I Long to See Him

I LONG TO SEE HIM

I Thess.4: ¹³ But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

¹⁴ For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
¹⁵ For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
¹⁶ For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
¹⁷ Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
¹⁸ Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

It seems in these days of self help and "how to" Christianity that these words mean precious little to the church. Several years ago I actually heard one of the property heretics say “The only people who want to go to heaven are those who are broke!” I can hardly imagine such a sentiment, and it not only exposes a demon of greed and self righteousness, but it reveals that this man does not know who Jesus is. Who but a lost man could ever, EVER, compare what this world has to offer with the glory of being in the presence of the Lord Jesus?

Phil.1: ²³ For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:

Paul did not just say it would be better to go and be with Christ. He said it would be far better. Why would Paul say such a thing? Because Paul knew Christ and His surpassing glory. He did not mention golden streets or gates of pearls or even the angelic hosts. No, Paul’s heart was to be with Jesus. And that must be the heart of every born again believer. But I fear we have lost the unquenchable anticipation that longs to be with Christ. The things of this world have captured our hearts and we now recognize the catching away of the believers as a church doctrine rather than a personal culmination of His gracious redemption.

Most of the church could not care less about this catching away. And even those who believe in it would much rather argue about when it will take place rather than salivate at its eternal implications and glory. Per-trib or mid-trib or post- trib are the usual suspects when any discussion of this catching away takes place. The post tribulation adherents suggest that the pre tribulation people will be unprepared for enduring the tribulation, but their lives are no different than any other believers. This is not an issue where you do much study so you can be correct in your eschatological chronology and exude smugness.

This event, clear in Scripture yet filled with mystery, is the beginning of a majestic plan which includes us. Jesus loves us so much that He has planned to come and get the remnant along with all those who went before. But all these pictures that show planes without a pilot and cars without a driver miss the very essence of this teaching. We will be caught up to be with the Risen Christ! And this gathering will not be some gathering around the piano and singing the old hymns. This ushering into His presence will be filled with a glory that is without imagery in this present life.

We will be changed, and we then will be able to experience eternal emotions that are centered upon Him and not the self serving emotions we so often displayed on earth. Worship will not be centered around music although there will be music, but our worship will be transfixed upon the glory of the Lamb Who was Slain. What lips can do that justice? What emotions can touch that scenario? Just to lay our spiritual eyes upon Him who was dead and now lives forevermore will be a gift of grace that is more than we ever deserved.

But the church has lost the vision of the Great Shepherd. We speak about liberals and nations and taxes and clothes and new buildings and great music and all the rest. But where in God’s Holy Name is the obsession we should have with Him? Where are the elongated times during the day where we remove our spiritual sandals and sit at His feet and consume His Words and worship His Being? In truth, where is the Lord Jesus in our lives?

Yes He is in our doctrines, and His name appears in our songs, but does He hold the place of Lordship in our daily lives? And of what importance is it when He comes in the prophetic timetable? That is already set and no man can change anything. The great truth, the surpassing glory, is that Jesus IS coming! Oh my. How have we lost the reality of that truth? That alone should shake our beings and cause us to keep our hearts pure before Him and completely resistant to the alluring influences of this world. Jesus is coming, and if we dwell upon the quintessence of that spectacular event we must be transformed.

He who created Jupiter; He who made the Sun; He who knows every atom; He who knows all thoughts; He who created space itself; it is the Sovereign Monarch, Ruler of all there is, who so desire us to be with Him that He will come for us. Can your heart even contain such a thought? There are times I do not even desire to be with myself, and yet the Holy One desires my company? Who can really understand such a Being and such a love? And when we stand before Him His redemptive power and His eternal love will overwhelm our beings in ways we have never known.

No longer we will be harnessed to our doctrines, for now those truths have been transformed into waves of power and glory. Our lips then can only speak of His glory and they can only worship Him. This transformation from the temporal into the eternal will happen in a moment of time. The Greek word for moment used by Paul comes from the word "atom" and is actually used to indicate a particle of time so small and so quick that it cannot be divided. And in an instant we will be changed from this wretched body of sin into one made like unto His. Again, who can know such a thing? To think that I will be like Him is beyond the imagination and is way beyond what I could have ever deserved.

But even in the light of this foretaste of glory divine the church is still in Martha’s kitchen attempting to clean the dishes of this fallen earth. When was the last time you paused and meditated upon your Redeemer? When was the last time you were moved to tears that was not elicited by a sad story or an animal’s death? When have you bowed your head and your heart and wept quietly in His matchless presence? Have you through prayer been so captivated by His powerful presence that you were overwhelmed and lost all sense of time? How much glory and love have we forfeited because we have become part of the fast paced culture and thereby have very little room for Him?

This event commonly called the “rapture”, will indeed be the greatest event any believer will ever experience. How many of us have watched a Passion Play at church? Or how many of us have seen the life of Jesus portrayed somehow on the television or in a theatre? And even though they usually take some license with all the facts, how many of us have been moved to tears? Have you ever been moved emotionally just by hearing a song about Jesus or heard a message lifting Him up? Well all those times will be completely irrelevant memories when we see the Risen Christ and the glory which emanates from His being and illuminates the corridors of heaven.

The rapture of all true believers both living and dead will be an incredible spectacle culminating with millions of blood washed saints worshiping Him who they have seen for the very first time. The colossal reality of everything we believed will only then take hold without doubt or shadow of turning. Yes, all the imagery which we allowed to enter into our minds has given way to the surpassing reality of His incandescent glory. Can you even think upon such a thought with trembling and a sense of awe? He not only has come for us, He has brought us forever into His presence. But think on this as well. We have so often let Him down. We have sometimes sinned in thought, word, and deed. We have not prayed as we should have. We have ignored the Spirit’s prompting to witness sometimes. Yes, and Jesus knows all of that and more, and yet that divine heart of love and the utter expansiveness of His redemption still comes to claim us as His very own!

