Following Judah's Lion

2012-01-30T18:50:00.002-05:00

Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit

I want to once again make it clear who Rob Bell is and what he teaches. Many still view him as just a modern communicator who attempts to convey the gospel through clever communicative bridges. But that is far from the truth.

I refer you to this previous post.

2012-01-30T15:35:00.002-05:00

The Confusing Evangelical Ether

Out in the atmosphere, metaphorically and literally speaking, of evangelicalism there is an incredible confusion. The simplicity of the gospel has been rejected for a complicated and convoluted array of representations that are hardly recognizable as the gospel itself. What once was a glorious narrative of redemption through faith in the death and resurrection of the Incarnate Christ has been dismantled at the molecular level of Biblical truth. The cleverness of man’s intellect and communicative prowess has replace the power of the Holy Spirit.
No longer do men need a sanctified life. The sheer weight of their communication and Madison Avenue advertisement techniques are enough to elicit the popularity they seek. Men like Rob Bell, Rick Warren, Joel Osteen, and others have become the Pied Pipers of evangelicalism and now command a sizeable following based upon books, Cds, conferences, television, and careful strategies to advertise their “ministries” and create a human thirst that can be quenched without the Spirit.
Confusion on this scale has come in on the wings of the expansive technology of communicative media. Mass communication has sorely wounded the spiritual integrity of the visible church. I believe I am generous when I say professing believers and lost sinners are confused. Confusion is deception, and God is not the Author of such things. And a new phenomenon has emerged in this spiritual climate.
Doctrine has become almost irrelevant to the average evangelical. Now I have spoken loudly and often about the doctrinal Bourgeoisie who have made doctrine itself an idol and a god of sorts. But doctrine, or Biblical truth, must remain very important especially as it pertains to Christ and salvation. And a perfunctory statement of faith is never adequate to establish the authenticity of one’s discipleship. Cold and dead are such words if they are not exhibited by living and vibrant epistles that radiate the very Person of Jesus Christ. Some challenge, eh?
And it is very easy to either ignore humanitarian deeds or to see them as spiritually redemptive. Both of those views are Biblically wrong. And the confusion about those things have been rather central to the spiritual slide in the church. While one church points to their orthodox statement of faith as the evidence of their discipleship, the other church points to their ministry to the poor and needy as their proof. We as believers should have both things observable in our spiritual walk.
But how often have I run across a believer who is considered mature in his fellowship, and he remarks how wonderful Rob Bell's Nooma series is. Or he may say that he admires Rick Warren. Or, God forbid, he may say he and his wife watch Joel Osteen. And this is from someone who has been save quite a while and should be able to discern much better than that, but because of the immense confusion he has been captured in deception. Now he may stay in the Baptist church he now attends, or like many thousands he may go join a church like Mars Hill in Michigan. The point being he is now vulnerable to great compromise.
I cannot tell you how my heart breaks over such things. I must confess that about twenty years ago I became interested in Kenneth Copeland’s ministry for about one year. Praise God my eyes were opened before it was too late. But that is why I have a heart for the deceived, and also why I speak out from time to time to warn believers that there are wolves out there. The deception grows while the sand continues to run quickly to the bottom of the hour glass.
Are you confused? I do not mean about the fringe issues about which we all discuss and sometimes disagree. This is not about free will or no free will. The issues about which I speak are central to the gospel. They are non-negotiable. If you are confused I suggest you take one week and read the New Testament through from Matthew to Revelation. Ask the Spirit to speak to your heart and reinforce the bedrock truths upon which our faith is built. And do not just look for doctrine, but also open your heart to seek His face and lengthen the cords and deepen the stakes of your own spiritual walk.
Again, there is much confusion of which none of it is of God.

2012-01-29T18:33:00.003-05:00

Receive the Wilderness as a Sacrament

Every Christian goes through periods that can be aptly described as wilderness experiences. Regardless of who admits it or not it is a reality of all who journey the path of the cross. These are times where either God’s presence seems to virtually disappear, or where God’s direction does not seem available regardless of how earnestly we seek it. John the Baptist ministered in the wilderness. God brought the Children of Israel out of Egypt and into the wilderness. And Jesus Himself battled the devil in the wilderness.
The wilderness can be a place of despair, but it can also be a sacred place of seeking a deeper and more committed relationship with the Father through the Lord Jesus and the power of the Spirit. In the wilderness the water is not so readily available. Spiritual food must be sought with diligence. And we cannot lean on the expected presence of God. And our emotions cannot be used inadvertently to augment the power that should define our spiritual walk. The wilderness is an opportunity for all who will see it as such.
It is in the wilderness where God reveals Himself as the I AM. It is in the wilderness where we see water come from a Rock, which is later revealed as Christ. It is in the wilderness that God gives the designs for the Tabernacle which is replete with shadows and images of the coming Messiah. It is in the wilderness that God’s people learn of blood sacrifice. It is in the wilderness that God grants a glorious peek into the Land of Canaan. And it is from this wilderness that the very first step into the Jordan River is taken. God uses the wilderness for His glory!
It is in the wilderness that the Lord Jesus quotes God’s Word to the enemy of our souls. It is in this wilderness that Jesus is tested and remains sinless and unmoved from His redemptive mission. It is in the wilderness that Christ repels Satan and orders Him to depart!
And those who wish to follow in the footsteps of Jesus should not be surprised when they lead through some kind of wilderness experience. And when we find ourselves in such a wilderness we cannot lose heart nor leave our passion to follow Him. Many false teachers suggest that every wilderness is of the devil and God desires to rescue you immediately. Of course they suggest money will motivate God to do this.
But they are liars and must be rejected out of hand. God can and does use the wilderness to mold His followers into the image of His Son. It is not a place of destruction but a place of instruction. Because of the compromise and even apostasy of the western church many believers have found themselves in a wilderness and looking for a divine direction. Have patience, and quoting from the Princess Bride, “You rush a Miracle Man and you get rotten miracles!” We need to learn patience and absorb the glory of the fellowship of His sufferings.
Deut.8:2-3 - And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.
3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.
The Lord our God will never leave us nor forsake us, but His ways are not our ways. But we must always remember that during times of testing, and even suffering, the Potter is molding His precious human clay into a vessel that shines forth His glory. Those who desire only times of earthly pleasure and prosperity are being molded into vessels that shine forth the fallen glory of this temporal existence. But those vessels who have gone through the fire with their eyes upon Him have the image of the Redeemer burned into their souls.
II Cor.4:6-7 - For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
Jam.1:2-4 - My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
I pet.1:6-9 - Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

Receive the wilderness as a sacrament before the Lord your God.

2012-01-29T09:46:00.007-05:00

Lucifer's Legacy as the End Approaches

Although the entire episode is wrapped in mystery, God still gave us a glimpse. We do know that a created angel named Lucifer somehow rebelled against God in God’s own dwelling place. It seems quite inconceivable, but such is the colossal power of deception. We would do well to remember that.
But then this creature, along with a third of the other angels, were thrown out of God’s presence and cast down to this planet. Does that seem like so much legend, myth, and fairy tale to you? Again, that is the power of deception. And armed with the deception which spelled his doom, Lucifer, now call Satan, begins to create his own legacy and forms an evil heritage that will last forever.
Yes, I said forever. Does that not bring fear into anyone’s heart these days, or do the pleasures of today drown out the warnings of tomorrow? Satan is busy securing souls for his eternal heritage which will be “enjoyed” apart from the divine presence he once knew. This is no Dungeons and Dragons game, and neither is it Lord of the Rings. This is the eternal war that continues to be waged in the world of spirits while the effects ravage the planet. This is no sport or some tournament between good and evil. The gravity of this conflict cannot be expressed in words, and no one can be fully aware of all its ramifications until the battle is over.
Satan has appealed to all sorts of human reasonings in order to stake his claim. He has orchestrated the invention of all kinds of religions with all kinds of gods. And by appealing to the intellect of man he has attempted to make the true faith appear too simplistic to be believed. Lust and greed have been essential in his plan, and hatred and violence have been well worn tools as well. The entire earth is enveloped in a cloud of deception and mankind loves to have it so.
Nowhere is that deception more pronounced than in the west where sin has been refined into a science that is studied and practiced with great creativity and relish. And beneath the carnival-like atmosphere of the western culture lives a sinister power that has ensnared the entire populace, save a few that have bowed their hearts to the Lord of Life. It is most ingenious of fallen man to create clever little levels of sin in order to soothe his fallen conscience. Open hedonists like Donald Trump are almost worshiped while the little goth girl in the mall who has been molested by her father is looked upon with disdain. The gay man is vilified while the serial adulterer runs for president.
Yes, man is no innocent bystander in this eternal conflict. He has been a willing partner in this diabolic scheme. And if God should chose this day to end it all, billions would be lost. Again, does that stretch your reality? Does is seem much too drastic and does your grounded intellect keep you from laying hold of that sobering truth? It seems more like a horror flick than actual, tangible truth. And that is just one more method of spiritual deception employed by him who hates God with an unmeasured hatred and expends all his energy attempting to dilute God’s glory.
Tick-tock, tick-tock, and time keeps passing with the predictable integrity of the rising of the Sun. Wristwatches by the billions display its measurement with inanimate precision, but without a syllable of foreboding or omen. And like a fisherman steadily reeling in his catch, so is the spirit of antichrist reeling in unsuspecting and uncaring souls. And in the midst of this horror, evil men preach nonsense and falsehoods to soothe the hearts and scratch the ears of sinners who stand in desperate need of the truth.
And it isn't just the Osteens and the Bells and the Warrens that have propped up spiritual deception within the church. No, it's the entire western ecclesiastical structure which has transformed the church from a culture invading spiritual force into a religious business. Preachers by the tens of thousands ascend the pulpit and with dry eyes they are ignorant of the approaching storm and refuse to warn people who sit in its very path except with an occasional nod to some abstract statement of faith or an innocuous gospel appendage that is nothing more than a preface to the awaiting lunch table. The redundant mess has been essentially abandonded by God's Spirit save the power to mercifully save some souls.
And the end of all hope walks steadily up the path without confrontation by God's own people. If we all realized what was at stake we might sell everything and go from house to house with tears and a passion that might very well frighten the average person, but just might awaken many dead hearts to the very seriousness of their situation. But sadly, the church continues with a disgusting ambivalence and a demonic self centered approach to Christ which openly attacks His sovereign glory! It is a reproach to the gospel and has morphed into an open religious sore that oozes death rather than life.
Oh, does that now offend you? Will it offend you when you stand in His glorious presence and watch as billions upon billions of souls are cast into the Lake of Fire? Will you be offended then? Will it offend you and me that we might have done so much more but we were content to let things slide into a spiritual malaise? Are we offended that Satan has attacked the glory of our Great God, and does that offense drive us into a holy passion to spread His gospel through lips and lives?

And what will you do when the end comes?

I Pet.4:7 - But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
Rev.16:13-15 - And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
There is an end to all of this. It may come tomorrow, or it may come next year, or it may even come one hundred years from today, but make no mistake, the end is coming. It is this very thing, the end, that terrifies people. No one wants the music to stop; no one wants the party to end; no one wants to face the eternal unknown. But the end looms large for mankind collectively, and for each one of us individually.
And that is the question that hangs over all of us like the mythical Sword of Damocles, however this is no myth. There is an appointment with the Creator that has each and every sinner’s name etched in the indelible ink of God’s decree. And while we play and party and fulfill our religious obligations, that future appointment continues to step with determination toward the present. And when your name is called, and when my name is called, what will we do then?
The answer is that at that fearful moment there is nothing more that can be done. And think about that. There will be no second chances, and no excuses, and no reasoning. And everything that we have hidden which we alone know will be summoned forth before the King of the Universe. All our supposed good deeds will have no place when redemption is at stake. If you stand before the Holy One clothed in your unrighteousness and without the covering of God’s bloody sacrifice, you will quake and tremble as you suddenly realize you have lost eternity.
Words can only paint a poor picture of that day, to say nothing of communicating the extreme regret and the tears and pleading and horrific screeching emanating from hell bound souls. This is no horror flick. The reality of this scene will be the ultimate nightmare, monstrous in its subsistence, and eternal in its adjudication. And will God allow billions to watch as others are cast into the lake of fire before their turn comes? I am not naïve, I realize that this subject has long since passed off the evangelical landscape and made room for men like Rob Bell who speak words of lying comfort to all who will listen and line his pockets with filthy lucre.
Go ahead, place all your eggs in one basket. Ignore the many, many warnings of Scripture and incline your ears to the false sirens of today’s sophisticated communicators. Take that chance if you will, but remember, if you are wrong you have lost everything. But I am saved, you say. Are you? Then why are you dancing with those who are outside the ark? Why then do you not believe and heed the Words of Almighty God? Why do you have no fear of God in your soul?
How can you profess a cross bearing discipleship and live as if there is no God? How can those who claim His name go day after day with such a paltry exhibition of the Christ that they so easily blend in with those who deny Him? What kind of Christianity have we created in this western, hedonist culture? Why has the church bowed to its surroundings, while the culture flourishes and is only too glad to allow this milquetoast brand of faith to join its party? Why is the pinnacle of our so called discipleship displayed within the parameters of 45 minutes on Sunday morning?
I am not an evangelist that keeps records so I can print them in my newsletter and raise more funds. I am a literal nobody who speaks by God’s grace the unpleasant truth to many who desire nothing more than sweet stories and religious fables. And I have no righteousness of my own, and I fall very short of God’s glory, and my imperfection is well documented. But I also have met the Redeemer and He has changed my life forever. And that, my friends, is the very question. Have you met the Redeemer, and has He changed your life, and if so, where is the evidence of that glorious transformation?
Prophetic stories have become familiar and doctrinal traditions, but reality stalks the earth. Do not wait. Do not turn a deaf ear. And if you are reading this by some providential mistake, listen to what the Spirit speaks to your heart. There may not be much time, but one thing is for sure. Tomorrow we all will be one day closer to that great and terrible day. Today is the day of salvation. Run to the Savior and find eternal life. Today.
The Spirit is calling the church to an elongated season of deep repentance. We all need the cleansing of the Spirit that not only washes us from our iniquities, but sets our lives on a new and vibrant course which simultaneously walks in resurrection power and the humility of Golgotha. We need more and more and more and more of Jesus, and much more indeed. Lucifer continues to build upon his damnable portfolio of souls while the church dances to the melodies of this fallen world. “Arise, and shine“, speaks the Spirit. There is little time and there is much to do. Millions upon millions upon millions of souls lurch on the precipice of eternal damnation.
God has provided the way of eternal life. Today is the day of salvation for those outside of Christ, and today is the day of the Great Commission for those who have been redeemed.

Satan gathered his minions and asked for suggestions as to how better deceive the masses. One demon stepped forward and said, “Let’s tell them there is no heaven!”
“Very good”, said Satan.
Another demon said, “Let’s tell them there is no hell!”
“Even better,” said Satan.
A third demon stepped forward and said, “Let’s tell them there is no hurry!”
“Yes,” said Satan, “That is the best!”

Satan is a liar.

2012-01-28T18:57:00.001-05:00

War - The New Voyeurism

The church has made such wonderful strides since the unenlightened days of former centuries. I remember watching as the priests blessed the warriors in the movie Braveheart. Wasn’t that so ignorant and unsophisticated? I mean come on, men speaking for God and claiming He is blessing either side or war in general?
Of course then I remembered hearing many a Sunday morning prayer from the pulpit asking the same thing for the American troops. Yes, we sure have changed. But there is one beneficial aspect of today’s wars.

We can watch the war on television while we eat dinner. Amazing!

2012-01-28T09:14:00.001-05:00

Hatred or Love

Ti.3:1-7 - Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work,
2 To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.
3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
What is hate? Far too often we define hate as what white supremacy groups practice, or the protests by the Westboro Baptist Church. We like to view hatred as those who dislike Blacks or Jews or even gays. And with that kind of constricted definition we can insulate ourselves from being hateful. I mean we would never use a racial slur or an anti-Semitic term.
But there is a visceral hatred being practiced and openly displayed in thousands of evangelical churches. And this kind of hatred hides behind pillars of morality and the suggestion that the culture is decaying. This type of hatred identifies its objects with man made terms such as liberal, socialist, and an array of other labels. Hatred of this nature is not only tolerated among millions of professing believers, it is embraced.
This hatred is at the heart of American politics, and its Siamese twin is self righteousness. Many who pledge allegiance to the flag and proudly tout the founding fathers and passionately embrace the Declaration of Independence, also dislike the way this democracy now operates. They like the freedom they enjoy but they dislike the freedom others employ. They desire their own pursuit of happiness but desire to restrict the pursuit of happiness by others.
The work of Christ and the Kingdom of God must never be intertwined with the fallen methods of improving the culture. In fact, most people vote and support those who they deem more likely to improve their own earthly situation. But politics, and democracy in general, is filled with self interest and a serious brand of competition that leads to aggression toward those who are opposed to your views. And as we have seen lately, this kind of hatred and verbal assaults are even practiced among those who are supposed to be on the same side.
The entire specter of politics brings out the very worst in people and compromises the very teachings that believers say they espouse. Believers will watch television and allow certain fallen feelings to be aroused in their hearts when they hear liberal or conservative politicians. And many believers will talk among themselves about this one or that one. They will even use derogatory language and in some cases out and out lies. That, my friends, is a clandestine form of hatred.
Hatred is so antithetical to the gospel and to the redemptive plan of God. And we as believing followers of the Lord Jesus are not just commanded not to hate, but we are called to love our enemies. And as challenging as that is, it is impossible if we do not even consider it a command. Our natural hearts are not programmed to love, much less love our enemies. And most of these so called “enemies” are creations of a fallen system which has captured the hearts and minds of those who claim to live in another kingdom. Hatred feels good to the flesh and strengthens and reinforces ties between those who hate the same targets. There is no such thing as soft hatred; it is all hatred.
The two greatest commandments cannot be separated. Loving God without loving sinners is a fraud. Yes, there is such a thing as loving people without loving God. That is humanism. But if we love God, and if we are aware of what took place on the cross, then we must love sinners. And when the Calvinists claim God hates the non-elect they are liars. God is love, and the mystery of that love is profound. We do not have the luxury to hate others while still claiming to represent Christ. And if God does hate the non-elect, then the Westboro Baptist Church is a bold witness for Christ.
I exhort all of us to seek out the love of God in our hearts.
Jude 21 - Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

2012-01-27T06:35:00.003-05:00

"Christian" Television

You walk into a store and look at the cake section. The clerk informs you that this cake is 90% inedible, but if you cull out that 90% there is 10% that is very tasty. Would you buy it?

Christian television is that cake.

2012-01-26T13:31:00.001-05:00

A Moon Colony - the Future is Now!

From the news desk.

Newt Gingrich, a republican candidate for the Presidency, said that at the end of his second term he wants a colony on the Moon. Yea, that’s what we need, a trillion dollars spent on a Moon colony.

By the way, many of us think that Moon colony is already being inhabited by American politicians.

2012-01-25T06:00:00.001-05:00

The State of the Kingdom

Last night President Obama delivered the State of the Union address. I try and watch because it reveals several things that should be teaching tools to us believers.
First, there was no mention of God or Christ. Of course that was being honest rather than paste God’s name on this mess. Also, it openly reveals the visceral hatred the two parties have for each other, and it is almost comical to watch Speaker Boehner try and hide his utter disgust for the President. And when only half of the elected officials stand and clap and smile at the others who remain seated, well it is such a display of adolescence.
And after the President speaks the party opposite gives its response which is little more than saying that everything the President said was a lie. One year one congressman couldn’t even hide his contempt and blurted out “liar” at President Obama during his speech. There is nothing redemptive about the entire spectacle. It should not take much for a believer in Christ to see the hollow vanity and the fallen structure of this or any earthly government.
But there is something more sad and pitiful. I have heard professing believers express tangible hatred for President Obama and liberals in general. They have succumbed to the fallen sirens of politics and rejected the Sermon on the Mount teachings of our Savior. I could never vote for someone who is pro-choice like President Obama, but he seems to be a nice family man, although I cannot say that I sense a kinship in the Spirit. He seems to espouse a salvation of works.
There is no such thing as liberal or conservative if you are living in the Kingdom of God. There is only lost and saved or believers and unbelievers. To separate the goats into man made categories is in conflict with the gospel of redemption and reveals an attitude of the heart that suggests some lost men are better than others. And there is nothing Christlike in politics.
But how has them church bowed her knee to the fallen structures of this world. Preachers refer to people as liberals even from behind the pulpit, and millions of professing believers listen to carnal men spew their self serving hatred on television and radio. It is amazing to see men become millionaires through the rhetoric of hate and self righteousness. At least the wing nuts of the Westboro Baptist Church have the boldness to admit they are hate mongers.
But watch as millions of evangelicals bow their heads during the token prayer on Sunday morning even though all week their mouths have spoken gossip, hatred, and a saltless complaining about the economy and all things Obama. It is most unseemly and only brings reproach to the name of Christ and His church. We were never meant to be of this world, only in it to shine forth the Word of Life to a dead and lost generation.
Oh, you say, you support President Obama? No, I pray for him but I only support the Lord Jesus. Well, you say, that is a radical view of isolationism. You’re getting close! There is much work to be done in the whited fields and we cannot compromise our time and energy with things of this world that do not profit. Our so called earthly freedom has lulled us to sleep, and millions of believers suggest we should protect this freedom even with a violence that kills many thousands. That, my friends, is the job of the fallen world and all its governments. We must be busy about Our Father’s business.
Arise and shine and off to our prayer closets! Let the dead bury the dead in the cold ground of political nonsense, but let us incline our ears to the voice of the Spirit which calls us to speak, preach, and live the Lord Jesus Christ. And the lofty words of political rhetoric only serve to distract us, and in many ways deceive us. We must not listen to fallen voices that speak outside the spirit of God’s kingdom. And when fallen man complains about taxes and the economy, we must rejoice in Christ!
If we measure God’s blessings by material things then we have been blessed beyond belief. Millions are starving, and millions have no medicine, and millions cannot feed their own children. But we do not rejoice in Christ because of material benefits. We rejoice in the redemption in which we live, and if our eyes are looking unto Jesus, then our hearts are full to overflowing!
I am somewhat optimistic about more and more believers coming out of this political quagmire and finding a freedom in Jesus Christ that has been available all along. By the way, what is the state of the Kingdom of God? The same as it has always been.

Our God Reigns!

2012-01-24T07:15:00.002-05:00

Get Your Hopes Up

Last night at the Republican debate the crowd was asked not to applaud as the crowd had done in South Carolina. Many analysts say that the lack of applause hurt Newt Gingrich’s performance since he depended upon his one liners and subsequent applause.

That is the depth of the American political system. The applause track alters the perception about who won. Also, if you listen to the talk shows they concentrate on strategy, one liners, and personal attacks. The issues? Who cares since they all are blatant liars.

Christianity aside, to be involved with the American political system you must check your intelligence and integrity at the door. Other than that, depending on who is elected in November, everything will change and get much better. You can place your hope on that, but get used to disappointment. (Sarcasm alert!)

Resume general swim. UPDATE.

2012-01-23T17:46:00.002-05:00

Which Nation is Christian?

UPDATE!!
Approximately 6 million Jews died at the hands of the Nazis. Approximately 12 million slaves were transported to America, and approximately 40% died en route. That means that approximately 4 million blacks died, which does not inlcude those that died at the hands of their masters. Also, many millions of American Indians died through European expansion.

In Germany it is illegal to even make the Nazi salute. In America the Confederate flag flies above at least one state capital and it is displayed on millions of license plates.

Tell me again, which nation is the Christian one?

2012-01-23T13:59:00.002-05:00

Come Out From Among Them

II Cor.6:14-18 - Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.
18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
Where has the doctrine of separation gone? When did we ditch that doctrine for a more laissez-faire kind of attitude that clears a path that is much more accommodating to the culture and all its fallen machinations? I mean, does separation only mean not to enter into a business deal with Charles Manson? And when the Spirit commands us not to be in agreement with idols, does that only mean statues of Buddha?
For so long we have defined separation as avoiding smoking and drinking and cursing, while we play footsies with the fallen world of political sewage. And what does God mean when He says the “unclean thing”? Is He referring to something that needs a washing, or is He revealing His will about things much more sinister than some dirty automobile?
And God calls those things about which we should avoid “Belial”, or the actual personification of evil. This is no game of doctrinal hopscotch; this is as serious as it gets. And when the church ignores these commands she rejects God’s Word, brings disgrace upon the person of Christ, and literally shreds the gospel of Jesus Christ and reduces it to nothing more than manipulated wind pressured through a human larynx. And clothed in the fallen mess of the world, the church still has the audacity to claim she is doing God’s work.
And in the year of our Lord 2012 we are seeing a contemptible display of open disobedience to the very Word of God in the verses I shared. If politics isn’t idolatry and evil, then just what are we supposed to come out from? The Elk Lodge? The community swimming pool? Little League? I mean let us be honest, if we are not supposed to separate ourselves from the most self serving and vile system like politics, then from what are we supposed to separate? And not only do millions of believers spend more energy in politics than they do in prayer, but millions of dollars of God’s money is donated to the elevation of fallen man.
Of course we should not even have to use this current political year to make the point. But if there ever was a year in which believers with just a mere hint of discernment could see, it is this year. In fact, this year has filleted the entire system open and exposed the putrid underbelly that has always been the driving force behind the political system. Do you think I am too harsh? How then would a Holy God describe such a system that boasts in man while using the name of Jesus as political capital and to leverage religious votes? And if Jesus Himself scourged the Temple, what would He think of how the fallen world joins forces to create a humanistic utopia which is more hollow promise than spiritual substance?
The entire scene is most unseemly, and the participation of the church is a colossal compromise. The church of Jesus Christ is reduced to votes in order to affect change in the culture? Where is the power that in the early church swept the known world and turned entire cities upside down for Christ? And when Herod was praised as the voice of god, the Lord did not vote him out. He struck him dead. Where is that kind of power which not only brought the fear of God, but led many to Christ? We have traded the power of God for a mess of democratic pottage.
The issue is not the character of the men running for president, that is well documented. The issue is the character of the God we serve. We are commanded to separate ourselves from all that is fallen and antichrist except to bear witness of the Crucified and Risen Christ. I implore you, surrender the grave clothes of politics and burn them upon the altar of sacrificial discipleship. Listen to the still small voice within your heart that beckons us to come out from among them and seek the very face of Christ. He alone is the answer, and Christ does not need the systems of this world to bring forth His kingdom.
The serpent has once again offered the fruit of Cain’s hands and the church is faring sumptuously at the table of fallen scraps. But just like Cain, the Lord has refused this carnal sacrifice. God will not share His glory with another, regardless how moral the outcome or how beneficial it may be to the economy. God does not bow to the economy, and in the worst economic famine God does not worry. In fact, many times God is using economic hardships to draw men’s hearts to Himself.
Away with all this political revelry that excites the flesh and dishonors our Redeemer. And if you cannot see that there is something tragically wrong with the church of Jesus Christ, then you are deceived as well. There is more to the faith of Jesus Christ than just buildings and meetings and activities and membership and political involvement. Where is the Lord God of Elijah!? Where is the power that filled the upper room and drove the frightened believers boldly into the street to proclaim the wonderful works of God? Was that power only for them, or is it available for us today if we sanctify ourselves in God’s sight?
It is my prayer that anyone who reads this insignificant blog will not be able to ignore his spiritual conscience as he or she attempts to be involved with a system that is diametrically opposed to the kingdom of God, the everlasting gospel, and the person of Jesus Christ. It is very difficult for me to share the liberty that is to be found when we obey the command to come out from among them and be separate. Tradition and the advice of men make it all the more difficult to see things as they really are, but the Spirit is well able to perform His ministry upon those who will hear.
Perhaps this is the year when God does a miraculous work in His church, and while we return to seeking His face we are broken and spilled out for His glory. Perhaps this is the year that this darkened world will see the light of God's redemption through the called out ones who bear His name!
Let is be so Lord Jesus…

2012-01-23T05:44:00.001-05:00

Roman Catholic Heresy

The Roman Catholic Church has not changed. Although they have made some outward accommodations in this modern era, they still teach a salvation by works, and they still practice a disturbing display of idol worship. You don’t believe that?

