April 3, 2013 
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The video below is a short introduction to a video series called “History of the modern Gospel.” Instead of watching sports tonight, or home improvement, military history or whatever, please let me encourage you to check out this series. It’s well researched, accurate and about something a whole lot more important than basketball. It is free to view online at their website – CLICK HERE to check it out.
March 24, 2013 0 Comments
Have you ever watched one of the royal events broadcast from England’s Buckingham Palace? The pomp and pageantry is second to none! Whether it be a speech, wedding, or some other function, when the Queen of England is scheduled to speak thousands of people gather together to hear her. And this is understandable – she is the Queen of the land! Except…she is Queen in name only. While Elizabeth is universally accepted as the Queen of England, all those who accept her as such will also be in universal agreement that she really has no authoritative power whatsoever. She issues no decrees that the citizens must obey. She commands no armies. She has no real authority at all, and her office is celebrated only as a tradition and out of a sense of duty. Perhaps this sense of duty comes out of the past, originating from the long history of the office and the memory of the many good things accomplished by royalty in times long past.
Living in the Bible Belt of the United States, this week before Easter Sunday strikes me as being similar to the preparations carried out in England before a royal event. Flowers are being ordered, new clothing is purchased for women and children, celebration dinners are being planned with the menu’s being discussed among the family and friends that will be coming together. On Easter Sunday, the pomp and pageantry will be on full display! Pastors will have fresh flowers displayed, new paint on the walls, extra volunteers working and a specially prepared sermon on hand. The churches made up predominantly of older folks will have Read more…
March 22, 2013 0 Comments
Today, I came across a great article regarding the modern Church’s drive to be missional and relevant in today’s culture, and what effect this focus has had on the understanding of sin and salvation. If you are in a church or church movement with a heavy focus on living “incarnational and missional”, I would highly encourage you to find a comfy chair and take a few minutes to read this excellent article over at Possessing the Treasure – CLICK HERE
March 18, 2013 1 Comment
Every one should strive to continually improve, right? Well, yes. But we must be very careful when it comes to improving our actions and behaviors, or our avoidance of sins. Are we trying to improve ourselves and cease sinning because we are trying to be in right standing with God? If this is the case, we are rejecting Christ’s work on the Cross! It is the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross, the atonement He won for us, that makes us in right standing with God. He paid the fines His people owe (fines dictated by God’s law) so that they would be found righteous in the eyes of the Holy Court. Period. Sin will bring brokenness, grief, conviction and much other turmoil, but if you think that “being better next time” will make you right with God you are worshipping the idol of your own goodness. Saved means saved. Sin should be repented of because of what Christ did, not to finish what He started. In theological language, don’t think your sanctification will lead to your salvation! Don’t think being good will make you saved. That is putting the cart before the horse…and it is idolatry and a rejection of what Christ did for you. Salvation leads to works that are truly good, but good works don’t lead to salvation.
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. – Ephesians 2:8-10
Salvation leading to good works = Horse and then cart – GOOD!
Good works leading to (or assisting in) salvation = Cart and then horse – BAD!
February 11, 2013 5 Comments
Okay – Here’s the challenge… Turn off the cable TV, and watch this video tonight instead. It is a LOT more interesting than it might first appear, and it concerns you greatly. It will open your eyes to many truths about the modern church in America, and in Longview. I strongly encourage you to watch this with an open mind, prayerful heart, and (of course) a Bible so you can easily look up the references to see if these things are so.
If you are currently attending a church similar to the ones discussed here, one that has being “relevant” as its’ highest priority, I cannot stress enough the spiritual danger you might be embracing. Not because they are trying to reach people with the Gospel, but because there is a very high possibility they are reaching people (and you) with a changed gospel. Another gospel. Please take the time to pray and study the Scriptures so that you might know for certain as to whether or not you and your children are being fed God’s truth as opposed to a psychology based morality movement.
The one thing missing from this video is a plain proclamation of the true, biblical Gospel as proclaimed by Jesus, Paul, John and all of Scripture. But before I tell you of the rescue (which is the good news of the Gospel) you must know the bad news, and why all men are in need of rescue. All men have sinned and broken God’s laws (these are laid out in summary form in the Ten Commandments). We have all lied, hated, and lusted. Every one of us has indulged in gossip, wicked fantasies and idolatry. Because of our guilt, obeying the laws of God now will in no way absolve us of our existing guilt. Why? Because God is a just judge, and so a punishment must be handed down. If no punishment is given, justice would not be upheld. Because of this situation, we are all guilty and hopelessly headed for eternal torment. But here is the good news! God stepped in and sent His only Son to be tortured and killed on the Cross, paying our punishment. Repenting of our sins (repenting is a change of mind regarding sin, a turning from our own passions) and clinging to Christ alone, trusting that His work alone is what makes us right with God, we are then made in right-standing with in the courts of the almighty. Upon Him is our sin laid and we inherit the righteousness of Christ. We are saved through faith in Christ alone (not our own efforts… that is why it is called “good news”!!) Christ proved to all His true identity and that His sacrifice was acceptable by rising from the dead. That is the gospel! It is the good news that helpless and wicked men have a savior who has done the unimaginable in order to save His people!
