Unspeakable Mysteries

UNSPEAKABLE MYSTERIES

Eph.5: 31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

II Cor.12: It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.
2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.
3 And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)
4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

If we really assess what the Scriptures teach and what we say we believe, we must be astounded. The very thought that the soul which lives within us should be given eternal life is breathtaking, if indeed we believe and understand what is being said. To say it is a  mystery understates the magnitude of these unspeakable riches. Our earthly minds have only earthly comparisons with which to navigate through spiritual imageries, and that is infinitely insufficient.

Paul calls the relationship between Christ and the church a great mystery. And Paul says that there was a man he knew, which most of us believe was Paul speaking in a literary construct about himself. This man was carried into the very dwelling place of the Holy Trinity and upon his return he was unable to even share what glories he had witnessed and experienced. The eternal dimension cannot be translated into human words except for some metaphors and types. But even the metaphors and types are a wonder. The wonders of Christ are, as say the French, je ne sais quoi.

II Cor.9:15 - Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.

II Cor.12: 4 - How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

I Pet.1:8 - 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:

But when we consider the greatness of the eternal truths of redemption it should make us ashamed at how the church has repackaged them to conform to earthly ventures. It is an incredible spiritual betrayal. Just one moment in the presence of the Risen Christ will indict the entire western church. We have diminished His glory and made it bow to the carnal desires of individuals and the church at large. The things of the Spirit are now treated as some intangible dream which is much more evident in written doctrines than they are in the observable lives of His followers.

Most of the church seems more grateful for an unexpected check than they are the glorious mysteries of heaven's realities. Praise reports rarely are given for just the privilege of knowing Christ,  but usually they are testimonies of personal advancement. Prayer requests center on finances or health issues or other personal needs, but rarely ask for the power to live fully surrendered to Christ and His perfect will. The church has become a spiritual welfare state where people come to get their needs met without even considering the spiritual power of self denial. Jesus is a provider first and Lord a distant second.

Oh but please do not miss the present glories of knowing Him who created us and from whom the heavens fled. Human words are but so much dust when compared to the glory of the Creator Redeemer. We have been given a gift of grace simply by the faith which was also a gift. And in a stunning display of grace and power, we have become the sons of God. Oh my. Can any human mind digest such a thought? We have not only been promised eternal life through Christ, but we have been grafted into the eternal family of Almighty God.

And the one person who caught a glimpse of what lies beyond cannot utter words through which to share. Have you ever seen a movie where a little girl witnesses such an horrific event that she is rendered mute? Regardless of how people try and get her to speak she remains silent and traumatized by what she saw. Well that is what happened to the Apostle Paul. The seraphim and the cherubim, the Spirit of God and the Almighty Father, and the Risen Christ who still bears His wounds, all of that and more so affected Paul that he could not even attempt to communicate. His experience on the road to Damascus changed him and this experienced changed him even further.

And yet we also will see what he saw. This is no “pie in the sky” as some mock. This is an awaiting reality with a power unknown here on earth. This is what is called “heaven”, but it isn’t people reclining with their harps. This is the eternal pageantry that will illuminate all of creation with the luminescence of the Lamb. Basking in His light we will have new bodies that can worship without distraction and without the restraints of time. This is why He suffered and died. And here He is, beaming with the glory of the resurrection, and exalted above every creature.

This is who men spat upon. This is who was lashed unmercifully. This is who wore the crown of thorns. This is who was mocked. This is who had his beard plucked from his face. This is who was impaled upon those Roman planks. This is who breathed His last breath and then was speared post-mortem.

But the transformation is beyond human understanding. He who bore such brutality now reigns with the brightness of His triumph over death. No longer a servant, He is now Lord of Lords. And who deserves Him? Whose works have ushered them into His presence? Whose life was so holy that they earned a place before Him? Oh dear friends no one can offer one single shred of good works to purchase a place in that heavenly Temple. All human works and motives shrivel up in His presence, and every creature given a place in His presence must present the cross as their payment. We will be there because of Him, all because of Him. Self righteousness will be banished, and pride will be history. It will be Jesus who deserves all the glory and honor, and we will continually give it to Him as we live forever in an unspeakable mystery.

The Separation of Church and State

THE SEPARATION

OF CHURCH AND STATE

An Evangelical Hypocrisy

Evangelicals by the boat load insist that there is no such thing as a separation between church and state. Their main point is that the church should be allowed to speak into and influence what happens in the secular government. Of course some even go so far as to claim the American government was founded as a Christian government which is preposterous. But the main argument is that the church, specifically the Christian church, should be a spiritual guidance for the government.

But if that is true, then in a broader sense what is suggested is that religion should play a defining role in the secular government. And if that is accurate, then their should be no separation between mosque and state or synagogue and state. But most Christians would loudly protest that kind of pluralism practiced in a pluralistic government. It is of course duplicitous and is at odds with that “sacred” document called the Constitution.

The secular republic known as America is designed to represent all people regardless of faith or those who have no faith. And they and their rights must be championed equally under the equal protection clause found in the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution. Atheists, Christians, Muslims, Jews, and Satan worshipers must be treated equally under the law, and no laws shall be passed which seem to favor any individual or group. And so many who ignorantly trumpet the United States as some bastion of the Christian faith refuse to acknowledge the overt pluralistic nature contained and outlined in the original documents.

There is only one way to speak into and influence the laws that govern America, the interpretation of those laws, and the precise implementation of those laws, and that is through the democratic process. And usually the majority has the upper hand although the Supreme Court is supposed to be the impartial arbiter, even though they have been appointed by the President who came to power through a majority vote. It is very difficult to minimize the effect that the majority has in a republic.

The largest group affiliated with a distinct denomination is by far Roman Catholics. They comprise almost half of the group generally labeled as “Christian”. And although the group labeled as “christian” compromises the vast majority of religious groups in Americas, it would be safe to say a very large percentage is Christian in name only and not actually born again followers of Jesus Christ. And within that group are many and varied political perspectives. But be aware that if their were only one Muslim person in the Untied States his rights would be just as important as the rights of all the Christians under the Constitution.

So the suggestion that any religion should have some inward path to influence the government is absurd, and even though you can pull out quotes from Jefferson or Lincoln or others suggesting that influence, the country was and still is pluralistic and secular. The prayers before sessions of congress, or the Bible under the hand of the newly sworn in President, are merely window dressing and have no real meaning. Tradition and pomp are its substance and not any genuine acknowledgement of the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Of course many people embrace pomp and tradition rather than truth.

But having outlined that myth, I want to reverse the situation. The church insists almost more strenuously that the state should have no influence within the church. Many suggest that the wall between church and state is to protect the church fromm the state so the state should keep its nose out of church business. Just this year there was a brouhaha over insurance companies with religious affiliations required to offer birth control pills and devices. I believe as do millions that the state should not be allowed to dictate to religions things against their doctrines and conscience.

