A Subtle Gospel Departure

I believe we are living in the last days. I have no idea about the day or hour, but the signs are becoming more and more clear. Although Israel is a secular nation whose inhabitants deny Christ for the most part, that nation seems to figure in the last days. That does not imply that God shows them any particular favor, or that we as believers should support or not support them, it just means that God has identified the nation as an end time sign. There are many other signs such as violence, sexual perversion, greed and avarice, war, national calamities, weather anomalies, and others. And one of the most prominent signs is a great falling away from within the visible church.

It is very easy for the most elementary Bible student to see the heretical teachings of the emergent church, the liberal denominations, the ecumenical movement, the health and wealth movement, and the overall slide into lethargy and utilitarian Christianity that has swept the world. But there is another movement that is very sly and operates under a cloak of moral self righteousness and national idolatry. They are holding get togethers and so called prayer meetings to “turn America back to God”.

This is an example.

This is a very subtle form of spiritual decay, even when it is accompanied by much activity, host pastors, and contrived prayers. It has an observable element of moral hubris and a sense of religious clique-ism. There is little humility and much feistiness. And the overall ambiance does very little to represent the Spirit and Person of Jesus Christ. In fact, many of these events bring together many segments of evangelicalism whose theology is sometimes at odds with each other.
And this movement usually champions specific candidates because these people have professed some kind of faith in Christ along with an aggressive moral crusade. And an uncomfortable affection for the founding fathers, along with a fanciful historical account, is usually a requirement. The entire spectacle is counter productive to the gospel of Jesus Christ and is a false construct concerning the kingdom of God. The gathering is usually constructed with an array of speakers who attack the lost and the progressing liberal slant of the country and challenges the listeners to take back the country.

This kind of Christianity is contagious. It appeals to the patriotic spirit and does not address the deep spiritual issues that should be dealt with in the lives of such “patriots”. Abortion and gay rights are front and center, and in a remarkable departure from New Testament Christianity they usually address financial issues that are not considered pure capitalism. In reality, the entire movement is mired in nationalism and reflects a self righteous spirit of hedonism rather than a humble, self sacrificing spirit of servanthood.

Again, it must be considered an aberrant form of Christianity which draws believers away from Christ. It is more than just misguided, it rips at the very fabric of what it means to be a believing follower of Jesus Christ. I know, I used to be one. I do not claim an air of superiority, but I do claim to be grieved at such things when I think back to how I behaved and what I used to say. I know what it is to hate liberals and lost people who have immoral agendas, and I know how we can camouflage such hatred by suggesting we are “standing for the truth”. Does that even hint at the spirit of the cross?

If you are in a church who does not recognize the danger of such a movement then I suggest that you maintain a humble posture while attempting to be salt and light among the brethren. Resist the temptation to act like a prophet who thrives on correction, especially when you yourself was once deceived.

Ti.3:2-3 - 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.

Ah, there are the parameters in which we must live. These should be corrective commands to us all even though they are sometimes very difficult to exhibit. But like all the commandments of Christ, they must be acknowledged and practiced. Many of these nationalistic people are brothers and sisters in Christ. They must be prayed for and loved even while we correct their ways. In many ways the Christian life is a paradox, and this situation is no different. We cannot stand for one set of truths while ignoring another. And without love and humility, the gospel becomes a weapon designed to injure rather than redeem.

Oh let us return to a deeper reflection of the Lord Jesus, and a more painful denial of our own interests. His interests must be our interests, and He has no interest in politics or any so called “national interests”. Jesus is the King of a kingdom, one in which we have been made a part through faith in His death and resurrection. That cannot be our main interest, that must be our exclusive interest. Be on guard for any movement whose focus is not the Lord Jesus and His gospel. A good rule of thumb is this: If it’s new, it’s probably not true.

We Are His Brethren!

Heb.2:11 - 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,

All the religions of the world attempt to understand, define, and connect with the Creator, and they employ mental ascent, learning techniques, meditation, and adherence to certain rules to achieve this goal. Others attempt to make mankind a branch of the divine and an extension of the universal mind. Of course, the claims of Jesus and the revelation of the Person of Christ in the Scriptures are incompatible with any and all other religions. Jesus openly claimed redemptive exclusivity.

For those who have come to know Him through faith, and for those who have been born again by His Spirit, there await incredible treasures found in Him. One of those sacred treasures is found in Hebrews 2 and verse 11. We have not only been forgiven and redeemed for all eternity, but Jesus, the eternal God, calls us His brethren.

What is more important than a person’s family here on earth? A man will die to save his family, and in this case, God died to create His family. We then are more than just some creatures who God redeemed to place in some divine trophy case. We are part of His eternal family, and we are brothers and sisters to our elder Brother, the Lord Jesus. It defies all logic to think that God would receive us as His children. But it is true nonetheless.

And the Holy One is not ashamed to call us brethren. I am sometimes ashamed to call myself “brethren” much less to think that God calls me His brethren unashamedly. To be part of God’s family is the ultimate honor. And how have we received such an ado[tion? Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but by faith in our Elder Brother alone.

Gal.4:4-5 - But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

The law was death. We could never have pleased God through the law, but the law revealed just how sinful and hopeless we were and it led us to Christ. In Him was hope, in Him was grace, in Him was life eternal, and in Him was the adoption as one of God’s children. In a creative sense we were all God’s children, but we had no eternal relationship after the fall. When Adam sinned the entire human race became children of Satan. But after the finished work by the Lord Jesus upon the cross and the subsequent resurrection from the dead, the gospel message went out into all the world. And when a sinner believes on the Lord Jesus Christ something wonderful and sacred occurs.

Rom.8:14-16 - For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

When we become a child of the Living God, we no longer fear God in the way in which an unbeliever should. Yes we reverence and respect Him as our Creator and August Lord, but we are also given the privilege of calling Him “Abba”. We can come boldly into His presence and make requests as a son to a father does. And our Elder Brother intercedes for us as well. It is an incredible relationship purchased by the Lord Jesus and made a reality by God’s grace through simple faith.

I Jn.3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God:

And what has been the motivation and the driving force behind this great kindness? God’s matchless love. Who could have complained if God had redeemed us and transported us into a paradise, free from sin and filled with eternal pleasure, but without His presence? And who could have indicted God if we were redeemed and called to spend eternity with Him as saints with a completely different essence? Those would have been infinitely more than we deserved and beyond our wildest imagination.

But God did not just do those things. Yes we will have a paradise free from sin, and yes we will spend eternity in His very presence. But in a stunning display of colossal grace, God has granted us sonship and promised to make us like Christ throughout the ions of eternity. Go ahead and meditate upon that, and if you even grasp a small piece of that truth, it must profoundly change your heart and life. To be a son; to be like the Lord Jesus; and to be promised all eternity. There is nothing more to be had.

So go ahead world, chase your passing dreams and your crumbling fortunes. Go ahead and pursue happiness in the spittoon that is this fallen world. Go ahead and place accolades upon yourselves and your so called heroes, and continue to seek the pleasures of sin for a season. You will find a modicum of happiness in such things, but their pleasures will be short lived. They will all disappear when eternity comes calling and when you must give an account for your lives.

Rom.8:18 - For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
We may suffer in the present world, and if we live for Him we will be persecuted. We may not be adorned in the finest apparael or drive the most expensive cars or dwell in luxury. We may live in modesty and even well below our means. We may not be recognized as intellectual giants, and we may suffer at the scoffing of the ademic society. We may not be elevated and receive the success as defined by this present world. Yes, our reward is surely not found in this present life.