February 6, 2013 0 Comments
I used to have sin in my life, but now…I’m not so sure. How did I come to be in this confused state? Well, recently I have been listening to a few sermons from some of today’s popular preachers and as I have, my thoughts & concerns regarding sin have slowly slipped away! The preachers don’t seem to use the word, and in fact, they don’t really address the issue at all. And so now after following my new teachers, all awareness of sin has slowly dissolved away. That’s okay, right? I can still acknowledge that I “don’t always make the best choices” and that sometimes I “mess up”, but sin? No. That seems to be a thing of the past. And good riddance!!
Obviously, I am trying to use a bit of sarcasm to make a point. In Scripture we see many teachings regarding sin. We learn that sin is actually a crime – a crime against God’s law. Each sin is a crime for which we will be judged (by a just judge who in no way pardons the guilty). We learn that every sin is an act of rebellion, and every rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft. We are taught that every act of sin is a refusal to accept the Lord as our Lord, and is considered to be idolatry. Each sin makes self and desire our god instead of Him. You see, every sin is not only a crime against God’s law, but also an insult and challenge to our God on a personal level.
In short, the act of sin, its’ consequences in the heavenly court, along with the immediate effects of sin here are all BIG deals in the eyes of God. Such a big deal that God sent His Son (the Living Word, God incarnate) to die in our place so that the just judge can remain just and offer forgiveness to His people. And not just forgiveness! With forgiveness comes a new birth, the “beginning of the end” in regards to sin in the life of a believer. For every believer is given a new heart that follows God and His laws willingly. They have a life trademarked by repentance and an ever-widening gap between the believer and sin.
Wait a minute…that’s another word missing in modern preaching these days, isn’t it? “Repentance.” But I guess that’s logical, now that I think about it. How can the word or concept of repentance (the changing of ones mind in regards to sin) be preached when the very concept of sin has been softened, avoided, re-worded (or re-defined) and all but removed? “Repentance” was included in the messages delivered by John the Baptist, Paul, John and Jesus Christ Himself, but it is completely missing from the modern preacher’s vocabulary (dear reader, do your teachers regularly discuss sin and repentance?)
Folks, the absence of sin and repentance from today’s preaching does much more than simply contextualize the gospel message for the modern man. It changes the call of the gospel (by eliminating repentance), softens the hard truths about sin, and it robs God of His glory. Does that last statement surprise you? It shouldn’t! Think of this:
January 14, 2013 0 Comments
You may think that the Grey god is a facet of modern theology that is found only in the liberal-leaning churches, but I submit to you that this view has crept into almost all modern-day American churches in some form or another, especially in the youth programs.
But I am getting ahead of myself. Let me first explain what I mean by the expression “a grey God.” This is the view that God isn’t entrenched and immovable in His views and tolerances. It is the idea that the Lord doesn’t always see things in black and white, but is tolerant, and embraces the in-between. The suggested notion that He is in-between black and white on most issues, thus He is “grey”. In these modern times, tolerance has become elevated not only to being a virtue, but to being the chief virtue above all others. In fact, our “enlightened” culture is now convinced that the only thing that shouldn’t be tolerated is intolerance! It’s ironic, but true.