READ THIS.

2012-01-22T13:54:00.002-05:00

The Rock

I Pet.2:7-8 - Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,
8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.
Rom.9:32-33 - Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;
33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
I Cor.10:3-5 - And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
Many times in the Scriptures Jesus is referred to as the Rock. Of course this implies the unmovable and dependable nature of the Son of God, as well as the foundation for everything connected to eternal redemption. As God foreordained His ultimate plan for the redemption of man, He laid the chief cornerstone of that spiritual building. And that cornerstone was Christ Jesus. There can be no other foundation, and in fact, that foundation must never be shared by anything or anyone else.
Jesus the Christ stands alone, high and lifted up, and His sacrifice and subsequent resurrection is the only thoroughfare leading to eternal life. No one can add to or subtract from that path of redemption since Jesus alone purchased it for whosoever will believe. He is the eternal Rock upon which God planned, built, and carried out the sole plan for mankind to be ransomed. “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God” exclaimed Peter. And Jesus replied that Peter’s revelation of who Jesus is was the Rock upon which God will build His church.
No one who has been born again and adopted into the invisible family of the Living God has come in by any other means. All who claim otherwise are liars and thieves. The invisible church stands and lives upon the Rock, Christ Jesus. But as we read the three portions of Scripture I shared at the beginning we see something that they all have in common. Not only do they reveal Jesus as the Rock, but all three make mention of those who are offended at this Rock.
And if God ordained someone to write another book of the Bible today (which He would not) it would have to reaffirm that Jesus is the Rock, but it would also have to mention that many in these last days are also offended by this Rock. Religion and all its accoutrements is very alluring to the carnal man. And in the midst of all kinds of ecclesiastical structures that claim to be Christian, and that use Biblical phraseology, and label themselves as a church, in the midst of it all the name of Jesus is sprinkled in like salt on a main course meal.
But Jesus IS the main course meal and all the rest should be sprinkled in. Jesus has become an offense in this age of superior intellect and technological knowledge. So instead of remaining faithful to this Rock, many have made the Rock conform to the customs and culture and intellect of this modern age. And when that process begins, it always leads to spiritual collapse, even though ecclesiastical activity continues with great enthusiasm and energy. And this is what we have in large part today.
In today’s western ecclesiastical structure, Jesus is not the Rock, the preachers, pastors, and prophets are. Millions follow some man or women, and when the well oiled dog and pony show comes to town they flock to hear, watch, and give. Oblivious to the error and the opulent lifestyles of these snake oil salesmen, the crowd is dazzled by theatrics, sensationalism, and the overall aura created by technology and the power of suggestion. The sheep and the goats are spiritually raped.
When you see a picture of the area in the southern part of the Iberian Peninsula called Gibraltar you will see the Mediterranean Sea, some islands, many houses, but the overwhelming feature to which all eyes are drawn is called the Rock of Gibraltar. This mammoth rock rises almost 1400 feet from the ground and can be seen from many, many miles. It dwarfs all the other landscape features.
And that is how our theology should appear as well. Even though we teach many things that pertain to Biblical theology, the Person of Christ should rise above all else and draw our attention. The Suffering Savior and the Risen Christ should dominate the theology and practice of those who claim to be His followers. Personally and collectively He should be our fortress and the cleft in which we escape the trappings of the surrounding culture. He must increase and we must decrease.
But that does not seem to be the case in this self centered culture which prides itself on individualism and personal success. National conferences are held to talk about church growth, reformed theology, emerging theology, church leadership, methods of worship, outreach techniques, church finances, and a myriad of other things that have something to do with church. But where are the conferences about Jesus? Where are the national conferences that are designed to bring men and women to a place of brokenness before Him? Where are the conferences that call believers from every state and every nation to prostrate themselves in prayer and seek the very face of the Living and Reigning Christ?
Jesus has become an insignificant pebble while the things of this world and of our own lives are the rocks about which we study and are concerned. But that is not Christianity at all. If He does not have all the preeminence then He is not there. We are not given a choice concerning the Lord Jesus and His place of honor among His people. If Jesus is not the centerpiece and the focal point, and if He is not exalted as the object of our obedience and worship, then all we have is a human religious construct. Concerning this there can be no compromise. None.
But as we can see, the Rock is an offense to the modern church. And His gospel has become stale and uninteresting. "We’ve heard that story before, let’s move on to something that fascinates and titillates us", says the congregation. But the reason Jesus no longer captures our hearts is because the real Jesus is no longer preached and lifted up. If Jesus is nothing more than a “life coach” and a guide to earthly success, then he is nothing at all. You may as well preach Trump and Gates and Oprah and all the others who have had undeniable earthly success. You may wish to follow them because if you follow the Lord Jesus Christ you may well have diminished earthly success as well as the scorn of the surrounding culture. If it is earthly success you desire then the teachings of Jesus Christ will be counterproductive to your journey.
If Jesus is to be the Rock in your life, then your eyes must be lifted up to gaze at Him. His teachings must be in your heart, upon your lips, and the light of your path. This Rock will either place you upon Him or He will crush those who refuse Him. Go ahead and limit His power to a meek and accommodating shepherd if you must, but in so doing you will seal your own fate. Jesus will not, He cannot, succumb to any earthly definitions that are in stark contrast to His very Being. This Rock is eternal in the heavens, and this Rock is God.
So I challenge you. Look around and see if Christ is the unmistakable core of the western expressions called the “church”. And if you are a pastor I challenge you as I have challenge myself. Reinvigorate your preaching with Jesus and His gospel. I know we sometimes get a little off track, but the Spirit will have us take inventory of our own ministry as we discern the ministry of others. Remember this: There can never be too much Jesus, but there is always the danger we have presented too little of Him.

2012-01-21T09:47:00.001-05:00

Adultery or Marijuana?

In the 1990s Newt Gingrich proposed a bill that would impose the death penalty on anyone who was caught more than once selling more than 2 ounces of marijuana.

His remedy for more than one adultery?
Forgiveness.

OK class, what do we call that?

2012-01-20T16:06:00.006-05:00

Bowing Before A Consuming Fire

Receiving the grace of God through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is very simple and requires faith alone. However, the grace of God and the gospel of grace is the easiest thing in the universe to dilute, compromise, and change into nothing more than religious candy. All over this world the name of Jesus is being used to promote false gospels that provides false comfort to millions of church goers who only desire a false sense of eternal security, but in reality want nothing to do with the genuine and authentic Jesus.
Heb.12:25-29 - See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:
26 Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.
27 And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.
28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
29 For our God is a consuming fire.
Here we have the Spirit revealing an aspect of God that draws little attention today and is very unpleasant to the natural man. This is not the facet of Almighty God that draws crowds or builds large churches. In fact, this revelation of Almighty God is no longer believed because lying tongues preach a false Jesus and a false Jesus. And as the end approaches, the caricatures become more and more detached from the revelations of God and Christ in the written Word.
And those of us who see these things and write and speak that which we have seen, are often unsettled about what we believe we see. “How can these things be, Lord,” we ask. "Perhaps I am being too harsh; perhaps I am letting my emotions get the best of me; perhaps I should tone it down a little". These thoughts and demonic taunts are ever with us, and we would surely give in to them were it not for the power of God’s Spirit as well as the deep humility we feel since we ourselves are deeply convicted while we speak and write. God forbid we ever give the impression that we speak from some lofty mountain top and that we speak from the well of self righteousness.
No, a thousand times no! How may times have we wept over our own sin even while we speak? Oh that I might be more like Jesus, but regardless of my own journey, I cannot remain silent about what the Spirit reveals. We who speak such things have received them by God’s grace and not our own intellect and superior insight. In His grace we not only stand, but in His grace we live. And in the midst of the onslaught of apostasy, we speak with trembling lips and broken hearts, and many, many times we feel so inadequate. Why would God use such an one as I? Surely He could find others much more gifted that I.
But we cannot refuse His call even if we do not understand His choice. Millions upon millions upon millions of professing believers are headed to a lost eternity even while wrapped inside the garments of the religion called Christianity. The pulpits have become as wind and the preachers as the Pied Pipers from hell. You would not think that too harsh if God would allow you one second in hell and one second before the Risen Christ! And if God granted us all those two seconds, would we not return to earth as mad men and lunatics in the eyes of the world?
This is no lighthearted game. Consider for one unguarded moment that the church has so violently veered off course that she no longer knows or preaches the True and Living Christ. Most of the baptisms, most of the church memberships, most of the communion services, most of the worship experiences, all of them are creations of the fallen religious mind. And if that is so, then we are undone and the situation is extremely dire. But still the outward religious construct goes on with vigor, activity, and a monstrous nexus of self centeredness. In short, the entire structure is hollow and nothing more than religious window dressing along the corridor to hell.
Can it be that bad? It is worse. Do you think that God will not avenge those who put His Son to an open shame? Should a Holy God look the other way when the church doesn’t just live a life that satisfies their own flesh, but also preaches that kind of life is what God desires? We cannot imagine the weight of God’s wrath when that day arrives. To be uncovered when Jesus comes in flaming fire is unthinkable. And on that day millions upon millions upon millions will suddenly realize they have lost everything. And once it begins there is no stopping it and no second chances. The day has come and woe to those who stand before Him while still in their sin.
Well, you ask, what makes you so perfect. What do you have that will impress God? Nothing! And that is the very point. We who speak these awful things offer nothing unto God except the blood of His Son. Like Paul, there is no good thing within us except the Spirit of God. We have faith but still we tremble. We love God but still we tremble. We have the Spirit but still we tremble. We have been saved but still we tremble. We have confidence in Christ but still we tremble. Do you still not see it?
If you do not tremble then you have not known Him. Yes, we love and adore Him; yes we enjoy the intimacy He gives us by His grace; yes, He walks with us and gives us assurance; yes, He is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. But STILL WE TREMBLE!! No flesh can stand upright in His presence. And to all you false preachers and followers of the diabolical falsehoods, you will one day stand before Him and tremble. And on that day you will wish you had just five more minutes to repent, but it will be too late.
Call it hyperbole and spiritual hysteria if you must, but many are being called out today. There are a people who are hearing the voice of the Spirit and who either feel led to humbly speak truth within their church, or who feel led to come out completely from the institutional church. Regardless, God’s Spirit has come alive in these last days and He is speaking with boldness and clarity to those who will hear. And again and again and again we would not claim perfection since we are still on a journey that has more ahead of us than has already been trod. We are more nothing than you could ever imagine, but we have caught a glimpse of the Risen Christ and we tremble!!!!
I watched a video about how the fear of God is lost in the church and my heart was broken. And I was undone personally and I publicly admit I have much ground before me, but I still cannot close me ears and remain silent. And sometimes we may be harsh, and sometimes we may speak without salt, and sometimes our own flesh may find an entrance. But make no mistake. Jesus will return soon and the eternal day of reckoning will be upon us all.
But in today’s ecclesiastical climate, the grace that is preached is nothing more than a hollow support for any and every lifestyle sinners wish to live. God’s grace is free to all, but millions are receiving a grace that comes from man’s devious and self serving hearts.
Jude: 3-5 - Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
5 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.
Oh how have wicked and deceived men have turned the grace of God into uncleanness and logs for the fire of the flesh! Do not be deceived. Grievous wolves have entered into the flock and are presently scattering and slaughtering the flock. Gullible people who are content with religion sit week after week and hear fleshy and carnal messages that excite and satisfy the flesh.
Jer.5:21-31 - Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not:
22 Fear ye not me? saith the LORD: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it?
23 But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone.
24 Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the LORD our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest.
25 Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you.
26 For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men.
27 As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen rich.
28 They are waxen fat, they shine: yea, they overpass the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge.
29 Shall I not visit for these things? saith the LORD: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?
30 A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land;
31The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?
No one can be saved but through the grace of God by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Put on your finest church clothes, avoid all bad habits, and help one thousand old ladies across the street every day and you will find yourself no closer to salvation than is Charles Manson. But God will not allow His matchless grace to be used and abused so that man can revel in his own sin and still claim to be living in grace. Legalism is poisonous, but hollow religion is equally as deadly. The grace that was purchased for us at an immeasurably high cost must never be treated as an invitation to sin with impunity. When a sinner truly receives Christ, he will not be perfect, but he can never sin knowingly without any pangs of conscience. If he can, and if he can live a life of selfishness and debauchery without the chastening of God, that sinner is in an extremely dangerous predicament.
I urge you to reevaluate what you are being told about God and His Christ. When the Spirit describes God as a “consuming fire” he isn’t just waxing metaphorical. In fact, human words fall embarrassingly short when they attempt to paint an image of God. And when a redeemed sinner dies and spends his first moment in the presence of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah he will not squeal and lightly clap his heavenly hands. That sinner, now clothed in eternal skin, will fall before the King of All Heaven and worship with a wonder not available upon this earth.
That experience will not be some “Pirates of the Caribbean” ride at Disneyworld. To behold the figure of the Lamb that was Slain and the Risen Christ without a shred of doubt or the buffer of earthly flesh will be the colossal crown of our eternal redemption. Just to be in His presence physically, spiritually, visibly, and in ways unknown to our finite minds, well, that will reverberate throughout our immortal bodies. And like the Levites, He alone will be our reward. And if we are granted any rewards by His grace, we will quickly place them at His feet for indeed they all belong solely unto Him.
We have no idea, none. The glory that radiates from His very Being lights the expanse of heaven, and the incandescence of that glory showers the endless throngs of white robed saints. And throughout eternity we will reach deeper and deeper for more inward resources with which to worship Him. The imagery is staggering, but much greater will be the reality. And as Spurgeon once observed,
“Upon the very first glimpse of the Risen Savior, we will all think ourselves a thousand fools to have ever been attracted to anything upon the earth!”
Amen, amen, and selah.

2012-01-19T15:18:00.004-05:00

The Choice is Yours
or
The Ballot Box Insanity
or
The Redundant Compromise
or
Serving Two Masters
or
Who Cares About the Gospel
or
Redefining Family Values
or
Jesus Who?
or
Pie Chart Allegiances
or
Wasting November 6th
or
Following a Fairy Tale
or
Every Man a Liar
or
Drinking From the Political Cesspool

The High Place Called America

It seems as if there will be a choice between a serial philanderer, a Mormon multi-millionaire, and a president who is a rabid pro-abortionist.

OK all you believers in Christ:
Ready, Set, VOTE!

(Hint: As usual millions will vote for whomever they deem more likely to help the economy. Does the word “compromise” mean anything anymore?)

WARNING: You will give an account one day before the Lord of Lords concerning your support of this entire fallen system.

2012-01-18T17:59:00.002-05:00

Repent, While There is Still Time

I can no longer believe that many so called “evangelical” churches are even Christian. Churches by the tens of thousands, led by their pastors, have strayed so far from the New Testament directive that they are no longer Christian. That does not mean no one is saved because that cannot be discerned by man. A person’s salvation can only be known by God. The Lord knows those that are His.
But if we take a step back, and if we examine the teachings of Christ and the New Testament without cultural dilution, we must see how tragic the situation is. And it comes from many different avenues and theological streams. From the health and wealth movement, to the emergent church movement, to the purpose driven template, to the positive thinking teaching, to the ecumenical debacle, and many other movements, we now have a mess that cannot truthfully be called Christian.
What we have are religious constructs which are built and operate in the power of the culture and the mindset of the western populace. There is no hint of salt or light, and no hint of "come out from among them and be separate". Some churches claim Jesus was a he-man and demonstrated a virile sense of masculinity. Others claim He was extremely pragmatic and sought earthly solutions. Some teach that Jesus sought to dramatically elevate everyone’s personal wealth. Other churches portray Jesus as a someone who sought to unite all faiths. Many teach that Jesus was a “you can make it” kind of guy.
The entire evangelical landscape is now poisoned by all kinds of misrepresentations of Christ and His teachings, and upon those misrepresentations are built many falsehoods and grievous errors. The culture has assimilated most of the western church so that over the last several decades Christianity as it was known and practiced in the early church no longer exists in the west. Most of the western ecclesiastical construct is nothing more than practical advice about things which benefit our earthly lives. That is not Christianity.
The gospel has become nothing more than an appendage to practical advice, and God is portrayed as existing as a servant for man. Sacrifice and self denial are curse words. Preachers live as kings and spend more time golfing than they do in the prayer chamber. You have the always smiling Joel Osteen on one end, and the aggressive and self absorbed Mark Driscoll on the other. And a brand new phenomenon is the millionaire preacher. Private jets, five star restaurants, designer clothes, Rolls Royce cars, and extravagant expense accounts now define thousands of so called preachers.
No longer is Jesus the demonstrative core of their theology, to say nothing of being a living template. In many ways, Jesus has become nothing more than a doctrinal talisman that justifies any and all prostitutions of the revelations in God’s Word. As long as Jesus is mentioned preachers feel licensed to teach all sorts of heresy and cultural twisting. A man like Mark Driscoll can be rude and aggressive as long as he mentions Jesus in his statement of faith, while a man like Joel Osteen can be spineless and compromising as long as Jesus makes a cameo in his statement of faith.
And the outward signs and manifestations of a religion that says it is Christian but reveals everything to the contrary, are all around us. In fact, if you cannot see the open disfigurement of the faith once delivered to the saints you are deceived as well. And these are not minor disagreements that are more fringe than core. These modern displays tear at the very fabric of what Jesus came to do and what the church is ordained to do and be. Again I say that the situation is so horrifying and treacherous, that in good conscience most of the evangelical religious expressions can no longer be called Christian.
Oh for a humble and sincere return to the simple but bold faith that requires sacrifice, commitment, and a quiet but remarkable lifestyle of faith. The Spirit must yearn for the church to come together once more to worship Christ with all their hearts and minds without having to be manipulated by all sorts of technological accoutrements. I embrace a demonstrative worship atmosphere, and its volume is irrelevant. But when it is obvious that people are manipulated by the music or the lights or the visuals, then it becomes nothing more than a sports atmosphere that attaches a religious moniker upon it.
It is impossible to worship God on Sundays when all week long you have worshiped the world. When you go almost prayer less, and when you barely touch God’s Word, and when you have spent countless hours in front of the television, do not expect to worship God on Sunday mornings without a season of deep repentance. And when hundreds of people who have spent little or no time with Jesus during the week; and when some have lusted all week long; and when some are encumbered by the material things of this world; and when some are contemplating adultery or promiscuity; or when some have obvious unforgiveness in their hearts; when that mixed multitude can come together and outwardly seem to worship God then you can know that the music and the praise leader and his team are the driving force behind the worship service.
What kind of worship are we offering the Risen Christ? Is He impressed by the way we worship when we are supposed to and when the music vibrates our being, but when no one sees us we are as dead as toast before Him? Is that a sweet smelling savor that wafts up before His throne and gives Him glory? Or is that kind of perfunctory worship nothing more than a mirror of the Muslims when they bow before Mecca at the appointed time? Let us be painfully honest so we can do authentic business with our Master!
Finally, in an attempt to awaken that which may be dead inside of us, let us revisit the Savior, the Redeemer, and the Living and Risen Christ. Let us recall who He is and what He has done. That, my friends, is the issue. And when we describe Him there can be no hyperbole. In the revelation of Him, the most colossal hyperbole is just truth which only touches the hem of His garment! He is life itself, and in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead.
The story escapes the cords of prophetic parlance and arrives in full glory in the insignificant, little town named Bethlehem, or the house of bread. The Bread has come down from heaven and clothed Himself with a human form and is called Emmanuel, God with us. The event is historically monumental, but far greater in its spiritual consequence and redemptive power. Here is He who would save His people from their sins. How quaint the phrase but how powerful the meaning.
The perfect Son of God, incarnate in the likeness of sinful flesh, but pristine in His Person and determined in His mission. He walked the earth for more than thirty years, and He traveled with common men and common women. Conspicuous by His miracles and teachings and inconspicuous by His appearance, He lived without sin. But even the Holy One gained enemies, since the sinners He came to save did not know who He was nor did they care. But still His eyes were fixed upon Golgotha.
It is impossible to fully grasp the enormity of our sin and the enormity of the consequences of that sin. We were doomed, separated from God, and completely dead. Our lives were mere shells, and we took every opportunity to rebel against our Loving Creator, who for thirty years stood before mankind. Not only were we not looking for Him, in reality we did not desire Him. We were content and satisfied in the pigpen of our own iniquity.
But God’s Son walked right into the trap laid before Him, all the while knowing full well His fate. But the Christ did not just know what was before Him, He embraced it. In fact, He orchestrated it. What kind of love is this? There was no reasoning with us, and nothing short of death could ransom the captives. And God Himself stepped into the diabolical plan that would end His life and provide life for the unrighteous dead. This is love about which we are unfamiliar.
And there He hangs, beaten and bloodied, and nailed to two Roman planks. He who existed in the glory of heaven, the emerald aura of God’s throne room, was now the object of scorn and ridicule. Wearing the spittle of wicked men, He looks down from His unjust place of death and asks forgiveness for those who carried out this colossal injustice. Like a slaughtered animal, a Lamb to be sure, writhing in His last throws of death, He bleeds out the power to redeem all human kind.
And lifting up His mangled body, He breathes in His last breath, and with His last ounce of energy, He expels the last breath to ever enter His lungs, and He says, “It is finished”. God the Son has died. To say it is a mystery is a feeble attempt to explain it. Stand there and gaze at the unthinkable. Squint your eyes as you behold the most glorious sight a sinner could see, and yet a gory mess, limp and lifeless and covered in the crimson flow that only a few hours ago gave Him life but now is shed for ours. The Creator has given His life after suffering the unfathomable torture that was meant for every man. It should have been us, but He died in our place.
Do you think this story is much too archaic and void of the modern sophisticated thought about God and religion? Does this narrative have a hollow ring to your sensibilities and your intellectual reason? Or is this story only for children and not for the clear thinking adults? Oh my friend, if you feel that way you haven’t just missed something wonderful; you have missed life itself. We believers are not perfect, but we have touched and been touched by a redemptive power that cannot be fully communicated by words.
Jesus is our Savior, Jesus is our Lord, Jesus is our God, and Jesus is our very life! Yes, our sin sometimes distracts us and the cares of this world rob us of the experience of His presence, but do not let that fool you. It is not us you should be seeking, it is Him. And Jesus, in all His august glory, majesty, and power, will incline His redemptive ear to any sinner who cries out for salvation. Halleluiah, what a Savior!
And so you should now see why we reject the Christless expressions that are passed off as God’s church in these last days. We do not wish to pick a fight or to find fault, but we cannot, we must not, remain silent when Christ is crucified afresh on the altar of filthy lucre, pragmatism, human sexuality, earthly success, and the entire ecclesiastical industry which only uses the name of Jesus to project its own selfish agendas. No one who has been redeemed by the Master, and who has been given life and life everlasting through faith in that magnificent sacrifice, can stand silent as the Savior is misrepresented and put to an open shame.
You desire to use someone for your own self interests? Then use us, not Him. You, Warren and Osteen and Bell and all the rest, if you desire to crucify Him again through your religious and humanistic machinations we implore you, crucify us. You wish to ignore Him, then ignore us. You wish to drag His wonderful name through the wringer of earthly success and personal prosperity, then drag us. Our hearts are broken over what you are doing to the Savior of all mankind. We are torn between righteous indignation and tears of grief.
But this word of warning: One day you will wish you only had to face us, because on that day you will stand before Him from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And everything you did to shred His Person, His blood, His cross, and His glorious resurrection will come up against you. And what, pray tell, will you do when you face the Consuming Fire?
Please, repent now, while there is still time.

2012-01-18T06:53:00.002-05:00

What I Learned

I grew up in a middle class unsaved family. My parents were good parents and typical patriotic Americans. I learned a lot of good things, but although they did not understand what they were doing, I also learned these things:

I learned to hate Russians.
I learned I was white and some others were not.
I learned money was very important.
I learned to root for America in war.
I learned to fight.
I learned that religion has its place.
I learned that education was paramount.
I learned it was all about me.
I learned that love was conditional.
I learned we were Republicans.
I learned Jesus was an historical figure.

All that changed in 1975.