Oh what a Savior! Oh what love is this? Let my mind be consumed with Him and Him alone. I am prone to wander and yet my Lord never is distracted for an instant and His love has never wandered a moment from me. I should never have been offered salvation, and even when He saved my soul I should never been allowed an entrance into the shimmering spectacle of His risen presence which no man can know and no lips can describe. I cannot tell you how undone I feel when I think of Him and when I think of me. This journey which began in 1975 for me has had its ups and downs because of me, but it has never lost its sense of wonder. I long to see Him.

I could have done more but I long to see Him. I should have been more surrendered but I long to see Him. I could have been a greater witness but I long to see Him. I could have prayed more but I long to see Him. I have sinned but I long to see Him. I have been selfish but I long to see Him. I have preached His gospel thousands of times but I long to see Him. And what imprisons me with amazement is that He longs for me. Oh my…oh my.

I long to see Him.

Repentance for Us All

REPENTANCE FOR US ALL

II Cor.7: ⁸ For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season.

⁹ Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.

¹⁰ For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

The word translated “repentance” in the Greek is “metanoia” which means to change your mind. Meta = change and noia = mind or to think. It means to change one’s thinking or change one’s mind. So when we repent our minds are changed, and if our behavior does not change than we have not repented. And the only way we can change our minds and bring them into alignment with Christ is by prayer, God’s Word, and beseeching the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Only then can true repentance be experienced in our hearts and minds and lives.

We are living amidst a great spiritual war. What we can see are the residual effects, but the battle rages in the unseen world. Biblical prophecy is being fulfilled with each passing day, and the church that bears His name continues to slide into apostasy while most orthodox churches walk in spiritual lethargy. Yes we are seeing nation rise up against nation and wars and rumors of wars, but that is just God’s way to warn and encourage us. We must not get involved in all the machinations of man as he attempts to sculpt out a worldwide utopia. Our calling is and always will be the everlasting gospel of Jesus Christ

We believers in the west stand in desperate need of a massive and life shaking awakening that is completely of God’s Spirit and is in no way a contrivance of man. We have steadily left our first love and in order to minimize that falling away in our own minds we have set our sights on uncovering heretics and false teachers. And hiding behind that which is necessary, we ourselves have fallen prey to our own fleshly lusts and spiritual lethargy. But no one can see their own spiritual need without the ministry of God’s Spirit, and that ministry cannot be effective without a diligent, relentless, and heart breaking season of prayer. And that kind of prayer is not accomplished in a day.

The first question that must be asked is do we really desire an awakening or are we satisfied and content with our spiritual life as it now stands? Or do we admit to some needed tweaking that perhaps changes things a little? Or are we open to anything and everything the Spirit would expose? And therein lies the battle and the great hindrance. Before we can be changed and then be empowered by God’s Spirit we need to come out from complacency or even denial and admit we stand in great need of a change from the inside out. But our flesh warns us against such a drastic and ill conceived adventure.

And so without being able to overcome the spiritual inertia which keeps us immobile we remain the same day after day. We are very adept at shining the light of discernment and correction at the Rick Warrens and Joel Osteens of the evangelical world, but we have little energy to shine that same light upon ourselves. Imagine for a moment that there were no Warrens and no Osteens. Imagine that there was no emergent church and no seeker churches. Imagine every church was doctrinally orthodox. Imagine the church that you believe is a true church and imagine every church was like that one. Now tell me, how much affect would that kind of church have in this culture?

Imagine every believer prayed as much as you. Imagine every believer read the Word as much as you. Imagine every believer spoke the way you do and spent money the way you do. Imagine every believer witnessed the way you do and loved sinners the way you do. Imagine every believer lived his life just as you do. Would that scenario shine the light of Christ so dramatically that the kingdom of darkness had to either repent and believe or place us in jail? Let us not pretend or worse yet lie to ourselves. We have all been affected by this culture and we all need a mighty cleansing of the Spirit that washes away the sleep from our eyes. And it all must begin with repentance.

Matt.17: ¹⁸ And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.

¹⁹ Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?
²⁰ And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
²¹ Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

The kind of repentance that brings forth spiritual power can only be summoned through fasting and prayer. Could our Lord be any more clear? And with that open teaching can we describe the church and its members as being passionate about fasting and prayer? How about us as individual followers of Jesus? Are we consumed with fasting and prayer? And yet we scream and caterwaul about this liberal and this law and this gay agenda and yet we are not even willing to follow the prescription given clearly by the One we say we follow.

Where are the church wide calls emanating from the leadership for days of fastings and consecutive nights of searching intercessory prayer? So who are we kidding? Our brand of Christianity is a redundant and innocuous practice that is mostly designed to minister to ourselves and nod among ourselves as we complain about the deteriorating moral climate all around us. “Tsk,tsk, how awful things are getting.” And that is pretty much the extent of our concern, a shallow and meaningless regurgitation of the obvious. The situation is desperate but we are not.

To suggest that this is the way to follow Jesus is preposterous and an insult to the Word of God and to His Spirit. I have watched as mothers and fathers sacrifice time and effort in order to support their children in Little League or Pop Warner football or in many other activities. They will buy their children all kinds of equipment and they will drive them to and from practice and attend every game and wash their uniforms and take them to sporting goods stores and willfully and cheerfully do all that is necessary to help them in their hobby of choice. Yes, they are fully committed.

But why is that not the case when it comes to following Jesus? In light of the colossal difference in importance between baseball and eternity, should there not be a remarkable and undeniable difference in the level of commitment between those two issues? Why is the practice of Christianity so less important in time and sacrifice than is the practice of baseball? We have succumbed to the dictates and allurements of the culture, and the culture and the Spirit are completely at odds with one another.