But here is where the hypocrisy is widespread although cleverly hidden. The church has willingly invited the state into its domain, and has placed the desires and operations of the state above the teachings of the Word of God. And this election year has uncovered ample and incriminating evidence of just such a scandal. And when the Word of God is made to take a back seat to the dictates of the secular, then the journey to apostasy flourishes. There is an old Arab parable which illustrates this principle.

One cold night, as an Arab sat in his tent, a camel gently thrust his nose under the flap and looked in. "Master," he said, "let me put my nose in your tent. It's cold and stormy out here." "By all means," said the Arab, "and welcome" as he turned over and went to sleep.

A little later the Arab awoke to find that the camel had not only put his nose in the tent but his head and neck also. The camel, who had been turning his head from side to side, said, "I will take but little more room if I place my forelegs within the tent. It is difficult standing out here." "Yes, you may put your forelegs within," said the Arab, moving a little to make room, for the tent was small.

Finally, the camel said, "May I not stand wholly inside? I keep the tent open by standing as I do." "Yes, yes," said the Arab. "Come wholly inside. Perhaps it will be better for both of us." So the camel crowded in. The Arab with difficulty in the crowded quarters again went to sleep. When he woke up the next time, he was outside in the cold and the camel had the tent to himself.

When the Word of God teaches us to avoid those who teach doctrines directly opposed to Biblical teaching, and not even to bid them “Godspeed”, then God does not suspend that command in an election year. But millions of professing believers and evangelical preachers will march right into a voting booth and cast their support for a Mormon priest who denies the divinity of Jesus Christ. They have elevated the practices of the state above the teachings of Scripture.

But many say that they are not electing a pastor, just a president. So now the Word of God is confined to the church building? The teachings of Scripture are not meant to be obeyed in all circumstances? That is situational ethics and not the eternal Word of the Living God. Listen, we all fall short of a complete obedience to God’s Word without purposely ignoring its teachings when we deem the circumstances demand it. The state says you should vote, and the state provides its candidates, and the church bows before it? And we have allowed and even invited the spirit of this world to roam freely within the church and influence the church to the point where she practices things against God’s Word and rejoices in it!

You see, instead of doing sentry duty and watching for any secular incursions, we have embraced those incursions and even made them part of a disciple’s life. How diabolical! How utterly opposed to Christ!

King Hezekiah brought unbelievers into the Temple and showed them the sacred and valuable things. The Prophet Isaiah rebuked him and informed him that those same unbelievers, the Babylonians, would one day ransack that holy place. Eventually they did. The church has invited politicians of all stripes into their churches. It has joined forces with unbelievers from around the country. Our preachers have sat on platforms with blasphemers and infidels. Preachers have exalted the founding fathers from the pulpit. And the residual effects of this unholy alliance is that instead of the church affecting the secular, the secular has influenced and even intoxicated the church.

There is no wall of separation between the church and the state. But the flow of influence is overwhelmingly from the state to the church. But still the church hardens its heart and still the church contends that with enough votes and political influence we can turn an entire nation toward Christ. Worse yet and probably more accurate, the church desires to increase their finances through elections. We cannot even turn the church toward Christ much less a nation. How pitiful it is to see what should be the manifestation of the Risen Christ in all His glory bowing before the swine of fallen systems. What should be salt and light is nothing more than a voting block. And during this election year thousands of churches will pass out pamphlets to reveal where the candidates stand on the issues. And millions of church members who did not read the Scriptures that week will read these pamphlets as if they were heavenly communications.

What the American church fails to realize is that she now lives in the wilderness because the camel of nationalism has taken over the tent. And what began as an amalgam of the sacred and the profane has now evolved into a profane manifestation of a western religion that uses and abuses the name of Jesus. A little leaven leaveneth the whole loaf. All of us are imperfect, but when we embrace foundation principles that are antithetical to God’s Word it spreads like a cancer. Like a parasite it eventually sucks the life out of its host until the life of the parasite is the life of the host.

Oh how the mighty have fallen! What used to be a glorious expression of the Person of Jesus Christ has become a powerless religious shell. What used to endure persecution and even martyrdom now is honored and respected by the heathen. What used to pray fervently now is fervent in activity. What used to deny self to exalt Christ now exalts self and denies Christ. It is a sad spectacle. What used to keep the camel’s nose from under the tent, now invites the camel to speak within the tent.

Is.50:1 Thus saith the Lord, Where is the bill of your mother's divorcement, whom I have put away? or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away.

Is.55: Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
2 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.
3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live

Is.64: Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence,
2 As when the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boil, to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at thy presence!
3 When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, thou camest down, the mountains flowed down at thy presence.
4 For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.
5 Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways: behold, thou art wroth; for we have sinned: in those is continuance, and we shall be saved.

What Does Jesus Look Like?

WHAT DOES JESUS LOOK LIKE?

Go ahead and argue about its origins. A widespread polio vaccine grown in monkeys in the 1950's was involved. We know it came from monkeys and was spread disproportionately by gay men in North America, but it originated and was spread in Africa by heterosexual sex. That conversation is now moot and self righteous on some level. Now listen to the situation today.
7000 Africans die every day of AIDS. Now compare that with the 1500 total people that died in New Orleans because of Katrina. Compare that with the 150,000 people that died in the tsunami. The number of people that die of AIDS in Africa in one month eclipses that number. The 200,000 monthly AIDS deaths in Africa leave some 100,000 orphans behind. Some are infected and some are not. Many Africans believe that having sex with a virgin will cure you and so there are hundreds of thousands of rapes of girls all the way down to 8 years old take place every year. Not only does that traumatize the girl, it usually infects her.
The physical death of an AIDS infected person is one of the most excruciating anyone can imagine. In Africa most AIDS infected persons are rejected by their families due to superstitions, as a matter of fact most Africans refer to them as "sick people" rather than admitting what they have. They die alone and in unbelievable pain.
Now aside from the indescribable horror of their physical deaths, the Spiritual implications are mind boggling. 7000 people die and go to a Christless eternity every day. Since their families abandon them, they are wide open to someone coming to help them. The government is so overwhelmed with the disease that they don't care if you preach Popeye to them as long as you give them water, sheets, and general help. It is the largest and most wide open mission field in history. Most are not Muslim and they have Bibles in their language. The only segment of the body of Christ that is equipped to reach them is the American evangelical church. We have the people, we have the money, we have the transportation, and basically God has made us the stewards of His resources to use for His kingdom. The wealth we have is for His use not ours.
If the American church stopped spending the billions on new buildings, individually lived well below their means, and made reaching these helpless people the major focus of their calling we might be able to "rescue the perishing". We are content with conferences, books, tapes, buildings, houses, clothes, restaurants, entertainment, Christian cruises, and many other cultural entrapments. Even while we speak out against the doctrinal falling away in its many forms we must open our eyes to the Spiritual holocaust. Nehemiah's workers carried both a hammer and a sword.
Now I wonder, what will we tell Jesus when He asks us "Why did you lay up for yourselves the treasure I specifically told you not to?". "How often did you weep for the perishing?" Why did you peruse the internet on a 50 to 1 to prayer ratio?" "Why did you let the unsaved rock stars show more compassion?" "Where were the all night prayer meetings to bring down my power?" "Why did you cry at seeing portrayals of my Son's death but it did not move you to sacrificial acts of ministry?" "Why did you read this article and still do nothing?"