2012-01-17T20:16:00.002-05:00

Behold, He Comes

Rev.22:12 - And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
Rev.22:20 - He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
How have these words become as a wind passing in days gone bye. No longer does the church even pretend that the Lord is coming, much less coming soon and quickly. This is no religious game, and this is not some fodder for prophetic badminton. Who cares if He comes pre-trib or mid-trib or post-trib - He is coming! Even those prophetic guesses have all but ceased except when the pastor feels obligated to deal with them pre-lunch on Sunday.
But sniff the air and see if there is even a hint of anxiousness or anticipation. There is more concern over a worthless election than there is over the prospect of the return of the Mighty Lion of Judah. How pathetic and self absorbed we are when we are busy about many things but exhibit no concern for that great and terrible day. Do you think it is Santa Claus that will descend upon this earth? The consuming fire is on His way and He brings with Him the cup of God’s wrath.
This candy cane Jesus that is presented among the churches is a lie. Yes He is a friend and a Savior, but He also has made clear that He will one day bring eternal justice to all humanity. But still we laugh and play as if it will never end. And not one politician who claims to believe in Jesus will even mention His returning because they give Him only lip service. The return of the Risen Christ in all His glory should concern us much more than what Iran or North Korea does. That is if we truly believe it with all our beings!
On that day nothing will matter to anyone. All the kingdoms of this world will be brought to nothing. All earthly kings will be nothing but naked sinners in the hands of an angry God. Is that too violent for your taste? Or perhaps you think my words are too theatrical and sensational. Well then perhaps false teachers like Joel Osteen would be more suitable for your spiritual palate, but in reality that is nothing more than a diabolic poison sent to damn men’s souls. You see, all the games are about to end.
The western church has been turned into an awful joke. Teaching and preaching and writing books and making Cds and interviews and church growth conferences and marriage seminars are all very active among the different churches. But they are dead and void and have not the Spirit. Where are the leather lung preachers of old who sounded the clarion call that Jesus is coming back and everyone needs to repent and believe?
The church has become an oligarchy, and like the Church at Corinth the people follow certain men. I am of Warren; I am of Osteen; I am of McArthur; I am of Bell; I am of Piper; I am of Driscoll; I am of Copeland; I am of whoever scratches my itching ears. But still we slumber, contented that Jesus is only really coming again in our theology. Surely He is not coming very soon, and definitely not today.
Matt.24:44 - Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
Has there ever been a time when the church in general is less expectant of His return? The whole earth groans with sin, and the signs of His return gloe like neon, and still we slumber. It is time for us to take a spiritual inventory of the confession of our lips. Either we believe it or we do not. The gray area comes with a dangerous uncertainty. And this gray area is overpopulated with professing believers in the millions.
But the Spirit is dealing with many, many people. We have tasted of this world and we have found it does not satisfy. Nothing can fulfill our souls and nothing brings any authentic and life changing excitement. All is vanity and vexation of spirit. Almost everything is a waste of time. We are addicted to entertainment. But the Spirit is knocking on our heart’s door saying, ”Let Me in and we will fellowship”. And if we are honest, we are in desperate need of a mighty move of the Spirit in our own lives. We cannot wait for the church to lead. We cannot even wait for the elders and preachers to lead.
We must hear and follow the Spirit out of the wilderness and into the promise of the Spirit. He is coming, He is coming. No one knows the day or hour, but what does that matter? Is it not enough that He is at the doorstep? And one day you will give an account for the words you are reading in this insignificant little blog. Oh do not worry, I have much business to do with God. I am thirsty for more than what is being offered in this money changing expression of God’s church.
I despise my own flesh. And I simply exist in this present world, but in God’s unseen kingdom I desire to be used. There is nothing left. The only thing you will take to heaven are your children and any souls you might harvest. If you have unsaved or even wayward children you must pray as if the ship is sinking. This is an excellent opportunity to give yourself wholly to pray and fasting and allow the Spirit to reach into hearts and lives that are now closed to you. This is war in the Spirit!
Let this next week see you on your knees and with a passion for the things of God that seems fanatical to those who are bound to this present world. But what will people think? The more important question is what will God think. Stir up the gift of the Spirit. Click off the television for hours at a time and run to the prayer closet with brokenness and worship, and make your petitions known unto God.
Fanaticism does not apply to the coming of the Christ. There is no such thing as being overboard concerning eternity. And it is this very eternity that looms large upon the horizon of history as it comes to a frightful end. Those of us who know Him must step into the gap and intercede for those who stand in eternal peril. Oh please do not think I speak in hyperbole, or that my words are overly dramatic. In fact, no one can fully express the coming crisis that now envelopes the entire world. The things we have discussed in theology and doctrine and on prophetic time charts are about to become a reality beyond all that we can imagine.
Matt.24:45-51 - Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Let him who has an ear, let him hear…

2012-01-17T07:35:00.002-05:00

The Former Days

Heb.10:32-33 - But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions;
33 Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used.
Regardless of how much theology I think I know, or how much original languages I learn, or how many sermons I preach, I will always be amazed by this one thing: Jesus Christ saved my soul. I can never seem to get over that, even though that event happened in March of 1975. You see, I was not manipulated or coerced, and I did not say a prayer and then go home to eat lunch. And when I awoke the next day, I knew I was a different person. Everything seemed new and fresh.
I turned on the radio in my car and searched for Christian stations I did not even realize existed. Some man with a British accent, who I later learned was Alexander Scousby, was reading from the King James Bible. I was overjoyed! Today such things are considered dry as last year’s bird’s nest. But let me give you some background, as I promised.
I was raised In southern New Jersey. I went to Lutheran catechism for three years, and I was confirmed in the church where my mother was the choir director. I went to church on Sundays until I left for college. After I flunked out of college in my first year, I got a job and lived at home. I began to experiment with drugs and alcohol, and I became very promiscuous and violent as well. I bought a van, placed a couch in the back, and had a bumper sticker that read, “Don’t laugh, your daughter may be in this vehicle”. I was a real piece of work.
My mother died in 1973 and from there my life spiraled further downward. My father remarried and moved away. My life was drugs, alcohol, violence, and an unbroken stream of partying. I began to sell drugs, even in the local high school. One night I and three of my friends made plans to rob a bank. In New Jersey in those days, just an attempted bank robbery resulted in a 20 year sentence. We all agreed that no one wanted that. So after we chose the bank on the outskirts of town, we agreed to kill the guard as we entered. So it was set.
But before that happened, I got into a street brawl over a girl, and I was injured. I had my finger bitten almost in half. I was living on the street and had no one to attend to my injury. I called my aunt, my mother’s sister, who lived in North Jersey and she told me to come up to live with her. I hitchhiked to Clifton, New Jersey with only a shirt and a pair of Jeans and a pair of shoes. I had nothing else. The hospital had told me to keep my finger in water 24 hours a day for a week, and miraculously my finger healed with a scar noticeable until today.
It was about that time one of brothers became a believer and shared with me over the phone that he was considering becoming a minister. That stirred something inside me but I as yet did not know what. That same brother came to visit me and took me to a Broadway show called, “Godspell”. I was stirred all the more. I went and bought a Bible in Manhattan. I took it out of the box and when I opened it it seemed daunting. Oh wait! There are words in red here. I began to read the words in red. After a few days of reading I began to see that I had to make a decision.
While I was at my aunt’s house, I watched the television in my room. One night I saw Billy Graham preaching, and in those days there was no remote, so unless you were able to get up you had to watch what was on. I began to watch. I was intrigued, so I decided to watch again the following night. Mr. Graham preached on the Second Coming. As a Lutheran I had no idea He was coming again. I was more than intrigued, I was spiritually awakened. Was Jesus who He claimed to be? And if He was, and if He was coming back, were would that leaved me?
That night, at about nine o’clock in the evening, and on a cold, March night, I climbed the face of Garret Mountain that was right across the street from my aunt’s house. On a clear night overlooking the Manhattan skyline I called out to Jesus and asked Him if He was the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. There was no audible reply, but the inward witness of the Spirit was unmistakable. I remembered these words,
All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
That very night I believed on Jesus and was born again. As I climbed down the face of that mountain I could hardly contain my joy and excitement. No one had ever told me that you could actually know Christ and know that you had eternal life. For many months I drove people crazy as I clumsily witnessed to almost everyone. Yes, I was a newborn and wild lamb.
But here it is 37 years later and I still revel in the simple fact that I am saved! Do not let my attempts at linguistics and literary prowess fool you. I am just a simple sinner saved by grace and all I think I know is just dung compared with knowing Jesus on a childlike level. I still can cry when I share these things since they are so real and tell the actual story of my life. And when I one day lay eyes upon my Lord and Savior, nothing will mean anything then.
And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

I am not what I should be, and I am not even what I could be, but I am not what I was, and for that I openly and publicly praise Jesus. And one day I will be like Him. It is all of Him and none of me, and so shall it every be. Amen.

2012-01-16T19:53:00.002-05:00

A Word of Encouragement

It was 1974 and I was a lost sinner. I will elaborate later upon my conversion story, but I was a musician and a fan of many rock groups, as well as classical music. One of my favorite bands was called Jethro Tull. I not only liked their music, but I admired Ian Anderson’s linguistic talent.
And during the time the Spirit was drawing me to Christ, I went to see them perform. They sang a song called “Skating Away on the Thin Ice of the New Day”. Now you can discount it if you must, but I contend that God can and does use the most unexpected things to draw sinners unto Himself.
And as I sat in the audience under the influence of whatever narcotics I could get my hands on, I heard these words.

Meanwhile back in the year One --- when you belonged to no-one ---
you didn't stand a chance son, if your pants were undone.`
Cause you were bred for humanity and sold to society ---
one day you'll wake up in the Present Day ---
a million generations removed from expectations of being who you really want to be.

Skating away ---skating away ---skating away on the thin ice of the New Day.

So as you push off from the shore,won't you turn your head once more ---
and make your peace with everyone?
For those who choose to stay,will live just one more day ---
to do the things they should have done.
And as you cross the wilderness, spinning in your emptiness:you feel you have to pray.
Looking for a sign that the Universal Mind has written you into the Passion Play.

Skating away on the thin ice of the New Day.

And as you cross the circle line, the ice-wall creaks behind ---you're a rabbit on the run.
And the silver splinters fly in the corner of your eye ---shining in the setting sun.
Well, do you ever get the feeling that the story's too damn real and in the present tense?
Or that everybody's on the stage, and it seems like you're the only person sitting in the audience?
Skating away on the thin ice of the New Day.

God had been dealing with my heart, and I had been severely convicted about the reality of the claims of Jesus Christ. And while I listened to the words of the above song, I heard two phrases that caught more than my attention.

Looking for a sign that the Universal Mind has written you into the Passion Play.

That was exactly what I was searching for!
Then these words:

Well, do you ever get the feeling that the story's too damn real and in the present tense?

That was it. It was not long after that concert, and by many other means, that I believed on Jesus as my Lord and Savior. Now I share this with you to encourage you to pray for your children and loved ones, even though they are engaged in activities in which you cannot see how God could ever work. You minimize the power and scope of the ministry of the Spirit. God has used all kinds of things to water the seed that the Spirit has implanted in a person’s heart.

Thirty-seven years later I still cannot get over the fact that God saved me.

Keep praying and keep asking.

2012-01-16T14:43:00.003-05:00

The Errors of the Messianic Churches

Eph.2:14-16 - For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

Col.2:16-17 - Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
Heb.8:6-13 - But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.
7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.
8 For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:
9 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.
10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.
12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.

There is a movement that has many different streams that I will call the “Messianic Movement”. These are churches who not only acknowledge the Jewish roots of Christianity, but who also teach that the Christian church should have outward manifestations of Hebrew culture, as well as observe many feast, festivals, Hebrew words, and have an overall Hebraic distinction about their theology and practice. Generally, in my experience, these are saved people who love Jesus.
You may recognize these churches by their names or symbols. The words Hebrew, Zion, Israel, and Hebrew words many times are part of their name or are displayed prominently on their signs and literature. And their worship services contain many Hebrew sounding songs (which I like) and with Hebrew words, and the overall atmosphere of their service has an unmistakable Jewish flavor. There are varying degrees of this phenomenon.
Some call themselves synagogues and some even change their personal names to Hebrew names. The pastor is called a rabbi, the Bible is called the Torah, and so on it goes. I believe it is beneficial to understand more fully the connection between the Old Testament and the New, especially as it pertains to Christ Himself. I have attended a few Passover Seders and have been edified by a further revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ in those teachings settings.
But this movement is misguided in many ways. The church is not an extension of Israel, and in fact, the church is a brand new work of God called the body of Christ. It is unique and miraculous, and the church in no way is tethered to the Old Testament Law, or the feasts, or any observance other than baptism and communion. The entire Old Testament is a futuristic mirror that reflects the Lord Jesus and His redemption.
But when a church clothes itself in Old Testament visuals, and when they speak as Jews, and when their theology is almost more pro-Israel than it is pro-Jesus, then it has in practice strayed from being the Bride of Christ which in ethnicity is overwhelmingly Gentile, but is neither Jew nor Gentile in substance. Paul himself was severely persecuted by the Jews because he taught that believers in Christ need not obey the Law or observe the feasts or fashion themselves in any way after the former covenant. And some churches, a la John Hagee, even teach that a Jew can be saved without Jesus. That, my friends, is blasphemy!
Another unchristian aspect of this movement is the self righteousness exhibited many times by those who practice it. The Messianic Christians openly suggest that their way of worship is the God ordained method, and that God also desires us to support Israel without reservation and that New Testament theology is only pure when it is tethered to the format outlined by the Old Testament. That is untrue and leads directly to a clique mentality and a spirit of theological hubris.
The Old Testament was the scaffolding God used to build a structure upon which He could bring forth His Son and fulfill His plan for eternal redemption. But once Christ had died and resurrected, the scaffolding should only be used to look back and see God’s plan. It was never intended to be infused into this new building of the Spirit. The glory of the Old Testament was that it shined a prophetic light upon the Lord Jesus, and in fact that glory was to bow to the eternal glory of God’s Son, not to compete with it.
I admire their zeal. I admire their demonstrative worship. I admire their sincerity. But their direction is wrong. The church is a new thing, a creation out of God’s redemptive love, and she is the Bride and Body of Jesus Christ. It is beneficial to research the shadows and types of Jesus throughout the Old Testament, but it is a mistake to mold the church in the likeness of the Old Testament. We are to be living replicas of the Lord Jesus Christ, not replicas of shadows of days gone bye.

2012-01-16T11:46:00.001-05:00

Huntsman Quits

John Huntsman has suspended his candidacy for the Republican nomination for the Presidency of the United States. In his remarks, he said,
“This is the most important election of our lifetime.”
Where have I heard that before? Oh yea, only every single election in my lifetime. (60 years)
Does the term redundant irony apply here? I will go out on a limb here. Regardless of who is elected this year, not much will change. Abortion will still be legal, some states will still allow gay marriage, violence will still cover the nation, greed will be an attribute, politics will still be cultural sewage, the church will still be self absorbed, and all things remain the same since the fathers slept.
Oh yea, Jesus will still be Lord!

2012-01-15T03:58:00.003-05:00

Christ or Politics - Not Both

I love and hate the political system. I love it because it exposes so openly its profound fallen nature on a daily basis, and I hate it because it has so infiltrated the church of Jesus Christ. This political year promises to be as absurd and nasty as it gets. I do not follow all the ever changing machinations, however I cannot help but watch some of the debates.
But this current Republican primary season has unearthed some viciousness and rancor usually reserved for the presidential election process itself. And there is also a striking dichotomy between both major parties. The Republicans give lip service to the pro-life position, and that is good. But they also champion a kind of hedonism that suggests “get all you can and can all you get” philosophy. The Democrats are mostly pro-choice, which is bad. But they give lip service to the poor. What a fallen mess.
But just recently there arose a dispute among the Republicans concerning the nature of capitalism. In reality it contained a lot of personal motives between a few of the candidates, however the subject is a good one. And in light of God’s Word and Who we follow, what are we to make of that debate? Let me provide you first with some quotes from someone not running for political office. He says:
And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also. Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
OK, let’s just stop there. What kind of economic suicide is being proposed here? I mean, come on. Let’s be real and bring the debate into the 21st century. That kind of ancient rhetoric might have worked in the Dark Ages, but in this enlightened and prosperous age we need a more relevant discourse. Let see what else this person has to say on the subject.
And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.
And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 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;
There is it again. Meaningless prose, out of touch with reality, and more fanciful than real. That kind of lofty speech is more suited to a Hindu gathering, but surely not within the western culture of prosperity and success. That is socialism at its finest and Americans must reject it outright!
OK, I hope you can see satire. But can you not see the absurdity of such things when we actually juxtapose the teachings of Jesus upon the fallen back and forths of the political system? One candidate is willing to accept large sums of money for nothing more than his advice and influence, but he accuses another candidate of going too far in his capitalism. Its like an SNL sketch. And normally reasonable people listen to it and participate in a system that is much more than absurd and self serving. It is in fact antichrist.
The teachings of Jesus have nothing to do with enhancing our economic condition. In fact, the teachings of Jesus have more to do with the economic condition of others than they do with you. That, my friends, is the basic and crucial problem. Since we belong to a kingdom that has no subset with any other kingdom, it is impossible to bring them into a communion. And when we attempt to assess another kingdom, we inevitable must compromise since any Biblical assessment would render it completely at odds with all our Master stood for and taught.
And make no mistake, the two candidates for president will already be millionaires. Is it not ironic to see millionaires play philosophical badminton over how best to help the poor and needy?
“I have the answer!”
“No, I have the answer!”
And after the debate the candidates will retire to a glorious repast at a restaurant where you and I could not dream of affording. It is a spectacle with colossal irony, satire, and pulsating with self righteousness. And most westerners do not see the irony and do not see the inconsistency and double mindedness. Why? Because they wish they were rich! And in the end, the overwhelming majority of people will vote for the candidate they feel will elevate their personal prosperity.
But brothers and sisters, we have not known Christ after this sort. This is not the path that leads to Calvary, nor is it a path already trod by the Master’s feet. The uncomfortable question is do we still desire His path at all? Or even worse, do we even know what His path looks like anymore? And yet in the light of that piercing indictment do we still look for answers from the systems of this world? And how long will we embrace a system that is antithetical to the teachings of the One we profess to love and follow? And will we worship earthly freedom at the expense of sacrificing our freedom in Christ on the altar of political compromise?
In a previous post I suggested Jesus practiced socialism. That of course is somewhat inaccurate since it suggests that Christ bows to an earthly system. But my point was that Christ’s way is not our way. Democracy, capitalism, socialism, communism, totalitarianism, dictatorships, and all the rest are the recreation of the Tower of Babel. And they all present the fallen pottage of this world as if it was the divine birthright.
Is it not time that we as servants of the Most High God and of His Christ should humbly but decidedly withdraw from all that smacks of Cain’s fruit and openly cling to the Lord Jesus with all our hearts? This is no time to compromise. This is a time for all who bear His name to place themselves wholly and purely upon the altar of His circumcising Spirit. Politics be damned, and yes, I do mean damned in the spiritual sense. It is just such things that plunge the world more deeply into condemnation, and by design reject the Christ and war against the Kingdom of God. Let the Spirit open our eyes that we may see things as they are, which are the things not seen, and not as the world says they are.
Slowly but surely we have lost the glory of the cross, collectively and personally. And when the church does not see the cross as her life, but only as one pillar of our theology, and when the church preaches the cross only once or twice a year, and when the church teaches the cross primarily in the historical and theological abstract, then we have lost everything and we are undone.
Is.29:13-14 - Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:
14 Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.
Mk.7:5-7 - Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?
6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Away with the traditions of men! Away with vain worship! Away with hollow professions! Away with marrying the systems of this world with the Word of God! Away with it all!
Pray that God will empower us to remain separated from the ways of the world, refusing to even think ourselves wise enough in our own strength, and that our love for Christ will deepen in ways that we could not even imagine! This year, with all it opportunities for compromise and carnal thinking, will also reveal many, many opportunities for believers to shed the grave clothes of this world, and humbly proceed further into the glory that is the knowledge of Him, and into the freedom that always accompanies a sacrificial obedience to all He commands.
He is worthy!

2012-01-14T06:48:00.000-05:00

Two Different Systems

The world’s system:
When marines kill Afghanistan soldiers - praise.
When marines urinate on their dead bodies - punishment.
(Irony alert?)
The system of Christ:
Do not render evil for evil.
And now you have a choice.

2012-01-12T18:50:00.004-05:00

Jesus - a Practicing Socialist

The church should be an instrument of redemption and practice redemptive socialism.

It is impossible to read the New Testament and not see the theme of redemption through faith in Jesus Christ. In fact, that is the exclusive theme in both the Old and New Testament. The sacrifice of God’s Son upon the cross provided redemption for whosoever will believe. And yes, we can understand that now, but our understanding with be much greater and soaked in experience when we one day lay eyes upon the Risen Christ! What a glorious day of promise.
But there is an interesting subplot that makes much more than a minor cameo appearance throughout the New Testament. And this supportive theme many times is minimized if not wholly ignored. Again, it is impossible to read through the New Testament and not see this continuing exhortation. And this theme is designed to uphold, empower, and aid in the spreading of the gospel of redemption. As believing followers of the Lord Jesus, we are personally called to lives of moderation.
But it goes much deeper than that. Even in that moderation and personal sacrifice, we are called to minister to the people of this world. And when I say minister, I mean more than just teaching and preaching. So often we have isolated teaching and preaching and walked away with a feeling of religious fulfillment and a faithful dispatch of our New Testament duties. But in so doing we are ignoring the Scriptural outline for a disciple’s behavior.
Capitalism, nationalism, and hedonism has captured and imprisoned the western evangelical marketplace. And if you are “orthodox” in your doctrine, then the fringe issues seem negotiable. Therefore, if you believe in the deity of Christ, and salvation by grace through faith, and a few other pillars of the doctrinal faith, then you stand in fulfillment of the teachings of Christ. You are a disciple.
But wait a minute.

Matt.28:18-20 - And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Many of our ultra-orthodox (whatever that is) friends have long since made the point that we are to make disciples, not just believers. Personally I believe there is a touch of semantics in that, however they bring up a valid point. Verse 20 states that we should teach the converts. And so we have Sunday Schools and Christian books and statements of faith and systematic theologies. And ultimately we consider a mature believer as one who can articulate an orthodox systematic theology.
But that is not what Christ is saying in the Great Commission. Jesus commands us to teach believers to observe - or DO - what He has commanded us to do. That is profoundly different than saying teach the great doctrines of the faith. The words “observe” and “command” indicate something much greater than just learning truths. They indicate a doing and an obedience to the commands of Jesus, not just a learning of what He said and what He taught. If knowing all the core doctrines of the faith is the indispensable element of being a disciple, then there were not many disciples until recently since millions of believers were illiterate and perhaps millions still are today. And none of His commands had anything to do with enhancing and elevating our own lives.
Ask the average western theologian about what constitutes the foundational truths of Christianity and he will inevitably give you a list like this:
Deity of Christ
The Trinity
The virgin birth
Salvation by faith alone
The Resurrection
The Atonement through the blood
Now those things are important and do provide a foundation for understanding eternal redemption. But missing are the “to do” commands of Jesus, which must be important to Him since He included them in the Great Commission. Where are these in such lists:
Feed the poor
Minister to the sick
Visit the prisoners
Clothe the needy
Give water to the thirsty
Do good to your enemies
Rejoice in persecution
Bless them which curse you
Take up your cross
Be clothed with humility
Where aren’t those things in any list of approved orthodoxy? Why is humility an elective? Why is humanitarianism not an orthodox doctrine? We seem to be content, and even prideful, when we can regurgitate the written doctrines while seemingly ignoring the commands. And because many are prideful about their orthodoxy and their carefully exegeted doctrines of the faith, they step lightly on the commands of Christ concerning humility, humanitarian deeds, and being kind to our enemies. They are wary about others misjudging them as liberal or emergent because they feed the poor, etc..
But in downplaying such deeds the church has done substantial damage to the faith. The Christian faith was never meant to be an SAT test. It was birthed as a living exhibition of the Person of Christ and the redemptive heart of God. We were never meant to gloat in our literal interpretation of the Scriptures concerning a certain set of truths, while we place other Scriptures in a more casual light and in effect eviscerate their substance.
But, sadly, the average evangelical church stands upon its statement of faith as proof of its Biblical alignment, but the lives and behavior of its congregation are no more remarkable than the average “I believe in God” kind and nice person. The distinctives of a believers life have become so shallow and so unremarkable, that when we have a four sentence conversation with a stranger and he does not curse we think he might be a believer. Really? So a disciple is recognized by the things he does not do, and not so much by the things he does do? How pitiful!
Where is that light that shines in the world? That light that Jesus spoke of as shining through us, that isn’t placed inside a book of theology and encouraged to shine at preacher’s conventions and discussion forums and in pastor‘s libraries. That light is action; it is deeds. And those deeds must be uncomfortable and selfless and aimed at sinners from all stripes. Those deeds must have the love of Jesus Christ as their power and message. And those deeds are living epistles, ripped from the walls of doctrinal taxidermists and infused with His life they go without the camp, bearing His cross and washing the feet of leprous sinners.
We are to observe all things that He commanded of us. To love the Lord your God is more than doctrinal purity; it is more than just a great worship service; it goes way beyond mere words. Loving God cannot be separated from loving your fellow man. When you did not do it to the least of these you did not do it to Him. What a profound mystery, and yet no one can pretend ignorance. Christianity is more than just a religion. It is a life. And that life is an instrument of redemption, broken and spilled out, and stooping down so low so as to minister to the scabrous, the repugnant, the immoral, and in reality the dead corpses that walk among us every single day.
Let us come down from our doctrinal pedestals. Let us repent of the ways in which we have created a system that is so aloof and comfortable. Let us leave the redundant regurgitations that praise what we know and ignore what we must do. The church is so stagnant, so insulated, and so immobilized even while exhibiting a form of godliness within a myriad of activities while millions die physically and spiritually.
Redemption required blood. Read James once more and see that spreading that gospel message requires more than words. How much does He require of us who bear His name?

Just everything.

Nothing more, nothing less.

2012-01-12T07:29:00.000-05:00

And the Answer is?

Iran is developing a nuclear weapon.
Syria is killing its own people.
The Muslim Brotherhood governs in Egypt.
North Korea is threatening.
President Obama may have one billion dollars to campaign with.
The Republican candidates are politics as usual.
The abortion mills are in full vigor.
The economy continues to struggle.
The western church runs toward apostasy.
Sexual sins are rampant
Earthquakes happen around the globe.
The Middle east is a war waiting to happen.
Iraq is a mess.
Afghanistan is a mess.
Pakistan is a mess.
Divorced men and women defend the sanctity of marriage politically.
Men’s hunger for money and entertainment is unquenchable.
It seems as if there is no answer to the world’s dilemma.

Oh, but there is an answer.

The cross.

2012-01-10T13:32:00.004-05:00

The High Cost of War

The Machinery of Death

Bloodletting Through Lies

LOST

U.S. Troop deaths - 4,486 US troops
US Troops Wounded - 32,226
Iraqi civilian deaths - Near 100,000
Cost in dollars - 1 trillion
Emotional casualties - Many thousands
The cost of continuing healthcare for injured - probably another trillion
Perhaps another trillion in debt interest

ACCOMPLISHED

A corrupt democracy
More terrorists inside Iraq
Sectarian violence higher than under Saddam

WHAT WE WERE TOLD

Iraqis would welcome us as heroes
Iraqi oil would pay for the war
Saddam had many weapons of mass destruction
Iraq would be a shining example of democracy in the region
People’s lives would be better

SUMMARY

Deaths, wounded, lives wrecked, incredible debt, and all of it presented on a platform of lies.

War: How do you like me now?

2012-01-09T20:26:00.004-05:00

The Shame and the Glory

Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith,
who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross,
despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:2

In Jesus’ day, the cross was not an ornament to wear
lined with jewels and made of precious gold
Instead it was an instrument on which a person died
for all the men and women to behold
To bear the cross meant suffering beyond all other means
as an example seen by one and all
But only Jesus Christ endured the full extent of pain
for only He could remedy the Fall
The glory of the cross is not in just that Jesus died
but that He conquered death for you and me
It’s in His resurrection that the glory is complete
securing Life for all eternity
So when we view the cross on which the Lord did pay our debt
remember all the shame that Jesus bore
But know Salvation was completed when He rose again
and Christ will sit in glory evermore
David L Vanderpool

2012-01-09T05:21:00.003-05:00

Tim Tebow

I am a rabid Notre Dame fan. Don’t ask me why except that I am 50% Irish (and 50% German - Frueh). But I admire a college team with 9000 enrollees who can compete with ones who have 70,000 students. I admire their standards as well.
I do not believe God is interested in football at all, or any sports for that matter. But I cannot help but pull for this kid named Tim Tebow. The fact that his parents are overseas missionaries drew me at first, and I like the fact that he gave glory for his life to his “Lord and Savior Jesus Christ”. I know, that kind of language is often self serving and makes a cameo appearance at sports events, music award show, and academy award extravaganzas. And it is difficult to rejoice in such things when the person saying them is on their 4th wife and is now living with a girl 30 years his younger. Oh well.
But this kid Tebow seems to be the genuine article. Is he perfect? Let’s be real. But he seems to say the right things, and the people who know him best say he is what you see. He has a great platform to speak the name of Jesus, and his remarkable achievements this year have elevated him into the national discourse. Some mock him, and some doubt, and some even hate him because of his faith in Christ. But almost everyone knows the situation.
I root for him, not just in football, but I pray for his faithfulness in his witness. A young kid with money and the pressure of today’s world, to say nothing of testosterone coursing through his body, is confronted with many temptations. But up until now Tebow has been a very good witness for Jesus Christ. We need more like him to whom we can point and tell our children, “There is a godly young man!”
Let us pray for him and that God will be glorified in all of this.
(BTW - I grew up a Cowboy fan!)