But as it pertains to repentance let us not assume that it can be assigned doctrinal status without a forceful power within our lives. And just to repeat the word in a short prayer is no more repentance than reciting the rosary. Because of the spiritual situation we find ourselves in, the repentance of which I speak must be a vigorous and forceful journey which seeks to die to everything that is not of Christ and resurrect everything that bears His Spirit. What is needed is a sharp turn around which begins with a painful inventory of all our beliefs and practices with everything on the table. This is no easy task since we have been comfortable for so long. We have become entrenched.

And as is the natural inclination of the flesh, we have embraced certain beliefs and practices and used them as comforting diversions which have shielded us from any substantive evaluation, to say nothing of repentance, concerning our own powerless situation. In a clever and self serving pattern the church can hold up the practices of the immoral in our culture and with that create an unspoken atmosphere that we ourselves are following hard after Christ. In fact, the church embraces and defends a capitalist culture which showers us with any number of luxuries we do not need and also practices a lifestyle of enormous waste. Our lives are filled with entertainment from a myriad of sources and a constant planning for more. And yet, in the midst of that egregious consumerism we have the audacity to shake our moral fists at the kingdom of the spiritually dead.

So who bears the weight of responsibility before God? To whom much is given, much is required. And when the Spirit uses the word “much” He is not speaking of material gifts. When God graciously shows grace and favor, and when the Spirit illuminates the heart to understanding God’s Word, much will be required of those people. We have legions of Bibles and translations. We have the Bible on CD and on iTunes. We have a Christian bookstore in every town with rows of commentaries and Bible dictionaries and Greek word studies. And yet what good do they do when you can travel to some third world countries and see people who have one worn out Bible but who live such a humble and Christlike life that it indicts us all?

Yes, it is time for all of us to repent. Until then we will continue to be swept downstream by the current of this hedonistic culture.

The Risen Christ

THE RISEN CHRIST





Humankind has for thousands of years sought some kind of meaning in life. Man has invented all kinds of religions which pacify his curiosity about a divine being and how to please him. And within these religious constructs are a wide variety of sacrifices and personal pain designed to appease or please the unknown divine entity. Some teach a system of self inflicted pain, or fastings that endanger health, while some teach in the west that God needs your money in order to work with you and make you prosperous. It is all a confusing mess but it emanates from a need to hold on to some form of religious spirit.

But in the midst of all the swirling religious notions and beliefs, is one immutable fact that renders all of the spirits of religion as lies and falsehoods. The man called Yeshua, Jesus, died and was resurrected from the dead. That is the event which openly separates Jesus from all other religions or ideas about the Creator. The resurrection of Jesus the Christ is the lynchpin that secures the truth He taught and substantiates everything He claimed about Himself. This is not just another doctrine of the Christian faith. The Christian faith rises or falls based upon the resurrection.

I Cor.15: ¹² Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?

¹³ But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:
¹⁴ And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.
¹⁵ Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.
¹⁶ For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:
¹⁷ And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
¹⁸ Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.
¹⁹ If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

The Apostle Paul presents it with startling clarity. If Jesus did not rise from the dead than our faith is little more than earthly self help. But of course the reverse is also true. If Jesus of Nazareth did indeed rise bodily from the dead, then that erases all doubts and validates not only what He taught, but who He was. And that is the very essence of what those who believe in and follow Jesus are sharing and preaching and loving. When we say that Jesus died on the cross to pay for the sins of mankind and people ask us how do we know, then we only need say “the resurrection”.

Rev.1: ¹⁸ I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

And it was John which heard and recorded these words from the lips of the Risen Christ. He affirms that He was surely dead and has indeed risen from the dead. And you gather everything Jesus said and did, and everything He was and stood for, and wrap it all up in one large package, you would seal the package with a ribbon called the resurrection. You see, the concept of someone really coming back from the dead was so outrageous and so preposterous that if indeed someone really did rise from the dead it would carry with it eternal implications. In the story of the rich man and Lazarus, the rich man winds up in Hades and begs for the Lord to send a messenger to his five brothers so they would not come to the torture he was experiencing. The Lord tells the man that Moses and the prophets had warned them. But the man, knowing that people no longer believed the prophets, told the Lord that if someone would rise from the dead then his brothers would then believe. Listen to the story.

Lk.16: ²⁷ Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house:

²⁸ For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
²⁹ Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.
³⁰ And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.
³¹ And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

And there it is in prophetic and even parabolic form. Jesus makes mention of His own resurrection and even suggests that when He resurrects that many still will not believe on Him. And indeed history bears that out. A person born of a woman, albeit fathered by God, has walked into the chief enemy about which mankind has feared, and He has walked out of that dungeon. That man, Christ Jesus, has resurrected from the dead. And that event was the capstone to all Jesus had taught and proclaimed.

And in the Book of the Revelation we see the Glorified and Risen Christ. It is most difficult for a human mind to comprehend the truth of that reality to say nothing of the spiritual significance of the resurrection. Why do people take vitamins? Why do they take medicine? Why do they exercise? Who do they go to the doctor? Why do they buckle their seat belts? They do all these things and more in order to prolong their life and avoid death. Death is the enemy. And all men attempt to avoid death for as long as they are able. But Jesus not only conquered death but He offered His eternal victory unto whosoever will.

The resurrection changed everything. And the glorious proof of that resurrection is indeed the Risen Christ Himself. He reigns in a place sometimes called heaven. So ethereal and yet so tangible that Paul could not tell whether he had been there in or out of the body. All heaven is mesmerized by this Divine Monarch.

He is the start, the journey, and the destination. He is everything to all His followers and in Him we live and move and have our being. He is our life and our death and He dwells in heaven and simultaneously in the heart of every believer. He has no equals and no competitors. He is the first among His brethren and He is the vine while His brethren were grafted into Him. He must be the pursuit of every blood bought saint of God. He is the object of all our worship and all the angels of heaven worship Him with us. He is the Creator of time and yet eternal.