*******

I have reprinted this from a post of five years ago. Why? Because I feel it may give some perspective on just how insulated we are here in the west. And it isn’t just the AIDs epidemic in Africa, but there are all kinds of hardships and persecutions occurring all over the world. And also right here in America. Children go hungry; people suffer with all kinds of diseases; people are very lonely; girls cut themselves because they feel so worthless; and many other human tragedies are rampant, to say nothing of people being lost and headed for a lost eternity.

But we so easily lose perspective, unknowingly and willingly. We live a very narcissistic life which is consumed with our own situation and our own future prospects. Our deception here in the west is not only doctrinal, but we are our own deception. Us, our lives, our interests, our plans, our ambitions, these are ultimately what consumes us and blinds us to His life, His interests, His plans, His concerns, and His eternal redemptive commission. But faced with that kind of spiritual tension, the church has opted to change God instead of seeking God.

And that is exactly what we have today, a different God with a different gospel which has all the trappings of the western culture but which are referred to as “blessings” by the church. And not only do we applaud such a doctrinal and practical construct, we wallow in it. It is an amazing feat to take God’s Word and interpret it by molding it into an American guide to success with a little Jesus sprinkled in for luck. Just amazing.

While the world suffers, western believers relish all the accoutrements of a fallen culture, and all the while proclaiming a belief in eternal life, at least doctrinally. And while proclaiming a belief that every soul spends eternity in one of two places, we lavish ourselves with material goods and spend a pittance on missions, to say nothing of the paltry words spoken personally to lost sinners. But asked if Jesus is Lord we answer in the affirmative without realizing the implications and the demands of such a statement. And millions of believers will send money to television preachers in hopes of getting what they want. Again, amazing.

American believers will get up early and stand in line to cast a vote for an unbeliever, but will they rise early and help with a soup kitchen or spend an hour in a prayer chamber? And if God asked you to sell all and get ready to spend the rest of your life as a foreign missionary, would you hesitate? If so, you have way too much stuff and not enough Jesus. We love our prophetic conferences and we love to play connect the prophetic dots leading to the Lord’s return, but still we build bigger barns to save up our money. But just today thousands upon thousands of Americans had their world collapse when they were told their child or their spouse had an incurable disease. And just today some mother of two or three learned her husband was leaving her for someone else. And just today policemen knocked on a door to inform someone that their loved one had been killed in an accident.

And against the backdrop of those tragedies the western church shuffles back and forth to and from a mortgaged building and feeling as if they have fulfilled their spiritual obligation. And if the Spirit would send a written communication from heaven to explain God’s will for His people, would we be shocked by how different it is than that which we now practice?

Well He has sent such a document, only we have made it a doctrinal fortress and not a cross mold into which we must be poured.

What does Jesus look like?

For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

Jesus looks like those in need.

Are Believers Obligated to Vote?

ARE BELIEVERS

OBLIGATED TO VOTE?

I guess the most confrontational argument for voting is when someone says, “People have died to give you that right!” It has become increasingly difficult to get believers to see the kingdom of God as exclusive and at odds with all earthly systems. All of us work and buy food and pay for housing, but those things are necessities and part of being “in” the world”. But it is so easy and so tempting to make the jump from being “in” the world to being “of” the world. And there are many things seem to go along with that concept. Here are just a few:

* Common sense

* Others

* Family members

* Upbringing

* Preachers

* General acceptance within the church

And there are other things that provide a subtle support for being active in the world’s systems. The question itself about being obligated seems to make sense on a horizontal level, and when you add a hint of guilt along with a disparaging of the fallen, you can see how easy it is to succumb to that kind of pressure. And unless you can willfully and clearly see things through the prism of the Spirit, and through the exclusive prism of God’s Word, then you will remain trapped in the temporal and earthly.

Let me make it clear once again so there is no misunderstanding. Those of us who believe God has led us out of this Babylonian system have no claim to being perfect, and in fact that step without being accompanied by a deeper seeking of Christ would be little more than an outward, cosmetic change. So I do not speak from any pedestal, I speak from a place along the path which leads to Him. Having made that clear, those of us who have rejected the carnal system of politics sincerely believe being involved compromises one’s spiritual walk and imprisons our hearts and minds.

I have seen the fruits and have experienced the fruits of being invested in politics. I know it breeds a competitive spirit. It is almost impossible to have a spiritual affection for those on the other political side. And it does just that, it creates earthly sides. You no longer see a liberal politician as one in need of Christ, but you see them as a kind of enemy. When they are interviewed or speak on television, your flesh rises up.

And there are many subtle affectations when we are given over to the spectacle of fallen politics. Because the economy is not good many believers will support those who they believe will help bring about a more prosperous environment. And part of that we believe is by cutting government programs, including those directed toward the poor. And little by little our hearts grow cold toward the poor and we soothe our consciences by suggesting much of the money is wasted on people who do not deserve it or who take advantage of the system. That may well be the case, but still the evil one uses that to harden our hearts toward the poor.

Believers suggest that they should not be forced to give to the poor through the government, it should be voluntary. I am sure I do not even need to fully reveal the blatant hypocrisy in that remark. In fact, anyone who really does care about the poor and is serving and ministering to them would be glad that some of their tax dollars go to the poor, even if some do take advantage of the system. Again, when you jump into a muddy pig pen you become covered in mud and you cannot see clearly. You begin to make judgments based upon your present perspective and the earthly perspectives offered through the system itself, and you are influenced by those around you who are active participants in that same pig pen.

But that is not the path that follows Jesus. That is a path filled with bondage. The chains may be invisible, and the chains may even be viewed as freedom, but they present an ever growing climate of spiritual bondage. And having been on both perspectives of this issue, I will say something I truly believe. It is impossible to have a clear view of Jesus Christ while being tethered to the fallen system of politics. Politics affects everything. It tears at the very fabric of what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ. It demands you to have and exhibit allegiances that are antithetical to the person and teachings of Jesus.

Politics is a hard taskmaster. It invades you heart and mind and especially in election years it speaks to you daily. It claims to be in conjunction with spiritual issues, and it also tells you that you can do both. You can aggressively speak for America and political issues while still speak for Jesus. It does not matter that in a grocery line you are much more likely to share your political thoughts with someone else in line then you are about your personal relationship with Jesus. That in and of itself should reveal to us what happens in divided loyalties.

The average church goer speaks easily and forcefully about the “gay agenda” while millions of those same people live every day and never witness to anyone. That is a disgrace and has over the last few decades transformed the Christian faith into a series of moral issues with the name “Jesus” quietly pasted upon it. And the specter of the political agenda has not just become a small part of the evangelical community. It has become a main driving force. And in that climate spirituality suffers even though we might retain some of the superficial language.