But let those who name the name of Christ rejoice! Our lives cannot be weighed upon the scales of this present life. Our lives are hidden with Christ in God, and they await an astonishing revelation when we are made like unto our Wondrous Lord and Savior! This is no fairy tale, no pie in the sky, this is the gift of God Himself given by grace through faith in His Son’s gospel truth. This is the culmination of the gospel age, and this is the eternal reward for the sufferings of God’s Lamb. We have been grafted into God’s eternal family and an eternal celebration awaits His entire clan.

Halleluiah! What a Savior!

Knowing You Jesus

All I once held dear, built my life upon
All this world reveres, and wars to own
All I once thought gain I have counted loss
Spent and worthless now, compared to this

Knowing you, Jesus, knowing you,
There is no greater thing
You're my all, you're my rest
You're my joy, my righteousness
And I love you, Lord

Now my heart's desire is to know you more
To be found in you and known as yours
To possess by faith what I could not earn
All-surpassing gift of righteousness

Knowing you, Jesus, knowing you,
There is no greater thing
You're my all, you're my rest
You're my joy, my righteousness
And I love you, Lord

Oh, to know the power of your risen life
And to know You in Your sufferings
To become like you in your death, my Lord
So with you to live and never die

Knowing you, Jesus, knowing you,
There is no greater thing
You're my all, you're my rest
You're my joy, my righteousness
And I love you, Lord

(Graham Kendrick)

Raising the Debt Ceiling?

With all the talk of raising the debt ceiling, it is most comforting to know my entire debt was paid by the Lord Jesus Himself. I owed a great deal, but today I owe nothing, and in that I owe Him everything.

The Traditional Marriage Debate

There will be much chest pounding this coming election concerning traditional marriage. Many evangelical churches and millions of believers will become openly bellicose about such things, and we have already seen these pledge signings about the issue. We, as believers, have only the Bible as our standard and to the Scriptures we must bow. And in light of that, we know that marriage was meant to be a lifelong commitment between a man and a woman. That is our so called “position” on the issue, but what should be our position politically on this issue?

Let me ask you a question: Are you in favor of a man of 25 marrying a 14 year old girl legally? Why not? The Scriptures say nothing of it and in fact Mary herself may have been around that very age. Wouldn't that be "traditional"? Are you in favor of two Satan worshipers (man and woman) marrying? And when they marry are they Biblically married? Would you allow them to adopt children? Should a preacher marry them if he is in favor of “traditional marriage“? Why not?

Should two Muslims (a man and woman who are members of Al Qaeda) marry, and if so are they exhibiting your political form of traditional marriage? Do you support a man who has been divorced ten times marrying a woman who has been divorced 20 times? If traditional marriage is your benchmark, and if that is what defines a believer, then they meet that criteria. If an unrepentant serial killer named Richard Ramirez (the night stalker) marries a deluded woman (he did), do they represent traditional marriage? Both adults, one man and one woman - a traditional marriage?

You see, when we as believers set some moral standard and promote it publicly and politically to a fallen culture we both obscure the gospel and join hands with many unbelievers who take the same stand on that particular issue. And when we debate issues on a fallen political battleground, we take the sacred and mix it with the profane. The issue for us is not what should America believe about marriage, but what should we as believers believe and manifest about marriage. And what we believe about marriage has nothing to do with what the majority of Americans decides is right, and if America votes a traditional marriage amendment it does not affect the church at all.

In fact, if such an amendment would be enacted into law, many lost Americans would feel some misplaced sense of moral and religious accomplishment and even favor with God. They are sadly and eternally mistaken. God is not interested in what a nation believes. God is invested in spreading the good news of Jesus Christ to every sinner on the earth. Moral and righteous conduct must be preached and lived within the church and not used as some moral talisman against the wicked hordes of liberals.

What would you say about a man who murdered two people promoting a law against men who murder twenty? Or promoting a law against murder itself? The church takes a traditional marriage stand while she herself divorces at the very rate as does those who take an opposite view. Most evangelical churches have many, many divorced and remarried people as members, and many of them are married to mistresses. Most preachers marry divorced people because God forgives. So is divorce part of a traditional marriage, and if so, and if God does forgive, then let us support a constitutional amendment endorsing divorce. Of course God forgives, and each situation must be judged by the Spirit, but my point is that the church is very hypocritical when it speaks as a moral champion and not as a humble voice of redemption in Christ.

We as believers adhere to being legal in marriage because that does not interfere with our commitment to God's Word, but what the fallen government does or does not recognize as a legal marrige is irrelevant to us. If the government no longer recognized the marriage of two believers by their pastor, would that change what we believe? And if the fallen government recognized gay marriage what concern is that to us? We follow Him and we call others to believe in Christ. Remember, this same government sees all religions as equal and takes no stand on the veracity of any.

Please, my brothers and sisters, take a break this political season and sit back in prayerfulness and humility, and listen to what people are saying. Then listen to what the Spirit is saying. Do not get caught up in the endless moral melee as if that battle can ever be won. But let us all get deeper into Christ and preach Him and His redemption to Democrat, Republican, Independent, and all creatures everywhere. Our message is different, our church is different, our lives are different, and most of all the Lord Jesus is different. Lift Him up and not some moral crusade usually defined by the political atmosphere of the day.

Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever!

The Cross

(Again? No, again and again and foerver!)

I love the cross. It has been relegated to the back doctrinal burner these days, and in some corners treated as something of which to be ashamed. The all powerful, all knowing, and eternal God of the Universe has chosen a simple and brutal cross with which to receive a greater glory than the creation itself. The cross seems so barbaric and so archaic. It stands beneath man’s so called intellectual prowess, and as our technological sophistication increases the cross has become ecclesiastical window dressing. How can it be? How can that one crucifixion be the path, the only path, to eternal life? It just doesn’t make any human sense.

That is just the point. If it made any sense than man would claim he uncovered it through deduction, investigation, and on the strength of his own logic. But God will not share His glory with another. And the Lord was not bound by human reasoning or what would please man’s intellectual sensibilities. What kind of a deity would subject Himself to one syllable of scorn from His own creation? What kind of God would endure a consistent and open rebellion from those He made in His own image?

But further, what God would actually become the likeness of His fallen creation, and still allow Himself to be mocked and beaten? How could that possibly be? What kind of love is this we see? Unimaginable, unfathomable, and beyond all reason and logic - that is the kind of love exhibited by the God-man Christ. I can understand the Biblical theology, and I can understand all the prophecies, and I can understand the very act of crucifixion. But I will never fully understand the nature or the depth of such a display of love, especially when I consider Who He was and who I am.

Now there is no middle ground. There can be no displays of worship and emotion that can be deemed inappropriate and too demonstrative for the cross. In fact, the dry-eyed spectacle that is manifested in most church gatherings, even when the cross is mentioned, is an affront to God and the sacrifice of the Redeemer. There is no greater power than the cross. There is no greater gift than the cross of Christ. Do we desire to know Him and those sufferings, or are we content to treat it as a fact whose time has passed, or worse yet, as an unfortunate incident in the life of our Savior?

The cross transcends all history. It stands as the open portal through which any sinner can by faith walk into eternal life with the Risen Christ. But this cross came with a colossal price. The sufferings of Jesus on that cross were not just the sufferings of a man. They were a mystery, a sacred pain that contained in them the punishment for all mankind. How can God feel pain, and how can God feel and absorb the pain and torment meant for every sinner? Again, a profound mystery. And why would a holy God desire to redeem a fallen race of rebels intent upon having their own way against the way provided by their Creator?

The cross is an enigma to be sure. The sinless suffers for the sinful; the innocent dies for the guilty. And when we say “the guilty” we are not suggesting a misdemeanor here. The human race, collectively and individually, was not an unwilling participant in this universal scandal. We did not make some minor mistake and then return to the path of holiness. We became well practiced in the art of sin and rebellion and even creative in its many manifestations. We reveled in our sin. And it is impossible to fully comprehend the implications of our rebellion. No, we have become monsters of iniquity.