To say He is important is to capture Him in human terms which minimize Who He is. He is not just important, He is all in all. He is everything. Do we think the blood washed waves of heavenly saints would consider Him important? They are consumed with Him and being made like Him they actually reflect Him as they worship Him. His dwelling place is beyond words, how much more He Himself? And for all eternity the Seraphim surround the glory of His throne and worship Him with heavenly chants of “Holy, holy, holy…”. And they, the angels, were not redeemed. How do you think we will feel when we set our eyes upon the glorified Savior who purchased our eternity?? We were not angels, we were disgusting rebels who thought of no one but ourselves. We were not content with Eden’s perfection, we had to have the forbidden fruit, and when God the Son came to this desolate place that was permeated with Spiritual death, we murdered Him.

Do not think that any Hollywood producer can actually portray the sufferings of the Lamb, His agonies are a sacred mystery which eclipse human understanding. And when I speak of the love inherent in the crimson cross we must all bow and shake our poor heads in wonder and unworthiness. Why? Why? Me? Why? The glory of the Savior God and His death is that the love that motivated His sacrifice cannot be defined. There was absolutely nothing, I said nothing, lovable about us. So God’s love is absolutely pure of any object impurities and His love was never drawn by anything on earth but it emanated from He who is love. We can never know why until the moment we are changed in His presence and we know then even as we are known. I cannot describe it, but when we see the Risen Lamb of God we will be able to understand more deeply that it is all of Him and none of us.

Jesus is neither renaissance nor industrial nor modern nor post modern, and all attempts to present Him in those terms tarnish the revelation He has so graciously given to us. To bring Him into this world and capture Him in our man made descriptions obscure His glory and run the ever increasing risk of creating someone else than the true Risen Christ. He is the deepest of all mysteries and at the same time the divine simplicity for our sake granted by the looking glass of the Spirit. The Lord Jesus sits above all creation, that which He Himself has made, and all things continue at the behest of His power. Human words can describe Him but only the Spirit of God can unveil Who He is to any woman born sinner. He is the great I Am.

He has been relegated to the back of the modern theological bus only to be discussed usually in musings about different perspectives of Who He is in this world today and, oh yes, how He relates to us today. But Jesus relates to us today the same way He related to those on the Day of Pentecost, the same way He related to Luther, the same way He related to Whitefield, the same way He related Moody, the same way He related to Tozer. We should not be so consumed with dissecting how Christ relates to us, we should be desirous to learn how we should relate to Him. Indeed. And I challenge you this Sunday, as you arrive on the grounds of the church and exit your car, restrict your conversation to small greetings and listen to the conversations taking place before and after the service. I had done that several weeks in a row and I had not heard one, not one, conversation about Jesus. How often is He spoken of in our phone conversations, our dinner table, our car discussions, our blogs, and the preponderance of all our words never mention Him. So there He sits on His reigning throne, above all the universe, powerful and merciful, august and yet reaching into our cursed world, magnificent and glorious, and His own people barely talk of Him in their everyday lives. If God would transport you, me, and 100 other people to spend 3 hours before His magnificent throne, worshipping Him in all His glory, and granting us remembrance as we returned, would we speak of Him?

Well we will not be afforded that miracle but we have been given many other miracles that should translate into an uncontrollable urge to speak of Jesus. He has saved us from eternal judgment. Oh my, how can we ever cease to praise Him? Standing in the grocery store and the Spirit brings to mind how He has saved you from hell, do you praise Him regardless of the so called embarrassment? When listening to a worship song and the Spirit again brings to your mind that you have been eternally rescued do you suddenly worship Him with your voice even if you are alone. When do we make a phone call just to share with a brother or sister about something the Spirit showed you about our Wonderful Savior? Who gets more mouth time than Jesus in the life of an average believer? Bush, Clinton, Trump, Shaq, MacArthur, and list goes on and on. And the One Who should have the preeminence barely is the topic of discussion on Sunday mornings. Let us repent before the King of Kings and the Beautiful Lord of Lords.

Finally Jesus is the center of everything. And when we think about His resplendence and magnificence, we must ask the question “What is man that Thou art mindful of him??”. He has accomplished for us what we could never attempt to gain for ourselves, and He has secured it for eternity. Our future is no time framed vacation, no, it is captured in the eternal realm and He has included us in His plans. And think of this, would it not have been gracious for Jesus to have prepared an eternal paradise where we would go to live forever? But instead, remove your Spiritual shoes, our Lord has summed us to spend eternity in HIS VERY DWELLINGPLACE. If that ever really soaks into our Spiritual realities, we will never be restrained from speaking “those things which we have seen and heard”…about Him.

There is no such thing as "Easter". Worship the Risen Christ every day.

Wolves

WOLVES

 

 

Wolves are rabid carnivores who travel in packs. And when they have brought down an animal they eat large amounts of meat. Because they cooperate they can bring down much larger animals. They are relentless and will show no mercy once they have surrounded their prey. They have powerful jaws and are extremely vicious. They give their pups milk at the beginning, but later they regurgitate meat to wean them away from milk and onto meat. They are beautiful animals but they are ferocious killers who specialize in spotting the weak and infirmed animals.

Matt.7: ¹⁴ Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

¹⁵ Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

Acts 20: ²⁸ Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

²⁹ For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.

³⁰ Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

We live in perilous times where wars rage, pestilence kills millions, racial hatred abounds, and violence covers the earth. Sexual perversion is pervasive, the love of money is the norm, and men and women are idolized. The Scriptures have clearly warned us about the time in which we now live. Sin runs without limits. But there is also another phenomenon which has accelerated in these last days.

