Are They Really in a Better Place?

September 15, 2011 by Pastor James 0 Comments

As a pastor, I’ve been called upon numerous times to minister to families in times of physical death.  In presiding over funerals, I have encountered many disturbing things, such as, shouting angry people, individuals coming close to physical blows, intoxicated individuals, feuding families, the deceased purposely buried in the wrong plot, and people objecting to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

However, the one thing, which is most disturbing, is one particular comment often expressed by Christians and lost people alike, which is to the effect, that every deceased individual, professing Christian or not, is in a better place (Heaven) or they are no longer hurting physically, again, because they are “in a better place”.

This alarming remark reveals an incorrect understanding of biblical salvation, and indicates that scores of people in our society have a latent belief in universalism. What does Read more…

American Christianity
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East Texas Fires

September 6, 2011 by ChurchSalt 0 Comments

We would like to take a brief moment to offer our condolences to anybody who has lost friends, family or property in the recent outbreak of local fires.  In past times like these I have heard teachers in various churches preaching that events like this are the judgment of God for insufficient tithing, or that if someone had taken spiritual command or “dominion” over the fire (or tornado, or hurricane), they could have stopped it.  Please know that teachings like this are false, and are intended to bring about manipulation and control through guilt or false hopes.  The simple fact is that we live in a world that is groaning under the weight of mankind’s sin, and disasters like this are a part of that groaning.  Those who are soundly saved (having thrown themselves at the feet of Christ for mercy and are trusting in His work on the Cross to save them) are in no way exempt from experiencing trial or tribulation.

However, it is often times like this that make us reflect on our standing before the Holy and Sovereign Lord.  If in reflection or self-examination (a healthy and biblical thing to practice, see 2 Corinthians 13:5) you find yourself convicted or concerned about your standing before God, please read on.  There are many false teachers in this modern world delivering messages focusing on man rather than God.  They claim to be Christ-centered, but deliver teachings that sound more like formulas or equations resulting in a blessed or successful life.  After tragedy strikes, these teachings are often seen as what they truly are… shallow, self-centered doctrines with Scriptures references given only in an effort to add a religious flavor.  The true Gospel is this… Adoption into the family of God through the work of Christ on the Cross.  This comes about when we put all hope and trust concerning salvation in Christ alone and repent (change our view and intentions) of all sins, even our “little” or “favorite” sins.  The Lord is able to take the most vile of sinners, and change them into new creatures through the blood of Jesus Christ.  This is a miracle of God and becoming a new creature, or a Christian, is not something that can be done on your own, no matter how hard you try.  Such is the love of God to shed His own blood to rescue us!

If you are currently sitting under a teacher who is using tragedy to control you or your dreams of success to mislead you, please take time to prayerfully examine the Word of God so as to distinguish what the good news of salvation really is.  Remember, if what you are hearing is about what you have to go do, then it really isn’t good news (nor is the result a gift), is it?

For now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.  For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.   Romans 6:22-23

Truth
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Facts – not religion!

August 8, 2011 by ChurchSalt 0 Comments

Please take a moment to review the following questions.  Don’t try to answer them.  For now, just read them:

Is there a God?  

Which God preached on Earth is the real one (if any)?

Does God (if He exists) have Laws that I am to obey?

Are there consequence for breaking God’s laws (if He does exist and does indeed have laws)?

Is there an afterlife?

Was Jesus simply a man, or was He more than a man?

Did Jesus have a particular mission in mind when He lived and died on this planet?

Did Jesus arise from the dead?

Now let me ask you to reflect on how you viewed these question.  Do you think they are in the world of the abstract and philosophical? Do you feel that these are all religious questions?  They aren’t!  Every single one of the above questions are questions concerning reality.  Each one of them pertains to facts that you will someday verify.  They are not at all abstract or subjective.  The factual answers to these questions cannot be altered by our debates, beliefs and denials.  They are not open to interpretation.  If you were asked, “Was Abraham Lincoln an actual President of the United States, or is he a fictional character?” the answer would be either, “Yes, he was a real President” or “No, he is a fictional character.  There is a fact-based answer that would be either right (if you answered “yes”) or wrong (if you answered “no”).  The question concerning Lincoln is not of political nature, it is simply a factual and historical query.