The cross knew all that, and in fact, He who labored upon those Roman planks knew all of it and offered Himself as a sacrifice and a substitute for those very sinners. There must be a greater and more expansive word than “love” when it is used for this cross. How can a man say he loves his new car and then say God loved us upon the cross? It is painfully incongruent. But in reality, in the absence of such a word, the only word than can express God’s sacrificial affection for mankind is the word “cross” itself.

But this cross has nothing that would captivate and allure us in the natural. Think about those planks as they took Christ down from the cross. They were drenched in dried blood with a rust colored hue that revealed just how much blood He shed. Three distinct holes identified the place where His hands and feet were nailed, again opening streams of blood. How repulsive. But there was nothing in that wood that had any power, in fact they may have been used again for someone else.

The power was in the Person and His sacrifice. The power is in the blood. Have you ever seen a major surgery? The sight of blood everywhere is unsettling and can make many squeamish. The same with a major automobile accident or someone severely wounded in battle. Massive amounts of blood flowing from a human form is grotesque. The sight of this carpenter’s son drenched in blood and squirming in pain was a spectacle even to those who were ignorant of His true identity and purpose.

I have seen many a Passion Play and been blessed by its portrayal of the cross, however let us be very clear. All of them are antiseptic versions, however well intentioned, that cannot reveal the horror and the gore of what transpired upon the Place of the Skull. To be sure, Jesus groaned and writhed in excruciating pain as He suffered both physically and spiritually. And while He suffered for the sins of all mankind, this bloody Lamb knew you and me and suffered for us personally. He knew us, He saw us, and this Jesus suffered and died for us - you…me.

Do not pretend to understand it, but also do not keep your emotions and worship in check. We owe Him everything. He dies so that He might become our very life. He that has the Son has life. Without Christ there is no authentic life, just a poor earthly specimen who struts and frets his hour upon the world’s stage, seeking, seeking, and seeking some more ways to fulfill a need that cannot be fulfilled by anything other than Jesus. And finding eternal life is tied up with this cross. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life”. All the vain philosophies and all the man made religions of the world have not cracked open another way to eternal life. It is still found exclusively in the Lord Jesus Christ.

And as they take down that batter and bruised and lifeless body, they can still hear the echo of His words. “Tetelestai,” It is finished. Millions of gallons of animal blood had been spilled all through the Old Testament, but the door to eternal life and redemption still remained closed. Oh they had pointed to a way, but they were not the way. The blood of bulls and goats could never take away sins. They were ceremonial band aids, pitiful but necessary representations of a coming sacrifice. But now, as Christ’s body lay dead, the way was complete.

I would like to ask you a question. Would you take your pet dog or cat and slit their throats and watch as they twitched and suffered and died? I recoil at such a thought about my two dogs. And would you do that to your pet in order to set free a criminal who had done much damage to your family? The example is meager when compared to the cross but it does shine a little light on the enormity of what happened at Calvary. The Father orchestrated the entire ghastly spectacle and watched as His Son suffered and died in public humiliation and ridicule. It is almost too hard to imagine.

And do not think that because the Father is God that He experiences no pain and that He is akin to some cosmic computer. It is a glorious mystery to be sure, one into which we can not fully enter. And when the Son looks heavenward and says, “Why has Thou forsaken Me” we are undone. Imagine now not your pet, but your child. You are watching them suffer, and you have orchestrated all of it. And as they suffer in agony, they look straight into your eyes and cry “Why?”. Can you bear to even imagine such a thing? Does it not crush your emotions and cause you great distress, just to think upon it?

The cross. Oh my, what a mystery, what a glory. We may never know, and even in eternity in the presence of the Risen Christ, still bearing the scars, we may forever be learning the depth and width and length of this God Who is love. We must never forget the cross, regardless of how mature we are in faith or how versed we are in Scripture or the original languages. Shame on all of us for allowing the finer points of theology or these unseemly moral battles to take precedent over the majesty of the cross.

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of Glory died
My richest gain I count but loss
And pour contempt on all my pride

See from his head, his hands, his feet
Sorrow and love flow mingled down
Did ever such love and sorrow meet
Or thorns compose so rich a crown

O the wonderful cross, O the wonderful cross
Bids me come and die and find that I may truly live
O the wonderful cross, O the wonderful cross
All who gather here by grace draw near and bless
Your name

Were the whole realm of nature mine
That were an offering far too small
Love so amazing, so divine
Demands my soul, my life, my all

Walking In and With Him

The gospel is the good news that Jesus the Christ, the Incarnate God, has died and paid for our sins and resurrected from the dead. And purely by faith in His work alone, without any of our own good works or religious ceremonies, we can be born again. That is the gospel which we are to preach to every creature throughout the entire world.

But along with that mission, we are commanded to “walk in His steps” and be imitators of the Lord Jesus as well. But what does it mean to imitate Christ in a culture such as this? What are the observable and distinguishing features of a dedicated and crucified believer? And are the principles of being like Jesus dramatic enough to appear counter to the culture, and are they powerful enough to be exhibited practically within the lifestyle of professing believers so that those same believers not only appear somewhat different, but absolutely remarkable?

As we live and breathe upon this earth, we have been called to a sacrificial life. We are not supposed to continually gather up things for our consumption and pleasure, and if we are to substantiate our claim to an eternity with Christ, we must not reveal a thirst for the things of this world. But we were born with a fallen interest, or a lust, or even a passion for the things of this world. And everything we learned and almost everyone we watched not only exhibited that lust, but taught us by word and deed that this is the way God would have it. We were brainwashed inside and outside of the church.

But shouldn’t a lifestyle that professes to love and obey the Lord Jesus be remarkable as it walks through a fallen culture? Or are we to assume that the life of Jesus is now so homogenized as to not only blend in with the unbelievers, but in reality live just as they do? We can now go to war, save up money, go into debt, exceed the speed limit, gossip, watch unwholesome entertainment, criticize others, participate in a fallen political system, pledge allegiance to a fallen nation, and all while still professing to “live for Jesus”. It is unseemly and spiritually disingenuous.

But oh to be like Jesus. To think like He and to desire what He desires and to love the Father with such contentment and completeness that your entire being seems to exist unaffected by anything here and now - that, my friends would be something. That would startle the world around you and cause people to reexamine their own meager lives. What would happen in our churches if we were so loving and so prayerful and so completely fixated upon the Redeemer and His redemption, that we saw the lost with a broken heart? Perhaps the lost world would respond to that instead of slick evangelistic programs and Sunday morning give-a-ways.

We as believing followers of Christ should immediately reject all demands of our own flesh, not with self righteous legalism, but as a sweet smelling sacrifice that wafts upward to our Wonderful Lord. How easy it is to succumb to religious rituals and live with a redundant expression of Christianity but without the tangible and recognizable presence of Jesus. And when the church at large incorporates and even endorsed such lifestyles, then we become nothing more than the neighborhood meeting place where unremarkable people from the community have some weekly gatherings. And after such gatherings, the people leave just as they came. Is that what Christ died for and is that what Christ lives for?

The gospel is a factual message of redemption, but is should always be poured out through vessels that clearly and conspicuously reflect that same gospel and its Divine Author. Verbal ascents without visible evidence are often counterproductive and lead lost people to reject the gospel claims.

But what if there were no lost people to evangelize? Is Jesus so worthy of our love, adoration, and obedience that we would pursue a living relationship with Him without any evangelistic repercussions? Our salvation should not be the end; it should be the beginning of a sacred love affair with the Creator whose name is Jesus. Oh the blessed privilege; oh the sacred gift; oh the unfathomable birthright; and oh the depth of such grace! To be redeemed by the immeasurable labor upon that bloody tree is beyond human understanding and reasoning, but to be called a “son” and a “brother” to that same Savior shakes the very core of our being.