2012-01-08T08:08:00.002-05:00

Here is Love

In the early 1900’s a young man named Evan Roberts began to pray. The Spirit began to take hold of his soul, and God’s power began to rest upon him although he was a young man. Everywhere he went revival followed, and in a couple of years thousands of souls came into the kingdom, and the spiritual landscape of Wales was changed forever. You would do well to google the Welsh Revival and challenge your soul.
During the revival, the song that became sort of an anthem was “Here is Love”. It is sung below by Robin Mark.

Here is Love

How is it that truths like this song have almost disappeared from our church vocabularies? How can we stand before God with all the nonsense that goes on in church and the lifestyle compromises that live openly in believers? Does it not break our hearts when we see how much redemptive love was poured upon us by our Loving God, and yet we bring Him such wood, hay, and stubble?
Perhaps God’s great grace will allow us a revival here in the western church which is so petrified by activity and the cares of this world as another Jesus is worshiped. The gateway to such a revival is first a resurgence of prayer. The second step will be a mighty resurgence of prayer. Prayer must be our life, prayer must be our breath, and the church house lights must begin to burn during the week with seeking believers on their face before God.
During the Welsh Revival many coal miners came into the kingdom. As they went down into the mines they noticed that the ponies that pulled the carts had trouble obeying their commands. Why was that? They came to realize that as Christians they no longer used profanity in their commands and the ponies were confused. The ponies had to be retrained!
How have we decimated the precious faith of Jesus Christ? We have taken the sacred and trodden it under the feet of our hedonistic and secular culture. And how treasonous is it to hear the truth of God's matchless love, and yet live as if it means almost nothing? Where are the mighty transformations from sinners to saints? And where is the divine incandescence that should be emanating from our lives so that sinners might awaken and Christ may be high and lifted up? Read these words and see if Christ deserves more, much more, than what we currently offer Him.

Here is Love

Here is love vast as the ocean,
Lovingkindness as a flood
When the Prince of Life, our ransom,
Shed for us His precious blood.

Here is love. Lord, we remember.
From our hearts we lift Your praise,
Raising high the living anthem
All will sing through endless days.

On the mount of crucifixion
Fountains opened deep and wide.
Through the floodgates of Your mercy
Flowed a vast and gracious tide.

Here is love like mighty rivers
Poured unceasing from above.
Heaven's peace and perfect justice
Kissed a guilty world in love.

O what love! Great love!
Dying Lord, what love!

Here is love vast as the ocean,
Lovingkindness as a flood
When the Prince of Life, our ransom,
Shed for us His precious blood.Here is love.

Lord, we remember.
From our hearts we lift Your praise,
Raising high the living anthem
All will sing through endless days

2012-01-07T10:01:00.002-05:00

Let God Be True and Every Man a Liar

II Tim.3:15-17 - And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
In Concord, New Hampshire, Rick Santorum, a candidate for the Republican nomination for president, replied to questions asked from college students. As a rule college students tend to be liberal, or free thinking, and this crowd seemed no different in that respect. When asked about gay marriage the exchange became a little feisty. Here is some of that exchange:

He (Santorum) called on a woman who asked, "How about the idea that all men are created equal, rights to happiness and liberty?
Santorum responded, "Are we saying that everyone should have the right to marry?"
Several members of the crowd loudly yelled, "Yes!"
At that point, the former senator from Pennsylvania compared same-sex marriage to polygamy.
"So anyone can marry can marry anybody else? So if that's the case, then everyone can marry several people ... so you can be married to five people. Is that OK?" Santorum asked.

The woman asking the question was of course quoting the Declaration of Independence which reads, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
If you look closely at the wording of the Declaration, you will see that the answer to Santorum’s rhetorical question about having five marriage partners is, “Yes!” The Declaration does not refer to any Biblical authority, and in fact, elevates our pursuit of happiness as the arbiter and as a “self evident” truth. So in effect, anyone can marry whoever pleases them and makes them happy. You see, the Declaration of Independence is a humanistic document and provides sweeping freedoms for every citizen.
It would seem appropriate to guard the young against abuse, but to all citizens of voting age who desire to engage in things not infringing upon the happiness of others, well, that is an uninalienable right. Therefore no one can marry an 8-year old girl because the government has rightly deemed her as not reaching voting adult status, but as it pertains to consenting adults, full throttle.
So what has happened and what has the church missed? Well, the evangelical church has taken a humanistic document which has some nebulous reference to a deity, and which defines that deity as existing for the happiness of man, and we have attempted to make it a Christian document. And just like the square peg in a round hole illustration, it cannot be done and causes great confusion and compromised loyalties among believers.
When believers embrace the documents of man as inspired in any way, they immediately compromise their hearts, their faith, and the revelation of Jesus Christ. These same deceived believers would never embrace the documents of Joseph Smith, or Mary Baker Eddy, or Charles Taze Russell, but they enthusiastically embrace the writings of Jefferson, Madison, or Franklin. And what is the difference? It is because of their misguided loyalty and allegiance to a country called America.
If you shoot a rifle at a target that is 1 mile away, and if you gun is off 1 degree to the right, then you will be almost 100 feet off target. The same principle applies in matters of truth and spiritual understanding. If you begin with a false and faulty premise, one that is vital and essential, then as you proceed further into Scripture you will inevitably taint the entire process and ultimately come to many inaccurate conclusions. That is how cults are formed, and that is also how all of us can be deceived and compromised.
And so it is with America. Even the humanistic documents, written by carnal men and endorsed by unbelievers, are embraced by professing followers of the Lord Jesus, and ones who boldly proclaim the exclusivity of the written revelation we call the Bible. But because their eyes have been blinded by the light of nationalism, they embrace humanistic documents and the works of men. And it must be remembered that the original documents issued by the founding fathers were the product of both saved and lost men, slave holders and philanderers, and give no reference to the Lord Jesus Christ in either the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution.
The chains of nationalism are real. And those unseen chains have serious repercussions on every believer who is bound by them, as well as the church at large. I humbly exhort you to seek the freedom that can only be found in Jesus Christ. And the government that rests upon His shoulders is no democracy. It is a monarchy and the King that rules over that government is the only hope for the world.

Let God be true and every man a liar.

2012-01-06T06:58:00.003-05:00

Violence and the Gospel

And almost on cue, here are two infamous heretics praying for God to bless war.

Gen.6:13 - And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
Matt.11:10-13 - For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
There was much violence through the Old Testament. I must admit to a level of mystery I have concerning God’s participation in such violence. I mean destroying entire cities, etc.. But I will not suggest that I know better than God, and I will never question what He does and does not do. That is a futile exercise in spiritual hubris.
But no one can read the New Testament and not understand that a seismic shift has taken place. What once was standard operating procedure for God’s people has been revolutionized, and the kingdom of God now centers around humility, love, and mercy. The teachings of Jesus are significant since he Himself was God in the flesh. And the words of Jesus are not only filled with nonviolence, they are filled with exhortations of love and kind works toward our enemies. That is astounding given the history of Israel!
But unless you reject Jesus as the Messiah and the Incarnate Son of God, you must acquiesce to His teachings and His example. We do not have the spiritual luxury to carry the banner of Jesus while presenting truths and principles that are diametrically opposed to what He taught. It is disingenuous at best and treasonous at worst. And we cannot ask hypothetical questions about certain outcomes of obeying such teachings and use those hypotheticals to compromise, and in some cases, obliterate what Christ taught.
But sadly, that is what most of the western church has done. Since the teachings of Jesus are so radical and so antithetical to a culture of hedonism, prosperity, and violence, the church has forced Christianity to bow to the culture and seriously manipulated the Scriptures to accomplish its own will regardless of the clear and unambiguous truths outlined again and again in the New Testament. And besides just openly ignoring the clarity of the New Testament, the church has also come up with a melding of the Old Testament with the New Testament which in effect does damage to the overall integrity of Christ’s gospel message as well as encourages individual lifestyles that are at odds with the example and teachings of Christ.
It can only be denied by those who aggressively refuse to take an honest look at Scripture. I know, I used to be one of those. I want to address the culture in which I live because that is not only what I am most familiar with, but it is a grievous example of ecclesiastical compromise. I used to celebrate America including having patriotic services in the churches I pastored. I sang, “I’m proud to be an American” and in earlier years a song called, “The Statue of Liberty”. And once my two older children sang the four songs associated with the four major branches of the military - in church! I was so proud back then.
But I was wrong, very wrong. But I never questioned the issue of patriotism, nationalism, or the use of violence. I mean the entire evangelical landscape taught and practiced such things, and back then I was an independent Baptist. We were so militant we were one step from bringing guns to church! But every new generation was reared to think as we did, and even many Christian schools have a “Patriot” as their mascot. Go into almost all Christian schools and you will find pictures adorning their walls of many presidents and patriots and founding fathers. Many of them were slave owners and adulterers, but because they were Americans such things are overlooked.
One day my best friend asked me this question, “Where in the New Testament are we allowed to violently overthrow the government when we don’t like the tax situation?” I paused and thought. Then he added, “In fact, where in the New Testament are we allowed to violently overthrow the government for any reason?” For some reason I did not brush those questions off, and even though I made some innocuous “That’s interesting” reply, the questions penetrated my heart. For the next week I did a private, and sometimes painful, investigation of the Scriptures.
As I read and reread and compared Scripture with Scripture, a pattern began to emerge which was, in all honesty, openly there before. It was all too obvious that what I had believed and taught was not true. And the issue of violence was not just some fringe doctrine that believers argue about that has no real impact of our faith and our lives. No, this issue was significant and it revealed a major abrogation of the overarching redemptive message of the gospel and the kingdom of God. In one week of Scriptural honesty I stood before God naked and indicted. I was pierced to the heart.
I praise the Risen Christ for His mercy and patience with such a stupid man as I. I can report to you that God forgives us our sins the very moment we confess and repent of them. And unlike man, God does not hold a grudge. Of course what God does have to do when the Spirit leads us into a greater revelation of His Person and His truth, He has to warn and correct us when we almost inevitable exhibit a level of self righteousness concerning our new found epiphany. And true to form, when we confess and repent of that He is faithful and just to forgive and to cleanse.
And through my personal experience concerning the nonviolent nature of the gospel of grace, I also have been led by God’s grace into a greater level of humility, which is both painful and no easy task for God. And by the way, this humility thing? I have to do faithful sentry duty or I can easily slide into self righteousness again. How sinful we are and how glorious is our Redeemer! But the duplicitous nature of the western evangelical church must be uncovered and addressed. We are not of this world and our actions as well as our thought processes must be brought into the obedience of Christ.
II Cor.10:3-5 - For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
We cannot, we must not, sift what we believe about truth through the lense of culture or the hypothetical kaleidoscope of “what ifs”. God’s truth needs no outside support to make it more true, and many times what we call reason is nothing more than cultural baggage. The mild and meek servants of God that desire to reflect the Christ and walk in self denying crucifixion, have become the boasting patriots that claim national superiority, divine favor, and a divine approval and empowerment to go to war. If we could bring 100 early believers back from the year 100 A.D. I am sure they would be confounded concerning our brand of Christianity.
And let me add this observation. My words or presentations about this subject have been met with little enthusiasm. In fact, just the discussion many times elicits manifestations of the flesh. It is amazing to see how people react when you question idols that are considered settled law. But we must continually ask God for His love for them to run through us. Easy to say, difficult to exhibit. So I have found that for the most part, only a person that is drawn by the Spirit to ponder and investigate such things personally will be changed. Most of my time presenting or arguing bore precious little fruit, and if I am honest, sometimes my own flesh was stirred.
Let us pray that God will enlighten many hearts, and that God will lead us to a deeper level of crucifixion of our own fallen man. Just because we have come to an understanding about nonviolence does not guarantee that we will be more like Jesus. There is much ground yet to be taken and our journey continues. To whom much is given, much is required. We don’t just owe God a lot - we owe Him our lives. Let’s pay up!

2012-01-05T06:09:00.001-05:00

Extra Credit

10 points:

What would you call a system where lies are encouraged, slander is practiced, boasting is the norm, self righteousness is a virtue, disingenuousness is a must, and an obscene amount of money is used to manipulate the minds of gullible people?

American politics.

2012-01-04T05:33:00.001-05:00

The New Destiny Debacle

Why was there all this commotion over who would be the next pastor at a church called New Destiny in central Florida? The answer is simple: money. And that is almost always the reason in most church power struggles. If everyone had been meeting under a tree, and the pastor’s salary was quite moderate, I suspect the entire matter would have been much simpler and without as much carnal struggle.
All you would have to do is move to another tree.

2012-01-03T09:14:00.002-05:00

The Risen Christ

A black hole is a phenomenon of the universe where matter is so dense that the velocity needed to escape (rocket, etc.) is greater than the speed of light. That means that even light cannot escape its gravitational force, hence the name “black hole”. If light cannot escape then the black hole cannot be seen. Some black holes are the size of a football field but with thousands of times as much mass as our Sun. But even though we can describe such a startling phenomenon, human words are incapable of fully capturing such a stretch of known physics. We understand on our level, but our description is profoundly rudimentary.
And so it is with God. The Scriptures tell us that no one has seen God and lived. That means that any visual representation of God is a gift of grace as well as being necessarily cloaked to some extent. God is a spirit, and a spirit cannot be seen with human eyes. But God does reveal Himself through some things that can be seen. Fire, smoke, light, and a burning bush are some of the manifestations God allows to represent His presence. But, of course, the Lord Jesus is the highest representation of God and is, in fact, God in the flesh.
But somehow we have lost the sacred and lost the awe. Somehow we have presented a caricature of God and the Lord Jesus, and we no longer reverence Him, to say nothing of fear and trembling. The Apostle John laid his head many times on the bosom of Christ, and yet upon seeing the Risen Christ he fell at His feet as though dead. Yes, Jesus is a friend that sticks closer than a brother, and yes He is a loving and intimate shepherd to His sheep. But He is also God, the Eternal Word, and a consuming fire.
The church has significantly redefined the Lord Jesus until all He is good for is helping with your electric bill and getting your auto loan approved. And preachers by the thousands lead their congregations in prayer, asking God to help them garner millions of dollars of secular debt in order to build more buildings. No one can honestly read the scriptures and believe that God is in accruing massive debt.
People speak about Jesus as if He is their great uncle. Some even suggest that He speaks to them audibly because that subliminally suggests God is on your side. This western caricature is nothing like the Christ in Scripture, and in many ways it seems like a doll or teddy bear. There is little conviction of sin, and professing believers by the millions gather to worship God with unclean hands and hearts. Which Jesus are they worshiping?
To be sure there is an intimate side to the Lord Jesus, and anyone who has actually experienced His presence can testify to that. He is a healer and He is the Balm of Gilead. And through the Spirit He comforts us as well. But it is not just unwise to alter His image, it is sacrilege. What would we think of a scientist who confines his definition of a black hole as nothing more than a tightly filled bean bag? That would not only be inaccurate, it would be a gross misrepresentation. And in fact, it would violate any accepted scientific norm.
And so it is with the western church’s representation of the Risen Christ. It is not only inaccurate, it violates the truth of Who Christ is as revealed in Scripture and taught by the Spirit through the illumination of that same Scripture. It is not wrong to often speak with God as a friend, or converse with Him on an intimate basis. Even discussing seemingly mundane things builds up our most holy faith. But we must never strip Him of His majesty and glory. There are no human words to adequately define and completely do justice to the immensity of His Person and the august nature of His eternal divinity. Even the word “God” should stir our hearts and bow our wills.
Without a fresh vision of the Risen Christ, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit we will continue to feast on scraps, and sometimes those scraps are poison. I am one who endorses a vibrant and demonstrative worship before God. I play the piano and have written many worship songs, some to which you can dance. I embrace that kind of unbridled expression of praise and worship. However without a stream of awe and wonder, and deep and compelling reverence, it many times is completely fueled by the power of music and a sophisticated sound system, but not the power of God’s own Spirit.
If we allow the Spirit to reintroduce God to us in all His glory and power, and if we once again are broken before the wonder of the cross, and if we never forget what sinners we were and what sinners we are, then we will experience what true worship is - all about Him and never about our method, never about our music, and least of all, never about us.

2012-01-02T08:24:00.002-05:00

The Danger of Carnality

Rom.8:6-8 - For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
The word carnal in the Greek indicate a control by an animal nature. It applies to men when their desires and appetites are controlled by their fallen nature rather than by God’s Spirit. Paul not only tells of its danger, but he uses the word “death”. And so it is.
We give far too much room for carnality in the church. Rare is the shepherd who can be alert toward signs of the flesh while not moving into legalism. More likely in today’s evangelical mess are the preachers whose entire ministry is built upon the dictates of the flesh. And when people are subjected consistently to the offerings of the flesh, even while draped in religious language, their appetites become satisfied by carnal and fleshly things.
The meat of the Word is distasteful to the average evangelical palate, and any hint of rebuke repels the carnal mind. The average pew dweller desires encouragement and praise from the shepherd’s mouth, even if he is in mortal spiritual danger. Rebuke the president, rebuke Rob Bell, rebuke Joel Osteen, rebuke Muslims, rebuke homosexuals, and rebuke liberals of all stripes, but do not rebuke us. People do not come to church to hear God’s Word, they come to be blessed.
And the average church service is constructed to make people feel good. The pastor works hard to attract people and he never wants to send anyone away, so he avoids any strong message of correction. His job is to convince people that they love their church. Addition not subtraction is the name of this ecclesiastical game. There is a mortgage to be paid, enormous staff salaries, building upkeep, teen activities, and everything else that costs money.
The worst thing that can happen to the movement called Christianity is if it replaces the power of the Spirit with the power of the flesh. Nothing is wrong with technology unless it replaces the Spirit and draws men through manipulation and carnal coercion. The flesh loves to hear all positive messages that reinforce the carnal lifestyles people already live. Positive attitudes and thoughts of success and the pursuit of prosperity are always on the fallen menu. But there is nothing more positive than allowing the Spirit to conform us in the image of God’s Dear Son.
The church has traded the sacred for the carnal. No longer is the name of Jesus the Christ spoken with awe and reverence. No longer is the presence of God so evident in the gathering of believers that conviction of sin is pervasive. No longer is the ministry of the Spirit of God welcomed among the company of believers. Everything is hype and tinsel, loud and forced, and manipulative and self serving. The carnal equation is simple - the bigger the church, the more God is blessing.
Do believers arrive at the church building on Sunday mornings bathed in prayer? Have they worshiped the Christ privately before they worship Him corporately? Have they come free from a schedule so that the Spirit is free to move as He pleases? Have their lips shared the gospel of Christ at all during the week? Have they watched more television than they have spent in God’s holy presence? What kind of religion are we practicing if there is such a great disparity between what we say and what we do? Doesn’t James address that kind of religion?
It is time to repent and dismantle, and to destroy what man has made and make room for what God desires. There is so much of God’s glory being ignored, and yet to hear these carnal men one would believe they have God’s blessing. And the ultimate question has always been this: Do we actually and demonstrably believe that we have inherited eternal life through Jesus Christ? Well, how can we know that?
To the extent we serve and love this life, is to the extent we are living in unbelief, and that in spite of all our religious rhetoric, we are living a fraud. And with that indictment placed upon the western church, there looms a supreme prospect that carries the weight of eternity within that possibility. And just what is that possibility?
It is entirely possible that much, if not most, of the western evangelical congregations have never been regenerated by God’s Spirit and are caught in a religious system that provides a false and diabolical comfort for lost and religious souls. And if that is the case, then the carnality active within that system is doing much more harm than just compromising the believer’s walk. The current ecclesiastical structure in the west has become a greater evil than just practicing a shallow form of Christianity. It now serves as a monstrous deception that guides fallen souls to an eternal place of judgment, separated from God forever. And this is being accomplished with a religious veneer, praise and worship music, and the name of Jesus deftly and disingenuously pasted upon its form.
And what words are adequate to describe such an antichrist system?

Anathema maranatha.

2012-01-01T08:59:00.002-05:00

2012

Phil.3:7-14 - But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
The new year is here. I do not set dates but I do see signs. We may not have much time left to serve Christ in this world. It cannot be denied by anyone who has even the slightest level of discernment that the entire world is on the very precipice of calamity. And in some areas, calamity is a daily experience.
Americans are worried about money and losing even the slightest portion of the “America Dream”. However we as believing followers of the Lord Jesus must never bow to such earthly pursuits. Our lives must be consumed with Him, and everything we do and say must be to His glory alone. We cannot serve two masters. Jesus is Lord and must be served and worshiped as such.
It would not take much to throw the entire world into total violence, confusion, and utter collapse. But even that prospect should not move us. In fact, as we see the day approaching our hearts should leap within us and our lives should walk in the power of His resurrected will. This is no game, and I am well aware that such dire claims have been made before. But one day they will come to fruition. Perhaps 2012 will see a monumental prophetic movement that shakes everything that can be shaken.
But, sadly, with all that on the horizon the western church continues to practice a religion that bears no resemblance to Christianity. In times past disciples lived lives of sacrifice. Today professing disciples live lives in pleasure. In times past disciples spent many weekly hours in prayer. Today prayer is a lost discipline. In times past disciples separated themselves from the systems of this world. Today professing disciples are consumed with all sorts of worldly battles. In times past disciples embraced their own cross. Today professing disciples embrace neither their cross nor His.
The walls are broken and burned, and the temple of the Lord has been ransacked. The shepherds sing pretty songs from behind the pulpit and the sheep love to have it so. Music is now our god, and worship has become a thing rather than a glorious expression emanating from a heart given to Christ. Men and women can lead weekly lives of prayerlessness, adultery, sexual immorality, and all sorts of hedonism and yet clap and raise their hands on Sunday morning. There is no conviction nor spirit of holiness in God’s house anymore.
Our salt and light are now gone, and like Samson of old, we do not even know it. The practice of church continues with a powerless expression that satisfies the flesh but starves the spirit. This is not Christianity. This is another religion, a cult, that has been carefully ushered in and given the name of Jesus. But it is another Jesus; a wealthy Jesus in the lineage of Santa Claus. This is not the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. This is a caricature that smacks of a fallen western culture. This Jesus is a divine bell hop who serves man and all his desires.
2012 will bring more of the same and worse. Diabolical lies are spread through Christian television and ignorant people write checks to false prophets. The entire mess is a disaster. But judgment must begin at the house of God. And since the church at large is now a whore, we as individual believers must hear the Spirit’s voice and follow the Great Shepherd as he leads those who will hear out of spiritual adultery. And although we lament the current spiritual apostasy that sweeps the western ecclesiastical landscape, we cannot let it end there. We must rise up and seek God’s face.
2012 is full of all kinds of spiritual opportunities. It is altogether possible that if we seek God’s precious Word with a fresh thirst and a new commitment to understand and obey, that the Spirit can open that Word to us with a vibrancy that resurrects truths that we had long since placed upon the shelf of familiarity. John 3:16 and other well known verses may come to life with such profound application and understanding that it may seem that we never really comprehended their depth before. If we open our hearts and delve into the fathomless treasures of the Eternal Word of the Living God, God has promised to reward those who seek Him with that kind of diligence.
And when we begin to awaken to the glories of God’s Word with such brokenness and immeasurable resolve, we will find that we begin to know Him in greater intimacy, love, and a well spring of worship. And when we are driven to the prayer chamber to meet our Bridegroom, it is in that spiritual furnace where the Spirit burns away the dross of our lives and little by little lifts the sacred veil that separates the revelation of His Person from those who just use Him to gain heaven or those who are willing to die to see Him. And those who have their statement of faith as their God must wait outside, while those who journey further into the realm of prayer and worship will be given the priceless gift of His presence. And once you have tasted His presence nothing this side of heaven will suffice.
I do not speak of some self righteousness that claims to have been visited personally by angels. Or some charismatic preacher who says he went to heaven and by that draws attention to himself as well as increases his own earthly wealth. Away with all that! But I do reject the notion that we who do have a solid, Biblical theology can traverse no further in the realm of the Spirit. I cannot agree with those who relegate prayer and worship to some perfunctory exercise and who are so afraid of being labeled that they eschew any meaningful disciplines of the Spirit designed to know Him more fully. And while we rightfully reject contemplative and centering prayer, it does not mean that we cannot approach God’s throne with brokenness, humility, and a Jacob-like relentlessness.
Please do not let false teachers rob you of what the Spirit has for you. The Industrial Revolution has robbed the church of the one precious commodity necessary for any spiritual maturity - time. People now carry televisions around in their phones and I-Pads. All the gimmickry and electronic accoutrements have stripped us of the greater treasures of the Spirit. Rare are the believers who can spend quality time alone with God, free from all the cares of this world, and without an underlying anxiousness about what they have to do next. How tragic.
But 2012 does not have to be a mirror of past years. And this year can be a year of spiritual progress that beaks up the fallow ground, plants good seed in good soil, and reaps a personal harvest to God’s glory. And by a harvest I mean life fruit that bears His image. The days are evil and the time grows short. And if we could be assured that sometime in 2012 we will stand before the Risen Christ, would we live differently? Are we still in love with Jesus or have we left our first love for the mistress of this present world? Do not waste this coming year. Break open the alabaster box of the life God gave you and lavish it upon Him!
Do not wait for the church as an institution to wake up and seek His face. You and I have personal mandates from the Spirit that beckon us to come and dine. How much of our lives are filled with things that do not profit spiritually? Do we really want the quality of our spiritual lives to be measured by what we do not do or by which heretics we reject? But in order for these things to change the person who worries about the cares of this world, and who fills your mind with carnal things, and who casually relegates time with God to the back burner, that person must die. He cannot be reformed. He will not be redirected. He receives no correction. In fact, he is most creative and will allow certain adjustments to be made in order to preserve the core of his carnal pursuits and distractions. He will never admit it but he desires to be lord. No, he must die and he must die every single day.
Why didn’t Jesus allow His blood to be shed without the cross? Why didn’t he orchestrate a narrative that had someone slit his throat like the priests did to the animals? Our forgiveness is in the blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness, so why the cross? The cross was meant to kill sinners. And when Jesus says that if we desire to be His followers we must take up our own cross, he is outwardly suggesting that we die. In fact, He is more than just suggesting. Death to self is a spiritual mandate. Shallow is the believer who by faith applies the blood to his sins but who never pursues his own cross.
Yes, Jesus paid the price for us, and it takes only childlike faith to believe on Him and be saved. Halleluiah!! But is that all He deserves? Are we not bought with a price and belong solely to Him? Is He not our Master and we His bond servants? There is no real pain in saving faith, but there is much pain in being conformed to His image. And that is why the church by and large avoids any authentic pursuit of discipleship. We seek a bed of roses and not a crown of thorns. The church has long since defined discipleship as teaching a convert the systematic truths of Scripture, and although that is surely extremely important, it falls embarrassingly short of the path laid our for us by the Master who embodies those truths. A computer, rightly programmed, can spit out an orthodox theology.
And again, we cannot serve two masters. We cannot follow the dictates of this earthly life and also follow the dictates of our life in His Spirit. They are enemies! We have so emasculated the Christian life so as to make it unremarkable within a kingdom of darkness. The flesh has become very adept at appearing religious, and that flesh now reigns. But we again have an opportunity to break these earthly chains and go forth from our spiritual lethargy and find Christ once again! Is that reward too insignificant to pursue? The Risen Master not only awaits the adoration of His servants, but He Himself has promised to help those who seek Him. Can there be any words to adequately praise the name of such a God??
So let us set aside our hearts this year. And when we stumble, and when we do get distracted, let us be quick to repent and quick to go directly to Him who can forgive and restore. This may be the year of His secret coming for His bride, I do not know. I long to see Him. But of this I can be sure. This can be the year that allows the Potter to break our lives, put it to death, and create a life that reflects the glory of God’s eternal Son. Please Lord, let it be so.