Within the church, and wearing the garments called Christian, there are spiritual wolves whose falsehoods relentlessly pursue the flock of God. These men and women have lent themselves to evil spirits and now they run to and fro with great energy to spread messages of deception. The Scriptures call them wolves since they are ruthless and many appear beautiful while still being carnivores in the spirit. They seek men’s souls and when they have chased them with alluring messages stuffed with soaring promises of great wealth and health and personal importance, they ravage their very souls without the prey even realizing what is happening.

These wolves tear at the very core of redemption and the Person and exclusivity of the Lord Jesus. Although they seem nice and reasonable they are diabolical teachers of evil who bring in damnable heresies. Some teach that all will eventually be saved. Some teach that a faith in Jesus Christ is unnecessary for eternal life. Some teach all religions lead to heaven. Some teach that Jesus is an offspring of God and therefore subservient. Some teach that there are additional writings just as inspired as the Bible. Some teach that by human good deeds can we be saved. Some teach that Jesus was a good man who pointed the way to God. Some teach that the cross was just an example. Some teach that the resurrection is just a metaphor. Some teach that Jesus is not coming back. Some teach that Jews can be saved through the law without Jesus. Some teach there is no such thing as sin. Some teach a bloodless redemption.

These are ravenous wolves who wear the shepherd’s robe but are slaughtering the sheep and the goats with their humanistic revelations and their intellectual heresy. You can see them on television. You can hear them on the radio. Their books are in every Christian bookstore. Their Cds are in widespread circulation. They hold conferences across the nation. They are on secular talk shows. They are at national prayer breakfasts. They are in “Bring Back America” gatherings. They are called upon for public prayers.

They say they believe the Bible. They say they believe in Jesus. They have compassion on the poor. They are eloquent about all things religious. They join hands with other religions. They quote the Pope. They are great patriots. They dismiss the old paths. They have great wealth. They write bestselling books. They are pastors to the unbelievers. They speak in riddles. They are marvelous story tellers. They share platforms with infidels.

These are men and women who use the Christian vernacular but mean very different things. They avoid direct questions about what they believe. They embrace almost any translation of the Bible. They are looked upon as experts by the news channels. They believe discernment is condemnation. These wolves are very hospitable and have a good word for anyone. They have great followings who quote them often. They claim to be “orthodox” but yet teach things that are at odds with Scripture. They all join hands together from prosperity to emergent to ecumentical to neo-Calvinist to free will to liberal and even to a new age/Christian amalgam.

Yes, they run in packs. And they are prolific in their falsehoods and very energetic in their ministry. They are not slackers. To be sure they are relentless and show up all around the country. Their conferences and book signings are well orchestrated and slick events. Many times they have beautiful music to enhance the atmosphere. Important and rich people like them. They are in the spotlight many times. They make the cover of many magazines. The secular media treats them with respect and even reverence. Millions hang on every word they say. In fact many people believe any and all things that proceed from their mouths.

Yes, these wolves are the darlings of the evangelical communities. They express a false humility while they receive accolades from everyone. They have sound reasoning and philosophical perspectives. They draw followers by their worldly wisdom and insights. Good advice is their mainstay and Jesus is a vehicle to earthly pursuits. The cross is avoided at all costs and self denial is a bad thing according to their theology. There is a caste system to these wolves. Some are pack leaders while other are second tier subordinates who desire to be elevated by attaching themselves to the pack leader. There are many wolf schools which are training men and women to be better and more effective wolves.

And here we are. Do not be deceived. These wolves are legion throughout America. The churches are their dens as well as their hunting grounds. With great and swelling words they lead sheep astray, and while promising them great success they make merchandise of them. They feed their listeners the regurgitated meat they have pulled off rotting falsehoods. And the meat they feed is poison to the souls of men. Little by little those that listen are drawn in until they themselves are so deceived they cannot know truth. So called healings take place by their hands and by their word.

These are spiritual wolves and evil messengers. Only God knows how they have been transformed into these carnivores, however they are wolves now. And when one wolf falls another one takes up his mantle. They continue to profess new doctrines that only they can see. They say they hear directly from God and some even hear him audibly. They are the spiritual Bourgeoisie who graciously feed the gullible Proletariat that which will extract the most money from them. While they fare sumptuously and live in luxury, those that still live like they always have hang on their promises and look for their own pot of gold.

Be diligent and watch. The wolves run with great vigor and they can spot the smallest weakness. They will offer you financial success, personal achievement, great self image, spiritual insight, dreams and visions, relationship enhancement, favor with God, and even sexual benefits. All of this comes from them and them alone. They draw disciples unto themselves who know nothing of Jesus and His truth.

 

 

These are wolves and their judgment will come soon enough. Watch and pray. A true shepherd will draw you to deepen your knowledge and obedience to Jesus and His teachings. A wolf will draw you to himself and when you get close enough he will destroy you.

If Only

IF ONLY…

If only money meant nothing to us.

If only we forgave everyone even before they offended us.

If only our clothes were just utilitarian.

If only we drove cars that we way below our wants.

If only we prayed as much as we talked.

If only we rejected violence as a means.

If only we were passionate concerning the poor.

If only we would love sinners.

If only we would listen to the Sermon on the Mount.

If only Jesus was our very life.

If only we believed Jesus might come today.

If only eternity filled our hearts.

If only we mourned over sin.

If only our light shined in the eyes of the blind.

If only this world meant nothing to us.

If only we visited the cross every single day.

If only we were counted worthy to experience the fellowship of His sufferings.

If only we wept over lost souls.

If only we were filled with the Holy Spirit.

If only we worshiped Christ in private.

If only we prayed sometimes into the early hours.

If only we fasted.

If only the cares of this world we not our cares.

If only we prayed earnestly for missionaries.

If only we walked in constant contentment.

If only we walked in His love.

If only we rejoiced in our salvation.

If only we were very patient.

If only we witnessed in word and deed.

If only we consumed God’s Word.