It is time we lengthen the cords and deepen the stakes of our spiritual tent and not only represent Him, but dwell with Him moment by moment. Are we just wandering around in the wilderness or are we following the cloud of smoke and fire that is found in the presence of Jesus Christ? He is a real Person, and He desires to fellowship with us as well as change us. And Jesus should have all the preeminence in everything we do and say, and we should continually pursue a life that walks in His presence.

Does that sound a little mystical? Oh it is far beyond mystical. It is the mystery of the Spirit that dwells within every born again believer. Christ in us the hope of glory. We must worship Him not only as the Author of our faith, but as our Finisher as well!

Living Water

And so, here we are. We stand in hopeless desperation, and thirsty for something…anything…everything. And if you cut through then glitz and glammer, and all the highly touted human achievements, you still find an empty heart that cannot be satisfied by anything he puts into his eyes, ears, hands, and mouth. Religious orders and disciplines cannot quench that thirst, and philosophies only provide an endless merry-go-round of “what ifs” and “perhaps”.

In the midst of all the technology and information highways and accumulation of material wealth, there still is one fountain, albeit an ancient one, that alone can quench the human longing and make a broken sinner whole.

“In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”

“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”

Hell and the Church

Rev.20:15 - And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Do not just gloss over those words. Read them and invite them to disturb your being. If those words are true, then they are the most disturbing warnings that man could ever imagine. The doctrine of hell has become a theological tennis ball with professing believers taking sides. But there can be only one side that is true. And the Scriptures are clear; hell exists.

But for those of us that cannot deny God’s Word and believe there is an eternal place called hell, can we say with certainty that our lives genuinely translate our stated belief? I know we can defend our doctrines with great and swelling words and pinpoint exegesis, but if we had only our lives to defend what we believe could we point to that as evidence of our faith?

A believer was sharing the doctrine of hell to an unbeliever. He explained to him that those who die without Christ go to spend eternity separated from God, and in a great deal of torment - forever. The unbeliever, stunned by the magnitude of such thought, looked at this believer in amazement and bewilderment. “Do you actually believe that?”, asked the unbeliever.

“Yes,” said the believer, “I really do.”

The unbeliever replied, “Well, if I believed that to be true, I would crawl on my hands and knees over broken glass in order to tell anyone and everyone I could.”

What is this unbeliever saying? What point is he making? It is obvious that he has revealed a glaring hypocrisy that exists in the church and in the lives of believers. If there is a place called hell which is the destiny for all unredeemed sinners, and if when a sinner enters hell he can never escape, then what in God’s dear name is the church doing? In fact, the tension of such a belief is so great, that many preachers are abandoning the entire concept and running toward some “love wins” theology that removes all passion for souls and soothes the conscience concerning the prospect of eternity without God.

We now live in a ecclesiastical environment that actually teaches that faithful Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, and almost everyone else will receive redemption without believing on the Lord Jesus. And if that is not taught openly, then it is implied by the tepid tone of our preaching, and the passion for buildings, gymnasiums, exorbitant staff salaries, and obscene amounts of church debt which is almost never for missionary efforts, unless you believe the disingenuous rhetoric about buildings being evangelistic tools. And if we examine the prayer life of the average church collectively and individually, then it becomes painfully obvious that we are not concerned about sinners going to hell, regardless of our doctrinal protestations to the contrary. And of course if you believe that God has already chosen a select and miniscule few who He wishes to be saved, then you cannot have a genuine passion for the salvation of souls. The outcome is already written in stone.

But can we with a straight face continue to say we believe in an eternity with two dwelling places? Let us be frank, the concept of hell is extremely difficult to believe, and when it is not taught with tears and passion from our pulpits, then living in accordance with that reality is almost insurmountable. Everything in this world openly and subtly attacks any and all concepts of eternal punishment and justice. From the heretical teachings of the false teachers, to the earthly lullabies sung by those whose statement of faith includes some antiseptic acknowledgement of the place called hell. If hell does not exist then people like me are madmen, but if hell does exist then we stand indicted by our own words.

Think about it. Believers are consumed with everything from the lives of British royalty to the latest gossip in Hollywood, and from the political sirens from the right or left to the anticipation of economic good news. Gas prices, mortgages rates, sports, new restaurants, new cars, health clubs, and anything that will cost more obsesses the western world, and the church happily joins in with the world and in fact lets them lead. But when are we obsessed with the eternal plight of the world, and specifically those within walking distance of our very homes? When was the last time a believing friend called you and shared with you that he or she has a burden, a extraordinary burden, for the lost?

When was the last time your preacher could not finish his message because he wept violently over the souls within his own community? I do not say that should be the norm lest it becomes a religious tradition, but does it ever occur? Does the church ever have an all night prayer meeting with the distinct purpose of praying for souls and begging the Holy Spirit to break us and remold u into vessels of light to the nations? We party too much; we play too much; we enjoy the pleasures of this material world while millions starve for food and the gospel.

Do I paint too bleak a picture? Well then, just go on with what we now call church and watch the world slide into eternity without the gospel. Go ahead, blend into your community and avoid the shame and ridicule that might accompany a bold and humble witness for Jesus Christ. Build bigger church barns and fill them with letter transfers and the children of believing families, and convince yourself that you are walking in the footsteps and the power of the Lord Jesus. It is not difficult to construct a local faith community that “meets your needs” and one in which you find solace and good fellowship. If that is what God desires then “Voilà!”, we have created such a thing with great innovation and communicative effectiveness. We have ministered to ourselves with determination and even some financial support.

Oh, but there is world of suffering and spiritual death out there. These whited fields no nothing of our quest for church activities and “Christian” cruises. They exist unwittingly in a spiritual vortex, and they live as “strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.” The Macedonian call has been drowned out by the desire for things and “your best life now”. The church weeps when their dogs die, but are dry eyed audiences that give little thought to what is transpiring all around them.

How can the lost world believe we have any credibility when we profess with our mouths and doctrinal statements such unimaginable spiritual realities, but we live as though they do not actually exist? And to soothe our consciences we support missionary efforts, as well as take issue with the Rob Bell’s of this present age. And in the very height of spiritual hubris and grace denying self elevation, we magnify the sin of lost sinners and wage some imaginary moral war against the very souls Jesus died to save.

Dear ones, I stand on no pedestal and I openly and publicly admit to being in desperate need of a penetrating revival on a personal level. I see most clearly my own grievous shortcomings and my own paradoxical hypocrisy between what I believe and what I do. I do not share what I believe the Spirit desires because I so thoroughly exhibit it in my own life, but whatever surgery is done through my words must cut deeply into me own spiritual chest first and foremost, and remove a heart of stone, and replace it with a heart that beats continuously with a love and obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ and His kingdom.

And it is that context that I exhort you to WATCH THIS VIDEO and see what God desires for His church.

From Death to Life

Eph.2:1-7 - And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

How dead we were! With every step away from our former life we see more and more clearly just how our trespasses and sins had destroyed us, and yes, even killed us. Even the sins of Adam caused us to be spiritually still born. I can remember reveling in my sin and being completely blind to the reality of Jesus even though I had been baptized as an infant and confirmed as a teenager in a church. But still I was dead in my sins and supposedly having the time of my life when in reality I was walking in my own funeral.

Death so often masquerades as life, just as error often masquerades as truth. There is an embalming fluid quality to a fallen life that strives to preserve itself by incorporating just enough religion to supposedly take some after death precaution, but not enough to interfere with the frivolities of this present life. It is a mirage where millions walk and play unaware that their eternal destiny is at stake. I know, I was one of them. Religion had blinded me, and the pleasures of sin intoxicated me every day.