2011-12-31T19:23:00.001-05:00

Giving to Missions

In 1993, on our way to a business appointment, my partner, Chris Stebbins, and I began to discuss missions. We lamented the fact that so much money given to missions went to administration, etc.. We wondered why there could not be a direct conduit that would funnel all the money given directly overseas to faithful missionaries. It was on that morning that “Uttermost Parts Fellowship” was born. From that day forward, a portion of our salaries went directly to overseas missionaries, and every believer who felt led to give could be assured that ever single penny went directly to missions. From 1993 Chris and I have never taken one single penny personally. Never.
Chris does all the clerical work since I myself am not gifted in that area. He has also provided lodging for our missionaries in his mobile home that houses his wife and four children. Our main thrust has always been Africa. We have flown African national pastors to America as well as helped believers travel overseas. It has been the joy of my Christian life! Chris does most of the work.
But if you are looking for a place to support missions and with the confidence that all your money goes overseas to missions, I am going to provide the address. In 6 years of blogging I have never asked for funds and never provided the name and address for our missions association. And if you give, Chris will provide you with a statement at the end of the year which is tax deductible. I do not beg. Let the Spirit lead you. It may be another six years before I mention it again.

Uttermost Parts Fellowship
P.O. Box 61
Crystal Springs, Fl. 33524

God bless.

2011-12-30T07:15:00.004-05:00

Rose Colored Western Glasses

I often visit a site called “Apostasy Watch”. I had been visiting it before its administrator, Steve Lumbley, began publishing some of my posts. Like all of us about any blog I like some of his posts better than others, but I wholeheartedly agree with his overarching theme. It is worth visiting. It is at that site that I have found some new friends and been encouraged because there are many believers who are awakening to the reality of the spiritual decline of the western evangelical church.
And one kind of post that can be found at Apostasy Watch are accounts of persecutions around the world. We believers in America live an incredibly sheltered and fictional lifestyle, especially as it pertains to the Christian faith. All around the world in many different places our brothers and sisters in Christ are being harassed, persecuted, and even martyred for their faith in Jesus Christ. It is impossible to accurately assess the number of believers who have lost their lives, and it is impossible to weight the amount of persecution that takes place on a daily basis.
Wives have watched as their husbands have been slaughtered; parents have had their children taken from them; fathers rot in totalitarian prisons; men are denied work to provide for their families; and all this suffering goes on with little notice, compassion, or help from the western church. Rarely is a tear shed, and rarer still are the midnight lanterns lit in a prayer chamber filled with believers interceding for their brethren. We are living in a fantasy world of our own self serving creation.
Read the writings from and about the Apostle Paul and you will see a heart that beats for His brethren around the known world. Paul did not settle into a nice, Roman neighborhood and read some newsletter between watching football games. His life was consumed with serving Christ, and a large part of that service was ministering to His persecuted brethren. In fact, He himself embraced his own persecution and victoriously went to his own sacred martyrdom.
Where is that spirit today? How can we go day after day in a dry eyed stupor being slaves to the culture and the dictates of our own desires? People, real people, who trust in the Risen Christ are suffering greatly and yet we who swim in abundance walk with blinded eyes and stopped up ears. Does it not break your heart that your heart is not broken? What kind of disciples are we when we care more about the welfare of our pets than we do about the welfare of our brothers and sisters? It is our sacred duty to investigate opportunities to serve, as well as stir up our inner man and give sacrificial time to deep and penetrating prayer for those on the “front lines”.
Can you imagine your children being taken from you unless you denounce your Savior? You struggle to pay your bills, but what if your husbands and fathers were whisked away during the night and imprisoned unless they recant their profession of faith. Soon after John Bunyan became a believer, he began to preach wherever he could. The authorities had him arrested. But the judge was disinclined to have him imprisoned, so he asked Bunyan if he would curtail his preaching voluntarily.
Now remember, Bunyan was also the primary source for his family's food, shelter, and welfare and if he went to prison his family would suffer greatly. But when Bunyan was offered the deal from the judge, he replied, “If you release me today, I will be preaching tomorrow!” He spent many years in prison, and he wove shoe laces to provide something for his family, and while in prison he continually preached to scores of prisoners. Oh yes, while in prison the Spirit led him to write the greatest Christian book ( beside the Bible) ever penned called “The Pilgrim’s Progress”. Where, I ask you, is that spirit today? And today we see millions of carnal books like “Your Best Life Now” and “The Purpose Driven Life” that devalue the faith sold to millions and the proceeds designed to make carnal men millionaires.
It is literally impossible to juxtapose the faith of Bunyan against the faith of the western church and not come to the conclusion that they cannot both be Christian. And if we are living in the land of spiritual apostasy, then each believer has a mandate from the Spirit to come out from among them and be separate. Not in a spirit self righteousness, and not haughty, and not by the power of your own flesh, but with a humble and broken spirit of personal repentance we must submit ourselves to God’s Spirit and take up our own sacred cross which we have so diligently avoided.
Oh yes, we in the west live! But God continues to call us to die. We are addicted to the narcotics of self, material, and earthly self esteem. And only the Spirit can wean us. Millions of our brethren around the world are waiting for an awakening in the west that allows God to use the recourses that are His to help His people and reach the poor with material needs and the gospel of Jesus Christ. But what exactly is it that keeps us from sacrificially following the Lord Jesus? In a word, idolatry. The book of 1st John is known as the love book. But it is not just coincidence that the very last verse says:
“Little children, keep yourselves from idols.”
Many times in the life of God’s people in the Old Testament they would attempt to serve and worship God while retaining and constructing idols upon the “high places”. These were hills upon which idols were raised and reverenced and given places of spiritual elevation. But God never allowed them, and He would refuse their worship until those idols were removed from those high places. How primitive you say?
Well we have idols in high places today. Politics, nationalism, hedonism, entertainment, sports, relationships, dating, sex, success, and the highest of all - money. Until we are willing to completely tear down and renounce those idols then we will continue to be in bondage to them while using a thin blanket of religion to cover our sin. To think what God could do with a few million believers who would repent of our sins and embrace the Apostle Paul’s testimony before the elders of Ephesus.
“But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.”
And there it is! To the extent we count our own lives dear is to the extent we do not count His life dear. But how glorious would it be to connect spiritually with the body of Christ around the world! I realize that most of them do not have a light show, or state of the art sound systems, or magnificent auditoriums, but are those things what move us? And if so, then who are we really serving?
Be prepared. If by God’s grace He removes the rose colored western glasses the church now wears, we may be shocked. It is much worse than one can imagine, and in fact, those who speak like me or Steve Lumbley are considered unbalanced, critical, and even cultish. But I contend that our words cannot fully expose the depth of the spiritual treachery being loved and practiced in the west. And I also publicly state that I have much, much territory to cover spiritually, and that I must never suggest that my life aligns itself fully with everything I say, or even that my life or yours should be our spiritual template. God forbid! Friends, it isn’t my life we should be looking at - it must always be His and His alone to the glory of Almighty God! Let us seek His face with a love and passion that denies this world and ourselves as well.
I Tim.6:14-16 - That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:
15 Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;
16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.

2011-12-29T20:17:00.002-05:00

A Profound Question

A commentor named Lisa asked this question:

Rick,
I have a serious and sincere question. I've been thinking of this for a long time and last night finally framed it this way.Remember when Wm. Wilburforce was fighting to end slavery in England?And there was a group of people who boycotted sugar because they said that there was too much "blood" in it?Today, as citizens of the U.S., how do we avoid living with blood on our hands?We are not to fight against flesh and blood. We are to love our enemies and pray for them. But how do we get thru our days without blood on our hands?We cannot boycott oil. It's impossible.Even if we gave away our vehicles and rode bicycles there is oil in the manufacture and maintenance of bicycles. In our electricity is oil. No lights, electric ovens, refrigerators, computers... In almost every single thing we buy is oil -the plastic, the manufacture,the transportation.How do we go about not participating in the killing? Have you ever thought this way?A little while ago I came across a bit of video showing a couple of little Libyan girls who'd been horribly maimed by our bombs. One had a chunk our of her leg but she was apparently in shock because she was just quietly staring at the other little girl who couldn't stop screaming because she'd had her lower jaw shot off. How can we, as citizens of this country, not take part in and truly distance ourselves from what America does? Is our whole lifestyle drenched in blood and we don't even see it?
Thank you, Lisa
Jn.17:14I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
15I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
16They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
17Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
18As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
I Jn.2:15Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
17And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
God has ordained that His people, His church, stay in the world to shine His light. We are not to be of the world or love the world, but we are to be a light to the world. When those lines are blurred, the light goes out. But let us address some of the things Lisa brought up.
When the church takes up the spear, or the sword, or the gun, or the bomb, at that moment the church becomes as godless as the hordes of Mohammed. There can be no gray area when it comes to violence and the taking of human life. The church continues to follow the false shepherd of this world who gives reasons and just causes for its use of horrific methods of violence and killing. Of course it stems from nationalism and the pagan allegiance to a secular institution, allowed and ordained by God, but never meant to be the light for the path of God’s people. The western church has been so assimilated by the surrounding culture that it can no longer discern right from wrong, or the temporal from the eternal, or the spiritual from the carnal.
Preachers by the thousands, some even good and sincere men, stand before their people and lead them into idolatry, witchcraft, and violence.
Gal.3:1-3 - 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?
The things of God’s kingdom cannot be accomplished through the power of the flesh, and in fact attempting to do so is witchcraft. No one can read the New Testament and stand upon its teachings and condone violence. But when it comes to nationalism and patriotism, the Scriptures often bow to the customs and prevailing culture. To place your hand over your heart and pledge allegiance to a piece of cloth is as pagan as it gets. And yet millions of professing believers do so and with the public suggestion that God is in it all.
The marshalling of human voices in order to leverage legislation always leads to compromise and unholy alliances regardless of how noble the legislation. And if we are to boycott then we must boycott all things since this world cements them all together. We as believers are called to humbly obey the secular laws, but we have never been called to make them. Our law is the Spirit that is woven into every Word that proceeds from God’s holy mouth. And when we mix earthly law with God’s eternal law we mix the holy with the profane.
We have forgotten that we are pilgrims in this present world. This is not our life; our life is hid in Christ with God. Our eyes must be filled with redemption and the higher calling of the everlasting gospel.
Heb.12:1-2 - Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
It is not only sin that hinders us, but many are the weights of this world and its cares that burdens our spirit and compromises our testimony. Activism in the affairs of this world is the enemy of God’s kingdom. Our activism is ministry, and whether it be feeding the poor, or visiting the prisons, or reaching lost sinners, our calling and motivation must never come from this world. Everything we do and say must emanate from Christ and through the power of His Spirit. Even Jesus Himself paid unfair taxes without complaining and certainly without organizing a political protest.
An earthly, noble cause is many times the enemy of heaven. Some causes seem so well meaning and seemingly compassionate, but if they are unattached to the gospel of redemption then they are little more than window dressing for the Titanic. Do you see how difficult it is to keep our hearts on things eternal and unseen? But that is our challenge, our command. Do not settle for the small raisons of this world when God offers the colossal grapes of Eshcol, grown and fed in the garden of His kingdom! Oh how tragic it is to see the church bow her knee to all the different idols of this world and attempt to attach God’s name to them.
What does it mean to be a “living sacrifice”? To whose life does God refer, and what sacrifice does He call us to? The western church knows precious little concerning sacrifice, and in fact, she avoids it and teaches that any inconvenience, and financial downturn, and illness, and any barrier to earthly success is of the evil one. Saturated with this present world, the church turns to earthly causes and earthly remedies to soothe her hardened conscience.
Our God reigns, and He is eager for His people to turn once again to Him and Him alone. God will not share His glory with another. And God will not pull up a seat at the table of ideas, political causes, and human reasoning. Oh yes, His grace will many times overcome misguided human energy. And like Wilburforce and others, His grace is sufficient. But do not equate God’s grace with God’s will. All of us have known His grace, even when we stumbled and fell. But it was not God who blessed or orchestrated our stumbling. That must be owned by us alone.
The video of that Libyan girl is but a drop in the bucket when compared to the sufferings in this present world, and especially those caused by man’s wars. But what would happen, you say, if we did not confront Hitler with violence? We need not worry about that, the world will meet violence with violence. We must not wring our hands while we attempt to figure all things out. We must look to Jesus and His Word, and the consequences belong to God. Where are the martyrs if all believers meet violence with violence?
Again, to be a sacrificial disciple of Christ in this world is a sacred, yet difficult calling. We must continually renounce our own feelings and reason and plans. The things of God nudge at our hearts, while the things of this world shout at us. All that is in the world, the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life, are all enemies of God’s kingdom. But like the Greek sirens, they are all alluring to our fallen nature. And even the seemingly good and noble causes can be a distraction at best, or idolatry at worst.
So be very, very careful, my friends. And do not allow yourself to be puffed up just because God has led you out of such worldly practices. And have much patience with your brothers and sisters who still cannot see. Remember, you were there not too long ago, and it is only by God’s merciful grace that you have taken another step into His glorious light. We all have many more steps to go.

2011-12-29T03:33:00.001-05:00

Dealing in Death

There is nothing like invading a country and spending a trillion dollars and thousands of lives to remove a dictator. But it does not end there! Now we can sell them billions of dollars of weapons.

This article spells it out.

From the article:
Among the big-ticket items being sold to Iraq are F-16 fighter jets, M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks, cannons and armored personnel carriers. The Iraqis have also received body armor, helmets, ammunition trailers and sport utility vehicles, which critics say can be used by domestic security services to help Mr. Maliki consolidate power.
Yes, war is big business and you always need a steady stream of killing machines. Ya gotta hand it to mankind. We have figured out how to make a profit from war. And in a stunning display of ingenuity we can even sell weapons to the country we invaded not long ago. And just to jog your memory, who was it that sold weapons and weapons technology to Saddam Hussein? Yep, it was America!
The circle of death continues!

2011-12-28T19:04:00.000-05:00

Accusing or Interceding - Not Both

One cannot drink and spit out simultaneously. One cannot pray and order food at the same time. One cannot hate and love at one time. And one cannot intercede and accuse simultaneously. Notice that last one. When you read scathing accusations from believers aimed at lost sinners you can be assured of one thing: They are not interceding for those sinners. And when, after their vicious diatribe against those sinners, they suggest that we pray that they repent and believe the gospel, you can also be assured of one thing as well.
Their hollow calls for prayer emanate from a self righteous heart and are only meant as religious camouflage.

2011-12-27T17:44:00.003-05:00

The Foundations are Faulty

If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?
A man builds a house. He lays the foundation, constructs the walls, and attaches a roof. Then he sets about to furnish the inside. Paint, trimming, and furniture complete his dream house. But not too long afterward the house begins to leak. Cracks begin to appear on the walls in almost every room. The ceiling begins to sag. In general, the entire structure begins to show signs of instability and erosion.
The man calls an expert to come and give him a diagnosis of just what the problem is. After an entire day the expert tells the man that the problem is with the foundation, and no amount of patch work will fix this problem. The entire house must be razed and the foundation laid once more. That alone will solve the problem. If the man does not do this, the expert assures him the problems will only get worse.
And so it is with the church, especially the western version of the Christian church. Our foundations are faulty, and through the affects of Constantine, and the Industrial Revolution, and the hedonistic culture, and men with perverse hearts and minds, the church has slowly but surely slipped its Biblical moorings and drifted into a religious system that is more closely related to the culture than it is to the teachings of Jesus.
But no amount of fix up will work. Shout about the Rob Bells and the Rick Warrens and the Joel Osteens all you want if that makes you feel better. But until we completely raze the ecclesiastical structure we have created and allow the Holy Spirit to lay again the foundations of our faith in both doctrine and practice, the cracks will continue to multiply. Until we allow God to open up our own blinded eyes we will continue to exist in a room full of cracks where the rain of this world floods in, but we soothe our own conscience by pointing out bigger cracks and more rain in the room that others inhabit.
The western church has fallen into a cultural and self serving ditch, and instead of praying and repenting our way out, we’ve built a church house in that very ditch. The ditch has become our spiritual home and we have incorporated the surroundings into our religious practices. And buoyed by our adroit display of heretic hunting, the little foxes have become embraced giants. And in the end, we no longer believe the Scriptures; we believe our own diluted and manipulated interpretations of them.
Let us imagine you took one hundred believers and asked them to sit and listen to God’s Word. And you read Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7, the Sermon on the Mount, and then you asked those 100 believers if they actually believed the literal meaning of those words, most would say that they do. However, just a cursory investigation would reveal that what we believe is a watered down version of those words, a version that conforms to the culture and bows to the circumstances. To actually believe the Sermon on the Mount would require a drastic revolution within the church; one that would completely confront each individual believer and one that would necessitate a profound metamorphosis of the normal church structure and practice.
Can you really believe that when everything is placed upon the table for scrutiny that we would not step by step see a plethora of things about which God is not pleased and for which there are no Scriptural foundations? And after we begin to identify more and more beliefs and practices that are antithetical to the New Testament, would we not come to the conclusion that the entire spiritual edifice has been built largely upon what is reasonable and acceptable and traditional and cultural rather than what is Scripturally mandated? How can it be that the Spirit inhabited followers of Jesus Christ, living in a culture of hedonism, sex, and violence, blend in so nicely and are so accepted by the darkness at large? And the Sunday morning march of the lemmings are a mockery and an open rebuke to what we say we believe.
Day by day, month by month, and year by year things remain the same and yet the church laughs and smiles and pledges allegiance to the very cultural poison that has killed all the spiritual power she once had. The religious treadmill continues unabated which insures that no penetrating inventory will ever be taken. Inconvenience is avoided at all costs, and any hint of a spiritual mirror must be pointed away from us and at someone else. We have become assimilated and insulated. Content and satisfied. Open to revival if it costs us nothing.
Now I believe in the soon and eminent return of the Lord Jesus. But I also believe that there is always a window of opportunity for all of us. And if the church at large will not step through that window, the individual believer can and must. But to extricate ourselves from the chains of this world is not an easy proposition. And to see clearly where the axe head fell and where we need to repent is very difficult. When we stand in front of a mirror we cannot see ourselves with anything but our own eyes. Therefore our view is subjective and limited.
So in order for us to see our spiritual condition through the eyes of the Spirit, we need to deny our own perspectives and opinions and allow the Spirit to filet our hearts open before Him. It is no pleasant task and it is indeed a painful journey that sometimes leads to areas of the heart that we once considered settled law. If we are to be a living sacrifice, then we must present ourselves upon His altar to do with as He pleases. It is His good pleasure that we seek, and it is His will alone which must be our consistent desire.
Have we not as yet grown weary of this powerless exhibition of religion that belies its own confessions simply by the way it is practiced? Are we so blind and in such spiritual slumber that we cannot see, or refuse to even entertain, the notion that there is so much more that God wishes to do with and through us? Have the cares of this world so overtaken our hearts that we will not even admit we have fallen out of love with the Risen Christ? To what depths of hypocrisy are we willing to go? Without a blush of embarrassment we can still gather with the redundancy of a football crowd only to return to the unremarkable lives we left temporarily to fulfill a religious obligation. And this is supposed to be a replica of the Lord Jesus in all His glory?
Where is the life imprint of the cross about which we speak in such glib, doctrinal parlance? Why are we left alone in this culture, neither enduring persecution nor constant inquiries emanating directly from the conspicuousness of our lives? This is what portends to be a living manifestation of the resurrection power of Jesus the Christ? This is the paltry exhibition that blends in with other religions and whose so called power lies in its systematic theology with our lives seemingly quarantined from any tangible spiritual power.
But still there is no atmosphere of crisis, much less of desperation. Still we thank God for His blessings, material mostly, and greet the new week as we greeted the former. And we believe that this is the light of the world which will present the eternal Lord to the kingdom of darkness? In that we are both liars and self deceived. Read again the New Testament with a broken and contrite spirit and see if you can confess with a truthful heart that we have only minor adjustments to make.
And read again the passion of the Lamb of God. Spiritually ingest his sufferings, His groans, His agony, and place them upon your own personal soul. Understand once again what was paid for your eternal liberty; comprehend the length and breadth and depth of His redemptive love for you; open your heart once again to His sacrifice and humility and shame born for all to see for you. And if those truths do not burn away the dross and ignite your spirit, then you still do not understand. This is not the time to settle in, get comfortable, and watch the show.
This is the time to die to that God hating bully named self. Do not expect others to catch any vision the Spirit may give to you. If you need encouragement from others to continue this journey you will fail. But if you can look to Christ daily, and if you genuinely and sacrificially desire to be conformed to His image alone, then your path will be arduous and painful as well as glorious and majestic. And I will make you this promise without fear of contradiction:
If any of us seek Him with our whole hearts and allow the Spirit to use us for His glory, none of us will regret it on that day when we see Him as He is. Tear down the faulty foundations and rebuild the foundation of Jesus Christ. And upon that Rock, build a life of sacrifice, love, and worship.
Rev.3:18 - I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

2011-12-25T14:18:00.002-05:00

The Life is in the Blood

Ex.12:12-13 - For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.
13 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.
Throughout the Old Testament God revealed a consistent ingredient in His path to redemption and deliverance. That ingredient was blood. There were literally millions of gallons of blood spilled for the sins of Israel, collectively as well as personally. The blood sacrifice had been stamped upon the spiritual understanding of God’s people. That was the core element in the Mosaic Law and it was the shadow of the perfect sacrifice that was to come, the Son of God’s own blood.
For most people the sight of blood is startling. And after many centuries the blood stained brazen alter probably became mundane in the midst of Israel, and its significance became cultural rather than spiritual, and although understood in the context of the law, it became stale. The practice of animal sacrifice administered by the Aaronic priesthood also became very predictable and redundant. As time went by all those things pertaining to the blood sacrifice became part of the religious culture and lost its spiritual weight. The Jewish people had settled into a very superfluous religious expression.
But there was something very important about all this blood, and although the forgiveness through animal blood was only temporary and had to be repeated, it all pointed to one, spectacular event that would only happen once and never repeated again. The blood that was to be shed from the veins of Emmanuel would more than suffice for all the sins of all mankind, and Christ would only be sacrificed one time. But let us not romanticize the vision of the cross. And let us not just stuff it with doctrine and hang it upon some theological wall to be admired for our antiseptic orthodoxy.
But after the Spirit of God illuminates our hearts and reveals the redemptive significance of the cross as well as the significance of the Person who adorns it, we should not stop there. We should never be content with the doctrinal abstract, but we must proceed further into the realm of spiritual awakening that expands our hearts, flood our souls with greater understanding of His sufferings, and a redemptive realization that explodes with gratefulness and worship. The cross in all its glory competes with all the accoutrements of this jingle-jangle culture that accentuates the temporal, the technical, and the sophisticated while diminishing the eternal, the simple, and the unvarnished.
And like the blood sacrifice in the Old Testament Tabernacle, the cross has become mundane and inconspicuous within the current evangelical practice. It has a place in our expedient doctrinal statements, but it has become commonplace and unremarkable. We know Jesus died, we know He shed His blood, and we know He suffered, but that no longer moves us the way it once did. The blood was placed upon our doorposts, the death angel has passed over us, and now it is time to move on. The blood is now history rather than present reality. We have used the blood to gain eternal life and now it has been all but discarded except in a very few songs and as a theological footnote. How tragic.
Do we incline our ears to hear His groans? Can we hear the pounding of those nails or the mocking of the crowd? Can we hear His voice as it calls out to His Father? And are our eyes opened to that blood - all that blood? Smeared all over His face, and dripping down upon the earth below Him, and running down His side, and mingled with His matted hair. Yes, all that blood. Here we are almost 2200 years later and do we still hunger and thirst to see, hear, smell, and experience that glorious cross? We were dead and now we live! We were lost and now we are found! We had no hope and now we have a sure hope! We were blind but now we see! We knew not God but now we have been made His sons and daughters!
There can be no talk of Christ’s birth without speaking of His death. Much of the church avoids the subject, and some consider it a sign of defeat. But that blood is the river which flows right into the throne room of God and into eternal life. That blood is life, and everything without that blood that claims life is an imposter. Christianity without the cross is nothing more that a religious system without redemption. I realize we live in a sophisticated culture and that many people are very educated, but man’s wisdom becomes worthless when it is in competition with the cross.
The last enemy is death, and the only victory over death runs right through the cross. Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. Shake your slumbering soul and awake to a new revelation and a new love for that cross. The blood of God’s lamb is on the doorposts of our hearts and we are safe - eternally. This is what the world is searching for in all the wrong places. But after we have found the cross, and it has found us, our seeking journey has only just begun.

Ps.27:8 - When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek.

2011-12-22T07:43:00.003-05:00

The Preeminence of Christ

Col.1:12-18 - Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
The western church has lost the Christ. We are obsessed with many, many things. We obsess over the sins of the lost; we obsess over church buildings; We obsess over earthly success; We obsess over this nation; We obsess over moral causes; We obsess over certain preachers; We obsess over church programs; We obsess over foreign policy; We obsess over romance in marriage; We obsess over politics; We obsess over holidays; We obsess over church membership; We obsess over cars; We obsess over clothes; We obsess over makeup; We obsess over sports; We obsess over fitness; We obsess over vitamins; We obsess over heretics.
We are obsessed, alright. But why are we not obsessed over the Lord Jesus Christ? Where is the observable preeminence that He should have in all things? Why have we made Christianity a religious system rather than a lifestyle that is unswerving in its commitment to serving, following, and worshiping Christ? Is He before all things just in the doctrinal abstract, or is He before all things in the practical manifestations of our lives?
We have not only had our sins forgiven through Him, but we have also been translated from the kingdom of darkness into the glorious kingdom of God’s Dear Son! And is it not reasonable to expect that citizens of that kingdom manifest a startling difference from the citizens of darkness? How is it that our lives are not so arresting, so conspicuous, and so remarkable that those without Christ are constantly confronted with the claims of Christ through the distinctiveness of our lives, to say nothing of our verbal witness?
Paul tells us that Jesus is the very image of the invisible God, and we as His imitators and His living lanterns are to present Him through word and deed. This does not mean just doing some things He might do, but it is substantively more than that. It is serving Him by being Him. It is being crucified with Him so that our lives are now lived by the faith of Him. This is no easy task, and it takes uncommon commitment. We must sacrifice our thoughts and desires and embrace His as our own. And although the sacrifice is great, the reward is much greater.
Paul tells us that Christ is the head of the church. That doesn’t mean just in doctrine. Oh no, doctrine is where He begins. The revelation of Jesus Christ as prophesied in the Old Testament and revealed fully in the New Testament is our foundation. How many believers are under the delusion that defending the doctrines about Christ seems to be the Great Commission? But we are not following doctrines; We are following the Living and Risen Christ! If it seems like semantics to you then I would urge you to retreat to a prayer closet and seek His face.
The importance of Scripture is undeniable, and the Spirit guided interpretation of that Scripture is foundational. But how many have pitched their tents there, constructed a doctrinal fort, and spend most of their spiritual energy defending that fort against all foes? But our Lord commanded us to go outside the camp, bearing His reproach and spreading the good news of redemption.
Col.3:3-4 - For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
Notice those words, “Christ, who is our life…”. This much more than just aligning yourself with an orthodox interpretation of Scriptures concerning Christ. This goes way further than reciting the Apostle’s or Nicene Creed. This requires sacrifice and painful self denial. This is a calling to the mystery of the cross and its application to our own lives. This is a calling to die, and allow Him to live in your place. This must be a passion, an obsession, to walk in His steps. And that, my friends, transcends this “do’s and don’t’s” Christianity that does little more than satisfy the flesh.
The western church desperately needs to once again focus and become obsessed with Jesus Christ. Our first love has become a doctrinal tenant and has been relegated to little more than a rubber stamp that identifies us as a different religion from Muslims and Jews, but does not burn within the church with such incandescence that even sinners might take notice that we “have been with Jesus”. (Acts 4:13) If we desire to be known for our moral convictions and our doctrinal orthodoxy, we can sleep well with the knowledge of that accomplishment.
But if we desire to live in the unmistakable revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ every single day, well then, we have a cross to keep and “miles to go before we sleep, and miles to go before we sleep“.

