Racism - Alive and Well

If the young boy was white, and if the man who was the pursuer was black, would there be an arrest? The white neighborhood watch dog was white, and the young boy was black, and now the young black boy is dead. I live in Florida. Welcome to the racist atmosphere that lives in this and in other state atmospheres.

I heard today two phone callers demand for more white Buccaneer football players. You think that racism is a limited phenomenon? Just see what happens when your white pastor’s daughter desires to marry a black man. Loose the hounds !

Oh well. Let’s get back to dissecting the doctrine of the Trinity. That, my friends, will impact the world. Until then, let us rid the world of these Skittle carrying hoodlums. After all, the young man was probably not even elect.

His Entrance is Momentary

If the astonishing explosion of prophetic signs today does not mean that these are the last days before He comes, then the last days themselves must be an horrific time indeed. May we all gird up our loins and make haste to find shelter under the shadow of His redemptive wings. The time has come, the storm is raging, and His entrance is momentary.

A Strong Delusion - Capitalism and Democracy

Capitalist democracy is driven by the fallen nature of human beings. Think deeply upon that. Fallen sinners, with a light sprinkling of saints, ruling themselves through other elected fallen humans with a very light sprinkling of professing believers. Is this the kind of government God would create and endorse? Are we actually saying God desires fallen sinners to rule in His form of government? And in reality, we are a representative republic which governs through the sinners other sinners elect. And that convoluted mess is what God wants for His church?

Sin begets sin. And even if all the “founding fathers” were raging evangelical believers, which is absurd, the governmental structure they created is by design a format for sin. Capitalism is an instrument for greed, compromise, and the thirst for money and things. It is very difficult to understand how the western church has embraced such a system that is antithetical to Christ and His teachings. But the love of money along with the obsession over temporal things is an extremely strong deception. And like a black hole, when anyone embraces and participates in such fallen systems they are soon captured by its lies and many times they begin to champion those same lies. Get too close and you become a part.

But one of the most diabolical deceptions is this notion that we are free people. Now if you mean that we are free to make money, save money, spend money, create disgusting entertainment, watch pornography, get drunk, go to war, say blasphemies, worship idols and demons, then yes, we are free in that sense. But if you are speaking in terms of spiritual freedom, then no, we are not free. In fact, we are in deep bondage. And if you believe that the pitiful and redundant expression of Christianity exhibited by the western church is spiritual freedom then your definition of freedom is fallen.

Does God encourage, and in fact protect, the worship of idols? The first amendment guarantees all idol worshipers, including Satan worshipers, the freedom to do so and the governmental punishment to anyone who would restrict such a practice. That does not sound like the kingdom of God. Does God set up a system that protects sin? He doesn’t. Far from being free, the western culture is Orwellian at its core.

What really rules this culture? Sin, of course. But what vehicle actually manipulates it? Information fed through all sorts of mediums. Television, radio, internet, work conversations, newspapers, magazines, and others means by which information is manipulated and fed to the masses. A myriad of different factions capture the minds of listeners and reinforce all sorts of untruths and half truths. While proclaiming itself to be the zenith of earthly freedom, democracy is a bondage bully.

It actually brings forth the most vociferous and committed factions and provides an open forum which is almost always contingent on one basic variable. Wherever the most money is spent is usually equal to the most number of minds that are captured. And the maxim continues: You believe what you hear and you become what you believe. And energetic forces vie for the leverage to change minds. And in fact, democracy has indeed changed hearts and minds until most factions operate within that system very nicely, including the church.

It is impossible to remain faithful to the practice of God’s Word while being involved with a system that is at odds with God’s Word. You may retain an orthodox statement of faith, but you cannot exhibit the teachings of Jesus while exhibiting the teachings of the flesh. They are incompatible. And the more you are operating within such a system, the more you become blind to its negative effects on your spirit, and in fact, the more that system changes your very view of the faith.

And this kind of sophisticated bondage is extremely clandestine and hides within evangelicalism. You may hear men of God decry the compromises and heresies of Rick Warren, Joel Osteen, Robert Schueller, or Rob Bell, and yet those same men will stand shoulder to shoulder with those false teachers and pledge their allegiance together to a fallen system. Do they not see the blatant inconsistency? Is it not obvious that something is very wrong?

But this is how democracy works. It erodes Biblical convictions and it blinds us to the kingdom of God. We are consumed with national interests and economic concerns, and in so doing we severely compromise our convictions to God’s Word and God’s kingdom. And the evil one saw how he could not be effective in seducing us to openly embrace our fallen nature and its effects, so he seduced us into embracing a system wherein those effects could flourish. And so they have, and so they have.