We sought to satisfy the lusts of the flesh and the mind with all sorts of means. Alcohol, drugs, and sex were of course a major part, but so were vain philosophies, wealth, and the allurement of earthly kingdoms. We were behaving in a way which was consistent with our very nature, fallen and dead. Appearing to be alive and well, we had not only been stricken by a fatal disease, but we had indeed died.

But unbeknownst to us, God’s mercy was at work. This was a mercy that had been set in motion before the first atom had been brought into existence. But who would desire fellowship with a cemetery? Who would actually be concerned, and even obsessed, with dead people? What would motivate the Creator to have mercy upon a race of people who not only refused to acknowledge Him as their Creator, but who openly and aggressively rebelled against Him?

“for his great love wherewith he loved us”. There it is, beyond human understanding. Please do not attempt to measure or qualify God’s love with the standard of our meager expressions we call love. You could more easily measure the oceans with a thimble than measure God’s love by comparing it with human love. God’s love has no limits, no boundaries, and no rivals. God’s love cannot be measured or defined in terms of emotional fondness or even the longings of His heart. God’s love is untouched by human understanding and comprehension and is defined and revealed by action rather than some hollow words. God’s love is wholly and completely revealed at Golgotha.

This, my friends, is the gospel. The gospel is not “Your best life now” or “You can have it all” or any other earthly message of greed and avarice. This message is good news for all eternity for those who will hear and believe. A dead man can live again within the promise of this gospel, and once made alive he will never die. What? Oh yes, those who Christ has made alive are alive evermore! We still breathe the same, and we still eat and sleep like before. Then how is it we are now made alive?

I can remember in March of 1975 when I was born again one starry night on top of Garret Mountain in Wayne, New Jersey. The very next day I awoke to go to work as a welder, but something was very different. I still looked the same, but something dramatic had happened inside of me. I could not have explained it theologically, but all I knew was that I now believed that Jesus was indeed who He claimed to be. Everything looked and felt different. I had been born again. The day before I had awakened as a lost sinner, but that day I awakened as new creature.

Only those who have known walking death and found life in Jesus Christ can fully understand what I am relating. It is the miracle of all miracles. It transcends any earthly healing or any manna from heaven provision. In fact, all true miracles are meant to reflect the Miracle Worker and not the receiver of miracles. I did not deserve what I had received and I could not earn any of it. I was given the gift of eternal life, bought and paid for completely by the Crucified and Risen Christ, and I had received it by faith and faith alone.

Does it seem unbelievable to your ears? It is unbelievable to the human heart, and only the Spirit of God can unlock that rebellious heart and lead it to drink form the River of Life found only in Christ. It seems like such nonsense at first, but there is something about the gospel from which a seeking heart cannot escape. It hounded me for months, even though I considered it an ignorant man’s religion. I was so haughty. I would climb the face of Garret Mountain at night and gaze into the heavens and wonder. I was an amateur astronomer and I literally could not deny the existence of a Creator. But Jesus? I mean really.

Then one magical, mystical, and wondrous night I sat gazing into the clear March sky overlooking the Manhattan skyline. Over several months I had gotten to the point where I was actually asking questions into the air. “What’s this all about?” and “Is there really a God I can know?” and “Are you really the Son of God, Jesus?”. But one night I climbed up a lost sinner but climbed down a saved believer. It happened in an instant, even though God had been working in me for months. I believed! And in that moment, without any theological training, knowledge of the original languages, or even rudimentary Biblical education, I was quickened by the same Spirit that had raised Jesus from the dead!

I did not realize it that night, but God had raised me up to sit in heavenly places. I had been a drug dealer and user, a drunk, a violent man, and had a one point planned to rob a bank and kill the guard going in. Make no mistake about it, my life would never be the same. It was because I had been severely injured in a street fight that I had ended up living in my aunt’s house right beneath garret Mountain. And while recuperating I had heard Billy Graham on television preaching the gospel. You don’t think God has a plan?

I would love to hear how some of you were saved and how God brought you to Christ. Perhaps you were blessed to be raised in a Christian home, but maybe you were like me. Regardless, if you have come to faith in Jesus Christ you have been raised from spiritual death to spiritual life in Him.

The Shadow Becomes the Reality

The end is just the beginning for many. But what indeed makes that a reality, and what makes the eternal difference? To know Him who makes all things new is to know life and life eternal. Soon, maybe very soon, His shadow will make way for the reality of His return. On that great and glorious day He will be revealed in the clouds for all to either worship or fear. Even so, come Lord Jesus…

Preaching Methods and the Unwise

Elevation of Men

There is a segment of Christianity who so elevates a style and method of preaching that in some cases it has become idolatry upon a pedestal of self righteousness. These are those who proclaim with solid uncertainty that only expository preaching is approved of by God, and in fact, any local church whose pulpit does not adhere to that kind of preaching is not a Biblically based church.

The term “expository” is exactly what the word seems to mean - an exposing of the meaning within a certain context. It is indeed a beneficial way to preach and teach, and it is certainly an essential in understanding the Scriptures. But it is far from the only and exclusive way to preach, and if a preacher uses it while he subtly and not so subtly attaches some spiritual superiority to his mode, then he undermines the basic quality of teaching and preaching - humility and brokenness. And on some level he diminishes the power of the written Word when he suggests that the plate upon which it is served is as important as the meal itself.

II Tim.4:1-3 - I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

Notice the phrase “Preach the word” which can easily be translated “Preach the truth”. “Thy word is truth” says our Lord, and the “Truth (Word) shall set you free”. If you are not preaching the Word than you are not preaching truth, and conversely if you are not preaching truth than you are not preaching the Word. They are inseparable. All preaching, if it is accurately based upon the Scriptures, is expository and reveals God’s truth. But when you insist that if a preacher does not strictly adhere to an expository method of preaching he cannot be approved of God and is practicing a somewhat deviant way of preaching, well then, you have crossed the line.

Expository preaching does not insure Biblical accuracy and adherence to the truth. I have listened while cult teachers exposed the Scriptures verse by verse and yet taught damnable heresies. I have often preached by an expository method and I have often preached by a topical method as well. Both must be empowered by the Spirit or else the effectiveness can be compromised, but not altogether made useless. But my overarching point is that expository preaching is a good tool, but it should not morph into a lofty castle of spiritual hubris and the mark of Biblical authority among a chosen ecclesiastical fraternity.

Preaching the Word of God is a sacred responsibility that should be afforded an extremely high priority in the local church. It should not be presented in some dry way which accentuates academics to the detriment of the spiritual and transforming power inherent within the mystery of those written words. And I have also had to sit and listen to preachers give lengthy explanations of the context which include the date of the writing, a detailed description of the city to which it was written, the kind of Greek used primarily by the writer, the level of education of the common people, and a veritable host of other nonessential facts and issues. Ok, we get it, you know a lot.

But preaching the Word must be for the express purpose of revealing the Lord Jesus and changing the hearts and lives of those who are listening. Just informing people is useless, and impressing people is nothing more than being an ecclesiastical thespian. Discipleship is more, much more, than becoming versed in doctrine and systematic theology and being able to explain the meaning and context of New Testament verses. In fact, many theologians have already done that work for you and bound them in inanimate books and web sites. It is not nearly enough to fill your mind, but your heart must be filled to overflowing resulting in living replications of the theology you so thoroughly have learned.

And therein lies a subtle problem which upon the surface seems to be Biblical and spiritually mature. We have been taught that discipleship revolves around learning the Word of God, and so it does. However it cannot stop there. A disciple is one who follows a teaching, and in this case, a Teacher. The exhortation to “Take up your cross and follow Me” is not a command to learn Koine Greek and Old Testament Hebrew. It is not an instruction to memorize a systematic theology and be pronounced a mature disciple.