2011-12-21T17:51:00.000-05:00

X-mas

Take the Christ out of the “Mass”.

2011-12-21T13:51:00.004-05:00

You Want Reality?

Would you like God to break your heart for others? Would you be open to allow God's Spirit to lift you out of this western caricature and transport you into a reality we cannot even imagine?

Then read THIS.

2011-12-21T05:13:00.001-05:00

Where is Our Hope?

Syrians are being murdered in the streets
Egypt is in chaos
Europe is on the verge of economic collapse
The US Congress is a partisan disgrace
The Republican presidential field is a mess
The abortion mills are in full force
They lower taxes for the rich and raise them for the average
And the western evangelical church no longer follows Jesus

And you think there is hope outside of Christ?

2011-12-20T20:00:00.002-05:00

Pat Robertson Whines Again

Read this.

Will anyone ever believe the Sermon on the Mount? You know, when men shall say all manner of evil against you for my sake rejoice - and all that jazz. And where did all this “They would never do that to Muslims” come from? Do we compare ourselves with Muslims?

Heb.12:3-4 - For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.

Jesus endured the cross, but we squeal like stuck pigs when we are mocked.
Christian television, a real disgrace.

2011-12-20T05:07:00.002-05:00

The Law Misplaced

I am well aware that everything is doctrine to a certain extent. Nothing is learned without teaching. But there are some believers who thrive on doctrine, all doctrine, and who hold it in such high esteem as to make it an idol. And if we are to understand the difference between holding fast to doctrinal truth and replacing Christ with doctrinal truth, then we must discipline our minds to a more sophisticated and nuanced observation. This is not for the Biblically illiterate, or the spiritually lethargic, or even the doctrinal Bourgeoisie who insist they have arrived. This is for those who seek the face of Christ and desire to be completely broken before Him in unabashed humility.
Picture Jesus sitting upon a pedestal. And this pedestal sits atop a scaffold of interconnected truths, which are all designed to construct the pedestal upon which the Lord Jesus might be raised in all His glory. Of course the top platform of the pedestal is shared by the Father and the Spirit. But the scaffolding itself was never meant to be the object of worship, nor was it designed for us to rest in as a spiritual oasis. The purpose of the scaffolding was to glorify Christ, and its design was always Christ exalting.
As a primary example, let us examine the role of the Mosaic Law as it pertains to the New Testament revelation of Christ and His gospel.
Gal.3:24 - Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
The word “schoolmaster” is “Paidagwgovß” in the Greek.
Paidagwgovß: a guardian and guide of boys. Among the Greeks and the Romans the name was applied to trustworthy slaves who were charged with the duty of supervising the life and morals of boys belonging to the better class. The boys were not allowed so much as to step out of the house without them before arriving at the age of manhood.
The Paidagwgovß was a trusted slave in many Greek and Roman households. He was so trusted that his value was to oversee the lives of the male children. And one of the duties of this servant was to take the boys to their teachers safely and faithfully. It was there that they would acquire the education they needed including the learning of their particular theology. But when the male children reached maturity, the Paidagwgovß was no longer needed.
But in many evangelical circles, preachers continue to preach the Mosaic Law as pertinent to the Christian faith. It is not. After the death and resurrection of the Son of God, the law was to be “done away with”.
II Cor.3:5-11 - Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
7 But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:
8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?
9 For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.
10 For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.
11 For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.
Now what do the words “done away” mean to you? In the Book of Acts the apostles and disciples preached Christ, his death and resurrection, not some amalgam of the Mosaic Law. In fact, Paul’s life was always in jeopardy because the Jews accused him of forsaking the Mosaic Law and encouraging others to do likewise.
But man’s fallen nature loves law. Why? Because following some law leads to self righteousness and the bondage of the flesh. The Pharisees were a direct product of the Mosaic Law, and in their blind self righteousness they failed to see Christ. And so it is today. But today some attempt to marry the law to Christ. Sabbaths, and holy days, and baptisms, and food regulations, are only a few of the ways in which some churches embrace the law.
Rom.8:1-4 - There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
The law condemns while the Spirit gives life. Paul tells us that gentiles, who never embraced the Mosaic Law, are a law in themselves. And if the law was meant for evangelism, why was the Holy Spirit sent to convince the world of sin? Look at verse two. The Mosaic Law was death and to those who know the Son and walk after the Spirit, we are free from the law. Why do some wear the law as some sort of moral talisman? Is Christ not all sufficient? I emphasize once more:
Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
You do not attach a corpse to a new born infant! Does that mean we are free to sin? Paul says, “God forbid!” But when we sin we are no longer law breakers, but disobedient children. I have used the illustration before. I tell my son not to go into the shed in the back yard. One day I discover he has entered the shed. I confront him and he admits his guilt. He is punished.
But one day the kid down the block jumps my fence and goes into my shed. I look out and see someone in my shed and I call the police. Why do I call the police on the kid down the block but I don’t call them on my son? Because he is my SON! He is not a stranger. He has a covenant with me, and in fact he is my flesh and blood. You see? Those who embrace the Mosaic law diminish the sonship we have with our Father.
Picture a man with a brown paper bag. Inside of this bag is one million dollars. One day the paper bag bursts and the million dollars comes spilling out. The man is exhilarated and dumbfounded. He picks up the millions dollars and begins to loudly rejoice. But before he goes to tell others he insists in preserving the ripped up brown paper bag. And when he tells his family about his good fortune, he shows them the million dollars but insists they also look at and admire the torn up paper bag.
Beloved, our motivation for living a holy life of service to Christ must never be the law. For as Paul observed, The love of Christ constrains me. Oh the freedom that is in Christ! The law was a schoolmaster to pre-illuminate the coming Savior. The blood sacrifice was a picture of Calvary, but when the substance arrives the shadow disappears. That is why we no longer sacrifice animals. Christ died once for the sins of the world! Halleluiah, what a Savior!

2011-12-18T19:30:00.000-05:00

Leave it to Unbelievers

Malaria is a rabid killer on the continent of Africa. It kills millions of children. Bill and Malinda Gates donated 700 million dollars to a research company that has now come up with a vaccine. The initial test results are extremely encouraging, with an almost 50% reduction. So all it took was additional funding?
Well at least the American church can claim ornate auditoriums, high tech sound systems, exorbitant salaries, Christian cruises, and all sorts of expenditures including vast amounts spent on advertisement. But what about the malaria ravaged children of Africa?
We can leave that stuff to unbelievers like Bill Gates.

2011-12-18T06:03:00.004-05:00

Wolves and Deceivers

Acts 20:28-30 - Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
Paul is about to leave Ephesus and he calls the elders before him. He warns them of spiritual wolves who will come after he leaves to spiritually decimate the church. He exhorts them to watch and protect the sheep. His heart breaks along with theirs as they say their good byes. If there ever was a pastor’s heart it was beating inside of the Apostle Paul.
Paul also reminds them that,
“I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel.”
How things have changed since then. I do not believe it is sensationalism to say that most of what claims to be Christianity in the west is another religion with the name of Jesus forced upon it. It should break our hearts to see what men have done to God’s wonderful gospel. So much of it portrays God as a financier rather than a crucified and risen Savior. And rarely, except on Good Friday, do we hear about those divine sufferings and the grievous wounds. The church has turned its back on the Lamb.
Christian television is a disgrace. The overwhelming majority of programs are filled with a man made religion that bears no resemblance to the Christ of the gospels. Most programs are about getting God to enhance your life, and the way is usually through the giving of money. The wolves stand in pulpits and unashamedly preach things that are antithetical to the Kingdom of God and the teachings of Jesus. And like wolf pups, the people eat the regurgitation that spews from their lying lips.
The entire ecclesiastical structure in the western church accommodates and enables an atmosphere conducive to hirelings and not shepherds. The pastor does all sorts of things that have no benefit spiritually for him or his people. His messages are filled with humor and anecdotes that are designed to uplift rather than to present truth with which the Holy Spirit can work. The redundant spectacle of the Sunday gatherings are little more than self help sessions of encouragement, and though the sheep are spiritually emaciated, they leave with a warm and fuzzy feeling.
Not too long ago, even when I was saved in 1975, someone like Joel Osteen would never have been embraced by such multitudes. But today the wolves run in packs and teach things that destroy men’s souls rather than implore men to believe the gospel and follow the Lord Jesus. The average pastor spends more time on the phone, or on the golf course, or in restaurants than he does in penetrating and sacrificial prayer. These wolves have not snuck in through a side door. They walked right through the front door and without shame changed God’s gospel and made it a tool for man’s earthly success.
Many preachers live in mansions; many pastors have airplanes; many drive very expensive automobiles; many wear designer clothes; many have expansive financial portfolios; many have numerous investments; many have the gift of gab rather than the gift of preaching; and many have little or no prayer lives. And other than a passing reference, Jesus is nowhere to be found. But make no mistake, even the orthodox churches are in desperate need of a spiritual revival. For we ourselves must also embrace some of the blame for allowing such wolves to grow among us. Like Samson, we don’t even know our power is gone.
And many evangelical pastors lead their people to love and serve a fallen nation. They allow its banner (flag) to be displayed in the place of worship, they celebrate that nation in the worship service on the 4th of July, and many even place their hands over their hearts and pledge their allegiance to it right in a worship service. And then, in an act that is completely contrary to the teachings of Christ, they support this nation's wars and lead prayers to the Father that He may grant American soldiers the divine power to kill more of them than the enemy kills of us.
You do not consider those men wolves? Maybe not in the same category as the Joel Osteens, but they have been deceived through nationalism, and the embracing of violence as a means has been used of Satan to eradicate the power of Christ in the church. We are no longer a peculiar people. We now are patriotic Americans who happen to use the name of Jesus from time to time. And please do not forget that Joel Osteen, Rick Warren, Robert Schueller, Rob Bell, Kenneth Copeland, and all the rest are also very patriotic as well. Should that not be an obvious red flag to all of us?
And so here we are, awaiting the year 2012. The western evangelical church is a creation of the culture, and we remain blind to not only what we have become, but blind to what we could be for Christ.
Jam.5:1-3 - Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.
3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.
Rev.3:15-17 - I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
And while some believers rot in Chinese prisons, and others have been murdered in Pakistan, and others hide in Muslim nations, and others have been macheted in Uganda, and others have contracted fatal diseases because they ministered to the lost, we can go about our business and have a “merry christmas”. And the western believer continues to seek his “best life now” and refuses to seek Christ.

2011-12-17T16:07:00.000-05:00

Worse Than Black Metal Music?

There is a thing known as “black metal music”. Some of it is very dark, and some of it is outright satanic. You would not believe some of the lyrics and stage shows. It definitely has a negative effect on those who listen to it. But there is something in our culture that is hundreds of times more detrimental to our youth. What is it?
Divorce. And many divorced people scold those who are involved with dark music. I would suggest that we in the church clean up our own act before we climb the moral pedestal.

2011-12-16T09:34:00.004-05:00

Jesus was an Occupier?

Jessie Jackson likened Jesus to Nelson Mandela, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, and he said "Jesus was an occupier" referring to the present "Occupy Wall Street" movement. Read about it HERE.

Jesse Jackson is consistent. He continues to represent Jesus, another Jesus, as a good deed doer with a humanitarian mission to rid the world of all injustice. He equates the mission and person of Christ with Gandhi, Mandela, and Martin Luther King. One person even questioned his sincerity since Jackson himself is very wealthy, with most of his wealth being leveraged by the system the occupiers are confronting. Classic irony.

But this is just the kind of message people long to hear, and when they embrace this Jesus they will have lost their souls.

2011-12-16T05:52:00.003-05:00

***Christoper Hitchens Dead at 62***

UPDATE

I do not go on Facebook, however my children do. My oldest son told me that a professing believer, a Bible college student with a Calvinist theology, posted about the death of Christopher Hitchens. He said that Hitchens was now “maggot food”. It is darkened hearts like that which profoundly misrepresent the heart of God.

Christopher Hitchens has died at age 62. He was a brilliant man and I always found him intriguing. He wrote the book “God is Not Great” which outlined the many ways in which religion has contributed to the world’s ills. He was basically correct.
However his analysis was fatally flawed. His research centered upon the sins of man and not the Sinless Savior. In the same way Gandhi allowed himself to reject Christ because of the flawed lives of professing believers, so Hitchens rejected all religion due to the inconsistent ways in which man has expressed his religion.
I feel sad today for Hitchens, as I do when any unbeliever dies. Today, Christopher Hitchens has discovered that everything he believed was eternally wrong and there is nothing he can do to change his situation. Let us all use this opportunity to witness once again to those around us who are currently in danger of the same fate as Hitchens. Perhaps the Spirit can open a hardened heart before it is too late.

2011-12-15T04:40:00.006-05:00

The War in Iraq is Over

but

What Have We Learned?

On May 20th, 2003, troops from several countries, but mainly from the United States, invaded Iraq. At its height America deployed well over one hundred thousand military troops in Iraq. There have been almost 5000 American lives lost in the war, and tens of thousands of other casualties both physical and emotional. At least one trillion dollars will have been spent. At the end of 2012, all American troops will have been withdrawn.
But what have we learned from this nightmare, especially as believers?
We learned that we can glorify war and assign it some lofty goals.
We learned that people lie to push through their agendas.
We learned that Iraqi oil did not pay for the war.
We learned that the Iraqi government is very corrupt.
We learned that by instinct, Americans will rally around almost any war at first.
We learned that while people are perishing, we can still go to Disneyland and enjoy our own pleasures.
We learned that politicians use war to leverage their own political causes.
We learned that fear is a great tool in manipulating people.
We learned that we can watch war live on television while eating chips and dip.
We learned that many soldiers who lived will never be the same.
We learned that America chooses her wars according to the personal perspectives of its leader.
We learned that we could not live with the cruelty of Saddam, but we can easily live with the unspeakable horrors in the Sudan.
We learned that companies made huge profits in the Iraq War.
We learned that some politicians had vested interests in some of those companies.
We learned that war turns some soldiers into murderers.
We learned that terrorism can be used as leverage for increased military spending.
We learned that while people lie dead in the streets and others suffer intensely in hospital beds, we can claim victory like a giant pep rally on the deck of a war ship.
We learned that war has become very antiseptic in its presentation.
We learned that believers can pray that God will help Americans kill more effectively.
We learned that we really don’t care at all about the Iraqi people.
We learned that war in general is one massive lie.
But tragically, and if we are honest, we haven’t really learned a thing.

2011-12-14T05:14:00.000-05:00

Robespierre Christianity

Today’s average evangelical believer robustly endorses war when earthly freedoms are threatened. In so doing, they are subscribing to what I call “Robespierre Christianity”. Put simply - Virtue by terror.

2011-12-13T13:15:00.001-05:00

Leave the Scriptures Out of This

Bloomberg News sent a correspondent to Iowa to interview evangelical Christians about who they are supporting in the upcoming caucus. Many are vigorously supporting Newt Gingrich. When asked about morals and family values, several quipped,
“The economy is a family value”.
I would suggest that the economy is a god to many.
Matt.6:23-25 - But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

If only the Scriptures were relevant.

2011-12-13T08:53:00.002-05:00

The Poison of Positive Thinking

II Cor.7:1 - Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
Phil.2:12 - Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
We live in an evangelical world whose mission is to make people feel good, always. In fact, every service is designed to end with an emotional crescendo that catapults the congregation out the door with a fleshly effervescence. Warnings and conviction and fear and solemnity are out of the question. Those things do not fill the pews or the collection plate. And so we have little more than some religious stroking that can be described as infectious cheerleading.
The seriousness of God’s Word has been discarded and certain pieces of the Word have been fused together to present a pleasant caricature that is void of eternal consequences. The “fire and brimstone” label is used to mock preachers who declare the entire counsel of God. And even faced with the eminent appearing of the Great God we still are playing religious games.
Rom.3:18 - There is no fear of God before their eyes.
We have all but lost any fear of God. In fact, with clever cunning and adroit translations we have changed the meaning of fear and replaced it with some sort of comfortable reverence. The church does not fear God because by and large they do not know God. People have been spoon fed a tepid from of the divine, one who fits snugly within a western lifestyle and one who demands nothing and asks nothing. In fact, the God who is presented within evangelical circles lives His life to serve us!
II Cor.5:10-11 - For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men;
If you examine this portion of Scripture closely you will see that Paul is speaking to us all, but in the context of speaking primarily to believers. The terror of the Lord? That seems like it is for some medieval superstition about God, but yet here it is in the Word of God. What have we done? We’ve made God an ice cream man who desires His people to gorge themselves on all kinds of fleshly delights without any discipline or sacrifice. And God seems to be the life of the party.
Where is the call to be sober and watch? The end of all things is at hand and yet the people dance as if Christ has delayed His coming. These are serious times, and although God grants us His joy and peace, He also calls us to be very serious about the things that are eternal. Our eyes, in fact, are supposed to look at things eternal and not things temporal. But oh how the visible church has not just diluted the message, but has created another religion that bears little resemblance to what is outlined in the New Testament. Even our times of communion have been trimmed to fit our schedule.
And so we are groomed to feel good about ourselves, good about where we are spiritually, and good about God. Any negative aspects of God’s kingdom, or any consequences for disobedience or careless living have been eradicated. The entire evangelical landscape is nothing more than a religious business, constructed to keep people involved, and driven to keep a positive tone on everything. The carnival atmosphere of some services attract the carnal man, and the manipulative power of the church leadership has been honed into a fine craft. And many, many, many preachers are now millionaires with many more financially well off. The entire ecclesiastical construct smells of fallen man’s self serving motives.
II Thess.1:7-9 - And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
And can we remain tearless and carefree when confronted with such a coming scene? Let us be honest, the church by and large no longer believes such nonsense. Laughing and dancing and partying and self esteem are on the church docket. This talk of a cataclysmic event, unparalleled in its force and scope, is irrelevant in today’s western self love fest. And we allow God a seat at our table but do not recognize Him as Lord of All. When Christ comes and consumes those who have rejected the gospel, will that induce positive thinking? When the stench of billions of dead carcasses roams the earth like a thick fog, will that be uplifting?
It is of paramount importance that we present and portray our God clothed in His own attributes and glory, and not some cuddly, divine puppet who follows us around in order to shower us with more things. He must be revealed upon the scaffolding of His own revelations. Upon the first millisecond of Christ’s appearing, the games will end. It is time for those with ears to run to the Rock lest that Rock grind them to powder. Oh, you don’t like that kind of God? Well go to the evangelical church down the street. They have a god you will enjoy.

2011-12-13T05:32:00.001-05:00

This Love is Not of God

“I love this country!”

I Jn.2:15-17 - Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

2011-12-12T18:52:00.003-05:00

Let Them Die and

Decrease the Surplus Population

What if your children came running in and said that your next door neighbors were starving to death. They asked, “Can we help?”
Perhaps you would quickly respond with some food from your pantry as well as hurrying to the grocery store and purchasing food stuffs for your neighbors. And when you went over to deliver your help, you saw that indeed your neighbors were starving to death. I suggest that your conscience could not allow you some of the luxuries you were accustomed to while the knowledge of your neighbor’s plight was fresh in your mind.
You see, the proximity of that crisis demanded your help and even your immediate sacrifice. Who could turn a deaf ear to such a need?
But that need, as well as many others, exists in reality around the world. So in effect, it is the proximity of such a need that elicits our response. And if people are starving to death outside the boundaries of our own neighborhood, then we are comfortable with our inaction. And indeed, the local church can, with a clear conscience, borrow millions of dollars to build buildings in which to meet now and again, while millions starve to death without the knowledge of Christ.
But at least we can claim to be against the prosperity message.

2011-12-11T11:27:00.003-05:00

Determinism

Determinism teaches that God orchestrates everything. All things happen at His very will.

Determinism paints a divine picture of an august deity who is self absorbed, and creates a race of dead puppets. Now this deity pulls the strings on a select few of his fallen marionettes, and without their own choice, makes them praise Him through the manipulation of his own power. And with the knowledge that God is literally praising Himself, he is pleased.

And voilà, you have determinism. Hollow, meaningless, and nothing more than a religious Muppets show.

2011-12-11T06:20:00.002-05:00

Worship

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.

“How did you like the church you visited?”
“It was great! I loved their worship service. Their praise and worship was awesome!”
Have you ever heard someone say something like that? Have you ever said something like that? Well let’s deconstruct that and see how man centered that phrase is and how worship has now become an entity unto itself. Here some church advertisements:
Anointed worship! Inspiring praise and worship! Awesome worship!
These are just some of the Madison Ave. type of advertisements concerning a church’s worship service. But before we can address the carnal nature of those caricatures about worship, we must appreciate the nature of worship itself.
Worship is an attitude of the heart, and quite probably the word attitude is severely insufficient. When a heart, redeemed in divine blood, beholds even in part the glory of its Redeemer God, it begins to worship. And that worship must be without compromise and distraction. That means that you cannot, as Rick Warren suggests, worship while you take out the garbage. You can praise God while working, but worship cannot be multitasked.
And what an immeasurable privilege it is to be allowed to worship a holy and august God. Would you want Charles Manson worshiping you? Well, without God’s grace that is exactly the word picture when we are allowed to worship the Risen Christ. That should bring into stark relief just how deep and consuming is the grace of our Redeemer God!
But worship is always a reflection of God and not of itself. We should not be enamored by worship, but by our God. That is why when we elevate the act of worship over the recipient of worship we do err. Most of the time when people say they loved the worship they are speaking of the music, the atmosphere, and probably the demonstrative aspect of the congregation.
But true and God honoring worship can take place in quiet moments, or during the communion service without music, or when singing a meaningful hymn. I love praise and worship music, and I have been known to dance in the aisle (rarely), and I have been brought to tears scores of times, but it must never be the music or the beat that elicits worship form our hearts. It must always be the revelation of our Great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.
The church has cheapened this thing called worship. We have made it our own franchise and even made it different brands. Many churches use their style of worship as their reference point when promoting their particular local assembly. But let me suggest something to you. Much of the Chinese church meets underground. And some walk as many as twenty miles to meet in the protection of a forest, and cannot use any instruments lest they be discovered.
Now these Chinese believers must worship God quietly, without instruments, without amplification, and yet they often fall to their knees weeping and with hands raised. I ask you, how authentic must that worship be? But how many songs does it take to prime the worship pump for the average western service? Do you see what has happened? We have made worship a thing and not a natural and supernatural expression of who God is.
Let us be very vigilant about our hearts which will aid us in true and spiritual worship. In the end, it is not about worship, for that is a looking glass. It is about the glory of the One True God, and the majesty of the Risen Christ!

2011-12-10T05:47:00.006-05:00

The Palestinians

I will, I have to, from time to time deal with the unchristian aspects of this coming election. I hope it will challenge us all. Another teaching moment surfaced this past week. One of the candidates, Newt Gingrich, was evangelized by his then mistress, and now wife, and he became a Roman Catholic. He was a nominal Southern Baptist.
During an interview on an Israeli news outlet, Gingrich called the Palestinian issue “invented” and rejected their right to form a nation for themselves. He suggested they should have assimilated in other countries. I do not care about the political issue here, I want to address the spiritual aspects of the situation in the Middle East as well as exposing Gingrich’s attitude as unchristian and shockingly arrogant.
When Britain gave the land to the Jews there were approximately 750,000 Palestinians living in what is now Israel. Perhaps 50% fled for various reasons, and when the first Israeli government was formed they passed laws which hindered those Palestinians from returning to their homes. It was a real mess.
Now we as evangelical believers have been taught that the 1948 formation of the Jewish state was a fulfillment of prophecy, and perhaps it is. But in this church age we are not to align ourselves with any group, political or ethnic, but we are to be vessels of redemption. The notion that God has no regard for the plight of the Palestinians is very unbiblical and misrepresents the Redeemer and His mission.
Prophetic realities aside, we seem to forget that unsaved Jews are as fallen and self serving as unsaved Gentiles. The nation of Israel is not always right, and like every other nation on earth they do not always deal with people with compassion. But the church must always have a compassionate element in all we do and say. But politics sucks the life out of everything spiritual.
And so you end up with this man, or any man, committing adultery that culminates with marriage, but pompously addressing the plight of the Palestinians as callously as if they were pieces on a checker board. And much of the evangelical world cares little for them at all, and basically supports the secular nation of Israel in whatever it chooses to do. And yes, I believe the Scriptures clearly give a future vision where God fulfills His covenant with Abraham and most, if not all, of the living Jews believe on Christ. But until then we as believers now must follow Him and not Israel.
How can we say we love Jesus and yet are respecters of persons? If you were born a Palestinian, and you have heard your grandfather tell how he lost everything in 1948, would you be bitter against the Jews? Of course you would. The Palestinians need Christ, just as do the Jews. But watch as all these politicians pontificate about Middle East policies, and watch as they all attempt to outdo each other in their support for Israel.
And when you hear all this bombastic rabble, and when you see all the speech that exalts a nation and not the Christ, remember this:
Col.1:18 - 18And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
If it isn’t redemptive it isn’t Christ.

2011-12-08T07:17:00.002-05:00

The Only Way

Jn.14:6 - Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Everything is hollow and temporal without Christ. There has been a debate, which has intensified in these last several decades, concerning social justice, social gospel, and the emphasis or de-emphasis on humanitarian works in the lives of believers and the church as a whole. One side emphasizes humanitarian works to the detriment of the gospel, while the other side gives a disingenuous nod to humanitarian works without any real concern.
But let us be unequivocal concerning the gospel message. There can be no compromise, no dilution, and no downplaying of the Lord Jesus and His gospel. Any humanitarian works done by the church and/or its individual believers must have a gospel message component. And when I say component, I do not mean the ambiguousness of kindness that is duplicated among unbelievers and other religions. Kindness can open doors, but it is not the gospel.
There is perhaps no greater mistreatment of lost sinners than showing them kindness without sharing Christ. That just may be the most unkind thing you could do to them. In essence it mocks them and keeps from them that which alone can save their souls. And yet many believers feel fulfilled when they lend a helping hand to the needy, even when they leave them without lifting up Christ. This is no spiritual elective, this must have at its foundation the message of redemption through the Lord Jesus Christ.
I realize that the claims of Christ are scandalous and that He is a stumbling block to this darkened world, but He must always be the banner that is flown high in our lives and in the life of the church. We should be quick to help the poor and needy, but that must be wrapped in Christ. Every cup of cold water is meaningless if not given in His name.
We must never let loose of this basic, universal truth:
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
If we ever get too sophisticated to believe that then we will have left Christ.