We are not obligated to do anything the world tries to dictate to us. Even though wars have been fought and man and women have died, that in no way overrides our spiritual mandates that come to us through God’s Word and the illumination of the Holy Spirit. And even if you as a believer do vote that does not mean you are obligated. We are obligated to serve and obey Christ. Period.

“But my vote counts for something!” Does it? You should not be seeking money, so what exactly are you suggesting your vote does? Many times since Roe v. Wade there have been a Republican president and a Republican majority in both houses of congress. Abortion is still legal and readily available. See, you have fallen for the continuing pro-life drone, but when a “pro-life” president gets elected, somehow his priorities do not include confronting the abortion issue. He has used his pro-life credentials in order to gain votes, but his heart was elsewhere.

I have some news for all believers. We are in the minority. It isn’t even close. And why do we have to grovel at the ballot box in order to see change? Because we have rejected the spiritual weapons of warfare. Could it be possible that millions of professing believers will spend more time in the voting booth than they have in the prayer closet in November? Just that inference is an amazing indictment of all the western church claims to be. Voting outwardly claims a level of trust in the system. This is a pluralistic system which invites all gods, including unbiblical expressions of Jesus, to the political party. This is an antichrist system in which believers have been willing to be used and manipulated.

Voting is a compromise that does not just compromise on that day or month or even year. Its compromise is alive and growing inside everyone who believes in the system. And if you say you do not believe in the system but still participate, then that is a blatant compromise. Many believers see a semblance of the way the political system is against Christ and His teachings, but there is an element of fear attached to leaving it. Like Jesus exhortingPpeter to leave the boat, many believers who in principle agree with my assessment still cling to the political scraps. I can relate. In fact, I felt God leading me out in 1999 but because my friend put the abortion guilt trip on me I voted for President Bush in 2000. And coincidentally, I life in Florida!

So I realize all the different things that swirl around in your head. I know the peer pressure. I know how you feel guilty about the founding fathers and those who died protecting America. I know all of that. But this I do know, it is time for individual believers to surrender completely to the absolute Lordship of Jesus Christ regardless of what that means and the practical expression of that Lordship. Perhaps the Lord is coming soon. Perhaps not. But in either case the Spirit of God is calling us to leave Egypt and rejoin the journey to the Land of Canaan. Are you afraid? Do you need a company to go with you? Do you feel like you might enter a wilderness? Fear not!! God has manna that you have not tasted yet! God has a fire by night and a smoke by day that will lead and guide you! Jesus desires to break bread with you with an intimacy that you have not known. Away with the grave clothes, and obey the voice that says “Come forth!”

When I was a child there was a program called “Rescue 8”. It was about firemen and their adventures. They were once called to help an 8 year old boy who had gotten his hand stuck in a candy machine. They tried and tried to get his hand out but to no avail. But then one of the firemen asked the boy if he had a candy bar in that hand. The boy said that he did, and as soon as he released the candy bar his hand slipped out.

Go ahead, my friends, release the political candy bar. It’s all melted anyway. My exodus was a process and many of you are somewhere along in that process. So perhaps this obscure blog presented by a bona fide nobody can be used of the Spirit in your heart and life. I pray that in all things Jesus Christ will have all the preeminence. So are believers obligated to vote? I would suggest a different question: Are believers obligated not to vote?

The Evaporating Gospel

THE EVAPORATING GOSPEL

Rom.1: 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth;

Over these numerous decades the church has relegated the gospel to the gateway to salvation, which of course it is. But subtly and not so subtly the gospel has been assigned a cameo at the end of sermons, and used more extensively for children. The story has gotten stale so much of the church has moved on to more contemporary and relevant topics. It is deeply embarrassing and offensive to the sufferings of our Lord that the gospel receives so little attention.

All kinds of causes have now replaced the everlasting gospel. Let a CEO mention he is in favor of traditional marriage and parts of the church come alive. Let there be a gay pride parade and the church rallies against it. Conservative values are now the gospel, and believers will join hands with unbelievers in all kinds of “conservative" causes. And of course nationalism is the tie that binds a massive mixed multitude. And in many quarters, the “founding fathers” receive almost as much attention as Jesus Himself.

Salvation itself is treated as a one moment event which can be filed under a historical testimony. But in reality, even though there is a glorious moment of conversion, the salvation experience should be a living and breathing lifestyle which digs deeper and deeper as time passes. And at the heart of that life is Jesus and His everlasting gospel. The modern palate has little taste for the gospel and instead feeds on all sorts of earthly delicacies that center upon man and not Christ.

The gospel continues to evaporate from the evangelical horizon. And with the gospel the Person of Jesus Christ has become residual. People want the “how to’s” rather than a deeper knowledge of the Crucified and Risen Christ. But I ask you, if a believer had become stranded upon a desert island alone, what would all this success talk do for him? If he had a Bible would he not pray and read with a pursuit of knowing Jesus more fully? How would patriotism serve him? Would he write up great and swelling papers on predestination? Would he revere George Washington, or for that matter, any man?

Or would he be in a continual state of thanksgiving because of the eternal grace which he has and which cannot be removed? The gospel is not some entry level doctrine; it is the power of God. Paul preached Christ and Him crucified which was an offense to the Jews and nonsense to the Gentiles. But still he preached it. And Paul himself acknowledged that it was that kind of preaching which brought him much persecution. So where is our persecution? It seems as if the culture realizes it has nothing to fear from those who name the name of Jesus but fight in the same trenches and with the same weapons as do those who reject His name.

The gospel is the unthinkable; the unfathomable; the inconceivable. It is the good news offered to those who have never deserved good news. It is the mind boggling sacrifice of grace to rescue the enemies of their own Creator. There is no greater message in all the universe. It is not only the message that changed our lives, but it is the message that must govern our lives. If we live the gospel then there is no room for smugness or self righteousness. If we have received God’s love through that gospel then we must live within that love and offer it to friend and foe alike. A true revelation of the profound depth and meaning of the gospel should continually drive us to our knees and keep us broken before Him.

And when we say the gospel we mean the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. But how do we let those words roll off our tongues so effortlessly and not embrace them as life? Inside that gospel is the cross. The same cross to which we bow and the same cross to which we should, we must, nail our own selves and die. In a colossal mystery Jesus went to that cross and suffered for us. God suffered. God died. Picture a young lamb brought to the brazen altar and given to the priests as an offering. Watch, if you can, as they slit its throat and immediately that lamb is covered in blood. Perhaps it squeals and perhaps it withes in pain before it dies. And after it is burned, it is eaten.

And then comes the Lamb of God which takes away the sins of the world. Oh my…oh my. The One who healed, the One who fed, the One who loved, the One who forgave, He rides into Jerusalem knowing full well His fate. It is more than a narrative. This is filled with divine power and glory! The same voices that say “Hosanna!” will soon say “Crucify Him!” But is He deterred? Does He re-evaluate His mission because we are so unworthy and even ungrateful? No, His face is set like a flint toward the cross.