In Orwell’s novel, “1984”, he describes a culture that is manipulated by a consistent diet of information contrived by the government and meant to control. The people worship the entity named “Big Brother” and they believe all kinds of absurd mantras suggested by this Big Brother. “War is peace” and “Ignorance is strength” are but a few. But when we assess Orwell’s overarching theme, we can see that we in the west have become pawns to what information we believe.

But what about the church? We are not of this world.

No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

The church has slowly but surely gotten herself all entangled with the affairs and systems of this world, and to relieve the obvious tension she has embraced them as God’s will. Nothing could be further from the truth and nothing is as obviously in conflict with the life and teachings of the Author of our faith. Capitalism and democracy may seem logical and reasonable when assessed through a comparative prism of all other systems, however that can never be the prism through which we as believers assess anything.

This deception it is ever so subtle. If we let down our guard and begin to see things through earthly eyes, the process of compromise has begun. And being reinforced by other believers, we are on our way to a full blown compromise that actually obscures, and in some cases fully changes, the gospel. It is inevitable. And without notice our spiritual allegiance to Christ and His Word morphs into a nationalistic allegiance with some moral accoutrements. That, my friends, is not the faith once delivered to the saints.

What seems right is in reality wrong. What seems wrong is many times right. There can be only one allegiance and that is to Christ. And our hearts and minds must be continually washed through His Word and we must do sentry duty to avoid the incursion of the spirits of antichrist which seek to dilute our commitment to Christ. And these incursions are very subtle and come in through such Trojan Horses like morality, nationalism, money issues, ethnic hatred, political agendas, and other subtleties. It’s not that we desire to stray from Christ, but it’s the nature of deception.

I commend all of us to reexamine and thoroughly digest the entire New Testament once again. In 2004 I challenged 100 Sunday School attendees to read from Matthew through Jude in two weeks. And while they read I asked them to see what the theme of the Scriptures was as it pertained to money. Many people did read that portion in two weeks. And those that did were actually amazed and disturbed by what they read. They came to the conclusion that the teachings of the New Testament were at odds with what they hade been told about money, material things, national interests, and democracy as a whole.

Again, these are no small issues since they actually do affect how we see our Lord, how we serve our Lord, and how we worship our Lord. And in these last days it is imperative that we return to a sacrificial exhibition of discipleship to our Master. Away with all these nationalistic allegiances and these worthless political wranglings. Away with all the hatred toward lost sinners and the constant clamoring for more economic benefits. Away with these unholy alliances with the children of darkness and the embracing of violence as God’s way.

Our kingdom is a theocracy, and the Risen Christ will not share His glory with any person or system of this world. Bow before Him and place all your views, perspectives, and all the things you were were taught and surrender to the purity of His Holy Word. We cannot serve two masters. If Christ is Lord of all, then serve Him and Him alone. Forever.

Afghanistan - An American Mirror

When copies of the Koran were accidently burned in Afghanistan it sparked a furor, but the mass killing of innocent women and children did not evoke the same amount of outrage. News reporters asked a cleric why.
From the New York Times:

The mullah was astounded and a little angered to be asked why the accidental burning of Korans last month could provoke violence nationwide, while an intentional mass murder that included nine children last Sunday did not.
“How can you compare the dishonoring of the Holy Koran with the martyrdom of innocent civilians?” said an incredulous Mullah Khaliq Dad, a member of the council of religious leaders who investigated the Koran burnings. “The whole goal of our life is religion.”

Isn’t that so astounding? Oh, wait a minute. Here in America millions of pre-natal babies are murdered, soldiers are killed and maimed every week, hatred is a political mainstay, and tens of thousands of people die at the hands of alcohol every year. And yet what sparks outrage in America? Birth control, the founding fathers, creationism, and the lack of displaying of the Ten Commandments.
You see religion is very important to us as well. Jesus? Not so much. Rick Warren is right, we have a lot in common with the Muslims.