For many, it is easy to fall into this trap when discussing Christianity and religion. For example, when a topic such as homosexuality, creation, or the exclusivity of salvation through Christ is brought up, many want to “round out the corners” a little. Instead of boldly proclaiming the true God of the Bible, they introduce a “softer” God. Why? Because they want to make the truths presented in God’s Word a little less offensive, a little less pointed. They feel as the archaic “black and white” God and His “this is right & that is wrong” teachings found in Scripture are just a little too offensive for an “enlightened” society such as Read more…
December 27, 2012 0 Comments
According to the Quran, is Allah a just judge? Please read the following excerpt (in green) from the Religion of Islam website before I offer my thoughts on this subject:
The Quran, the sacred scripture of Islam, considers justice to be a supreme virtue. It is a basic objective of Islam to the degree that it stands next in order of priority to belief in God’s exclusive right to worship (Tawheed) and the truth of Muhammad’s prophethood. God declares in the Quran:
“God commands justice and fair dealing…” (Quran 16:90)
And in another passage:
“O you who believe, be upright for God, and (be) bearers of witness with justice!…” (Quran 5:8)
Therefore, one may conclude that justice is an obligation of Islam and injustice is forbidden. The centrality of justice to the Quranic value system is displayed by the following verse:
“We sent Our Messengers with clear signs and sent down with them the Book and the Measure in order to establish justice among the people…” (Quran 57:25)
The phrase ‘Our Messengers’ shows that justice has been the goal of all revelation and scriptures sent to humanity. The verse also shows that justice must be measured and implemented by the standards and guidelines set by revelation. Islam’s approach to justice is comprehensive and all-embracing. Any path that leads to justice is deemed to be in harmony with Islamic Law. God has demanded justice and, although He has not prescribed a specific route, has provided general guidelines, on how to achieve it. He has neither prescribed a fixed means by which it can be obtained, nor has He declared invalid any particular means or methods that can lead to justice. Therefore, all means, procedures, and methods that facilitate, refine, and advance the cause of justice, and do not violate the Islamic Law are valid. (You can read this excerpt in its’ full context by visiting Religion of Islam – click HERE)
When you read through this teaching, it is clear that the Quran holds justice in very high esteem. In truth, there are many, many passages in the Quran that mention Allah as being a god of justice. But I see a really big problem here. If Allah is a just judge like the Quran says, how can he forgive sins and allow his people into paradise? Sins are crimes against his law, and crimes must be punished!
Here on Earth, what would happen if a judge simply let criminals go free because, after their crimes, they had started doing good deeds and had asked for forgiveness? I will tell you what would happen…the judge would be dismissed because he was not handing out justice! Payment must be made for crimes here on Earth, and yet the Quran presents Allah as being a judge who simply forgives without payment. The absence of ongoing evil deeds is not payment for past evil deeds, and good deeds do not undue guilt either. I suspect a Muslim reading this will be offended, and claim Allah can do whatever he pleases as he is all-powerful. While this claim may make the Muslim believer feel somewhat better, it in no way answers the charge of injustice. For the judge to be just, punishment must be handed down, plain and simple.
Folks, this is one of the foundational differences between Christianity and Islam. In fact, justice is the attribute that sets the God of the Bible apart from all other religions (including the cultural Christianity preached in so many modern evangelical churches). Rest assured, the Lord of All is indeed a just and holy judge. This is bad news for the Muslim! Past crimes are not pardoned by good deeds, time nor prayers. That is what Jesus Christ was doing on the Cross. He humbled Himself to human form so as to take the punishment for the sins of His people. Justice is maintained because the payment for crimes has been paid, and forgiveness is then possible.
What answer does the Muslim have for this dilemma? I have never heard an adequate answer. The conversation almost always gets diverted to other issues, or anger, or confused arguments in order to justify Muslim “justice”. If you are a Muslim, before dismissing this article or responding in anger, take a few minutes to think about it. Is the god of the Quran just? Myself, I don’t see how he possibly can be…
December 16, 2012 1 Comment
Questioning the unquestionable…
Is “Asking Jesus into our Hearts” Biblical?
We have all heard it taught. It is taught to children in Sunday schools, private Christian schools, and in Christian homes across the land. It is taught as being the Gospel message, the plan of salvation, and in modern times it is even presented to adults as such. What I am talking about is the message “You need to ask Jesus into your heart”. With so many preaching this message as the gospel, would it not be wise to verify that it’s truly biblical? I have found that very, very few in our modern Christian culture have ever dug into the Scriptures to verify this message. That is what this article will attempt to do, but many who read this will take offense that an article like this has even been written. “Why is someone questioning the gospel message?” they will ask, “My Church has taught this message for years. Surely this author is trying to spread doubt and false doctrine!! It isn’t even worth reading such negative and questionable articles!” But please read what Paul warned us Galatians:
But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed (Galatians 1:8)
This is a HUGE warning not only to beware of false Gospels, but also to be very diligent in biblically verifying the message we present to others. So won’t you please stay and read this article? This is not a topic to be dismissed casually or taken lightly!
There are two groups of people that hold to the “Ask Jesus into your heart” message (which from here forward I will refer to as the “Heart” message for the sake of brevity) as being the Gospel message. The first group of people consists of those that believe it truly is the Biblical message. The second group of people are those that acknowledge that the message isn’t taught anywhere in the Bible, but feel it is a good, modern way of delivering the more wordy and theological message that is found in Scripture. By now, many of you will have concluded Read more…