Surely a Scriptural foundation is necessary for a believer to become a dedicated disciple, but we have many who are well versed in Scriptural truths and adept at Biblical exegesis who exhibit very little of the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. That is not only a serious problem, but that countermands the entire New Testament principle of being living epistles who manifest the Lord Jesus in sacred and practical ways. Jesus is the Word, but Jesus is much more than a book. And if we allow ourselves to become enamored with our theology or our preaching style, then we have created a spiritual library rather than living followers of the Incarnate Christ.

Christian blogs are littered with pictures and likenesses of dead and living men who were known for their preaching, writing, and general faithfulness to Christ. But they are not who we follow. Those who use men to identify the particular kind of faith they espouse are making a mistake, however unwittingly. To use a preacher’s quote or illustration is one thing, but to identify yourself with a man is unwise and misleading. The names of Luther, Wesley, Calvin, Spurgeon, or other names that denote denominations or theological streams are again, unwise. And in that same vein, to suggest that a certain preaching method identifies that church or preacher as superior is both unwise and self righteous.

And with that I huddle around my post point. Let us never shine the spotlight upon ourselves and our methods. And let us never rest upon the laurels of our theology, regardless how Biblical and orthodox it seems to be. And let us be extremely careful as to how we lift up or portray men. But let us always,

“press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

Holiness and Grace

Heb.9:27 - And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

A man lives and a man dies. Mankind attempts to fulfill and enjoy the life that bridges those two events. But regardless of how great a man becomes, or how much gain he possess, death still awaits him just as it awaits the lowest and poorest of men. The king and the serf meet at the same place called death, and it welcomes both of them as equals. And when a man passes through death’s portal, all his former days are as nothing. Death swallows up all his achievements and all his triumphs, as well as all his failures. He is dead, and the world will feel his footsteps no more.

But after death that same man must give an account for his earthly life. He who gave him that life will now righteously sift that life through the perfect sieve of His own justice. And this Righteous Judge will require more than just some litany of good works, or even a protestation that the good works outweigh the bad. What will be required goes even beyond a model of perfection as assessed through human understanding; the requirement will be absolute holiness.

What? Holiness!? It is impossible for a man, a sinner, to even understand what holiness means. Most men believe holiness to be something we do not do, but it goes far deeper than that. In fact, man is conceived in iniquity and is by heritage and practice a sinner. Born with Adam’s fallen legacy ingrained within his very soul, each man willfully builds upon Adam’s patrimony and stamps his own imprint upon the massive portfolio of transgressions. Each man then enters eternity without excuse.

Heb.12:14-15 - Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: 15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God;

And therein lies the unfathomable predicament for each and every sinner. He cannot see (or be with) the Lord unless he is completely holy, but not only is he not holy, but he is wrought with sin both inside and out. He stands before the Divine Judge already condemned and without a remedy. And although he was born with the stain of sin entrenched within his loins, he has richly earned an eternal sentence of justice and punishment based solely upon the fallen manifestations of his own sin plagued life. But again, God demands holiness.

But look at Hebrews chapter 12 and verse 15. There it is. There is the word, the glorious word, which by its definition brings a glimmer of hope. This unattainable holiness is tethered to the word “grace”. Now the ship has anchored in an entirely different port with an entirely different essence and with the hope of an entirely different outcome. And behold! This is not some shallow human grace that shows a morsel of unearned favor when it suits us and makes us feel humanitarian and magnanimous; this is the grace of God. As if God’s attributes and gifts could be separated and weighed individually and compared against each other, God’s grace toward fallen man seems to soar above all others. Of course it is motivated by God’s love, but God’s grace has no explanation at all. Do not bother to ask why for that question has no answer.

This grace contains forgiveness, but it is far beyond that, if that is possible. This grace completely forgives, and eradicates all semblance of guilt or shame. This grace makes the sinner righteous, and overshadows him with a divine favor that pronounces him as a “son”. Can there be any greater revelation of God’s favor than that of being adopted as a son and an heir? The vilest of sinners, redeemed by God's grace, has been grafted in and is now a son of the Living God. What grace indeed!

But there is one last facet of God’s favor that soars beyond our ability to understand or even accurately imagine. The favor of God, which has made us holy, will also make us like Him who knew no sin and was not made holy but was eternally holy from everlasting to everlasting. And if the mind cannot fathom such a sacred truth, how can the tongue bespeak it with clarity and even imagery? In its final and eternal act, God's grace will make all those who are cloaked by His grace through faith, in the likeness of the Lord Jesus, the Author of God’s amazing grace.

If it seems like foolishness to you then it surely is, but to us who are saved it is the power of God! But do not be mislead, we who have received this grace are still without one plea and still without one shred of righteousness of our own. We stand wholly upon the grace of the Lord Jesus and we present nothing less or nothing more than that. Sinners we still are, perhaps less demonstrative than before, but that too is by His grace. Bathed and clothed, soaked and saturated, controlled and imprisoned, all by His grace, we look to this future event which will change us but crown Him again and again.

But God forbid the spotlight be shone upon us. All of this narrative revolves around the Crucified and Risen Christ, and let the eternal glory of the universe shine upon Him. Holiness? We know nothing of it beside Him. Righteousness? We have not a morsel without Him. Sin? Of that we are well acquainted and well rehearsed. But all thanks and praise be unto Him and Him alone!

Eph.1:3-6 - Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

Jesus Our Life

Eph.1:15-23 - Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,
16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;
17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

The Apostle Paul prays for the believers in Ephesus concerning many rich and sacred truths which we have in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. But notice the prerequisite mentioned in verse 18. Before we can see and understand these truths the “eyes of our understanding” must be enlightened. But I suggest a prerequisite to that enlightenment must be a thirst and desire to have our hearts enlightened.

But let us take a step back and see how all these spiritual truths are related and how they are come together as one. Look at verse 17 where the Spirit through Paul states that the spirit of wisdom and revelation, which will give us understanding and appreciation for all these truths, is caught up in the knowledge of Him! It is majestically simple and yet gloriously profound.

II Cor.1:20 - For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

And how often has the church, to her shame and detriment, made doctrinal truths so very complicated and by implication recreate the Roman Catholic view in days past that only the learned and clergy can truly understand the Scriptures? But in fact, everything both swirls around and is found completely in Christ! The Lord Himself exhorted us to learn of Him and in so doing we will find both Him and His will for us. We have seminars and sermon series about marriage and finances and prophecy and morality and all sorts of doctrinal tributaries, but how often do we hear a three month sermon series about Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith?
All truth emanates from and returns to the Person of Jesus the Christ. Why has He become an aside in evangelical circles? We have exalted abortion and traditional marriage and earthly freedom above the Lord Jesus Himself. We are called the “religious right” because the evangelical church has championed “conservative” issues, but when are we persecuted because we remind people of Jesus, hence the origin of the moniker “Christian”? What kind of conduit for the Spirit would the church be if we were an irritant to this culture because we were so humble, so loving, so prayerful, so gracious, and lived in such moderation that we reminded people of Jesus, or at least manifested a stark contrast to the hedonism championed in such a culture? And perhaps, like the irritant inside of an oyster, God could use us to produce pearls.