The Spirit of Cain Returns

Gal.3:1-12 - O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth,
before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
4 Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.
5 He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
6 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.
7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.
8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.
9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.
10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.
Many evangelicals would strongly suggest that no one can be justified by the works of the flesh. And they also would believe that the works of the flesh can never achieve anything in the kingdom of God or the kingdom of the Spirit. And they would agree with the Apostle Paul when he contends that any teaching that elevates the works of the flesh to salvation or even sanctification status is spiritual witchcraft. They loudly and proudly refuse to genuflect to the works of the flesh in any spiritual applications, and most would see clearly that the works of the flesh have no part in God’s kingdom or in the life of God’s Bride.
And when asked if the church should use carnal schemes to change people’s hearts and minds, well most would answer a resounding “Never!”. Well then, what do we use to change people? Most would answer the gospel witness, prayer, and sacrificial acts of kindness designed to present Christ through the prism of our lives. And with that combination, we can hope for the salvation of souls.
*****
A man begins to build a ship. He lives on an island. People ask him why he is building such a great ship, and the man tells them that a day is coming when everything on this island will perish and the only escape will be this particular ship. People mock him, and most ignore him and learn to live with him. Some people become convinced that the man is right, and they begin to help him build this great vessel.
There are some people on the island who are building other ships, but they are not seaworthy and will ultimately sink. They cannot save anyone. But many people on this island are interested in making the island better and more comfortable for those who live there. They meet regularly and discuss what changes should be made, and there is wide disagreement about that very issue. They argue and fight among themselves and do not get much accomplished.
These island people never refer to this man’s great ship, and mostly they ignore it. Some point to its craftsmanship and design, but they do not embrace it as a means of escape. Now while this man is working on the ship he becomes aware of the way the people are arguing, and he begins to pay attention to what they are saying. He becomes so distracted that he leaves his ship and attends their meetings. He presents his point of view and is met with a little support but also much confrontation.
Soon this man spends more time attempting to change the island than he does building an escape. Although he still believes his ship will ultimately be the only vehicle for escape, he still spends much time and effort making his views about the island known. He inadvertently becomes more interested in changing the island than he does building his ship. And in the end he and his ship become entangled with the affairs of the island and the ship slowly descends into a state of disrepair. The ship is no longer an issue.
*****
And so it is with the church of Jesus Christ. Our Master left us with a clear commission called the gospel. We are not to be friends with the world’s systems and we are not to get entangled with the affairs of this world. But the church has become intrigued with changing the world through carnal methods and the meetings of mixed multitudes. We have offered our support to a melding of the believer and the unbeliever, and we go to their meetings, send financial support, and spend much time and energy to change this world through legislation. All night prayer meetings? Never!
This year thousands of evangelical churches will pass out pamphlets that compare the views of the different candidates. And this will be done at the worship gatherings. But you cannot serve two masters. You cannot dabble in the affairs of the world and still be completely faithful to the gospel message. The two are enemies and diametrically opposed to one another. One suggests that change can be effected through human voting blocks, while the other is committed to effect change by faith in the Savior alone.
One is spiritual while the other is carnal. One is faith while the other is works. One is of God while the other is witchcraft. One elevates the Risen Christ while the other elevates the collective power of man. One is a theocracy while the other is a democracy. One has life while the other is fallen. One is of Christ while the other is of Belial. One impacts the kingdom of light while the other impacts the kingdom of darkness. One is the commission of God while the other is the tradition of man.
And while God’s ship builders are away attending the meetings of men, the gospel ship is in desperate need of repair. The glory of that Ship is now just a couple of sentences on some statement of faith. And men who were called to believe and proclaim God’s Holy Word, now speak frequently and forcefully about the Constitution and its so called glory. The master now has two heads.
But in reality the church has left THE Head and is now frolicking like a wild ass in the pastures of this world. She snorts loudly about temporal things and butts heads with the wild asses in the pastures of darkness. And being enamored with her earthly power and all her activity, she, like Samson, doesn’t know she has lost her power from on high. Being involved with witchcraft does not always mean Ouija boards and pentagrams. It sometimes means an angel of light which convinces us that we can change this fallen world by the works of our own hands.
The more things change the more they stay the same. The spirit of Cain has returned indeed.