If only we lived every day with a relentless and passionate pursuit to be like Jesus.

 

Yes, if only.

And Whosoever was not Found Written in the Book of Life was Cast into the Lake of Fire

Rev.20:15 

 And Whosoever was not Found Written in the Book of Life

was Cast into the Lake of Fire.

One small sentence inserted almost at the very end of the New Testament. There are many verses which present facets of this terrible truth, but here we have the culmination succinctly stated. This subject has been relegated to the doctrinal back burners if it can be found at all. It is no longer acceptable for the mixed company found dwelling in Sunday morning pews. It is far too unpleasant for open discussion to say nothing of powerful warnings from behind God’s pulpits. It may be touched upon to prove our orthodoxy, but it almost never elicits tears from the doctrinal Bourgeoisie. To be honest, only dead preachers actually preach it with any conviction and heartbreaking emotion.

Rev.20:15 

And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Before the glory of a new heaven and a new earth or the wonder of the eternal paradise of God’s presence and the blood washed saints, there is coming a mournful day of gloom for most of the human race. We as believers should never rejoice in that coming narrative, and in fact we should be conduits of light which can be used to lead sinners away from that awful day. This is no hyperbolic play on words used to present a melodrama invented inside the minds of religious fanatics. No, this is a coming reality which can only be described in a very limited way in Scripture since the things of the Spirit are often beyond human imagination.

 

Rev.20:15

And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

 

In essence the entire world except for those who have been born again by faith in Jesus Christ will stand before the Creator and asked to give an account for their sins. But since only the shed blood of Christ can forgive sins, those without Christ will not be able to escape the justice of God. They will never be able to pay for their sins and therefore they will suffer the consequences of unpaid sins forever.

Rev.20:15

And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

 

Yes, this all seems like religious folklore. And if indeed the Bible is not true than it is nothing but a fairy tale. But if even most of the Bible is true than this final judgment will be an event unlike any other. Even unbelievers have a sense of justice and good and evil. Dolphins do not have that sense. Bears do not have that sense. Lions do not have that sense. But mankind has sense of fairness and good versus evil. The definition of evil or good may be different, but that sense is still present.

Rev.20:15

And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

But in the end the story of man, filled with war and woe, will meet its final authority. And the Judge of All will point His righteous scepter and demand holiness from every sinner born of a woman. Where will people go? To whom will they turn? The time for faith has past and they will stand naked in their sins without a hope for redemption. I tremble to think of that day, and I am in Christ. If the righteous scarcely be saved, where will the unrighteous be found? Imagine standing before God and realizing that there is no hope and that you are about to reap the reward of your sin. Imagine knowing that in a moment you will be cast into the lake of fire without any hope of getting out. Imagine eternal punishment. Discount it as foolishness if you wish. Disregard the warnings if that soothes your conscience. But if you do, and that is your choice, just remember that one day you will wish you had given some attention to these words of warning. I beg you to pause with just one unguarded moment and allow God to speak to your heart.

Rev.20:15

And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

We are impressed these days with all the technological advances and the soaring rhetoric of the latest politician or the talents of sports figures and Hollywood actors. And Biblical truths like this seem so farfetched and so out of touch with modern realities that not only are they dismissed, they are rarely even spoken of in churches whose doctrinal statements say they believe them. The warnings of eternal judgment have fallen almost silent and have given way to more uplifting messages of success, prosperity, and a healthy self image. Any judgment, to say nothing of eternal judgment, has been widely discounted as hyperbole.

Rev.20:15

And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

But this is as serious as it gets. Our minds have been so consumed with everything from politics to sports to finances and everything in between that we can hardly ever capture our hearts long enough to even give serious consideration to things like this. And although we cannot bring ourselves to openly deny truths like this, we have cleverly designed an ecclesiastical system that can be practiced and enjoyed without ever manifesting the prayers, emotions, and outreach that would substantiate our doctrinal suggestions.

Rev.20:15

And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

 

The truths we profess to believe are most astonishing. To put it in succinct terms, we believe that every person born will spend eternity either in the presence of Christ or in a place of continuing and unabated judgment. Think about that for a moment. That is a colossal and breathtaking assertion. And if that is true, and if we actually believe it to be true, than should not such a desperate issue elicit fruits and behaviors from those who believe it which can only be described as remarkable?

Rev.20:15

And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

 

If a man says he believes his house is on fire, should we not expect him to flee his house? If a mother says she believes her child may be dying, should we not expect that mother to desperately cry for help? If a father says his child is drowning, should we not expect that father to swim out to rescue his child? And if a believer says he believes every person will face either heaven or hell in eternity, should we not expect that believer to pray and witness with passion or even with obsession? But what if all these scenarios do not elicit the behavior which we should expect? Then what are we to conclude? We must conclude that the man or the mother or the father or the believer does not believe what he or she says.

Rev.20:15

And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

And so we are left with an uncomfortable mirror. If we actually believe those words then shouldn’t that belief bring forth some actions and emotions that are unique and even uncomfortable as it pertains to the “normal” religious expressions? That one verse is so profound and so unsettling that it alone should demand some responses that should be considered fanatical by the accepted patterns within the Christian community. But that verse along with others dealing with that issue has little if any affect upon our hearts and lives. In effect, by our ambivalence we render them as benign doctrinal tenants and philosophical curiosities that are rarely considered seriously and even more rarely acted upon.

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

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

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

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

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

Selah.

A Woman in History

A WOMAN IN HISTORY

March has been designated as women's history month. There are many women around the world who stand courageously against violence and who pave ways for other women. But I am submitting the name of a young woman named Blandina. I am sure she will not be recognized by the media. So I repost this:

One sure way to have a wrong and superficial perspective on things is to be ignorant of history and be blind to a greater reality. The story I am about to share is only one of many thousands over the course of two thousand years, but it represents a looking glass into both the glory of Christ as well as the state of western Christianity.