The questions above pertain to present reality or historical fact, not experience or belief.  Many, many people view these questions and the discussion of such things to be subjective.  “What’s true for you might not be true for me” is the motto of many when discussing things of this nature.  But this is a ridiculous and poorly reasoned.  There are indeed subjective topics discussed in religion, but far fewer than most people think.  Facts of reality are facts of reality.  Some may disagree on the facts… we may argue the facts… some facts may not be verifiable this side of the grave, but facts (or truths) are not subjective or flexible.  In this short post I am not discussing any of these topics themselves, I am merely asking you to consider how you view the claims of Christianity and other religions.  I am asking you to consider how you read the Bible, when it lays out much of its’ content as historical fact.  Do you think the these things are abstract and subjective?  They most assuredly are not!  And considering the nature of the facts being discussed, is there anything more important than coming to a correct knowledge of the true facts?  Of course not!  It is of the utmost importance that you take the time to search out these truths!

Please take the time to consider your views…

Truth
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Is Rick Perry in Terrible Error?

August 6, 2011 by ChurchSalt 0 Comments

No, this post isn’t about politics!  But it is about how professing Christians view and respond to Scripture.  Our Texas governor (and professing Christian) Rick Perry has recently been organizing and participating in various prayer events and rallies around the state (he is attending one today in Houston).  The idea is to gather together people of faith in order to seek the Lord’s favor and ask Him to move on behalf of our state and nation.  Those in the Christian faith are the ones primarily encouraged to come, but people of all faiths are welcome.  But is this what Christians are supposed to do?  Well… yes and no.  Before going further, let’s see what Scripture has to say…

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2  for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.   1 Timothy 2:1-2

We see here that praying for the citizens and leaders of our land isn’t just allowable according to Scripture, it is actually urged by the Apostle Paul.  So the idea of gathering together and seeking the Lord to move on our nation and its’ leaders is a good one.  But is it Scriptural to gather with people of all faiths?  Let us first clarify our terminology… “people of all faiths” is a modern-day, polite and politically correct way of saying, “all religious people, even those who reject Jesus Christ as Lord”.  But God’s Word is not written in soft and modern language, and it has a word for folks who reject Christ as Lord and instead bow to other “gods”.  They are called “idolators”, meaning “those who worship idols”.  In Scripture, do we see any urging to gather with idolators and pray together?  No! Far from it!  Those familiar with God’s Holy Word know that in the Old Testament, idolators in Israel were executed (sometimes by the Lord’s prophets themselves).  In the New Testament we are told to flee from idols and their worship.  In no way is it biblical or desirable for professing Christians to enter into joint religious gatherings with idol-worshipers!  What fellowship does light have with darkness?

So what is Rick Perry (and many other professing Christians) doing when joining with idol worshipers in public religious ceremony?   They are engaging in Read more…

American Christianity
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How To Be Sure You Are Genuinely Saved Part 2

July 28, 2011 by Pastor James 0 Comments

“These things I have written to you who believe

 in the name of the Son of God,

so that you may know that you have eternal life”

- 1 John 5:13

Are you struggling with doubts as to whether or not you are genuinely born again (John 3)? If so, please know that it is indeed possible to determine your true spiritual state.  The first article in this series began by asking the following questions: Can a person know that they possess saving faith? Is it possible for an individual to know that they belong to Jesus Christ? If so, is there an effective way to measure an individual’s profession of  faith to determine its authenticity?

