The Mal Couch Legacy Collection

It is with great pleasure that I announce that Book 5 of The Mal Couch Legacy Collection ~

  “The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit” ~ is now available on Amazon in e-book format.

Here’s a brief description of this topic, as written by the late Dr. Mal Couch:

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity and has the characteristics of personality.  He is very God!  He is not simply an influence, abstract energy or power.  He has all the attributes of God.  The great error of the New Age movement and other religions is to only see the Spirit as a “force.”  When Christians think about the Spirit of God, they must stand in awe to realize that they are not simply dealing with some abstract power.  They are referring to the divine Person who dwells within, who takes up residence, and who influences and controls the behavior of the child of God.

With so much confusion regarding the Holy Spirit (who He is and what is His role), Dr. Couch, uses the Bible itself to give great clarity to this subject.

It has been an honor to be a part of this wonderful project.  Any (or all) of the books in this collection would make outstanding gifts for those who have a hunger to better understand the truths of the Scriptures.

Look for last book in the collection ~ Theology: The God of the Bible ~ in early 2017. 

Giving God the Glory by Dr. Jim Garlow

The article below was sent to me by a good friend and I wanted to share it with all of you.  This is a volatile time in our country's history.  There are strong opinions on both sides.  The following article speaks to our time and what really matters.  Wherever you are on the political spectrum, please, please remember that as believers in Jesus Christ, we are to be His ambassadors.  We are to love one another ~ that is how the rest of the world-system will know that we are His disciples.  The Scriptures are clear, in this world, true believers will have trials and, yes, they will be persecuted.  We shouldn't be surprised by that.  Jesus told His disciples that they hated Him ~ they will hate His followers as well.   Until He returns for His bride, the Church, continue to served the one and only Savior, Jesus, the Christ. By His Grace, Gary T. Dromi, Ph.D. Giving God the Glory By Dr. Jim Garlow Dr. Jim Garlow is pastor of Skyline Church in San Diego. He is also co-founder of  The Jefferson Gathering, a weekly worship service for members of Congress at The U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.

I have been asked "the question" so many times regarding Trump or Hillary. By way of background, I have followed every national convention, Republican and Democrat, from the time I was age 9, and have attended most of the GOP Conventions from 1984 to the present. I have watched the news virtually every day from the age of 8. I have never seen anything like what we are observing.

In spite of the unprecedented nature of this election cycle, I will attempt to respond to "the question." I am not demanding that anyone else share my view.  But I was asked. Here is my best attempt to answer as I am able to see things at this time:

  1.   The Democratic and Republican party platforms are as different as night and day, in my opinion, as far apart as evil vs. good. The 51-page Democratic platform is the most leftist ever. (I don't care for the "right vs. left" nomenclature. I am far more concerned with "right vs. wrong.") The Democratic platform contains many points which are anti-biblical. (Time does not permit Me here to identify what is meant by "anti-biblical," which is covered in my new book Well Versed: Biblical Answers to Today's Tough Issues.) 

It is thoroughly socialistic (a socialist is a communist without a gun). The 54-page GOP platform is one of the strongest GOP platforms ever. A biblically-alert person could be comfortable with almost all of it.  Party platforms are a big issue to me. Although some "blow off" party platforms, I do not. Nor do many people up and down the ballot who are running for office. This is a serious and very important item. I have a hard copy of both platforms in front of me now. Most people have never checked out what the party platforms say. They should.  If a person is not drawn to the "top-of-the-ballot" candidate,
they ought to at least consider voting for the candidate attached to the best party platform.

2.   Analogy #1: Both candidates are flawed. We all know that. But permit me an analogy:  As a pastor, I would rather deal with a church attendee who is blatant and brash in his sinning than one who is devious, lying, cunning and deceptive. Both are problematic, but one is easier to deal with than the other. If I were a pastor bringing correction to a parishioner, I would prefer dealing with a "Trump-type" any day over a "Hillary-type." The chances of making progress with the "Trump-type" is many times greater than the "Hillary-type."

3.   Analogy #2: When my (late) wife's remarkable and much loved oncologist said, "Don't take Carol to that alternative (non FDA approved) treatment." I asked, "Why not?" He said, "The unknown." I said, "Doctor, your 'known' is much worse than the alternative treatment's 'unknown.'" (I took her to that alternative treatment. One year later that same oncologist went to the Alternative treatment doctor to see how it was that Carol had improved so much. While this alternative treatment did not ultimately save her life, it likely stretched two to three years of life to six years of life by the admission of another one of her brilliant young oncologists who later said, "Without any medical training or scientific fact, you have put together a protocol of treatment that has moved her into the top fraction of 1 percent of survival rates of all patients with Carol's particular cancer). 

Application of the analogy: Hillary's "known" is considerably worse many times over than Trump's "unknown."
 

4.  Trump has lots of sins in his past (actually, we all do), and in the present says things he should not say. I make no attempt to defend any of the things he has said. There is no need to rehearse the wrong things he has said. We know what they are. He should not have thought or said them. But there is no need to rehash them here. So we won't.