Her name was Blandina, and she was a frail, teenage slave girl in the 2nd century A.D.. She and her master lived in Rome and they had become Christians. It was during this time that pagan Rome became thirsty for the blood of Christians, and slaves were a unique target. It was thought that through torture the slaves would both renounce their faith and implicate their masters as well. With this in mind the little slave girl was arrested in 177 A.D..

As the Romans cast their eyes upon her it was evident that her stature would not endure much pain and suffering, and that she would quickly acquiesce to their demands of renunciation. She was unmercifully beaten and tortured, and her courage frustrated the Roman torturers. They returned and informed the magistrate that they had exhausted themselves in beatings and torture, but to no avail. All this little slave girl would say, “I am a Christian and I commit no wrongdoing”. The Romans would hear her pray for them and her fellow believers.

After this she was brought into the arena that housed the ferocious beasts and she was made to watch unspeakable horrors as her brothers and sisters were torn to shreds and eaten by wild animals. Instead of begging for mercy, this frail little girl began to cry out encouragement to her fellow believers and for them to be strong in faith, hope, and love. When the Romans heard her they brought her into the arena and tied her to a stake. She began to humbly pray for her captors.

Shockingly, though, the animals would not attack her. Frustrated once more, the Romans tied her to a gate and placed her before a vicious bull who gored her to death. She died with intercession on her lips and her remains were fed to the beasts. The testimony of this brave girl lives on until today. It was not uncommon for heathens to embrace Christ based largely on the faithfulness and demeanor they witnessed from Christian martyrs.

Against that backdrop let us examine the depth of Christianity that is prevalent today. Instead of praying for our enemies, the church is consumed with political wrangling and many embrace the caustic rhetoric of talk show hosts. Instead of humility many believe that fighting “fire with fire” is the ministry of God’s Spirit. Instead of living lives of quiet contentment and marginal sustenance, western believers enjoy many of the same amusements as do the heathens and they store up vast sums of money for themselves.

Suffering is out of spiritual vogue, and God’s blessings, mostly defined as material benefits, have replaced the glorious blessings of suffering for Christ. Oh for a return when all we think is Christ and all we serve is Christ and our lives are at His command, even unto death. Where are the days when the “things of this world grow strangely dim” and we are persecuted for Jesus’ sake and not some belligerent political rhetoric? When will those who bear His name be so humble, so compassionate, and so faithful to His gospel that sinners must either melt or throw stones? And when you read the story of Blandina, does your mind battle to even believe such a thing?

It is absurd to contend that we who sit behind glowing screens, or who talk on radio programs, or who write and profit from books, are warriors of God’s truth when believers like this one, frail slave girl has put us all to shame. We have tarnished the glory of God by allowing ourselves to be called "conservatives", and we squawk with the world when the government abuses our finances. In America we are one right wing voice among many, wholly unremarkable and even joining with unbelievers in our quest to manipulate society. We refuse to even see that God may desire persecution, and yet we battle it and resist it.

We seem to be proficient at orchestrating such melodrama as it concerns today’s battle against liberalism and post modern dilution, but where pray tell is our power? Where is our sacrifice? Where is the unmistakable and distinguishing essence that would lead pagans to Christ based substantially on our lives – where is the love of Almighty God through us? How have we changed the God of the cross into the God of democracy, morality, and the western hedonistic lifestyle? And yet, like Samson, we do not even recognize that our power is literally gone. Without a painful and humilitiating inventory, followed by a massive revival, New Testament Christianity in the west will remain represented by a mirage and a human forgery.

We even have the audacity to claim our controversy is some kind of “truth war”, and yet this bloodless and air conditioned “war” bears no resemblance to the selflessness of the cross and followers like Blandina. Our war is fought on radio shows, and in book stores, and in pitiful protests that seem to make us feel good about our “boldness” but costs nothing but an occasional terse word, which we immediately amplify to all who will hear as a trophy of martyrdom. In this battle we load our guns with the ammunition of caustic rhetoric and systematic theology, but void of the explosive power of humility, sacrifice, and God’s love, our weapons are carnal and spiritually unusable. We shoot sinners in need and we ignore the needs of fellow saints, except those who are doctrinally and geographically convenient.

We spend vast amounts of money to hold conferences where we can pass out platitudes among ourselves for our “bold and daring” verbal assents to doctrinal truth, while many heroes in Christ go unnoticed in Darfur, Pakistan, China, and other obscure places in the uttermost parts of the world. King David would not dare drink of Bethlehem’s well because he realized the valor of these men forbid him such a luxury, yet we go on Christian cruises, wasting obscene amounts of money and gorging ourselves, while brothers and sisters are in dire need and face certain death around the world. Can there be any more profound hypocrisy??

The disgrace and shame of the western church is uncovered in God’s sight and yet we refuse to blush. Our ignorance is only equaled by our insolent hedonism, faring sumptuously while beggars go hungry, even some who name His name. And when we read the account of someone like Blandina, it, like a court jester to a king, amuses us and perhaps elicits some insignificant emotion, but little else. These testimonies of days gone by will not even open church doors during the week for meetings of intercession and prayer. Prayer for our suffering brethren, you ask? Oh yes, but also prayer that God would break our hearts by showing us a mirror of ourselves and compare it to a portrait of His will.

A little slave girl, filled with God’s Spirit, prays for her executioners and brings no railing accusation to her torturers. Yet we, as modern examples of believers, yell at sinners, call them sarcastic names, and pounce upon them with clubs of doctrinal purity, all while contending they cannot even understand such things in their present state. Please do not contend with me concerning our great adherence to Christ in these last days. Please do not suggest we sacrifice in even the smallest of ways. Do not speak to me about how we show the love of God in our speech and actions. Please refrain from hinting that we western believers mirror anything close to New Testament teachings. Happy and comfortable in our little local conclaves, we are an accepted part of the western societal experience, but a salt less embarrassment to heaven. If we refuse to repent, let us at least remain silent.