Instead, we are viewed as religious relics that are intransigent morally, capitalists at heart, and generally living an existence that cannot be distinguished from the lifestyles of those who have opposing ideas. And in a display which undermines the very heart of our faith, we seek to be entertained by those who deny the Christ while those who deny Him would never set foot into our gatherings. That in and of itself represents a deep compromise if not an observable hypocrisy. But the greatest and most grievous compromise is how we have allowed the influence of the fallen world to affect our faith and more specifically to move us from being steadfast in loving, serving, and preaching the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus must always be our message, our hope, and indeed our very life! We must not have a compartmentalized “devotional life”, but our life must be lived completely as devotional. Shame on those evangelical leaders who appear on television shows because others want to know about their views on moral and political issues. Go ahead and make the case that you can squeeze in a word or two about Jesus, but all you do is cloud the issue and in many respects deceive yourself. It is time we recognize that true evangelism must be done on a neighborhood basis and it must be empowered by Christ reflecting believers and not catchy phrases or circus acts.

Is it not extremely odd that the church of Jesus Christ must be guided back to the Master whose name adorns their faith? Not just returning to a Christ centered theology, but a Christ consuming life. Instead of seeking His face, we have eviscerated any mystery and implemented creeds and councils and statements of faith that have morphed into conscience salves which breed self righteousness and false spiritual contentment. So instead of creeds being a useful form of explanation they have become an end in and of themselves. And instead of being breathing imitators of Jesus Himself, we are content to allow written doctrinal statements to represent the Christ we claim to follow.

But we are called to be crucified with Christ, and the life we live must be His and not ours. That goes far beyond and profoundly deeper than certain belief systems. That requires a certain and daily death. Did you rise this morning determined to die to yourself and release the life of Jesus Christ through your mortal body? And when you stumble and fail to represent Him, does it grieve your soul and drive you to heartfelt repentance? How often do the little foxes activate your flesh and dilute the Spirit through you? Do you walk in the overall landscape of eternity or do you allow the temporal to override the eternal? Do the irritants of one day obliterate the glory of the days without end?

The greatest value that any life can have is knowing Jesus as Lord and Redeemer, and the depth of that experience can only be enhanced by striving to know Him more intimately. How it must grieve the Spirit, who is the Spirit of Christ, to see how many believers punch their salvation ticket and then live as if Christ was a future figment of some ethereal Bible study. How much of His glory and presence have we sacrificed upon the altar of self, circumstances, and the dictates of this present world?

Spurgeon once observed that when we see the Risen Christ we will “think ourselves a thousand fools to have ever desired anything in this present world but Him!” Sometimes deception can be most obvious but is so hidden. When will the church, collectively and individually, open our eyes and discover that we are grazing in foreign pastures that do not nourish, that do not edify, and that are not shepherded by the Great Shepherd? As the Apostle wrote through the Spirit,

For me to live is Christ.

Lord, please do in us what we cannot do in ourselves.

The Guilty Goes Free!

Many people are outraged and confused. In spite of a plethora of irrefutable evidence to the contrary, Rick Frueh has been declared innocent of all charges against him. The prosecution called many witnesses who gave detailed accounts of his sinful behavior, but the defense only called one Witness whose testimony outweighed all others. This Witness presented one piece of evidence which caused the Judge to pronounce Rick Frueh not guilty and even innocent of all the charges against him.

The Witness was Jesus Christ and the evidence He presented was His blood.

Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

Enjoying My Granddaughter

I am blessed with two grandsons and one granddaughter. This little girl lives with me and we have a special relationship. Nothing in this world compares with this!

A Least Favorite Saying From Jesus

Lk.16:18 - Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.

Doctrinal Answers Without the Power

Most Christians have attended or do attend some kind of Bible study. That is good. But the only Bible study the world will attend is the ones with arms and legs. Yes, we should be walking and living epistles that manifest in life what is written on pages. But does it ever occur to the orthodox and discernment community about the reason why the visible church is disintegrating into liberalism, occultism, and outright apostasy? Is God’s gospel power not powerful enough to affect the church and stand in the gap? If so, then why are lies and deception the unmistakable wave of the modern church?

It’s because the “orthodox” community has no power, only an orthodox creed to which we point. Until we look into a mirror things will continue as they are, and we will be forced to hold doctrinal water buckets to catch the leaks but not repair them. But then again, we can use the falling away as a shield from admitting our own desperate need of revival.

What Has Slipped?

Heb.2:1 - 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.

Let them slip? It seems many of the things of Christ have not only slipped, but they have been abandoned. Notice the word “therefore”. It refers back to the content on chapter one which deals with the superiority and exclusivity of the Lord Jesus Christ. Above the angels and certainly above mankind, the Lord Jesus is the Son of the Living God who has created everything and sustains it all. There is little awe and wonder, much less sacred reverence, for the Person of Jesus Christ these days even inside the church house.

And when Paul refers to “the things which we have heard” he doesn’t mean some dry doctrinal treatises which inform but have little effect upon our hearts and lives. There is a vibrant and genuinely mystical relationship available to every believer that goes far beyond being a baptized member of the local church and adhering to the redundant back and forth every week. We must desire to be like Him.

II Cor.3:17-18 - Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

When was the last time you were changed? Do we not seem to rely on our original conversion experience and the initial changes that accompanied it? But Paul tells that we should be being changed from one realm of glory into the next by the Holy Spirit. And after the “I quit smoking, drinking, and cussing” testimony, the growth in the Spirit becomes much deeper and requires time in the Word and much time in prayer. It is a labor of love to be sure, and the rewards far outweigh the labor.

Being consumed with the things of this world is the death knell for any spiritual growth. Slowly but surely any relationship with Christ begins to erode even though there are outward behaviors that seem to be somewhat religious. And as the late Dr. R. G. Lee used to say, our spiritual lives seem to be a “shallow stream of piety that runs a fresher course on Sundays”. Even the Apostle Paul, who saw Jesus and was taught the gospel from Christ Himself, said these words about himself:

Phil.3:10 - That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

Where is the desire to know Him more? Where are those sufferings that are linked directly to our wonderful Master that we might embrace? Where is the power of His resurrection that keeps us far above any circumstances and the usual moaning and complaining? Can there be anything more disturbing and paradoxical than an heir of eternal life complaining about anything? To know and walk with Jesus is life abundant and eternal. How dare people define abundant in terms of the material in this world. That is why the health and wealth false gospel is so damaging. The preachers get rich upon the offerings of deluded and Biblically illiterate people and not only preach a Santa Claus Jesus, but openly do so without reservation.

What else have we let slip? The average evangelical preacher spends much of his time doing things that should be done by other servants of Christ. The elders in the Book of Acts appointed deacons to serve the Grecian widows because they refused to compromise their prayer life and ministry of the Word. But today’s preacher attends most committees, is involved with the building program, and fortunately can purchase his messages on the internet. With a few added personal anecdotes - Viola! - He has his sermon. Fasting? Hours in the prayer closet? Weeping over the lost? Please, get real.

When was the last time your preacher ascended the pulpit looking tired and haggard because he was up praying most of the night? When was the last time he delivered his soul and not some sermon? When did he lose control of his emotions and weep while he entreated the lost to believe on Christ and beseeched the saved to repent and awaken? When was the last time anyone came to the gathering expecting to be changed again and not just expecting this Sunday to resemble all the rest infinitum? What things have we let slip? You do the math.

Even among the “discernment” group they scour the internet for doctrinal departures, and when such departures are located they pounce upon them with erudite relish, but they are still blind to their own dry and dead assemblies which are little more than self congratulatory sessions of “orthodox” doctrine. It is a subtle reality than one can embrace all the orthodox doctrines taught in Scripture but still reflect significantly less of Christ personally than some who may have some doctrinal abnormalities. Indeed, while chasing others they have let many things slip themselves.

So what are we to do if indeed we realize that we have strayed from Christ in many ways? Should we compare ourselves with ourselves and soothe our consciences because we are no better or worse than other believers, including the preacher? Or if there is still a spark, a still small voice that beckons us, should we unload our lives and fall on our face, physically and spiritually, before God and entreat Him to break up the fallow ground in our hearts and lives? Let us reopen the investigation into just what it means to be a disciple of the Lord Jesus.