But let's turn to the other candidate. Although America has had some scandal-ridden candidates in its history, we have never seen any one major party candidate more constantly scandalous as Hillary (along with her husband). She seems to exceed all previous boundaries for wrongdoing. The scandals just don't stop. In the same way we did not take time to list all of Trump's misstatements, neither will we here rehash the seemingly continuous string of horrific scandals of the Clintons.

5.  Trump is slowly being surrounded by increasingly good people. From time to time, I receive encouraging calls regarding this. Can these good people impact Trump? We will see. In contrast, I see no reason for any encouragement regarding the people who surround Hillary.

6. Trump is right on approximately 75 percent of the issues. I wish it were 100 percent. It is not. I am in hopes that those beginning to surround him can help him connect the dots on more issues. Hillary is wrong on 100 percent of the issues.

7.  This next issue might be one of the most important, but I suspect few will understand its significance. Trump opposes globalism.  Hillary thrives on it.  Globalism is far more than "geographical" or "eliminating national borders and boundaries." It is spiritual,  that is, demonic at its core. 

Few, very few, understand this. This is quite likely one of the main reasons why Trump is hated. Do your homework on this one. Think "principalities and powers." Serious.  Extremely serious.

8.  Not voting is not a viable option, contrary to what the "purists" claim. It is not my intention to begin a war of the issue. I know that some radically disagree with this. My view? They have the right to be wrong.
 

9.  Voting for a third party candidate is, regardless of what is said, a complete "throw-away." No third party candidate will be elected, or even come remotely close to being elected. And yes, that matters to me. And for the record, the Libertarian ticket, Johnson and Weld, is nearly as bad on many issues as Hillary. When I listen to them, I am stunned people of their ability have ever made it to elective office.

10.  Trump has moved pro-life.  Hillary is pro-baby killing, and prides herself on that, and honors the organization Planned Parenthood that actually traffics human parts from dead Babies whom they have killed. This is below anything we have seen since Nazi Germany. The gall of Hillary! The Clintons have evaded justice for decades and likely will continue to. But they will someday stand before the Great White Throne. They will have to give account of their support of the ripping babies to shreds in the womb. For the  record, those who vote for those who support the genocide of pre-borns will also have to give an account.

11.  Trump wants to defend the nation (which is the purpose of government).  Hillary has a horrific track record as Secretary of State, and due to hundreds of millions of dollars given to her and her husband's foundation, she is beholden to those who want us dead.

12. Hillary claims "everything is fine" in America. This defies every single fact, but facts have never been an interest of Hillary's. Trump understands that it is 11:59 p.m. on the "cultural clock."  America is near the end morally, economically, militarily and, sadly, spiritually. There are very clear, identifiable indicators --measurable ones-- that America is no longer the world's leading power. That day is over. Hillary will hasten the final destruction. Trump could either slow that down or possibly, with God's help, reverse it. Maybe.
 

13. Trump will address the massive government spending.  Hillary will expand it above the existing unsustainable debt the U.S. currently is carrying (almost $20 trillion plus unfunded liabilities to Social Security, etc.).

14.  Trump will expose, I pray, and bring down "the systemic evil" (crony, deceitful, misuse of capitalism) that reigns among many high-dollar lobbyists. Hillary thrives because of them.

15. Trump will stop the massive overreach of government.  Hillary will extend it.
 

16. Freedoms come in "threes." Political freedom, economic freedom and religious liberty coexist together. Take one away and the other two will eventually disappear. One cannot exist without the other two.

The genius of America is that it had all three, until recently. Trump fully grasps the loss of religious liberty. I have heard him speak on it in person on several occasions. He knows that economic and political freedoms are evaporating. He will reverse that. Hillary will decimate all three.

17. Every rational person knows the Supreme Court appointments are paramount. Trump has listed 11 superb potential nominees. Hillary's appointments would snuff out the tiny vestige of the three freedoms that are left (mentioned in the statement above).

18.  I make no excuse for wrong-doing or wrongful, hurtful words from either candidate. Candidly, I want King Jesus. He rules in my heart. And yours too, I suspect.  And I want him to rule here now. But that day is not fully manifested yet. In the meantime, we prayerfully, carefully navigate this challenging election season, with great concern that above all, we honor our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in every arena of our lives, including the voting booth. That is my hope. It is yours as well.

Wanted: Truth, Honesty and Integrity

“Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; 
Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; 
Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!  
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, 
And prudent in their own sight!”  (Isaiah 5:20-21).

If you have been paying any attention to the world of politics for the last 8-9 years, you have undoubtedly noticed that something is missing:  truth, honesty and integrity.

The current administration is undergoing numerous investigations for everything from a U.S. Ambassador being murdered in Benghazi, to the improper handling of classified emails, to the Internal Revenue Service being used to silence those who would dare to disagree with a sitting president, to deals being made with Iran (the number one sponsor of Islamic terrorists and their attacks), to the Veterans Administration being so corrupt that some men and women were not able to receive proper treatment which resulted in their death.

Has anyone been held accountable?  Has anyone been charged with a crime?  Has anyone lost his or her six-figure government salary?  Where is the truth?  Where is honesty?  Where is integrity?