When God slew the animals for Adam and Eve the Son was watching. When Abraham was willing to offer Isaac the Son was watching. When the death angel passed over the families covered by blood the Son was watching. As millions of gallons of animal blood was spilled the Son was watching. And He was not just a curious bystander or an interested audience. The Son knew they all pointed to His day of sacrifice, and He despised the shame and for the joy that was set before Him, He endured the cross…for us. Oh my.

But why not a quick death? The animals were slain quickly and with some mercy, so why not the Son of God? The animals were not tortured, so why was this Lamb so brutally beaten and so mangled? Oh dear brothers and sisters, can you not see and feel the depth of our sin? Our sins could not be forgiven just because some priests commands you to say the Lord’s Prayer ten times. That is a mockery of what Christ did for us. Our sin was and is so grievous, so repulsive, and so diabolical that it necessitated this torturous death; the death by crucifixion.

With blood and sweat proceeding from every pour our very Creator receives the punishment for our sins. I know that many in these modern times desire to reject the penal essence of the cross but they do despite to Christ. Modern man wants some intellectual explanation that retains a buffer from the violence and gore administered to God’s Lamb, but there is no buffer. The horror of the scene tells the strory of our sin and the depth of God’s eternal love. Can any among us truthfully say we understand it all? No, it is the greatest of all mysteries.

In a day where we get goose bumps over seeing the desolate landscape of Mars, the story of the cross is now outdated and archaic. Men will receive the resurrection as some sign for a new beginning, but the cross has become a doctrinal scourge. But make no mistake, the gospel is filled with blood. It is something very special when someone like me cannot stand to see blood even in a surgery, and yet I can gaze at my blood covered Savior in love and worship. Yes it is gruesome, and I have recoiled when I have seen a bloody automobile accident, but His blood I willingly embrace. It is a magnificent gift of grace.

And so, my friends, do not let the gospel evaporate from your hearts and minds. It may not meet the sophisticated standards of the modern culture, but it is still the power of God. We may not be invited to speak at Harvard, but we are invited to speak in the prayer chamber. Embrace the gospel every single day. Do sentry duty and reject the modern tides that flow within the church and erode devotion to Christ and His gospel. Men and women have died for that gospel, and now we are called to live it in word and deed. God help us to “adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.”

Hypocrisy and Hatred Now Christian Fruits

HYPOCRISY AND HATRED

NOW CHRISTIAN FRUITS

The life and speech of a professing believer in 2012 can now be filled with caustic rhetoric, hate filled innuendo, blatant hypocrisy, and just plain old vanilla dumb. Take for instance Paul Collins Broun, Jr. who is the U.S. Representative for Georgia‘s 10^th congressional district. This man claims to be a Christian and a Southern Baptist. This week a video surfaced where Broun was addressing a group from Liberty Baptist Church when he said that evolution and the Big Bang theory were “lies from the pit of hell”. He suggested the Earth was about 9000 years old. (If you include the leap years!)

OK, fair enough. Many people go around with those kinds of crusades which obscure the gospel and make wars out of non-redemptive issues. It happens all the time and the “lies from the pit of hell” always provides a bit of red meat to the fundamentalist masses. Of course for a sitting congressman to say things like that makes people wonder how he could fairly decide where educational money is given and spent. Oh well, he like others believe that these kinds of issues separate the sheep from the goats.

But let us examine a few other things that Broun has done and said and let us see if they meet the “I am a follower of Jesus” smell test.

In that same speech where he mentioned evolution, Broun attributes his 2007 election to the direct intervention of the Lord Jesus Christ, shows slides of a Kodiak bear and a lion that he heroically shot, and tells a story about heroically shooting another lion in the face, explaining that “God directed that bullet, because if I’d missed, that lion would have been in the back of the truck with me and I’d have been clawed to death.”

You just can’t make this stuff up.

In May 2009, Broun proposed failed legislation that would have proclaimed 2010 "The Year Of The Bible".

Ah yes, the Year of the Bible. To many if not most professing Christians that seems like a bold stand for God’s Word, when it is in fact a self righteous attempt to push the Bible under the collective noses of the culture. It also means we could have the Year of the Koran. And you can see where it all leads.

He also introduced a bill to ban the sale or rental of sexually explicit materials on U.S military installations.

So yes, he is a moralist who believes that morality can be created and enforced by laws.

On November 10, 2008, one week after the 2008m election, Broun drew national attention when he criticized President-elect Barak Obama's call for a civilian national service corps, suggesting that Obama might use it to establish a Marxist dictatorship. Broun said, "That's exactly what Hitler did in Nazi Germany and it's exactly what the Soviet Union did. When he's proposing to have a national security force that's answering to him, that is as strong as the U.S. military, he's showing me signs of being Marxist.”

Wow. The man wasn’t even sworn in yet and that kind of mindless hatred was already in full swing. And the Hitler references were already in full bloom. Maybe God revealed this to him while he was taking communion. Of course it doesn’t matter that the previous Bush administration had endorsed such an idea.

In an interview with Sirius Radio Broun said "I don't know" when asked if President Obama was a US citizen or a Christian. He also said that he did know Obama was a socialist, and said “America has to stand up and decide if we want to be a socialist nation or if we’re going to be a free nation." During President Obama's 2011 State of the Union address Broun tweeted that "Mr. President, you don't believe in the Constitution. You believe in socialism."

What a wellspring of love and grace. And oh yes, race has nothing to do with this. But this is what passes for being a disciple of Jesus Christ? A baptism certificate and a church membership is all you need now a days.

In a town hall meeting in February of 2011 a man asked Broun, “Who will shoot Obama?” Instead of immediately reprimanding the man, Broun responded, "The thing is, I know there's a lot of frustration with this president. We're going to have an election next year. Hopefully, we'll elect somebody that's going to be a conservative, limited-government president ... who will sign a bill to repeal and replace Obamacare.”

Instead of rebuking the man, he went on another rant.

In 2008, Broun and 91 co-sponsors introduced H.J.Res.89, a proposition for the Federal Marriage Amendment .The proposed amendment to the United States Constitution would define marriage as "as consisting only of the union of a man and a woman."

You see, Rep. Broun and his fourth wife Nikki feel very strongly about the sanctity of marriage. In fact, all four of Broun’s wives feel strongly about traditional marriage.

So we are left with a Neanderthal model of what a Christian should be. Excoriate liberals, spread rumors, adore this country, stand for traditional marriage, go hunting, and throw around a few Hitler references and voilà !, you are a follower of the American Jesus. Do you ever get the feeling we are living in a series of parallel universes? Somehow the absurd has snuck around to the back door and has now become the Christian banner. I guess I could go on, but if you are thinking that there is nothing wrong with Rep. Broun’s idea of Christianity than there is little anyone can say to change your mind.

(I am now saying this purposely with a tired and satirist voice.)

Yea, yea. Rah rah. Hoorah for America. Stand up against the commies. Raise you guns. And stand upon the Washington Monument.

