application are indirectly causing people to sin. If we are to imitate our church leaders, and be under their spiritual leadership, we must examine the Word of God, line upon line, precept upon precept to understand the real truth of the matter. If our interpretation and application of Scripture are causing church members to sin, God will hold us accountable. And we must answer to God and make full disclosures of the spiritual conditions of the souls that we were entrusted with.

As under-shepherds of the Lord Jesus Christ who is the head of all churches, church leaders must make accountabilities of what they are teaching. This error must be addressed and corrections made for the sake of the Body of Christ at large. Once the Holy Spirit has brought an understanding through the Word of God, repentance is in order. Church practices should adhere to the Bible’s intended meaning instead of denominational traditions and beliefs.


Aldwin and Wendy

P.S.  Sorry, guys, no endorsement here for you to freely kiss the girls in your church.  


Work cited
1. Marshall, Howard I., A.R. Millard, J.I. Packer, and D. J. Wiseman. New Bible Dictionary.
Downer's Grove: Intervarsity Press, USA. 1996.

2. Zodhiates, Spiros, Hebrew Greek Keyword Study Bible, Chattanooga: ANG publishers, 2008.

3. Vines, W.E., and Bruce, F., Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old Testament Words, Grand Rapids,
MI, Baker Book House Company, 1981.

4. Dennis, Lane T., ESV Study Bible, Wheaton: Crossway, 2008.

5. Strong, James, the New Strong's Expanded Exhaustive Concordance, Nashville: Thomas
Nelson publishers, 2001.

6. Broomall, Wick, The Open Bible Expanded Edition. Nashville: Thomas Nelson publisher,
1985.

7. Keener, Craig, IVP Bible Background Commentary New Testament, Downers Grove, IL,
Intervarsity
Press, 1993.

Hugging and Kissing in churches???

Date: August 18, 2012
To: The Body of Christ
From: Aldwin Naruse
Subject:  Daily Devotional Journal
Re:  Hugging and kissing in churches

IS IT OKAY TO HUG AND KISS IN CHURCH?

Romans 16:17-18  (NKJV)
17 Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. 18 For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple.

Ephesians 5:6-7  (NKJV)
6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be partakers with them.

Ephesians 5:11  (NKJV)
11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.
.
Matthew 23:27-28 (NKJV)
27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
.
Luke 6:26 (NKJV)
26 Woe to you[a] when all  men speak well of you,
For so did their fathers to the false prophets.

2 Corinthians 11:13-15  (NKJV)
13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. 14  And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.

2 Peter 2:17-19  (NKJV)
17 These are wells without water, clouds[a] carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.

18 For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped[c] from those who live in error. 19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage.

Mark 8:34-35  (NKJV)
34 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 35 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.

Romans 12:1  (NKJV)
12 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

Colossians 3:2  (NKJV)
2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
.
James 4:4 (NKJV)
4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

1 John 2:15 (NKJV)
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

commentary:
Cultural consultant Peter Apo makes the statement that “how you greet people is totally personal,  even in Hawaii.” That is so true. There is no one universal way that dictates to the world what is the absolute right way to greet. Even in Hawaii, not everyone is comfortable with the “hug and kiss” kind of greeting. This might be the Hawaiian way, but many people who have lived in Hawaii for many years still choose not to hug and kiss as a form of greeting.

In the Star Advertiser Newspaper article titled “Incoming” written by Henry Alford dated August 7, 2012, he states:

“Social kissing might have evolved as a way for people to inoculate themselves against
passion, as well as to demonstrate their ability to rein in or even transcend desire,” said
Daniel Akst, the author of “We Have Met the Enemy: Self-Control in an Age of Excess.” Akst views social kissing as a form of “regulated infidelity” meant to stymie courtship.

Clearly, personal boundaries have been violated due to “regulated infidelity.” Many people have imposed their form of greeting onto other people and by doing so used it to satisfy their own fleshly appetites for lust or skin-to-skin contact. Churches do it all the time.

Today, many churches encourage hugging or kissing as a form of welcome or greeting to newcomers or even old timers. It is a practice that has been enforced and re-enforced over and over again so that if my wife goes to a church and she, as a woman, choose not to hug a brother in the Lord, then she is branded as “not having any Christian love or no Aloha.” In a church that encourages lots of hugging  and kissing between church members, one who withdraws from this form of greeting is almost ostracized. One brother in a church said to my wife, “well, in this church, if you don’t like to hug, we are going to have a problem.” At another church, the pastor called out my wife and said to her “in this church, we hug and kiss to greet each other. And that is why we have so many kids. You need to learn our cultural practice and we will teach you how.” This is after my wife had refused to greet him with a hug. What he was really saying to her was that “if you want to come to my church, you have to  let me hug your body. Translation:  Be a piece of meat for me.   And if not, don’t come to my church.”  It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that out.

My wife used to think it was okay to hug both men and women in church and that it was the “Christian thing” to do. She, too, bought the lie. However, she no longer believe that. She no longer hug or allow men to hug her in churches. I don’t care if he is the senior pastor. The word is the ultimate final word, not the pastor. Many men go to church nowadays because they know that this is the one place that they can legally hug a sister in the church and that he can get a moment of satisfaction just to be touching a woman’s body, chest to chest. After all, the pastor is not only endorsing it but encouraging it. So why not? What the church has become is a “meat market” for wolves in sheep’s clothing, and sometimes, that wolf is the pastor himself.