2011-12-08T02:50:00.003-05:00

The Pastor's Straying Heart

The Birthplace of Another Jesus

For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus…
There are all kinds of Jesus’s today. There is the prosperity Jesus; there is the all religions Jesus; there is the new age Jesus; there is the ecumenical Jesus; there is the emergent Jesus; there is the political Jesus; and there are any number of other Jesus’ that are preached, believed, and followed. But there will come a day when the real Jesus returns to earth. And He will be unrecognizable to those who followed all those other Jesus’s.
And on that day, the followers of another Jesus will have lost their souls…forever. Does that sound too harsh for you? Does it seem a little over the top? Is that seem at odds with the “love wins” modern theology? Are you having a little trouble allowing God to reveal His own plan? We all must bow to God Almighty instead of questioning the clear revelations in His Word.
One of the most egregious conduits for spreading another Jesus is the western church. Recently another preacher has stepped down due to many allegations of moral failure as well as the breakdown of his own family. But I want to illuminate something here. The allegations against him, which were settled out of court, were that he molested several teenage boys. But here is what most people missed.
He was accused of molesting them on his private jet! And how is it that so many fail to see a profound disconnect with Christ in these ultra lavish displays of self aggrandizement? And I would suggest that this kind of pastoral hedonism is a residue of a fundamental problem with the western ecclesiastical construct. The average evangelical church elevates the pastor in so many ways that much accountability is lost. In fact, most churches do not have a plurality of elders, and if they do, the elders are manipulated by the “head” elder.
And with that flawed system in place, it isn’t long before that pastor can read from the Scriptures, use the name of Jesus, but is actually preaching another Jesus. I find it very difficult to express in words just how far the visible church has stayed from preaching and following the true and living Christ. It is so far off that hyperbole is almost impossible. I liken it to explaining how wrong the Flat Earth Society is. It’s almost beyond belief.
But here we are. Today’s Jesus is a Santa Claus who wants everyone rich and healthy and exuding success. And the purveyors of such heresy enjoy a fleshly adulation from the masses as well as an inflated lifestyle that eschews the call for moderation. And when the flesh is allowed to rule, it does not just tread water, No, it grows in depth and power and is very creative as well. So when a pastor is given power without accountability, that pastor usually begins to stray.
The first place the pastor begins to stray is in the heart. He begins to be lifted up in his own mind, and refuses even the slightest correction. He thinks more highly of himself than he ought. Just the office breeds self righteousness if the pastor is not vigilant. And when modern day pastors begin to prosper financially through the power of their office, they become hirelings.
And slowly but surely, they begin to preach and live another Jesus. Be watchful for these rock star preachers. Be on the lookout for book signings and advertising campaigns that ultimately line the pockets of these hirelings. But the entire narrative is worse than just watching profligates parading as men of God. The worse aspect is that another Jesus is being represented.
In fact, many times the person of Jesus finds no place in their preaching, which is usually all about how to get God to do things for you. The entire evangelical landscape is littered with all kinds of other caricatures of Jesus. Let us take heed and continue to follow the Risen Christ and His path of denying self.

2011-12-06T17:50:00.000-05:00

The Despot Called Democracy

Democracy is just another form of despotism. In the case of democracy, the despot is man’s own fallen nature.

2011-12-06T07:00:00.003-05:00

The Hypocrisy of Politics

The Republican Party likes to label itself as the “family values” party. Then why is a serial adulterer, who is currently married to one of his mistresses, the frontrunner in their primaries? The answer is simple.
Politics as all about money. All the other issues are mere window dressing. But the issue that must always be at the forefront of the church is this:
“Who do you say Jesus of Nazareth is?”

That is what Republicans, Democrats, and Independents need to address. And when we as believing followers of the Lord Jesus watch the unseemly spectacle in next years political narrative, it should break our hearts. We used to be involved in that mess. And tens of millions actually believe electing their candidate will solve their problems.
And people will endure the self righteousness, the duplicity, the lying about their own records, the false promises, the demeaning of the other candidate, and the obscene amount of money that will be spent. It is estimated that this political season will spend more than a billion dollars just trying to manipulate people into voting for some candidate. The entire construct is humanism and antichrist at its core.
Do you want to please your Lord during this political cycle? Then retreat to your prayer closet in repentance and brokenness, and seek Christ with all your heart. Give your heart completely to Him and do not allow your heart to be caught up with anything but Him. There is only one cause and that is the gospel. Our system as believers is not a democracy. We live and breathe and have our being in a monarchy, and in fact, our life is in our Monarch.
During this time of utter foolishness and unbridled darkness, we could allow the light of Jesus Christ to shine through us most brightly.

2011-12-04T13:20:00.003-05:00

Missions?

Matt.28:18-20 - And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Missions. One of the greatest evils that has come from the church has been its caricature of those words from our Lord. We, the wealthiest of all believers on earth, have found a way to create a mission construct that strokes our conscience and can present a plausible response to that commission, but is in fact a mirage of the religious flesh. To say it is unseemly is to praise it.
The western missions effort remains an effort of the flesh, restrained and convenient, and packaged in such a way as to soothe the western evangelical need to appear evangelistic. But anyone who has been part of a local building program knows that the money raised for buildings here dwarfs the paltry crumbs given to missions. It is safe to assume that there will be more spent on Christmas presents this year among believers than on missions.
Just what should be the guidelines for the support of missions as it pertains to the local body of believers? What sacrifice is too much, and what would constitute fanaticism? In order to evaluate our own view and response to missions we must juxtapose it upon the original template. And by “original” I do not mean the early church and apostles. The original missions effort has always been the Incarnation.
It is impossible to put into words the sacrifice revealed in the Person of Jesus Christ. Who can fully understand the great gulf that was spanned when God the Son came in the likeness of human flesh? Perhaps He could have used some of those resources to add rooms in heaven. Maybe build a place for redeemed teenagers. Perhaps whiter robes. But instead the entirety of an immeasurable sacrifice was birthed in Bethlehem and culminated in the lavishness of Golgotha. The incarnate alabaster box was broken and spilled out upon us.
Therein lies the glory of divine missions. In a practical as well as sacred sense, missions is putting feet to the cross. God knows how serious this business of eternity is for all mankind, and He has provided for us an example for which to follow. But to take the concept of missions and reshape it to fit nicely within an ecclesiastical budget along side of hundreds of hollow activities is a monstrous compromise and on some level turns its back on the cross. But of course every local assembly must have a missions program. It is our custom.
Little by little the surrounding culture has taken its toll upon the church until almost every area of the life of the church, personally and collectively, has been infected with a spiritual toxicity that emasculates its power and presents a counterfeit, not just a lighter version. And so it is with missions, which by any New Testament standard, should be the passion of any church which truly follows Christ. How is it that the laborers are few? Isn’t God calling enough or are our ears inclined to other things? Do you desire to know where people’s hearts are? Look where they spend their time and money. The same evaluation must be for the church.
Organize a Christmas pageant complete with a large choir and cantata. Watch the excitement; see the hours of sacrifice; look how much money is spent; and then listen to the exuberance after a successful presentation. But Bethlehem doesn’t urge us to recreate a nativity scene - it SCREAMS MISSIONS! Can you not see the disconnect here that has so grievously strayed from the commands of the Spirit? Do some people come to Christ at these Christmas presentations? Yes, to the glory and grace of God.
But that is hardly the point. Paul even admitted that when some preach Christ as a contention that sometimes the Spirit can even use that, but that does not mean we must recreate that either. But Christmas makes us feel good, and there is some entertainment value in it all, and it does serve to unify the church around a common cause. But if it is not of the Spirit then those things are still carnal.
Christmas is just an easy comparison. But when we view the entire passion of the church against the passion of Christ we are left with a gaping hole that we attempt to fill with programs, buildings, stuff, and the finer points of systematic theology. Did it ever occur to anyone that a sacrificial passion for missions might serve to strengthen marriages more than all these seminars? With the divorce rate still astronomical within the church, can we now admit all our expertise about communication and date nights and love speech doesn’t seem to be the answer?
A revival of devotion to Christ, and an awakening to a passion for missions, is the only cure for the ills of the western church. How dare we build gymnasiums and fellowship halls and spend incredible amounts of money on advertisement and only throw missions the proverbial bone. The western church in many ways is a fraud. The very last thing Jesus said before His ascension was to go into all the world and be a witness for Him. The western church has convinced itself that the path to rescuing souls from eternal punishment is found in adding butts to their own pews.
And the church has come up with a name for people who sacrificially give their lives in the cause of spreading the gospel. We call them “missionaries”. So what do we call people who really trust Christ? Believers? To separate the term “missionary” and only apply it to a small subset of believers is an affront to God’s command and indicts the entire body of Christ. But it reveals the pitiful level to which we are committed to the reaching of the lost. It has become part of the doctrinal culture but not part of the self denying manifestation of a believer’s life.
And so, after many centuries, and after assimilating the culture in which we live, the church has been able to incorporate a missions program that neither squeezes us financially, nor requires elongated times of intercessory prayer, nor necessitates the absolute offering of a believer’s life, regardless if he goes oversees or not. No one can claim we do not have a missions program. And let’s face it, we can live with that.

2011-12-03T17:00:00.002-05:00

The Day Approaches

Matt.13:9 - Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Again and again Jesus uses this phrase. And it is also most prominent in the Book of the Revelation. And what do you hear? Are your ears listening to the voice of the Spirit?

Matt.16:1-4 - The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven.
2 He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red.
3 And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?
4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas.

The time has overtaken us and yet we slumber. No longer is there any visceral excitement, to say nothing of preparedness, for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Do we count His words as nothing? Are we so arrogant as to believe that God will not demand an account from His servants? Is the coming of His Majesty nothing more than a doctrinal tenant? We can discern the weather with great skill, and yet we seem willingly ignorant concerning His coming.

And the devil manipulates self righteous men to predict dates so that we will discount the baby with the bath water. Where is the observable manifestations that should accompany a waiting and praying people? And while the world expends much energy in elections and causes not of God’s kingdom, the church happily joins in and seems to rejoice in the temporal and in gospel-less victories.

II Tim.2:3-5 - Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
4 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.
5 And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.

God’s people have never been called to champion earthly causes. Ours is Christ and His gospel. And His gospel is incompatible with all other causes and messages. Earthly things corrupt the sacred. We must strive lawfully, which in kingdom parlance means we must operate within the teachings of Jesus and not learn the ways of carnal men. We must reject Saul’s armor and embrace the humility and seeming insufficiency of five stones. Our sufficiency is of God.

But so much of the visible church continues its redundant ecclesiastical expressions with so little passion and spiritual intensity that the world mocks us. “Here,” we say, “Read our statement of faith and you will see that we believe that Jesus is coming back”. And yet the way we pray, the way we spend our money, and the way we are energized by temporal issues are completely at odds with someone who truly believes Jesus is coming again. Our statements of faith mock us as well.

But that great day approaches with the surety and integrity of God’s honor. There will be no escape, and while the church looks for more ingenuous ways to fill the pews and to elicit building funds from its people, the coming of Christ draws nigh. Are you looking for signs? They are there.

Lk.21:8-11 - And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them.
9 But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by.
10 Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

I know that speaking of His return has fallen out of favor in this generation, but those of us who have known Christ for decades remember a day in which at least it was spoken of. There are rumors about eclipses, and asteroids, and alignment with the galactic center, and there are certainly more weather anomalies all over the world. Who's to say which ones are divine signs predicted by Christ, but we as believers should be moved by God’s Word rather than any signs.

Heb.10:25 - Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

The day approaches. Very soon that phrase will be in the past tense.

2011-12-03T13:49:00.005-05:00

I Am America

I heard the song “I Am America” on television at a Herman Cain rally. I really liked the tune, but I looked up the lyrics. As you will see the singer, Krista Branch, is a professing believer. She has opened for Glenn Beck rallies as well as other conservative causes. But here is the astounding irony. Her song was meant to be a tribute to America, but instead it clearly describes America - as well as every single country on the planet.

Pay no attention to the people in the street,
Crying out for accountability.
Make a joke of what we believe,Say we don’t matter cause you disagree.
Pretend you’re kings, sit on your throne,
Look down your nose at the peasants below.
I’ve got some news; we’re taking names,
We’re waiting now for the judgment day.

I am America, one voice, united we stand.
I am America, one hope to heal our land.
There is still work that must be done.
I will not rest until we’ve won.
I am America.

You preach your tolerance but lecture me.
Is there no end to your own hypocrisy?
Your god is power, you have no shame,
Your only interest is political gain.
You hide your eyes and refuse to listen.
You play your games and abuse the system.
You stuff your pockets while Rome is burning.
I’ve got a feeling that the tide is turning.

I am America, one voice, united we stand.
I am America, one hope to heal our land.
I will not give up on this fight,
I will not fade into the night.

I am America.

How sad it is for a follower of Jesus Christ to say “I Am America”.
Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

BTW - A little known fact. Before Paul spoke they played the toe tapping song, "I Am Rome".

2011-12-03T06:39:00.003-05:00

Eat My Flesh - Drink My Blood

Jn.6:48-57 - I am that bread of life.
49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.
51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
52 The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.
How shocking! How arresting! Even His own disciples were offended at such words, and many of His followers walked away. This kind of language rejects the euphemism and uses metaphorical words that even imply cannibalism. But Jesus used all sorts of “Hebrewisms” that bring home a point with strong word pictures and heart shaking verbiage.
He said He was the door; He said He was the resurrection; He said He was the Son of man; He used words like fire and worms for hell, and words like gold and pearls for heaven. The Master was never shy about startling words, and His listeners said He spoke as someone with authority. No kidding!
But here in John chapter six Christ raises the bar substantially. Our Roman Catholic friends have built an entire sect upon a misinterpretation of His teaching here. Look here at a verse in the next chapter of John.
Jn.19:9 - I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
Was Jesus a literal, earthly door through which people could pass like some Star Trek travel? And when He says they will find pasture does He mean grass and dirt and rocks? Of course not, and so when Jesus speaks about eating His flesh and drinking His blood He is presenting a teaching that is profoundly spiritual, but so important that He uses an astounding word picture to grab not only their attention, but their hearts as well. Some could not endure such words.
But so often we in the west either turn His words into an ecclesiastical tradition as in the Roman Catholic Church, or we ignore the deeply provocative nature of that teaching by rendering it as purely philosophical and stimulating by its metaphorical creativity. But if we stop for one moment and get out of the Biblical drive through lane, we just may allow the Spirit to imprint our hearts with something far more valuable than just the well worn “trust Jesus to be saved” catch all truth. As western evangelicals, we have succumbed to a spiritual malaise that is satisfied with a thin layer of truth that is mostly a redundancy of the same truth. Deep and penetrating truths are far too costly in time and energy, and they may well bring with them some personal challenges that stray outside the accepted convenience of the average pew dweller’s lifestyle.
Now the metaphor about the manna coming down from heaven is easily understood, and it openly compares Christ to that manna. He is the bread of life that came down from heaven. And bread was and still is very important in the oriental cuisine. It is a part of their lives. We occidentals like bread as well, but our understanding is far less observant and does not have thousands of years of history attached to it. Bread gives and sustains life. The similarity to Christ is obvious.
Then Jesus takes another step by saying that He is the living bread from heaven, and that all who eat of this bread shall live forever. He isn’t saying that He will give them some bread; He says that He IS that bread. And here is where the water becomes much deeper and the truth more profound in its Christ centered teaching. Jesus says that His flesh is that bread, and that He will give His own flesh for the life of the world. (Yes, John Calvin, the world.)
Now we have entered into the “Twilight Zone”. Of course we understand, post Calvary, that Jesus was directly referring to the cross. After His resurrection, and more substantially after the Day of Pentecost, believers would come to rejoice in the many teachings by Christ that foretold His death and resurrection. But Jesus adds something else here that is so pungent and so mentally and emotionally scalding, that one must either meditate upon His words, or dismiss them as just another way to present John 3:16.
Our Lord speaks of eating His flesh and later about drinking His blood. Talk about a striking word picture! Using a reference to cannibalism, as it were, is most unusual and some might suggest somewhat offensive. But those words were meant to carry the weight of what it means to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. This is no “say a prayer win a cupie doll” type of religious carnival, regardless of the Joel Osteen climate that spreads today. And believing on Christ involves sacrifice as well as great and surpassing gain.
How deep must a disciple’s life be when Christ is moved to teach with such reckless abandon and offensive verbiage? When the Creator speaks of eating flesh and drinking blood, He must consider the subject matter of great magnitude as well as of great consequence. These are eternal truths that hold the weight of men’s souls in their quintessence and their reality. And in that same teaching resides the very glory of Almighty God.
So the magnitude of this truth is so towering in its scope, that just a children’s flannel board teaching will not suffice. And although John 3:16 presents this same truth, this time Jesus makes a linguistic leap that challenges His closest followers and demands they seek out the treasure that these words expose. This believing on Jesus issue must be more than believing in black holes or believing in your own children. What kind of faith can be defined by a spiritual act of cannibalism? It is most disturbing, which is exactly what Jesus intended.
We need to be disturbed. It should disturb us that we are not more hungry for Christ and His kingdom. It should disturb us that we are comfortable in this world’s system that is so at odds with our Redeemer. It should disturb us that prayer is such a chore and has become a mere ritual that is practiced with such convenience and economy. It should disturb us that we rarely seek Christ anymore with any passion or relentless Jacob-esque resolve.
But if a business opportunity exists, or if a special vacation is on the horizon, or if we sense an investment could lead to a financial windfall, then our intensity and resolve is observable. Yes, we should be disturbed that the depth of our own faith falls embarrassingly short of the flesh eating metaphor. The Lord is not interested in this run of the mill “I’ve trusted Jesus” kind of religious expression. When you eat flesh and drink blood, even when that picture is a communication tool, it requires a level of commitment that runs far deeper than a revolving Sunday morning experience.
And that devotion also rises above just a fleeting, sacred moment around the communion table. What kind of open rebuke is it to our Lord when those that claim His name rush in on Sunday mornings, fresh from a week consumed with self and the things of this world, and bow their heads and take communion? And if the truth be known, the overwhelming majority of the ecclesiastical mob on Sunday mornings spent more time combing their hair than they did in separated communion with Him. And that is on the very day reserved to worship Him collectively!
Eat His flesh - drink His blood? Who are we kidding? The words of our Lord in John chapter six are not only arresting in their linguistic shock, but when received in their spiritual reality, they should be an open rebuke to us all. Is our faith so strong, so deep, so relentless, and so eternally betrothed, that people might understand the communion table as a devotional practice that does mirror our life’s commitment to Him? Is it ritual without substance, or is it a natural expression that reveals a changed heart and captures in a sacred ceremony that which lives through us during the week in unmistakable and remarkable clarity?
We have just scratched the surface here, but if this makes you too full and too uncomfortable, then there is only one recourse. Return to a “shallow stream of piety that runs a fresher course on Sunday mornings”. (R.G. Lee)

2011-12-01T17:36:00.003-05:00

The Surety of God's Word

If there is one sure and immutable thing in this universe, it is the plan of Almighty God. Oh yes, we who believe in man’s God given free will also believe that God is in control. And God knows the beginning from the end. We can have full confidence that what He began He will finish. His plan, wrapped in His glory, will come to a final fruition.
I Pet.1:1-5 - Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
The ebbs and flows of man’s machinations throughout the world are very alluring and are dissected and analyzed over and over again - by man. It is a pattern of concentric circles which provide much intellectual mastication but in the end is only a repeat of the narrative of Eden with different names and different players. Fallen man devises fallen plans and then provides fallen editorials about his fallen plans. It is a circle of death.
But in the midst of this energetic parade of hollow activity, God’s plan continues to march on, unaltered and unfettered. Again, believers like me embrace God’s sovereignty with enthusiasm. There is only one thing that we can count on in this life - Christ. He must be the source and the destination of all our hope and all our faith. He alone is our Rock, and although family and friends may provide some needed support and love, only Christ is sufficient for all things.
Two men stand and gaze at the wooden bridge before them. It is the only way to escape the raging forest fire, and the bridge spans a deep and harrowing gulf over to safety. The first man walks confidently upon the bridge without hesitation. The second man tests the bridge with his foot, and then tentatively steps upon it. He walks with hesitation, stopping regularly to test its strength, and sometimes he is frightened by the great gorge below. But the question is this: Which man made it to the other side?
The answer is that they both made it to the other side because the success of their escape rested completely on the strength of the bridge. And even though one man seemed to have more faith in the bridge, they both walked upon it and its strength was constant to them both.
Beloved, the strength of our spiritual journey lies in the strength of our God and in His Word. Of course we can enjoy the journey better if we have more faith, but if it all depended upon us then none of us would make it. The paradox of God’s sovereignty and man’s free will is only a paradox in the mind of man. Man’s free will is a product of God’s sovereignty, and we need not think too highly of ourselves.
The Word of God is also the promises of God and they are all secure in God. No man can change what God has ordained, regardless of how off course circumstances may seem. The journey may seem crooked to the eyes of man, but the divine compass still guides the ship toward its intended harbor.
I Pet.1:24-25 - For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:
25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
God’s Word carries with it the weight of the Triune God. God does not mince words, and what He says is what He will do and what will happen. It is impossible to overstate the power of God’s Word. From God so loved the world to And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire, they all have a divine power that surpasses time and space and the parameters of human understanding.
Many people who have heard the gospel and have been warned about their eternal future are hoping that God’s Word is not true or that He will compromise the things He has said. Those people will one day find out that they have lost their souls and that God will have fulfilled every single breath He has ever spoken. It is not something over which to gloat since we stand by His grace alone, but it is nonetheless very tragic.
Man’s word is hollow and can change when pressured or when that change is advantageous to a man’s life. We are always prone to speaks to our own interests and many times the path of least resistance or the well worn path of self righteousness. Let every man be a liar and God be eternally true. If you are looking for a crack in the integrity of God’s Word you can stop the search.
And I am not talking about the arguments surrounding Biblical inerrancy, I am speaking of believing God’s Word with such intensity and sacrificial faith that it guides and controls our very lives. God is not so much interested in men who can translate from Greek and Hebrew as He is looking for men who can obey the English first. Doctrinal purity is best expressed through a humble believer rather than a reliance upon a systematic theology. A living interpretation of Gods Word is worth a thousand volumes of exegetical articulation.

I do believe that the prophetic warnings contained in Scripture are rapidly approaching their fulfillment. And that prospect brings with it all the most profound implications of good and evil, justice and grace, and eternity without recourse.
If we knew when the thief was coming we would have stayed up and watched. Or would we…

2011-11-29T09:48:00.002-05:00

Enemies - What Do We Do?

Matt.5:42-44 - Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
43 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;
Lk.6:34-36 - And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.
35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.
36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
Rom.12:19-21 - Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.
21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
It has been a steadily rising phenomenon within western evangelicalism, until it has become accepted and practiced with no inward conviction whatsoever. It has been embraced through all sorts of different monikers and labels, and it has become a plentiful source of carnality, as well as the impetus for inter-congratulatory accolades within the “We are orthodox” community of faith. It thrives with a seemingly endless amount of fodder with which to stoke its fires.
This is the expansive way in which the church identifies, targets, and attacks its “enemies”. If we adhere to the New Testament there are enemies of the cross and enemies of the gospel and enemies of Christ. The core element was always spiritual. But in today’s evangelical climate, particularly in the west, the definition of enemies has been expanded. Our enemies are now liberals, and socialists, and protestors, and gays, and an assortment of other sinners who are lost and exhibit certain moral views that are unbiblical. They are now our enemies.
But where is the gospel in all this? And what indeed are we suggesting? Are we saying that only lost sinners who remain within accepted parameters of sinful behavior are objects of our love and Christ’s redemption? It is very unseemly and uproots the very Person of Christ and His gospel. And it also reveals a striking devaluation of the depth of our own sin, especially before we were regenerated. But the western church has embraced a form of legalism that fights a cultural battle but ignores the loving battle for the souls of men.
“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.”
Is that practiced with passion and enthusiasm? Do believers really love Barney Frank or Bill Clinton or President Obama? And what level of hypocrisy demands with conviction an orthodox definition of the Trinity but can simultaneously ignore the teachings of Christ about loving your enemies? And those who speak evil of lost sinners and who report the daily behaviors of fallen man in order to energize hatred for those “enemies”, have in their doctrinal statement and declare with vigor that the Bible is inerrant! But the Scriptures that command love for our enemies are somehow diluted if not completely ignored. Are they not just as inerrant?
And the New Testament goes much further. It commands us to help and feed our enemies. But so many in the church wail and complain about the latest tax situation and the liberal agendas and in so doing they are drawn away from the gospel and the open teachings of Christ. And the world sees us as nothing more than a bastion of moral dictates that enjoys a good fight. How despicable!
And so many seem to feel that God is calling them to defend America. And standing upon that carnal foundation, they spew forth castigations toward lost sinners with no regard to the sufferings of our Savior Who died to save them. This nationalistic and moralistic battle continues to violently misrepresent Christ and obliterates the gospel message. But we can take solace in the fact that we have our enemies in our crosshairs rather than in our vision of the cross.
God has His enemies, and He will deal with them. But our enemies are three fold: the devil, the world system, and our own flesh. The church has now adopted a world view that reserves redemption for written doctrinal expressions, and the western church, by and large, exhibits a pathological lack of compassion. And sometimes it is these “enemies” that bind together fellowships and certain orthodox cliques. It is most disturbing and unfortunate.
But the heart of the law is love. Love God and love others. But in this climate of discernment and moral safaris, the love thing has lost its fervor and even its meaning. Love is for the Valentine’s Day banquet at church, but not for the HIV infected gay person, and certainly not for the liberals who seek to destroy America. Love is now defined by our emotions which must be energized by that which deserves our love. And so the church kicks the publican to the curb and loves the orthodox brother who champions what we champion. What a revelation of circular self gratification.
But we have not learned this from Christ, who died for His enemies. Just the Sermon on the Mount is enough New Testament to unmask us as frauds. And loving your enemies does not come just because we decide to love them. That kind of love can only come through His power and sincere prayer that asks, even begs, God to change our hearts. And we as saints must smell like goats, even while being sheep. If we continue to stay an arms length away from the lost, to say nothing of hurling verbal projectiles in their directions, we not only are straying from the teachings of Christ, but we have created another religion not unlike Islam.
Oh yes, when we construct a religion of rules that evangelizes through moral adherence and political force, then we are practicing a religion of laws with a light smattering of Jesus. Yes, Islam light, without the violence.