The end must be near.

A World of Sin Called Thoughts

A WORLD OF SIN CALLED THOUGHTS

Matt.5: 27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

Prov.23: 7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.

Rom.12: 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

Just when you believe, erroneously, that you have the Mosaic law accomplished Jesus moves the goalposts. The New testament explicitly reveals that sinful thoughts are sin. Well now, doesn’t that present a quandary for any self righteousness? But since thoughts, unexpressed, can remain clandestine they are the most clever of all sins. A pastor can look out on his congregation and lust after some woman even while preaching against adultery. And all this done under the cloak of hidden thoughts.

But since all of us have sinful thoughts that range from lust of things and persons to pride and judgment, I want to address another issue that is so often misrepresented. If a man lusts in his mind but never acts on that lust is it sin? Of course! But the orthodox community has been teaching that if a man has same sex attractions that they are not sin if he does not act upon them. And according the Jesus’ own words that is inaccurate.

So now we are faced with a colossal and far reaching question. Just how far and how deep does redemption run? So often some believers contend that no one can be saved and commit certain sins, or at least practice these sins. I know thousands of believers and pastors who “practice” sin every single day. For instance, they drive 35 in a 25 per hour zone and they know they are doing it. Is that not practicing sin? How many of us think unkind thoughts about some person? How many of us inwardly think too highly of ourselves?

And just what is the criteria for “practice”? If you commit a sin 50 times a year are you practicing that sin? And who among us recognizes each time we sin, to say nothing of actually speaking with God and repenting every single time? And then there are the sins we commit that we do not even recognize as sin. How many professing believers treat America as an idol and are even aggressive and unforgiving toward others when confronted, and not only do they not see that as sin, but they see it as righteousness? Is that forgivable? In fact, that sin begins in the heart/mind and they are acting upon it. In other words they are practicing sin. Are they genuine believers?

I Jn.1: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Verse 8 can be rightly translated, “If we say we are having no sin, we deceive ourselves…”. And even though we may control and restrict the outward man, the Spirit still has access to our thoughts, intents, and motives. And with that we are all laid bare before Him. But there is a difference between being perfect in ourselves and being made perfect through Him. The regenerate man seeks God and tries to please Him, although no one can make the case we serve God with unrestrained abandon. But there is also a difference to be self righteous as opposed to being humble within His grace.

And now we return to the pivotal question once more. How far and how wide can the redemption that is only found in Christ cover? And if a sinner trusts Christ as His Savior, then does that redemption cover his thought life as well? I believe we significantly underestimate and minimize the scope of our sin life within our minds. Sin is not limited to lusting after sex, but so much of what muscles its way into our minds is sin as well. Had Jesus not amplified the thought life as equal to behavior we might have gotten away from all this. But now we must face it.

What happens when a man becomes born again but he deals with lusting after women? So often we have said that his thought lusts are not sin until he acts upon them. Or we have concocted some simple saying like “the first look is not sin, the second look is”. The only problem with that is that it isn’t according to the words of Jesus. In fact they are a blatant attempt to find some wiggle room. You might convince yourself, but you cannot convince God. We are all in the same boat here. So when a man gets saved but continues to have lustful thoughts toward women, those thoughts are sin. Is he still saved?

How about when a gay man gets saved and still has same sex attractions? We have been told that those attractions are not sin unless he acts upon them and that is Biblically incorrect. They are sin just like heterosexual lusts. OK, now roll up your pant legs and lets wade out somewhat further. What if the saved heterosexual man succumbs to his lustful thoughts and has an affair with his neighbor’s wife? Is he still saved? Probably every one who reads this blog either knows someone like that or who is someone like that.

So what about a gay man who trusts Christ? Can he be saved and still have same sex attractions? “Oh yes,” we so magnanimously suggest. But what if he acts on those same sex attractions and has an affair with another man? Can he still be saved?

And therein lies the penetrating question, because if that man cannot be saved, then neither can the heterosexual adulterer. But we quickly reason that if the adulterer was really saved, he would repent and cease his ungodly ways. How many of us know someone who has had an affair, divorced his wife, and married the mistress and is now actively serving the Lord? Can that person be a genuine believer? My point is this: We have placed requirements and parameters upon gay people who insist they know Christ that we never place upon heterosexual people.

Now no one can know who really is saved and who is not. We can get an idea, but the Lord alone knows with eternal accuracy. But that aside, redemption is found by faith through grace alone. Let us go even further. What about a person who trusts Christ but still has a love of money or worries about money etc.. Jesus spoke widely and often about those kinds of sins and yet how many believers in America whine and complain about money and voice their frustrations and worry? And their minds are obviously flowing with those kinds of sins. Can they be saved?

But believers by the millions, full of capitalism and the love of money on some level, will sit in evangelical pews and loudly shout amen when the preacher throws out some “homosexuality is a sin” red meat. The hypocrisy is colossal. Do you think believers ever go to church and judge someone when they see them in the congregation? Do they ever come to church without praying the entire week? Do they ever come to church after looking at pornography during the week? Do they ever come to church while abusing prescription medicine? On and on and on it goes.

Let us be clothed with humility when we speak of the redemption in which we stand. No one will see eternal life without trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ. But I have attempted to unmask our spiritual hubris, especially as it concerns a gay person who desires to be saved. If we require perfection from him, then we must require it from everyone. And if I require from everyone else, then I must require it from myself. And that includes the sins committed within the safety of my own mind. And I will say publicly that if that is the requirement for eternal life, I have long since been rejected.

But if salvation is by faith alone, and if my life was changed by the power of the gospel, and if I am no longer who I used to be, then I am still in Christ. And even though I have sinned every single day in the almost 40 years of my Christian walk, I still am in Christ. And if a gay man trusts Christ, and if his life was changed, and if he still struggles with varying degrees of success with his sin, I still will not discount him. And I have met many people who I believed were believers and had a born again experience who were blind in some area and still committed a sin without acknowledging that it was sin. So it is entirely possible that a man can be saved and still be blind to some sin, just like all of us. It does not mean that God condones that sin, it just means God forgives that sin. But if you still believe that a true believer cannot knowingly commit sin, then you must awake tomorrow and live the rest of your life sinless. That includes any and all sinful thoughts.

I wish you all the best, however I truly believe regardless of how hard you try, you will still need the grace of God and the forgiveness of sin. If we say we are having no sin…well, you know. Redemption comes only through Jesus Christ, but in our self righteous desire to construct walls that make us a part of the body of Christ, we may have constructed walls that keep others out.

Lk.11: 52 Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.

Jesus told the lawyers and Pharisees that because of their rules they were keeping sinners out of God’s kingdom. Hmm…that just might be some good advice for us today.

Who Believes the Bible Anymore?

WHO BELIEVES THE BIBLE ANYMORE?

Phil.2: 14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

Phil.4: 19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

I Tim.6: 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.
7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.