Sisters, wake up and smell the coffee. You do not have to be public property. You don’t have to submit and yield to the hugs. You are not a piece of meat. Rise up and separate yourselves from darkness. This is darkness.  It does not matter if the man is a pastor, president or pope, when men approach to hug you and you don’t want to be hugged, just simply say “no, thank you." If he insist on hugging you after that, it is called “sexual harassment.” I have had a pastor who imposed a full frontal hug on my wife. He pretty much just helped himself. And after the hug, he says to her “sister, you don’t know how much you blessed me today.” Translation here: “sister, you don’t know how long I have been waiting to rub my chest against big breasts because my wife is flat-chested.”

I shared with a sister regarding hugging in churches and how I am against it and her response to me was that she used to be uncomfortable with the idea, but she has learned to be comfortable with it.  Translation: “At one time, I did not want men to hug me, but I have learned to compromise my values so that the church will accept me and let me come back.” What this sister has done is yield to  unrighteousness for the sake of acceptance. And there are many “sisters in Christ” who are doing the very same thing.

“GENERALLY, YOU CAN intuitively sense whether an individual is protective of their
personal space. Typically, if a person doesn’t want to be hugged or kissed, then a hand will probably come up for a handshake. “ (Wu)

“Everyone’s going to do what’s right for them. Some people can accept the custom, and
some can’t.” And some people like to play it safe by sticking with the handshake. (Wu)

So why do some men still insist on hugging the women in churches?
Answer: Because they have an appetite for a woman’s body. Many men in churches are not as holy as one would think. Many of them are living in the flesh. And what is the flesh all about? According to 1 John 2:16, they are given over to “the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life.”  And many of the women in the churches are the same way as well, in the flesh. They want to be hugged and grabbed by the men. They want to be treated like a piece of meat.

No one in this world, no matter what position he holds, has the right to insist that others adopt his way of greeting, especially if his form of greeting is violating one’s personal space. Hugging and kissing between people who are not married to each other forms negative soul ties. And these negative soul ties turn into a stronghold. This is how addictions are formed. We cannot get enough of  it. It feels good to the body. It appeals to the sense of touch. When we are tempted by our own evil  desires (to hug or be hugged by a person of the opposite sex) and are drawn away (from God), we are then enticed by the devil. And when we can conceive it in our minds, we live it out in sin. When sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death (beginning with spiritual death). (James 1: 13-15) And this is exactly what the devil wants God’s people to do. Do not be deceived. Be wise as a serpent and harmless as a dove. (Matthew 10:16)

If you cannot go without hugs, then get married and then hug your wife or husband all day long. It is better to hug your spouse than to burn with passion.

Work cited
Wu, N., “In Hawaii, Greeting Vary by Situation” Honolulu Star Advertiser Newspaper,
Honolulu, Hawaii, August 7, 2012.

Public display of affection (PDA) in Iran
Iranian law forbids women to be seen in public with men who are not family members. However not all Iranians comply, and many meet their significant others in public parks. Now police have decided to put an end to the growing phenomenon and forbid couples to hold hands in public.

Ruzbahani said married couples were also called upon to "act modestly" in public.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3462586,00.html

PDA In Egypt
Public display of affection are very taboo and you will get the attention of the police if you do it. They are always  looking for ways to protect a woman's honor.
http://www.expatexchange.com/expat/index.cfm?frmid=203&tpcid=3340116

PDA in Ancient middle east
Public displays of affection between people of the opposite gender, including between married people, are frowned upon everywhere more conservative values hold sway. Public displays of affection include activities as minor as hand-holding.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etiquette_in_the_Middle_East

PDA in USA high schools and middle schools
“It is banned in many high schools and middle schools in USA in order to teach social standards that the school's administration finds acceptable. This rule may also serve to protect the school from being implicated in sexual harassment lawsuits among students.”
http://psychology.wikia.com/wiki/Public_display_of_affection

PDA in Farrington High School, Honolulu, HI
Principal Al Carganilla, believes public displays of affection do not have “… a place (on) the campus. Parents wouldn’t approve of inappropriate behavior.” When he sees PDAs around the campus, he tells the participating students to stop.

David Antenocruz, head of security, said that there are consequences to those who do not follow a warning. What many may not know is that an act of public displays of affection is a class D offense in Hawaii’s Chapter 19 booklet. If people ignore a warning from an adult, they could be required to go through “counseling, detention, suspension,” according to Antenocruz.

PDA is not a new concern. 2002 graduate Maria Aparra Nasserghandi, comments, “You can’t put a leash on 1000 students. They can set rules or regulations in planners; however, other than that they can’t push them any further.” She believes that if a couple goes too far, “… they should be suspended.”

Other than Hawaii, schools worldwide have different views on students showing affection. According to an article from Time Magazine’s website, Megan Coulter, for example, an eighth grader at Mascoutah Middle School, in Mascoutah, Ill., received two after-school detentions for hugging her two friends, one boy and one girl. Her school had placed a ban on any public displays of affection, and she violated it.

In another case, the ‘Student/Parent Handbook’ at Glencoe High School, in Hillsboro, Ore. states, “School is not the place for long embraces or kisses. Respect each other and act appropriately.”