 The answer to all these questions is a resounding “Yes!”  The New Testament Book of 1st John lists several objective truths for correctly ascertaining the existence or absence of true saving faith. The first fruit or evidence of saving faith is…

 THE FRUIT OF A CORRECT UNDERSTANDING OF JESUS CHRIST

 Where biblical salvation is concerned, it is necessary for an individual to correctly comprehend the correct identity of Jesus Christ (1 John 1:1-4). Why is this important? For one thing, it is imperative that you go to the right person for salvation. You must be sure that you are seeking the Jesus of the Bible. People believe all sorts of incorrect things about the person of Jesus Christ, and often times they teach other folks these same false notions.  For example:

  •  The Mormon cult teaches that Jesus is the half-brother of Lucifer, the Devil. The Mormon Jesus and the biblical Jesus are completely different. The Jesus of the Bible is uniquely God’s Son, he does not have a brother (John 3:16, 18).
  •  The Jehovah Witnesses (The Watch Tower Society) who teach that Jesus is not the God of the Old Testament, but a lesser being or little god, created by Jehovah. Where did such a notion come from? The Jehovah Witnesses have embraced, hook, line, and sinker, an ancient heresy known as Arianism, which denies the deity of Jesus Christ.

 But those are groups that are known by most to be outside of the true Christian faith, right?  But many who would appear to be inside mainstream Christianity have false ideas as well…

  •  Many believe Jesus was merely a good man, teacher, or prophet (Matt 16:13-16), and thus they reject Him as being God incarnate, and of divine nature.
  •  Others dream up their own Jesus, one whom they can manipulate and manage. They often superimpose their own beliefs upon their fabricated Jesus so that He is in line with their ideas and desires. 
  •  Many try to simplify (and thus distort) His teachings, as can be seen by the common notion that to become a Christian one must start by learning to “love God and love others” or that the Gospel message is, “God is love”.

 Because of these things, it is imperative for an individual seeking to obtain salvation to seek the real Jesus!  The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ is both 100% God (Col 1:19; 1John 4:15) and 100% Human without the sin nature (Hebrews 4:15; 1John 4:2-3), with which the rest of humanity is born into this world (Rom 3:10, 23). When Jesus Christ is erroneously identified, salvation becomes impossible. A fictional Jesus is not a savior simply because He shares a name with the Biblical Jesus!  The Bible plainly teaches that Jesus is both Savior and Lord and you must go to Him for salvation as such (Romans 10:9-10, 13; 2Cor. 4:5). Yea, He is absolute and sovereign Lord and you must seek Him alone for salvation (Romans 10:9-13; 1Cor 12:3; 2Cor 4:5; Luke 6:46).

 If you desire for Him to saved you, then you must approach Him in repentance and faith (Mark 1:15). Once more, salvation is only found in the person of the true Jesus Christ and in no other (John 14:6; Acts 4:12; Rom 10:9-13). This is the first mark of a true Christian. Stay tuned for part 3!

 

Read Part 1 of this series HERE

 

 

Read Part 3 of this series HERE

 

Read Part 4 of this series HERE

 

Examine Yourself
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Remember September 11th?

July 25, 2011 by ChurchSalt 2 Comments

Most of us remember 9-11-2001 and the terrorists attacks that occurred on that day.  If on the 10th, you knew what was going to happen the next day, what would you have done?  Just kept quiet and went about with your daily life?  Probably not!  You would have warned everybody you could, even if they thought you to be crazy!  You would have spared no expense to warn people of the dangers even though they were complete strangers to you.  Well, internet visitor, we probably don’t know each other personally, but you must be warned… there is a day of terror coming that every single person will face…the Day of Judgement!  This is when you will stand before God and give account for every time you have broken His laws and rebelled against Him.  You will be told to give account for every lie you have ever told, every time you have stolen money or a trinket, and every time you have used His name in a way that makes it equivalent to a vile cuss word.  Every infraction of God’s law will be revealed in His courtroom.  On that day the terror in your heart won’t be from insane and evil terrorists, it will be from facing the Just Judge, the Holy God and creator of the universes who is indeed loving, but who also will in no way pardon the guilty.  He will judge all men rightly according to His Holy law – it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God!  Despite the teachings of many modern-day “teachers”, the Bible teaches us that Hell is indeed the eternal resting place for those found guilty in the Holy court.