I Thess.5: 18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Phil.4:8 8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

II Cor.4: 15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.
16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

If these were the only verses in the New Testament, they would reveal that we are no longer practicing the faith. Believing the Bible is mucn more than embracing the Trinity.

Partaker of Romney's Evil Deeds

PARTAKER OF ROMNEY'S EVIL DEEDS

2 Jn.1: 9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:
11 For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.

If you as a believer support Mitt Romeny and his Mormon beliefs, you will be a partaker of his evil deeds. He has donated millions to his cult, and he is a priest within that same cult. And that cult denies the deity of Jesus Christ. So unless you believe God suspends His Word during election year, you would be wise to evaluate Biblicaly what you believe about God's Word and who is Lord in your life. And if you do, you should have grave doubts about casting a vote for him. I would suggest that casting a vote in order to have him be your president is much greater than just bidding him God speed. So where does your commitment to Christ end and your commitment to man begin?

Pray about it.

A Prophet Speaks

A PROPHET SPEAKS!

Many “the sky is falling” voices have suggested that this is the most important election in American history. Men like Glenn Beck says this is the last chance to save the country. But what will happen if President Obama is reelected?

I will prophecy something about which you can check its accurately later to see if I am prophet. If the President is reelected not only will the country survive, but the hyperventilating voices of doom in the media will continue to talk and talk and talk and talk and, oh yea, continue to make a lot of money. And I didn’t even need the Mayan calendar for that one!!

On a side note:

I have no political agenda nor do I participate in the process, so here is an observation from someone who remains impartial. Although I do not know her spiritual state, I really am drawn to the First Lady’s personality. She seems so genuine and very intelligent as well as fully invested in her family. And when I hear someone demean and dismiss her, I am convinced it emanates from uninformed hatred.

(Does that make me a liberal, Muslim, communist who works diligently to establish Sharia Law?)

Pray Without Ceasing

PRAY WITHOUT CEASING

Many of the so called “Christian” television programs elicit your prayer requests and suggest that they will pray for them, as if they have a pipeline to God which the average pew dweller does not have access to. But when we examine the Apostle Paul’s views on prayer requests, he always asked for others to pray for him and never asked for people to send their requests to him. The difference is obvious. These television hucksters are using prayer to get mailing addresses and donations.

And in a stunning exhibition of spiritual skullduggery they attach a monetary offering to the prayer request and openly suggest that will activate the hand of God. Few things could be more false and blasphemous. The sacred gift of prayer is beyond words. That God would desire to communicate with us is ponderous, but that on top of the gift of eternal life the Lord would also answer our prayers is mind boggling. So when men and women who say they serve Jesus abuse and use His precious name for personal gain, it is spiritually outrageous.

Do you desire to express righteous indignation? Well do not get angry over the sins of the lost regardless of what sin they are committing. But turn your scorn toward all these false prophets who have invented evil things and are making merchandise of saint and sinner alike. Read the letters of Paul and the teachings of Jesus. Nowhere do they mix money and prayer. And not only do these purveyors of spiritual filth speak abominable lies, but they train the people to concentrate on themselves. Its their children and their health and their job and their finances that God will help if only they give to that particular ministry so that particular minister can pray over them.

I Tim.4: Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

These men and women have fallen into a demonic snare and they teach things that are against Christ and are leverages of the flesh. They care nothing for the things of Christ; they only care for themselves. Many live in mansions and fly their own jets, and many shower their families with the financial overflow. And even while they live opulent lifestyles that are blatantly in opposition to all the New Testament teaches, the people remain ignorant and willing to be slaughtered at the hands of wicked men and women.

And being energized by demonic spirits, these filthy dreamers dismantle the Word of God and craftily put it back together in ways that speak evil and for personal profit. They love to be honored and they love to be admired. Instead of humility they treat God’s Word and Jesus Himself as if they were created for their benefit. They speak of Abraham’s covenant more than they speak of the New Covenant. And they show literal contempt for the cross which gets only a rare mention. In fact, they even have the gall to attach personal prosperity to that sacred tree. It is an abomination!

And looking into the camera they elicit millions through false promises and manipulation. “God told me there are 300 people…” is only one of the diabolic templates for their spiritual mischief. As if God desires or needs their money. But lazy sheep as well as deceived goats listen to these instruments of unrighteousness and many follow in their paths. Pray is not a toy and it is not a means to an end. Prayer is most sacred and must be practiced in humility, worship, and faith.

And when these television stations hold their telethons, they invite these men and women to display their fundraising prowess. Nothing is too extreme and nothing is too bizarre. Promises abound as well as hollow words whose only worth is to rob people in order to promote the entire wicked spectacle. And there are the station managers who gaze at these evil ministers in order to give them the aura they need to manipulate and deceive the viewers. The entire construct is a disgrace to the cause of Christ.

II Pet.2: But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

I do not offer these words lightly, in fact I offer them with fear and trembling. The Apostle Peter could never have imagined the way the faith would be mocked today. Like a circus ringmaster, men and women teach open heresies and take God’s Holy Word and “prove” their own lies. And this is not done in private or behind the walls of a cult. This is done openly, publicly, and broadcast around the entire world! And these programs use all kinds of tactics in order to achieve their goal of wealth.

They take carefully orchestrated pictures of themselves or their employees sitting with poor African or Haitian children and beg you to help them, but all the while they themselves live in splendor. They have no shame and their manipulation knows no bounds. Flying on jets, staying in hotels fit for a king, eating the finest foods, wearing designer clothes, and living with their families in unfettered opulence they need to keep the money flowing in. And they even brag about being rich and encourage others to follow in their footsteps.

But God has called us all to prayer, and the concept that your requests will be more powerfully heard through the lips of another is “having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.” It mocks God and makes prayer a cast system. It is modeled after the Roman Church and not after the New Testament which teaches all believers are priests. It makes prayer a multi-level marketing tool and thereby mocks God. It is cultish and robs millions of believers of the life changing experience of prayer. It completely misrepresents the purpose and power of prayer. And instead of relishing the sacred meetings with God and the sheer power of His presence, it makes prayer little more than eliciting the help of a handy man and paying him ahead of time.

But we have not learned this from Christ. We must reject it all and warn others about following these wicked men. I am often amazed and somewhat depressed when I hear believers talk of being edified by the likes of Joyce Myers or Joel Osteen or Kenneth Copeland or many, many others. And it is a great challenge to attempt to correct them without appearing angry or self righteous and without spoiling their faith. But we must speak out and warn others even while we guard our own hearts from being lifted up. Beloved, we live in a time of great apostasy. It is the great falling away. And it would seem that all things are now ready for the Bridegroom to appear.

Ti.2: 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;

Watch and pray. And pray without ceasing. Some of you have let that lantern of prayer grow cold. Trim that wick and light it once again. Pray without ceasing.

Jude: 20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
 21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

What Will happen on November 6th?

WHAT WILL HAPPEN

ON NOVEMBER 6^TH?

What will happen if President Obama is re-elected?