2011-11-28T05:24:00.010-05:00

Christian Research Network Endorses the Philosophy
Of
Ayn Rand

I would like to draw your attention to an article posted on Christian Research Network. It is entitled “Should Churches be Helping Occupy Wall Street” and it is posted by a woman named Marsha West who is a contributor to CRN. It openly links to this article. Ms. West is a professing believer who is a nationalist and a moralist. The sad part is that this site used to be primarily involved in confronting doctrinal heresy within the visible church but now has slid into the political morass as well as a noticeable shift toward nationalism.
But I found this post especially arresting since it deals with an issue that should separate Christians from the rest of the religious continuum. I want to deal specifically with West’s post and the outrageous article to which she linked. Just the paragraph she copied is an astounding misrepresentation of the faith taught by Jesus Christ and should be an affront to all who claim His name.
“The Occupiers are Socialists and they are at war with America, not the same kind of war that our military fights overseas, but war nonetheless. It is an internal, ideological war. They want to obliterate Capitalism and any church that helps them has taken sides with Socialism and is supporting our enemy.”
That sentence was written by a woman named Charlotte Cushman who admittedly is a student of the Jewish philosopher named Ayn Rand. If you read any of Ayn Rand’s works you may quickly see that she does not subscribe to the Biblical truths set forth by Scripture and Christ Himself. In fact, she declared that selfishness is a virtue and altruism a vice. But look at those words! If you help people who do not agree with your nationalistic philosophy, especially capitalism, you are aiding the enemy? And since when do we derive our life guidelines from unbelievers? You see, nationalism and the patriotic spirit are poison to the humble and sacrificial life that follows Jesus.
And in the same linked article we have these words,
“As Ayn Rand said, "The right to life is the source of all rights -- and the right to property is their only implementation. Without property rights, no other rights are possible. Since man has to sustain his life by his own effort, the man who has no right to the product of his effort has no means to sustain his life."“
Oh my. How in God’s Dear Name can a blog who claims to be Christian, much less who also claims to lean toward the reformed side of things, link to such outright heresy? And this is a blog which also touts its discernment credentials and asks for financial support as well! This is heresy at its very finest and yet since patriotism is so strongly embedded in the mind of so many believers they can and do embrace people like Ayn Rand and Charlotte Cushman?
Read those words again. Without property rights no other rights are possible?? What kind of moon man talk is that? And then there is this from that same article:
“If a church truly wanted to help the Occupiers I would suggest that they tell them they can spend the night in their church provided they watch some videos or read some books that would educate them about the history and morality of Capitalism. Now that would be real help -- for them and for us.”
Can there be any more anti-christian and anti-gospel nonsense than this? And yet this is posted on one of the discernment sites that claims to be a “leader” in the confrontation of error. To be fair it was not posted by the administrator, Ken Silva, but I should think that he should remove it and print a retraction. That would be the only honorable and Christian thing to do. This is not some interecclesiastical squabble. This is blatant heresy and humanism.
I will soon be posting about appropriate Christian behavior and attitude toward our enemies as taught by Christ.

2011-11-27T05:23:00.002-05:00

The Treachery of Inclusivism

Inculsivism is the teaching that every person born will be saved, and that hell, if it exists, will be empty. Some even go so far as to suggest Satan himself with wind up in heaven.
Matt.25:46And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
Matt.13:42And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Rev.21:8But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Unless you play fast and extremely loose with the Scriptures, there is no denying that they teach a two place eternity. One is with Christ, and one is a place of eternal justice. I need not sensationalize the atmosphere of the place called hell, but suffice to say it must be beyond our comprehension. That of course is the reverse in the place called heaven.
And since the teachings of Scripture do illuminate us to the place called hell, would it not be our divine duty to warn people about such a place and the prospect of them spending eternity there? But instead of a passionate and compassionate warning, the church has systematically relegated hell to the doctrinal abstract, even constructing church services designed to make people feel better about themselves. Of course no one would suggest that every service be centered on hell, but in today’s evangelical atmosphere the subject is rarely broached and if it is touched upon it is with such dispassion that almost no one could be convinced that we actually believe such a thing.
But as if this spiritual lethargy is not enough, there is a growing movement afoot that teaches that there is no such place as hell, and even if there is, God will not send anyone there. They say God will save everyone, and in the words of a prominent false teacher, “Love Wins”. And the implications of such a teaching have eternal consequences. If you are a Calvinist, then it changes nothing and that should make the consequences very minimal and relegated to an affront to God’s truth.
But if you believe, as I do, that Christ died for ever single sinner, and that all men were in the redemptive heart of God, then convincing people that hell is not even a prospect is a vicious and damnable heresy that can soothe a sinner’s conscience and harden his heart toward the gospel. It can and does blind a sinner to the offer of redemption and many will die in their sins and spend eternity in the place they were told did not exist. Souls are in the balance.
This new inclusivism has many false components. Many of these teachers suggest that Jesus can be found in all religions, which is a blatant rejection of Scripture. It is another facet of the social gospel which diminishes the sacrifice at Calvary and applies redemptive value to the works of man. It also suggests that a monotheistic view can circumvent faith in Jesus Christ and elicit the eternal grace of God. All this without a personal faith in Jesus Christ.
Of what use is the Great Commission if all are to be saved? The inclusivist, or universalist, claims that the Great Commission is only to inform sinners that they are already saved so that they may lead a more fulfilling life. This is absurd and bears no resemblance to Scriptural Christianity and is an affront to all those who have given their very lives to reach the lost. It is not just the “easy way out”, but it is a lie spawned from hell.
We should not revel in the damnation of sinners, but we also should not give it a passing nod either. If indeed everyone who dies spends eternity in one of two places, and if indeed every sinner has been offered eternal life through Jesus Christ, then that must be the overwhelming priority of the church.
Jude:23 - And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
For all intensive purposes the church has lost the fear of God, and if we do not have a healthy fear of Almighty God, then how can we expect the lost to understand the consequences of their sin? And as the days go by with all of us either battling or surrendering to the cares of this present world, the gospel message suffers. And in the vacuum of authentic and passionate preaching about eternal consequences, the message of inclusivism comes to fill it.
I always feel uncomfortable defending the doctrine of hell because it is so unpleasant to even consider, and I am well aware of how short I fall in my own attempts to warn others and share Christ. But regardless of how we measure up to God’s truth, it is still truth. And we are commanded to preach His truth and not just that truth which we obey perfectly, which is none of it.
Beware of these false teachers. But also, let us pray earnestly that God will break up the fallow ground in us and the church at large so that we can with compassion, urgency, and passion share Christ with others as we warn them about their eternity.

2011-11-26T08:19:00.004-05:00

Devotion

Websters
a : religious fervor : piety
b : an act of prayer or private worship
c : a religious exercise or practice other than the regular corporate worship of a congregation
Rom.5:6-8 - For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
We use the terms saved, believers, Christians, and other labels to identify people who hold Jesus as Lord and Savior. But these terms sometimes are not much more than a religious stamp that only differentiates us from Muslims, Jews, Hindus, and all the rest. And these terms have become so commonplace and overused and generously applied to almost anyone, that many unbelievers use them as pejoratives.
No one says, when referring to a believer in Jesus, that there is a cross bearer, or there is a living sacrifice. The Christian brand has been reduced to a diluted, after market item that bears a striking similarity to all the other brands, including the cultural brand. But there is a world of difference between being saved by Jesus and being devoted to Jesus. There are literally tens of millions of people in this country who claim to be saved but who exhibit little evidence of being devoted to Christ.
I like the fact that Webster identifies the private aspect of devotion. When the preponderance of your spiritual life consists of two or less hours on Sunday morning, then you can hardly be called a devoted disciple. And to a large extent, those two hours on Sunday mornings represent the only aspect of some “saved” people’s spiritual life. And while the church has become a well organized center for the saved, it has also lost the meaning of devotion.
The weight of our devotion to Christ can be measured by the time we spend in prayer, meditation, the Word, and in private worship. In short, what you practice when no one is around is who you really are. And it can also be said that the amount of time you spend with Christ privately is in direct proportion to your personal revelation of Who He is. It is most disturbing to see how the church has let the devotions of the inner man fall by the wayside while we continue to build buildings, gather financial faith pledges, defend doctrines, and generally stir up all kinds of religious activities.
We have westernized our so called discipleship and even incorporated the cultural impurities into our lives and our worship. We now are devoted to the cares of this world and of our own personal endeavors. And our children are now reared in a Christian home that watches inordinate amounts of television, speaks carelessly about other people, and is consumed with the worries associated with money and things. Rare would be the case where the children of the home hear the prayers of their father or mother coming through a locked bedroom door. And rare would be the case where the children have become accustomed to seeing their parents spend quantities of time pouring over the Word of God. And the next generation adds to the dilution of what is means to be a devoted follower of the Lord Jesus.
But let us take a moment and meditate upon the object of any devotion, the Lord Jesus Himself. For our devotion should never emanate from a legalistic structure or even a desire to appear devoted. Our devotion must come from a deep and penetrating love for the Lord Jesus that is empowered by an ever growing revelation of Who He is. If Christ is our Lord and Savior, and if He indeed purchased eternal life for us, then just sheer gratefulness should produce a level of devotion.
But do not misunderstand what I am about to say. Jesus, the Lord Christ, the Second Person of the Triune God, is more than just our Redeemer. And our devotion to Him should not be exclusively about us, although that is always a consuming element. Jesus is the Creator of all things. He has always been exalted and high and lifted up. His being is beyond beautiful and beyond splendor. He reigns with regal magnificence, and His very presence shines with unimaginable glory. He is all powerful and all knowing. He is perfect in mercy and perfect in justice.
The Apostle John gets a passing glimpse on Patmos and falls at His feet as though dead! The same apostle who rested upon the bosom of Christ sees the Risen Christ for but a moment and is undone before Him. Paul is allowed a glimpse and goes blind. Our Lord is much more than can be approached by the human mind. As Spurgeon once observed, “Upon the very first glimpse of the Risen Christ we will think ourselves a thousand fools to have ever been allured by anything upon this earth!”
August and without blemish. Majestic and covered in His own glory. Surrounded by hovering Seraphim and worshiped by all creatures. This Jesus is the King of all eternity. But we cannot, and we must not, escape the reality of what this God has done. To understand His colossal majesty we need not look just to the vast expanse of the heavens. The wonder of creation is breathtaking, and His power is revealed in its greatness. Nature itself is a mind bending wonder.
But in order to grasp a more complete vision of the greatness of God we need to travel to a small hill just outside the City of Peace. God can make a universe with but a word, but Christ had to suffer to purchase us. God suffers? If we meditate upon such a notion it must take us into the realm of the sacred. To speak of God in all His immortal power and glory, and then see Him on a Roman cross, is incongruous to the natural mind.
But there He is. High and lifted up once more, but with bloody wounds etched upon His battered frame. The word “love” rolls so effortlessly off the human tongue. But this kind of love shakes the foundation of its meaning. God’s love is much, much different, and it is displayed in a way which screams injustice. But His injustice is our redemption. Do you desire to elevate your devotion to Jesus? I do.

THEN READ THIS,

and pray that we will be known as devoted followers of Christ.

2011-11-26T04:43:00.002-05:00

Behold He Comes

Matt.24:3-13 - And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.
10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
The world sleeps while they are awake, and the church by and large mirrors the world. The days are evil and continue to constrict the time of His arrival, but the church continues to act as if He will never come, except for the Second Coming embedded in our doctrinal statements. If we stop and consider the implications of His coming, if indeed it is a literal reality that is as real as His first coming, then how is it that we are so lukewarm and content in our present spiritual state? And even the most militantly orthodox among us live lives so unremarkable within the culture that their distinctiveness is almost completely doctrinal without what should be a corresponding lifestyle.
If we truly and completely believe that Jesus is coming again, and if we believe that the signs are closing in around us, then why are our lives so redundant and so fully camouflaged inside this fallen culture? The answer is as painful as it is simple: We do not actually believe what we say. Doctrine without works is dead. Just defending truth with words and Scriptural exegesis falls immeasurably short of an observable exhibition of the authenticity of our beliefs.
If there is a lack of passion that escapes the parameters of “normal” behavior as set forth by the unbelieving culture, then those around us have every right to remain unconvinced of that truth, and especially unconvinced that we ourselves are convinced of that truth. In short, if we are living in a fallen culture and are exhibiting a reasonable facsimile of those around us, save a few spoken convictions about a few moral issues, then we are by all standards frauds.
The believing followers of Jesus must have some attributes in word and in deed that profoundly distinguish them from those who refuse to follow Christ. And these words and these deeds must be arresting and observable and with such a peculiarity about them that those in darkness are confronted with what we believe simply due to the overwhelming weight of our idiosyncratic existence. To put it simply, we should be like Jesus. And in that context, we should also be looking for His return in such a profound way that it affects our being and significantly alters our entire lifestyle.
And I say this with conviction: Jesus is coming soon. This is no time to settle in and rest in your orthodoxy. This is not the time to sup from the world’s cup or get caught up with earthly issues. If the Son of God is on the brink of His return, then we cannot be entangled with the affairs of this world and its antichrist system. But it is not enough to refrain from participating in what the world believes is important. No, we must be diligent in allowing the Spirit to transform our thoughts, our speech, our hearts, and our very lives.
The old cliché is still applicable. What would Jesus do? And how would Jesus live today if He Himself lived right beside you? No wonder the lost world doesn’t even feel confronted with the question that Jesus Himself asked: Who do you say that I am? The lost world continues to field moral grounders from the church but rarely is confronted with line drives that target the question that can save men’s souls. If Jesus is coming back soon, and if we say we believe that, then everything is on the table. And to be honest, we have a great deal to change personally and collectively. If we are to be believed, then mere words will not suffice.
Lk.12:39-40 - And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.
40 Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.
Ti.2:11-14 - For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
This temporal existence will soon be over, and the other side of eternity will soon begin. Churches by the thousands have workshops and Sunday School lessons about many earthly endeavors. Marriage, finances, health, and politics are but a few of the hot topics that saturate the evangelical church. But where is the class entitled, “Preparing for Eternity”? How about a class about prayer that instead of teaching about prayer does nothing but pray?
How tragic it is that we who claim to know and worship Him have so diminished His coming that it has little if any effect upon our lives. He is the Blessed Hope that we should be anticipating. Our hearts should be bursting as we envision bowing before our Majestic Redeemer in all His unspeakable glory! But alas, the cares of this world have overtaken us in ways that bind us to the temporal and blind us to the eternal. And in our present condition we lose such blessings that can only come from God’s Spirit. Only the Lord can bless us for no earthly reason and with just a shaft of light that lifts the veil ever so slightly and rewards us with a fresh revelation of Him.
In the Tabernacle the shekinah glory rested upon the mercy seat between the cherubim. It was a taste of God’s glory. But God’s glory in all its fullness was embodied in the Incarnation of the Lord Jesus the Christ. John said, 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. But that glory was shielded by His borrowed human form.
When He comes again, the shield will no longer filter His eternal glory. And His brilliance will fill the heavens and we will join the angelic hosts and worship before Him. That coming reality can never be captured by words, but as believers the vision should imprison our hearts and minds in such a way as to mold our lives accordingly. We will see Jesus.

Oft times the day seems long, our trials hard to bear,
We're tempted to complain, to murmur and despair;
But Christ will soon appear to catch His Bride away,
All tears forever over in God's eternal day.

It will be worth it all when we see Jesus,
Life's trials will seem so small when we see Christ;
One glimpse of His dear face all sorrow will erase,
So bravely run the race till we see Christ.

2011-11-24T18:42:00.002-05:00

The Allurement of Imagery

The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic, and cultural conditions of the times. This began a major shift in human history, especially in Europe and North America. And somewhere after 1850, that same Revolution took another quantum leap with the combustible engine and the spread of electrical power. And during the 1800s the camera began to emerge with still photographs.
Later on came color photography, and in the late 1800s the first movie camera was used, and today, with all the upgrades and added features, the video cameras and television cameras present images that are almost perfect. Combined with different angles, special features, and clever editing many times what comes into our homes seems almost like being there.
Now before all this took place preachers could only reach those within the sound of their voice or those to whom they could provide their writings, provided they could or would read. And those preachers who moved crowds had to either have the anointing of God upon their lives, or they had to have an unusual oratorical prowess. But times have drastically changed.
No longer does anyone have to have a call upon their lives, much less an anointing upon their ministry. Through the miracle of technology the masses are now affected and influenced by the power of a superior media that presents people in an imaginary light and which covers their humanity and enhances every area of their image. It also magnifies their communication skills, and replaces anointing with a fictional abstraction. In short, it is masterful way in which people are manipulated and controlled.
And “poof!”, you have the modern day Christian television phenomenon. This is now the genre where equipment is the essential and not the message. The most egregious misrepresentation of the gospel can be presented to millions of people and it can and does elicit a following as well as generous financial support. But had the preacher been dressed modestly and without makeup or background music or carefully edited testimonies by some of his followers, well then the outcome would be substantially different.
Hollywood realizes the power of imagery and perception. The rallies at Nuremburg were great examples of manipulation through imagery and visual pageantry. And the church has learned well from the world and now incorporates these techniques and reaches through the television screen to capture people’s minds and open their pocketbooks. Millions of people surrender their minds to the allurement of religious falsehoods showcased in an atmosphere of theatrical exploitation led by air brushed thespians.
It is this kind of technology that the enemy has used most effectively to gain the hearts and minds of shallow believers and religious minded unbelievers. The eye gate seems to be the most prominent of all the senses and when it is compromised, most of the time the heart and mind follow.
Matt.6:22-23 - The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
And this kind of deception plays right into this modern day technological fairy tale. Instead of Biblical truth and the Person of Christ being the captivating power, it is now the production expertise. And all it takes is a one hour or even a one half hour skillful production and many minds have been led into the abyss, albeit with wonderful color and timely close ups as well as enticing words of men’s wisdom.
And the false teacher makes false promises and portrays God as sitting back and waiting for your monetary offering before he will grant you your earthly wish. That isn’t God, that is the money changer that Christ abhorred and whose tables He overturned. And though these heretics make such outlandish and Scripturally vacuous statements, the cinematography and overall theatrical production overwhelms people’s senses which dulls the spirit, excites the flesh, and leads them astray.
And voilà! You have the western evangelical church that follows man and the culture in which it lives. Who, in years passed, would have ever dreamed that preachers would teach that God wants His followers rich, and that the way to that wealth is to give to men? No one would have believed such a thing! But technology has replaced spirituality; accumulation has replaced sacrifice; self esteem has replaced humility; and imagery has replaced authenticity.

The Industrial Revolution was supposed to be used to spread the gospel.

It wasn’t supposed to replace the gospel.

2011-11-24T08:13:00.001-05:00

Give Thanks for ALL Things?

Can I give thanks for -

God’s correction in my life?
The personal hurts that have made me stronger?
God’s forgiveness when I have sinned?
My poor health?
Fiery trials?
Uncertain finances?
The rebuke of the Spirit?
The times I’ve needed to repent?

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

2011-11-23T18:56:00.001-05:00

Thanksgiving?

While President, George Washington gave emergency financial and military relief to French slave owners in Haiti to suppress a slave rebellion. President Washington also signed bills into law that allowed slave owners to recapture their slaves in any state. And when plans were made to sell off one of his female slaves and separate her from members of her family, that slave ran off and made it into the north. When that female slave wanted to discuss her situation with Washington, he said he would not deal with a slave as an equal. He personally owned as many as 300 slaves.
This is the President that made Thanksgiving a national holiday exclusively for white people. Another man made holiday designed to feign spirituality, give faint praise to some God, and to positively impact the economy. I often wonder how the sin of gluttony glorifies God. And there will be considerably more football watched than prayer.
Americans…no one can match our self righteous ingenuity.

2011-11-23T07:28:00.003-05:00

Unashamedly Worshiping Jesus

Lk.7:36-50 - And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat.
37 And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,
38 And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.
39 Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.
40 And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on.
41 There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.
42 And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?
43 Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.
44 And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.
45 Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.
46 My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.
47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.
48 And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.
49 And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also?
50 And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.
I love this story. Imagine this lowly woman of a sordid reputation having the audacity to enter the house among the spiritual Bourgeoisie, the Pharisees and the disciples of Jesus, and she began to weep. All the dry eyed doctrinal elite in the house were offended and murmured among themselves. In fact, had the Pharisees had their own blog they would have written about the awful compromise that this Jesus of Nazareth showed by allowing such a slut to worship Him. And the comment thread in their article would be filled with people magnifying such a disgraceful compromise and loudly suggesting that they themselves would never have allowed that woman anywhere near them.
You see, in the workings of the ecclesiastical structure certain sinners have been tagged and bagged and are persona non grata, unless of course they publicly repent and show a track record of at least one year of monk-like separation from their former selves. And if this woman happened to be a lesbian, oh dear God in heaven, that would have brought the house down. I mean come on, a lesbian coming to Jesus, without the required portfolio of good works and fruit authenticating repentance, and Jesus allows her to worship Him? And obviously she still had many unforgiven sins since Jesus forgave them.
But while the Pharisees and to some degree the disciples watched with different levels of disapproval or at least bewilderment, Jesus begins to strip them of their self righteousness. He addresses His own disciples with an uncomfortable comparison with this woman, and in so doing exposes their hypocrisy and elevates the heart of worship beating within that woman.
Let’s face it. The disciples were in the presence of important Pharisees who were the church officials of their day. How would it have looked if they had been seen bowing down to Jesus or being overly affectionate? It was still early in His ministry and they must maintain some decorum. So they all shuffled into this Pharisee’s home and sat down ready to eat. Perhaps the disciples felt like they could make inroads with these Pharisees and an uncomfortable display of love and submission to Jesus would present a problem.
But here comes this woman, entering with complete abandon, and disrupting this men’s club. But she does not care. And she comes in and begins to weep. Many times I cannot hold back the tears myself when I read this story. Believers by the millions file in and out of church where supposedly they met corporately with Jesus, and their eyes have never even been moist. But this woman weeps openly before strangers and in the presence of important men. She does not care who sees her or who judges her. Why?
Her entire being is focused upon Jesus the Christ. And she carries with her an ointment of great value which she lavishes upon Christ. And notice what the Scriptures say. The woman stayed behind Jesus. She would not even dare to move in front of him, but she wept and cleaned His feet from behind with her tears. Dear Lord in heaven, how shallow is our worship these days? How many songs does it take to whip up a congregation before they even feel a tinge of emotion? And how often is that emotion a direct result of the beat and melody and volume of the music and not the overwhelming worship of the Lord Jesus?
So here she is, cleaning His feet with tears and wiping them with her hair. How many women spend much time with their hair on Sunday mornings without spending five minutes with Christ before church? And how many would gladly and enthusiastically allow their hair to be mussed up if the Spirit so imprisoned their hearts in worship that they fell down in Christ’s presence? And we men are no better. Can you not see how we have worshiped our outer man and given to Jesus whatever is left over or whatever the praise team can pull out of us?
And finally the woman spills the expensive ointment upon His precious feet. The entire spectacle interrupts this important meal and elicits condemnation form the Pharisees. And their condemnation was not so much about the woman, but about Christ who should have know who this woman was if indeed He was a prophet. How disgusting is the pride of man, and there is nothing worse than spiritual and religious pride. And there they sat, aghast at what they just witnessed and with the fragrance of the ointment invading their senses.
But get ready, for Jesus explains it all. After He rebukes the disciples for even entertaining condemnation for this woman, Jesus unfolds a colossal truth. This woman, a sinner, loved much because she has been forgiven much. And her love for Jesus was so great and so strong that embarrassment was never an issue. It did not matter that she interrupted a dinner; it did not matter that important people were there; it did not matter that Jesus' own disciples might object; it did not matter that these men knew her reputation; nothing mattered to her. All she knew, all she wanted to know, is that jesus had forgiven her for her many, many sins and in light of that she was overwhelmed with a love so strong the earthly etiquettes were of no consequences.
Again I weep as I write this since I also am overwhelmed both by how Jesus has forgiven me and also how tepid I so often am in my obedience and worship toward my Wonderful Lord and Master. Let us be painfully honest, we are nothing without Christ. All our successes, all our possessions, all our friends and family, all our so called intellect, all our overstated writing skills, all of it is nothing more than a colossal pile of refuse and animal waste compared to knowing Jesus the Christ!
And the redundancy of our spiritual experience has petrified our hearts in such a way that we now worship and adore our King of Kings with self imposed parameters so as not to be seen as extreme. We have gooten used to the cross. God forbid that we might drop to our knees once in a while in church, I mean how would that look to others? And if we began to weep loudly in the presence of others we might be judged as unstable. Oh yes, we have freely received the eternal forgiveness of God’s Son and have been called to one day live with Him forever, but in return for that eternal extravagance we remain reserved and unremarkable with the ecclesiastical culture.
I mean there has to be some protocol that prohibits demonstrative expressions of grateful worship that emanate powerfully from a heart that has been illuminated to the monumental cost it took to ransom our souls, right? This woman, this sinful woman, exhibit’s a spiritual abandon that should make us all weep. Why has the church settled into a redundant and predictable display that belies what we say we believe, to say nothing of how it belies the glory of the Risen Christ?
And this woman worships Christ before His passion and before His sufferings. And here we stand. We know all about His intense sufferings and the blood soaked sacrifice. We know He was beaten unmercifully in our stead. We know they shoved thorns into His scalp and while the blood covered His face they mocked Him - for us. We know it, dear God. And still we are tepid and reserved in our expressions and we can go to and fro for years without a single tear, to say nothing of being so broken we are undone - publicly.
We know about the lashes administered with enthusiasm upon His back. We know His body was shredded while wicked men laughed and mocked. We know that even before the cross His beautiful body was riddled with deep and penetrating and vicious wounds, and that He became a blood soaked mess, and yet we can take communion without one tear of pathos and unbridled gratefulness? And this woman knew none of that.
And we know how His limbs were nailed to a cruel, Roman cross. Not just hands, but feet? Nailed!? Oh my dear Lord, how often have we heard the facts of that event as if we were listening to the news? I could not bear to watch the feet of my worst enemy be nailed to a plank. How can I bear to think the Lamb of God, my one and only Savior, had His feet nailed with large, dirty spikes? I am not ashamed to say I can hardly see the computer screen.
And they took this bloody human shell and lifted Him up into the air so that all could jeer and mock. God, our Creator, nailed to a Roman plank. And can you not see his chest heave as He seeks breath? And there He is, writhing in pain, but He asks the Father to forgive these wicked and vile men???? And we are so quick to judge almost anyone for the smallest infraction? The serpent that was lifted up in the wilderness was made of gold. When it was attached to its wooden stake it felt no pain and experienced no shame. But here is the Son of the Living God, impaled upon two wooden stakes, and suffering beyond all human knowledge.
And we know all that. This woman did not realize that, but yet her worship was unrestrained and spoke of a grateful heart that did not even know about how those feet she washed would one day receive nails. But still her heart was so full that she could not hold back her broken worship even though it meant being judged by others. And why is it today that we know all about His sufferings and how the cross, with all its gore and glory, exposes the love of Almighty God, unspeakable and full of glory. And yet with that knowledge we have allowed the culture to mold our worship and restrain us from any remarkable acts of worship and obedience?
How can we go day by day and year by year with a dry eyed, doctrinally petrified expression of a life that supposedly follows and worships the Christ? This woman’s act should not only shame us, but it should lead us to take inventory of Christ and His cross, juxtaposed against the weight of our sins, and that should, that must, lead us to deepen the stakes and lengthen the ropes of out spiritual tents. It should break our hearts...for Him. Lord make it so…