Seek Peace not War

Matt.5:38-40 - Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.
Matt.5:43-45 - Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
War accomplishes some things. It protects certain countries and their land. It rescues people from dictators. It keeps dictators from expansionism. And it also accomplishes a few residual things like economic issues.
But war never accomplishes anything for the kingdom of God. It is completely at odds with all that Jesus lived and taught. It is not a viable option for those who truly wish to follow in the steps and teachings of Jesus.
Now if we wish to put aside the obvious teachings of Christ when they conflict with national interests, then we must also admit that we do not believe those teachings in the absolute. And this is the position that the overwhelming majority of western believers take without apology or without a viable explanation that relieves the obvious inconsistency. And to be perfectly honest, it is the perspective I once held with clenched teeth.
But if we are to be painfully honest, and if we can strip ourselves from the well worn traditions that we were taught as truth, then perhaps we can take a fresh and uninhibited look at what our Master taught and lived. I mean, isn’t that what the Christian faith is in its purist form? In fact, isn’t that what believing in Jesus actually means? Isn’t the embracing and the obeying of His teachings the definition of what it means to be His disciple?
I will be sixty years old in May of this year, and I am amazed at how many things I embraced without a thorough inspection of the Scriptures. And some things have gone unquestioned within the ranks of evangelicalism. In fact, to question them is often seen as rebellion or at least a sign of spiritual immaturity. Can you imagine such a thing? To question the use of massive violence as a tenant of God’s kingdom is seen as immature? Such is the nature of things when the systems and thoughts of this present world are given a place within the church and within the hearts and minds of God’s people.
I do not suggest that those who make a special place for war are not saved or do not love Jesus. What I am suggesting, from both experience and the open revelation of Scripture, is that their perspective on war is at odds with Christ and His kingdom. And this kind of compromise comes primarily through a melding of spiritual truths and nationalistic allegiances. It is most difficult to see when we have been taught over and over that being patriotic is a Christian virtue. And many men and women of spiritual maturity and who love Christ with all their hearts have been our mentors in this area.
But they are wrong, as was I. I realize it is uncomfortable to suggest such things since they are “settled law” within evangelical circles. But we must never bow to councils or creeds or the doctrinal traditions of men, regardless of their ecclesiastical status. And may I say that being free from this deception results in no small residual spiritual benefits. I say this with humility and meekness, that when the Spirit releases you from any bondage you can experience the air of spiritual freedom. But when such a bondage is as strong and as pervasive as nationalism and war, and when that bondage affects almost everything we do and think, well the freedom of such a deliverance is almost overwhelming.
But to even take a deeper look at these issues will cost you. You will have to delve deep into the Scriptures, and you will have to address the overarching theme as laid out by the Master. And you may not have anyone with whom you can dialogue about your journey since that journey is almost forbidden territory. But this I can promise you: That somewhere along that journey you may experience a startling revelation that awakens your very soul.
And this revelation is not just a different perspective about something. It isn’t just changing your view on an issue. It changes your very life, and if you assess that change against the knowledge of what you used to strongly believe, it should, it must, humble you before your Gracious Lord and Savior. You were wrong, and the Spirit corrected you. Does that not prove His love toward you? Unwarranted love? Unconditional love?
And when and if you are transformed by a fresh illumination of truth, you can never look back with disdain to those who remain where you were. Take it from me, the flesh desires to glory in anything the Spirit does. But we cannot succumb to any of that. The freedom that is found in the Lord Jesus also must free us from condemnation and self righteousness. Many will suggest we hate America, but we reject that indictment. We hate idolatry, not any country. Some will present all kinds of scenarios that are difficult to answer. What about Hitler, etc., are the most common.
I can only answer that God is in control, and that obeying the teachings of Jesus can never receive their validity through the prism of consequences. The outcome must always be placed in faith before His throne. Even an unbeliever like Gandhi leveraged the freedom for an entire nation through a philosophy that seemed doomed to fail. But we are not embracing a philosophy; we are embracing a Lord. And success must always be defined to the degree of dedication and obedience to our Lord. We reject the worldly definitions of success. To the world, the cross was a dismal failure.
The path that follows the nail scarred feet leads against the winds of this world. It is not an easy path, but the rewards are immeasurable. Violence and hatred are not on His path. What the world embraces as normal and reality are almost always at odds with the teachings of the God/man. The path of Jesus is a thrilling journey of humility and power. And His power is not physical; it is spiritual. And many times that spiritual power appears as earthly weakness.
And when we are weak, He is strong through us. But when we are strong in this world, He is weak in us. The entire Christian life is one of contrasts and conundrums. He who is weak is strong; he who loses his life finds it; he who is last is first; he who dies lives forever; he who is crucified is resurrected. It is a most exhilarating journey in which Christ increases and we decrease. To experience the life of Christ living through us is an experience which has no equal.
And it is against this surpassing life experience that we can see, we must see, that there can be no room for compromise and accommodation. War continues to be man’s way of protecting and defending lest he lose any of his earthly freedoms. But what does the world have to offer to a man who is eternally free? To us who have an inheritance reserved in the heavenlies, what on this earth should allure us? When we die to ourselves, what temptation is effective to a corpse?
So let the world contemplate and plan its next war. Ours is the gospel, and our war is with the enemy of our souls. To be free in Christ affords a redeemed soul a freedom that cannot be known on earth by those who seek it here. Watch and pray and seek Him with your whole heart and He will be found of you. Weep over the sins of this world, but do not be partakers of such things. The whole world lies in the wicked one and willingly they follow his ways. But not so we who claim Christ’s name.
Gal.6:16-17 - And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
17 From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.