Jesus will still be Lord; He will still be the only way to eternal life; He will still come again; the world will still in the clutches of the evil one; man will still be fallen; the Scriptures will still be God’s Word; sinners will still need Jesus; and God will still meet all our need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

What will happen if Mitt Romney is elected?

Jesus will still be Lord; He will still be the only way to eternal life; He will still come again; the world will still in the clutches of the evil one; man will still be fallen; the Scriptures will still be God’s Word; sinners will still need Jesus; and God will still meet all our need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Your vote will make the difference.

Tattoos

TATTOOS

With the world at war in many places, with Israel poised to attack Iran, with abortions still rampant, with violence sweeping the nation, with millions of starving children, with the church joining forces with unbelievers, with divorce an epidemic, with pornography making billions, with drugs finding younger and younger users, and with our children rejecting Christ, let us have a discussion about tattoos. That will fix everything.

BTY - My own view is that I never pay anyone to inflict pain on my body. I pay for pain medicine when needed!

What is Man?

WHAT IS MAN?

Heb.1: Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.
2 For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;
3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;
4 God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?
5 For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak.
6 But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man that thou visitest him?
7 Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands:
8 Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.
9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
11 For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,
12 Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.
13 And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.
14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
16 For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.
17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

There is the entire 2^nd chapter of the inspired letter to the Hebrews. It is a gold mine of many glorious mysteries. The first chapter unmistakably provides a revelation of the deity of Jesus Christ and the mystery of His divine Sonship. Breathtaking and holy, God allows us to peek into the glory of the Godhead through the illuminating power of the third Person of that same Godhead. Mystery of mystery and glory of glory.

But there are many things contained in this second chapter that boggle the natural mind. The phrase “so great salvation” is an attempt to magnify what Christ has done for us although human words, and that is always unfinished business. Verse nine opens up a divine treasure and tells us that our Savior tasted death for every man. So much for any limited view of the glory of the atonement. But to bring it into a sharper focus, Jesus the Christ suffered and died in my place. Not just the entire human landscape, but He died for Rick Frueh. I know me and trust me when I say this, I have absolutely nothing that could remotely be considered worthy of that kind of love. Nothing, nothing at all.

But in verse six I believe the Spirit uses human words to illuminate a great and profound truth. What is man that Christ should have any consideration for us? So often we create great and swelling doctrinal words about sin. We even call it harmartiology which is the study of sin. I have read many of these studies and although they seem Biblical and doctrinally accurate, they lack the passion and grief that should accompany any authentic revelation of our sin. I mean it is one thing to study sin as a doctrine, it is quite another to embrace the grim reality that we have not only disappointed our Creator, but we have caused Him immeasurable suffering and anguish.

Think about who you love most upon this earth or someone who has passed already. A mother? A father? A brother or a sister? A child? Think upon that person right now and feel the love you have for them in your heart. That is just an inkling to how the Father God feels for His human creation. His love is everlasting and without compromise. Now think about that person, and imagine you have done something to hurt them very deeply. Think about breaking their hearts because you have shown such disregard for them.

Keep thinking about them. And now it is revealed that because of your careless actions they must be punished in your place. They are imprisoned, and then led publicly to a place where they will be made to suffer, all because of you. Go ahead, look into your mother’s face. Look at your father. Watch your child as he or she begins to writhe under the whips and lashes of punishment which they did not earn. And behold, as they suffer they look out and their eyes meet yours. How do you feel as you watch what you have done. It is most unbearable and excruciating.

But we were not friends of Jesus. We were His enemies and because of sin we had willingly enjoyed our enemy status. While we were yet sinners He died for us. Who can know such a thing? Who can show the appropriate emotion to such a truth? Here He is, the Creator and Lord of All, dying for His enemies. That deserves more than just an orthodox doctrinal treatise. That deserves a brokenness that humbles us before His glory. The eternal exquisiteness of His cross is the redemptive Rock that should crush us while simultaneously redeeming us. And the psalmist cries out as to why God would even consider us. Deserving? Us? Please, anyone who would even utter those words has never seen themselves and never rightly viewed the cross nailed Lamb.

When we gaze upon a suffering human being pierced onto two Roman planks, and when we are told He had no sin, then we must cry our “Why?” Why is He being put to death? Who could be responsible for such callous cruelty? And when we are told that He offered Himself to this repulsive fate, we must again cry out “Why?” What would cause someone who was without sin to go voluntarily to such a gruesome death? And when we are told…when we are told…when the words reach our ears that this spectacle of horror was all because of us, well, we must recoil at the thought.

You know full well who you are so do not pretend to be so holy that God should be moved by your outward overtures of piety. Please do not attempt to present yourself as something you are not. All of us have inherited the same unbecoming and ugly nature as you and we all know who we are. All of us have thought things that are against Christ, even after we have come to know Him. All of us can readily reveal in each other the hypocrite within that sometimes rears his ugly head, even though we rush to hide him lest we are found out. Oh yes, we all have sinned and fallen short of His glory before and after we have come to embrace His redemptive offer.

There, the emperor has no clothes. Even after we have been grafted into the divine family, we still stand in utter need of His grace. No one can be saved without the grace of God offered upon Golgotha. And no one who has been wonderfully changed and saved through that sacrifice can stand before God and say, “Thank you for Your grace that saved me, but now I can finish this without Your grace. I can use all my sincerity and resources to build upon the grace through my own human power.” Which ignorant sinner would suggest such a thing? All of us of woman born still must run daily to His grace regardless of what we no longer do or what we now do because of Him.

And with that revelation we must cry out with even more passion, “What is man that You should consider him??” We stand completely upon the foundation of His grace, and the Father still loves us enough to correct us with love and patience. We are so often self righteous and many times we feel so fulfilled as we judge others. And being plucked from the furnace, and being placed upon a Rock, all by grace, how often have we used the Rock of Grace to look down upon the company of sinners where we used to lay our heads and condemn them for what we ourselves once enjoyed doing?

Again, in light of our obvious hypocrisy what is man that God should consider us? Long ago ships would have a long wooden rod that was used to determine how deep was the water in which it was sailing so as not to run aground. They would take a dry wooden rod and stick it into the water until they felt the bottom. That would tell them when they were getting too close to shallow water. So now go ahead and take that measuring stick and shove it into the waters of redemption. Shove it further and further and further. What? You still do not feel that bottom yet?

Connect several rods together and feed them into the water. Still nothing? Ok, stop. You see, the waters of His redemption and love for sinners has no bottom and its depth cannot be plumbed. And these unfathomable seas are glorious. We have given Him ashes and He has given us beauty. We have brought Him sin and He has given us sonship. We were His enemies and He has called us friends. Does not that move your being with love and awe? Away with all hints of smugness. Away with any suggestion of human works. We cannot hide from it; we were enemies and He took us into His eternal family and called us friends.

Why? What is man? How can this thing be? Do not pretend any of us can completely understand this which has come to pass. All we know is this, once we were blind and now we see. There are many, many times when that is all we need to know. Thank you, Lord Jesus.