Lk.14:33-34 - So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. 34 Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned?

OK all ye who loudly proclaim the Scriptures are to be taken literally; have you forsaken all? Just what is the Lord Jesus saying here? It stands to Biblical reason that Jesus does not mean we have to leave our spouses or our children or our homes, but that still does not dilute the arresting content of the Master’s statement. Seldom is that statement dealt with today, and when it is it is usually deconstructed in a way which spiritualizes it in order to make it plausible and convenient for us all. But the very nature of this statement is inconvenient at its very core. It is time we realize that loving and serving the Risen Christ in this fallen world is always inconvenient on many levels, and according to this world it is implausible. We have let things slip.

You and I are not responsible for the church at large.

But we are responsible for the spiritual depth of our own lives.

Reclaiming that which has slipped is a good place to begin.

Bearing the Image of Christ

Mk.12:13-17 - And they send unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, to catch him in his words.
14And when they were come, they say unto him, Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man: for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth: Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not?
15Shall we give, or shall we not give? But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said unto them, Why tempt ye me? bring me a penny, that I may see it.
16And they brought it. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? And they said unto him, Caesar's.
17And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's. And they marvelled at him.

This portion of Scripture has been widely used to support paying taxes even by believers. Of course that is true, however there are more profound insights that go deeper than a dissertation on taxes. As is His custom, Jesus takes trick questions and uses them to teach important and even sacred spiritual truths.

In response to the question about paying taxes to Caesar, Jesus inquires as to whose image is engraved upon the coin. Of course it was Caesar himself. Then Jesus answered by saying, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's”. Most everyone understands that Jesus endorsed paying taxes by this teaching, but how many people inquire as to what things are God’s? The coin had the image of Caesar imprinted upon it and therefore it belonged to Caesar. But what belongs to God?

What bears the image of God? Not coins or money, and not trees and oceans, but we are made in His image. Yes, it is we ourselves that belong to God. Completely. And when we are born again we have been bought with a price and we no longer are our own. We belong to Him whose image has been engraved upon us. The coin is of value as long as it bears the image of Caesar, and we are only valuable because the Spirit has miraculously imprinted us with the image of Christ.

Gal.6:16-18 - And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
17From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.
18Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

What is Paul saying here? Does he mean physical marks? No, Paul is reaching deep into this sacred mystery which not only forgives and cleanses us, but indeed leaves us impressed with the image of our Lord and Master through the infinite power of the Holy Spirit. That God can and would impress His image upon sinners is almost beyond belief. Who among us would allow Charles Manson to have plastic surgery in order to look like you or me? Just the thought is repulsive. But God’s redemption empowered by God’s love was willing to identify with us and we with Him in a glorious mystery. And He was able to do that without violating one ounce of His holiness, and in fact the Scriptures tell us that “all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God“. So the fallen rebels are imprinted with the divine image and even that will eternally glorify Him!

You may remove your shoes as we take a step into a colossal reality that soars above what we can comprehend. Not only are we imprinted with God’s image, we will one day stand before the Sacred Lamb and we WILL BE LIKE HIM! I can barely type these words as I am being filled with emotion. To say I don’t deserve it is to minimize it since I have no earthly business expecting such things. I find in myself no good thing except Christ. Oh does it not sound like some dream or some fairy tale, and to the unbeliever it is sheer nonsense. But to us who have come to know and love the Lord Jesus and bear His image, to us it is our very life. We have invested everything in Him, and we have no future but Him!

This world cannot offer life. Our true life is hid with God in Christ awaiting our entrance into the expanse of God’s glorious throne room. Men toil for more coins and paper with men’s images upon them, but we as followers of the Christ find our life and fulfillment in Him alone. And when Jesus says that we are to give to God the things that are God’s, just what are those things? Jesus is referring to those thing which bear His image. We are to give ourselves wholly to Him as living sacrifices! It is not a chore but an immeasurable privilege.

So let men argue over taxes and morals and politics and success and all sorts of earthly endeavors. But let us be “looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith”. And let us ask, yea beg, the Holy Spirit to press down upon Christ’s image in such a way that all of us is destroyed and all of Him comes shining forth in a fallen and darkened world.

Let everything be done to His Majesties glory!!

The Sky is Falling

As New York state passed a law allowing gay couples to marry, men like Pat Robertson suggested God will “destroy America”. I guess 30 million abortions haven’t irked God enough to destroy us, but that gay thing REALLY gets under His skin. Of course this kind of rhetoric ignores two very important truths.

Firstly, God no longer deals with “nations” as a whole. We live in the gospel age which deals with individuals regardless of national affiliation. The concept of national loyalty is not only a spiritual compromise on a personal level, but it misrepresents the very heart of the Great Commission. And remember, there is no freedom outside of Jesus Christ, and all freedoms granted by earthly governments are in fact mirages. The United States of America, the recognized bastion of earthly freedom, is vastly populated by people who are imprisoned by all sorts of bondages. The devil, you see, operates quite nicely in the framework of earthly freedom.


Secondly, the “God will destroy sinners because they sin” concept obliterates the gospel of redemption. I guess men like Robertson have forgotten that Jesus did not come to condemn, but that the world through Him might be saved. There will come a time where God deals with humanity as a whole, past and present, without the offer of redemption, but until that day we are called to “so love the world” and preach the good news to every creature.

By the way, this weekend is an open celebration of idolatry and national self righteousness in which most evangelical churches, as well as liberal, emergent, gay, and mainline churches, as well as Jewish synagogues, new age gatherings, and a whole host of eclectic religious groups will enthusiastically participate in this weekends festivities. I guess they better hurry up and celebrate since at any moment God will destroy us.

And why will God destroy “us”? Not because over half the marriages end in divorce; not because infidelity is almost recreational; not because of the open hedonism; not because child molestation is rampant; not because the nation labors under the weight of obscene debt both nationally and personally; not because of millions upon millions of unborn babies ripped from their wombs; not because on the National Day of Prayer clergy from all faiths and religions are invited to Washington and lead in prayer; not because pornography is a multi-billion dollar industry; not because drugs and alcohol are regularly abused; not because professional sports figures are treated like Greek gods; no, not because of all that and more.

God can live with all that. But when gays are to be married and recognized by this antichrist system, well, that is going way to far. You see God sees and knows what these gay couples are already doing in their bedrooms, but God looks the other way as long as they are only “going steady” and not attempting to marry. But when they are allowed to “marry”, well that is when God has to act.

Absurd, of course, but worse than that it dilutes the gospel and manifests a startling degree of self righteousness among believers camouflaged as “standing against sin”. Of course the volume of standing against sin is always amplified when it is against the sins that we ourselves are not even tempted to commit. It is so easy and convenient. If you are so vigilant about sin then may I suggest you move to Darfur and stand against the persecution of millions. If you want to really make a difference by condemning the sin of others, move to Pakistan and find a street corner and preach against the Muslim treatment of women and Christians. Find a Mexican drug lord’s neighborhood and through a bullhorn take an open stand against his drug dealing. But of course pronouncing God’s vengeance on America from an air conditioned television set is oh so…post modern.

And may I offer some timely insight into the reality of the situation? The Republic is not in danger of God’s wrath. This Republic, like all earthly governments, are at their very core attempts to create atmospheres that benefit fallen man. Monarchies and dictatorships benefit a few, and democracies benefit more than a few. But none of them were created to serve the Lord Jesus Christ, whose name by the way, is conspicuously absent from the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

Quite odd for a “Christian” nation. My family and some friends will be having a picnic on Monday, July 4th. We will not be celebrating America; we will be eating and celebrating the goodness of God through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!