The Caveat Called Grace

Jn.1:14 - And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
It is remarkable that He who is complete and full of all divine attributes is described as full of grace and truth. Why those two? Well, without truth there is nothing but moral and spiritual guesswork, which is always full of fallen human reasoning. So truth is foundational, and in fact, Jesus said He WAS the truth. But the Spirit also mentions grace alongside of truth.
I will not bore you with the same anemic definitions of God’s grace which are insults rather than revelations. But grace is the truth in which the human race has hope. All other hope is fleeting, temporary, and false. We live in such eye-gate bondage that often we miss the glory of eternal truth and grace. The tree in our front yard seems more real to us than God and His grace. But we must labor to be conscious of the surpassing spiritual truths which have and will continue to transform us until we are like Him.
But stop and think for a moment. Think of a friend or acquaintance or loved one who is outside of Jesus Christ. Or even think of someone famous who is demonstrably antagonistic to Christ. Look all around as you drive and in the marketplace and see the masses as they make their way through a dark and fallen existence. Indifferent to eternal realities, they embrace their earthly lives with vigor. The situation seems hopeless for millions.
We all know people who are living lives of debauchery and self destruction, and we have long since written them off. We no longer pray for them with any urgency, and we have lost any vestige of hope. But in the midst of penetrating darkness there is one caveat that can turn around a hopeless situation and rescue a sinner who is completely dead in his sins. That caveat is God’s grace. There is no sin too great and powerful that can resist God’s grace when called upon in faith by any and all sinners.
The situation looks hopeless, but grace is the caveat. The sin is overwhelming, but grace is the caveat. This wickedness is so powerful, but grace is the caveat. The lifestyle is so perverted, but grace is the caveat. This sinner seems so careless, but grace is the caveat. The demonic forces are so active, but grace is the caveat. You see, as long as this age of grace exists there is always a caveat to any and all situations.
His name was Mel Trotter. He was a hopeless drunk who left his home and his family for weeks at a time during drunken binges. The Trotter family hardly had enough to eat. One day his two year old little girl became sick, and instead of purchasing medicine for his little girl Trotter bought booze. Days later he returned home only to find his little girl in a coffin at the wake being held in his home. Although he felt it was his fault, Trotter noticed that someone had bought the little girl a pair of new shoes in which to be buried.
Trotter slipped the shoes off of the corpse, sold them, and went out and bought more booze. Homeless, drunk, and shoeless Trotter stumbled into the Pacific Garden Mission in Chicago. He listened as the director gave his own personal testimony as how God’s grace found him and delivered him from a life of hopeless sin. Trotter went forward and believed on Christ. He became a mainstay at the mission and eventually Trotter became a powerful evangelist for Christ. Did you hear what I just said? Trotter was as disgusting a sinner as could be imagined, and yet the caveat was the grace of Almighty God! Halleluiah, what a Savior!! Not only was God’s grace sufficient for a sinner like Trotter, but it also used him as a vessel for preaching the everlasting gospel. Now think again of that loved one or that friend who you might believe is beyond the reach of God’s redemption. Think again.
The caveat is and always will be the grace of God. You think there is no hope for the Rosie O’Donnell’s of this world? The Barney Frank’s? The Vladimir Putin’s? The Rachael Maddow’s? The Sandra Fluke’s? Your nasty neighbor? Oh no my dear friend, do not limit the grace of God, and when we become overflowing vessels of that grace God can and does touch lives that we might consider outside the vicinity of redemption.
Let me take you a step further. I was a drunk, a drug addict, and a violent sinner. I rode a motorcycle and used a van as a mobile station for promiscuity. The adjective “debauchery” is far too timid for the life I lived. A few of my friends and myself discussed robbing a certain bank and killing the guard as we entered. We were not willing to go to jail for the 20 year minimum at that time.
But I was injured in a street fight and had to recuperate at my atheist aunt’s house. And one night I watched and listened as Billy Graham warned that Jesus would return some day. I had never heard such a thing. And one cold night in March of 1975 on top of Garret Mountain in Wayne, New Jersey, I was born again. You see I was lost, and after I was healed of my injury I intended to return to my former life. But the caveat was God’s grace. I climbed up the face of the mountain a lost sinner and I descended a saved sinner.
No one who knew me could believe it, and when I went to court due to my last drug charge the courtroom almost snickered when they saw me. No longer was my hair down to my back; no longer did I wear my bright red dog collar with gold studs; no longer did I have a roach clip dangling around my neck; no longer did I wreak of alcohol; and no longer was on high on amphetamines. I was notorious in the community, but many people thought I was just putting on a show for the court. I wasn’t.
Thirty-seven years later I still have absolutely no righteousness of my own. In my own flesh I am no better than I was back then. But God’s grace intervened and became the eternal caveat that changed my earthly life and my eternal destiny. And I say with the Apostle Paul,
“But by the grace of God I am what I am.”
Do not discount the power of that grace. Do not consider yourself so sophisticated and Biblically literate that God’s grace seems like child’s play. It is by that grace and only that grace wherein we all stand. We have nothing - NOTHING- with which we can boast except in His matchless grace. So look around again, and see people as disgusting as Mel Trotter or Rick Frueh and think how God’s grace is just a mustard seed of faith away from transforming them forever. And when we embrace the reality of that possible narrative, let us all dedicate ourselves to be vessels of that gospel grace.
A final praise to God’s glorious grace. While I was studying for the ministry I became a cook at the Brown Derby restaurant in Clearwater, Florida. My personality is bigger than life, and I am 6’5” and I used to weigh about 275 pounds. I draw a crowd. I witnessed to everyone in that restaurant, and because of my size everyone, including the head manager, called me “gorilla”. I saw several people come to know Christ, including one 18 year old young man named Steve who worked in the salad department. Steve had a sister who was a waitress at that restaurant, and when he became a believer she was very disagreeable about his conversion. She wanted nothing to do with Christ.
After several years I left for a full time pastorate. I lost track of everyone there. Years later after serving as an associate pastor in New York City, I returned to Florida. The first Friday in Florida I was riding around trying to decide which church to visit. I saw a large building in Clearwater and stopped in for a brochure. The receptionist called for a staff member to come to the lobby. A young woman in her twenties came out with a brochure and handed it to me.
She looked at me and asked, “You’re Rick Frueh aren’t you?” I said that I was. She told me that she was the sister of the young man named Steve, and because of my witness she had become a believer after I had left. She was now a staff member at an evangelical church. You don’t believe in the grace of God? Someone the likes of me can be used to lead others to Christ? Oh my! If a sinner is still breathing his life is not yet fully written. It may be headed in the absolutely wrong direction and seemingly without hope.
But the caveat just may be the grace of Almighty God. Praise Him forever!