Surely the coming of our Blessed Lord is nigh, but are His worshipers asleep in His fields? Have we made Babylon our marketplace and template? It is time to reevaluate who Christ is. Is He Lord, or is He not? Is He still the Suffering Servant in this present world, or is He interested in the culture wars? Was He more manifested in Blandina than He is in the modern church? We must examine ourselves to see whether we are in the faith, not just are we saved, but are we walking entirely in the Kingdom of God. We must reach out into the darkness with a gospel light that does not flicker with the winds of this world, and that joyfully endures the scorn from those who are both blind to their need as well as blind to God’s love.

We must be Jesus again.

Electing a New Pope - The Spirit of Religion

ELECTING A NEW POPE

THE SPIRIT OF RELIGION

Every time a new pope is elected I am always amazed at just how unchristian the entire process is. Yes there is scandal galore, but there is scandal throughout evangelicalism as well. Scandal is growing throughout the world in these last days. If all the adultery and drug use and pornography addiction in the church were to be revealed tomorrow it would shock us all. The sirens have called and millions of professing believers have responded.

But the papacy within the Roma Catholic Church is a study in manmade tradition and unbiblical superstition. I certainly hold no ill will toward the common Roman Catholic people, and to a large degree I hold the devil responsible for most of it. But the entire spectacle is built not upon the Rock Jesus, but upon the sinking sand of manmade religion. How can you resolve what you read in the gospels with what you see on television?

Men wearing religious garments invented to set them apart and lift them up. I mean all the different “get-ups” that the Pope wears are almost cartoon like and are crafted to make him to be some sort of god on earth. That in no way resembles the life of Jesus. And when you see all the gold and silver and precious stones as well as the priceless ornate buildings, how can that be of Christ? It is not, and in the light of the abject poverty experienced by millions of Roman Catholic people around the world it is a disgrace. People bow before the Pope and kiss his hand or even his feet. They pay homage to a man who lives in luxury and has servants that wait upon his every whim. All of this is bankrolled by the offerings of common people around the world.

Now some of the vast wealth of the Vatican was gathered during centuries of false promises and the teachings of indulgences and early exits from purgatory, another man made fabrication. So every once in a while we get a glimpse of just how hedonistic the Roman Church is and especially toward a select few. But when you see the man-worship of the pope you cannot help but be amazed and disgusted all at once. And then, with all the child molestation scandal, the cardinals gather to anoint another pope. It is a script right out of Oscars night.

All the useless details about the Pope relinquishing his red shoes, and what people will call him, and where he will spend his retirement. And people are fascinated by all of it. And when the new pope is elected he will change his name according to tradition. The pomp and circumstance will be outrageous. And after centuries of religious layer upon religious layer another pope will take the helm. It is all so carnal, and it would be just disgusting and even somewhat comical if it were not so spiritually diabolical.

The core of deception within the Roman Catholic Church is not the papacy or Mariology or indulgences or even the religious caste system it has created. The most damning element of that church is that they teach a religion of works that suggests that one can be saved by faith and works. In fact, the church used to teach that no one can be saved without being a part of the Catholic Church. But now they teach that God will grant mercy to those of us outside the church but that He still strongly suggests we return to Rome.

It is precisely that teaching that led to the Reformation. The books of Romans, Galatians, and Hebrews deal specifically with the false teachings that include works in the salvation experience. So regardless of all the other superstitions taught and practiced by the Roman Catholic Church, their teachings about salvation are heretical. Vatican II, the updated version of their teachings, also reveals that a Muslim can be saved without Jesus as well as any other heathen as long as he believes in God and is a good person. And their salvation also comes through the mercy of the Roman Catholic Church as well.

But as you witness this spectacle of another pope’s ascension to the throne, try and juxtapose that against the teachings of Jesus. Paul talks about a man not thinking too highly of himself, and yet here we have a man chosen by other men who claims to be the personal representative of Christ upon the earth. And in matters of divine truth when he speaks he is infallible which means he cannot make a mistake. Many even suggest that this event signals another chapter in the end times. Perhaps.

But to be sure, this in no way is the faith once delivered to the saints. But although we must humbly but strongly expose these unprofitable religious systems, let us not be self righteous since the system now called evangelicalism is crumbling before our very eyes as well. But it is curious that the secular media views the election of a pope with such interest and even such respect. Even the titles are over the top. His Eminence, Cardinal, Archbishop, and Pope among others are once again some kind of caste system. And the garments once again draw attention to men and not God.

The office of the Papacy is a man made concoction that not only elevates a man, but it assigns power way above what the Scriptures teach. And the college of Cardinals meet and then we all wait until we see the puff of white smoke indicating a Pope has been chosen. It is all such religious drama signifying nothing. And yet with all this unscriptural regalia evangelicals by the millions believe the Pope to be a holy man of God who is somewhat like Jesus. Yes, we live in a world of Biblical illiteracy and spiritual blindness.

Perhaps no religious system has captured sinners, given them false hope, and made merchandise of them as has the Roman Catholic Church. Even today they have cleverly disguised who they are in hopes of drawing more converts into their fold. And there does seem to be a stream of disillusioned protestants from Baptists to Pentecostals and even including Mormons and the like who are joining the Roman Church.

But do not be deceived. I do not know if the papacy will play a significant role in the end times. It is possible. But we must keep our hearts pure before Christ and not desire greener pastures which are visions of deception. Keep Christ personal and close to your heart, and do not stop your journey. We live in a time of great deception; however there is coming a time where deception will be stronger and more clever than anything we have ever known. It will seem so wonderful and so filled with spiritual freedom, but it will lead to spiritual death. Watch and pray.