It seems as though some politicians, on both sides of the aisle (Republican and Democrat), have forgotten why they were elected.  For some, it has simply become a way to amass more financial security for themselves and a means to exercise political power and position.

There was time in our country’s history when serving as a representative of the people was an honorable, noble and selfless task.  Things have changed, but we shouldn’t be too surprised.  A majority of those who are running our country will readily say, “God bless America” with no idea Who He is or what He requires.  A majority of those running the country have acquiesced to the loud voices of sinful people who don’t want God at the center of their world or this country.  And, once again, those same loud voices are screaming to remove “In God we trust” from all of our currency. This is not new but now they have momentum on their side.

There’s an old saying:  “Politics isn’t everything; but it is in everything.”  That saying is both true and sad.  Perhaps the saddest part of that statement is that there is politics even in churches, the one place where God and His Word should be honored and obeyed above all else.

The verses above, Isaiah 5:20-21, seem to fit the time in which we are living.  The world, as whole, has rejected the God of the Bible in favor of countless other gods of their own making.  For those who reject the God of Scripture, they can use a relativistic scale (instead of God’s absolute scale) to determine what is good and what is evil.  Each person can be “wise in their own eyes” and choose what’s acceptable to them without regard for the One who created them.

Politics and religion are two of the most divisive topics known to man.  It is no exaggeration to say that friends and family members have parted ways due to the heated discussions that occur with regard to these two subjects.

First, let me encourage you by saying that God is still in charge.  No one has, or ever will, knock Him off of His throne.  Jesus is still the Savior of the world and He is still interceding for the saints.  The Holy Spirit is still at work convicting individuals of sin and drawing them to the Father through grace and faith.

Second, as this next presidential election gets closer, remember that we are ambassadors for Christ.  Certainly share your political opinions, but remember to keep a loving attitude towards those with whom you may disagree.  It may very well be that a loving attitude will open the door to share Christ with a lost and dying world.


May the Lord bless you as you seek to serve Him in this New year.

By His Grace,
Gary T. Dromi, Ph.D.

The Wages of Sin

My first thought as I sat down to write this article was begin by wishing everyone a Happy New Year.  However, God, in His sovereignty brought an event into my life that caused me to change directions.

“The wages of sin is death”  (Romans 6:23a).  The truth of that statement by Paul was brought home all to clearly for me this past week.  Our pet rabbit, Mocha, died.  She was an elderly rabbit, eight and one half years old.  Most rabbits don’t live much past 4-5 years.  God brought Mocha into our lives just before our lives were about to get rather chaotic.  During that time, especially, she brought smiles to our faces and, like most pets, helped us to take a break from what was happening all around us.

So how is it that Mocha’s death drove home the point of sin causing death and grief?  If it weren’t for Adam and Eve’s sin of disobeying God, death would never have entered our world.  The day that they sinned, to all of Adam’s progeny was added a sin-nature.  No human being has escaped it except for Jesus.   And it is to Him we look for a pardon from the wages of our sin.

As I spent the hours after Mocha’s death grieving, crying and even weeping, the heinous nature of sin became much more clear.  The consequences of sin are never, ever confined to the individual committing the sin.  For example, when someone has an affair and commits the sin of adultery, the consequences of that sin are catastrophic.  More often than not, a marriage dies; trust is obliterated; and grief is overwhelming.  If there are young children, they are caught in the middle and don’t understand why their parents are no longer living in the same house or why mommy and daddy are no longer married.  The consequences of this particular sin will affect the children, literally, for the rest of their lives.  If you doubt it, just ask someone whose parents divorced when they were young.

How many friendships have been destroyed because of sin?  How many friends have lost their close relationship because of sin?  How many families have been torn apart because of sin?  How many churches have split because of sin?  How many neighborhoods are destroyed because of sin?  How many countries are left impoverished because of sin?  How many people are dying as a direct result of sin?  Those are tough questions to think about and, most of the time, we don’t want to discuss it because we would have to be willing to admit that there is a God who sets the standard of righteousness; we would have to acknowledge that sin is real and the consequences are real and far reaching.

“… but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord,” (Romans 6:23b). The last part of the verse brings us the reason for rejoicing.  This same Jesus, who is the sinless, spotless Lamb of God, the Savior of the world, who would take away the SIN OF THE WORLD, He is still actively interceding on behalf of all believers.  He is still talked about and shared with a world that is in desperate need of the Savior.   

As we begin a new year, it is my prayer that all believers will rejoice in their deliverance from the penalty of their sin:  death.  Secondly, that we will be ever cognizant of the fact that sin can, and does, have far reaching consequences.  All of us still struggle with our sin nature but if we will live our lives yielded to the power and guidance of God’s Word and His Holy Spirit, we can avoid a lot of the grief, sorrow and pain that is caused by our sin.  Thirdly, there are people, real people, who need to know about Jesus and His amazing sacrifice on their behalf.  Tell them about Him; ask the Father to draw them to Himself that they, too, would know the love, forgiveness, mercy and grace that is found only in Jesus’ death and resurrection.

May the Lord bless you and keep you as you seek to serve Him all the more in 2016.

By His Grace,

Gary T. Dromi, Ph.D.