Happy Ishtar!

The evangelical church is no stranger to the traditions of men. While we excoriate the traditions of Roman Catholicism, we ourselves practice many man made traditions that reduce spirituality to shadows and forms. And when forms are observed, the substance is diluted.
Jn.4:23-24 - But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
In this New Covenant God desires us to worship Him directly and in the Spirit. But here we are with the completed Word of God, inhabited by God Himself, and yet we still need symbols? And instead of the intimacy of a one on one relationship, we still desire to place traditions and more beggarly elements between us? And these forms are not even in the Bible.
And we are approaching another of the unbiblical observances that has been invented by man for his own pleasure while disguised as a celebration of the resurrection. The resurrection should be celebrated daily, and on every Sunday, and in our own lifestyles. Even the lost celebrate this “Easter” which even by its name is pagan. The name “Easter” is derived from the name “Semiramis” which was later changed to Ishtar. She was the wife AND mother of Nimrod.
And yet the church has adopted this observance as if God has ordained it, when in fact the only observances God ever ordained in the New Covenant is the Lord’s Supper and baptism. I know, I am throwing cold water on everything. But the question remains: Do we actually desire to obey and worship Christ in the manner in which He Himself has ordained? Or will we be content to continue pagan rituals and bring them right into God’s house and claim God loves it?
The church has made the resurrection bow to a one day observance and it blends in nicely with Memorial Day, President’s day, and of course the Fourth of July celebration. People say it is such a small thing. I know, everything in evangelicalism is a small thing to us. And that is precisely why we are in the shape we are in. The little foxes have become voracious monsters that consume the very essence of our faith. We celebrate the resurrection by living it.

Happy Ishtar!