But there is hope!  There is mercy found in Jesus Christ!  The Bible teaches us that we, the guilty, can be saved from the wrath of God because Jesus paid the penalty for His people when he was tortured and killed on the Cross.  Jesus  was made an offering for sin so that in taking our sin, we could be given His righteousness in the eyes of the heavenly court (see 2 Corinthians 5:21).  He died on the Cross so that we might be made right with God!

Now that you have heard the warning… what will you do?  Will you heed the warning and repent of your sins and trust in Christ’s payment (and His payment alone) to make you right with God?  Will you flee from sin and search the Scriptures as to learn how you might come to know and follow your savior?  Or, will you ignore this warning, thinking it to be religious nonsense or some overly uptight website just trying to scare people?  Choose wisely!  The day of judgement is coming whether you believe or not!  What will you do???

Truth
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How To Be Sure You Are Genuinely Saved Part 1

July 14, 2011 by Pastor James 0 Comments

“These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13).

Can a person know that they possess saving faith? Is it possible for an individual to know that they belong to Jesus Christ? If so, is there an effective way to inspect an individual’s profession of faith to determine its authenticity? The answer is yes to every question. However, before we begin listing the biblical evidence supporting the existence of true saving faith, one must fully considered several other related issues. Please carefully consider the following truths.

One’s Spiritual Identity Is Discernable – Matthew 7:15-20

In this scriptural passage, Jesus made a straightforward statement concerning identifying a person’s spiritual character. He taught that an individual’s spiritual identity is discernable by the fruit they produce in life. The fruit a person bears in life will be consistent with their true spiritual nature. In other words, a saved person will always bear good fruit, and a lost person will always bear worthless or bad fruit. A fruit tree is evaluated based on the fruit it bears and not on itsoutward appearance.

Jesus Warned of False Faith – Matthew 7:21-23

The Lord also issued a very sober warning concerning counterfeit faith. He cautioned that people could believe themselves to be a Christian, and yet possess false faith. In fact, in (Matthew 7:21-23), Jesus was speaking to religious minded people; who thought they possessed true saving faith, and they did not. This is a very frightening truth, which you must fully consider. You must be sure that you have come to saving faith in Jesus Christ, and that you have come to Him, on His, which are repentance of sin and complete reliance upon Him alone for salvation (Mark 1:15). A person does not want to be wrong about their spiritual condition before God; the consequences are devastating and eternal. The Bible plainly states that all unregenerate or lost people, upon their physically death, will spend eternity living and suffering in the Lake of Fire (Revelations 20:11-15). Therefore, if you are lost you must seek the Lord until He saves you (Isaiah 55:6-7); for He is the only One who can save you (John 6:44; 14:6; Romans 10:9-13).

Assurance of Salvation

You can know that you have been born again. The Apostle John wrote the Book of 1 John to provide a means of objectively measuring one’s faith. In fact, in the book, the Apostle gave a list of biblical indicators, which validate the existence of genuine salvation. On the other hand, if the biblical signs of true salvation are not consistent in one’s life it indicates lostness. Check back for updates to this article, as I will begin listing these biblical indicators in the coming days.

Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!    –  2 Corinthians 13:5

 

 

Read Part 2 of this series HERE

 

Read Part 3 of this series HERE

 

Read Part 4 of this series HERE

 

Examine Yourself
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Who Made the Fish?

July 2, 2011 by ChurchSalt 0 Comments

Once upon a time a horse lived on a beach.  To live on the beach, he was required to follow a set of rules.  Daily he was commanded to swim, stay wet, and eat bugs.  The horse worked hard at obeying the rules, but found it very difficult.  The lifestyle he was ordered to live was very unnatural and uncomfortable for him.  In truth, he often failed to fully obey the commands as instructed.  His failure to fully follow the commands made him feel awfully guilty, but he decided that he was doing the best he could, and everything would be OK, in the end.  However, often in the cool of the evening he would dwell on his failure to keep the rules, worrying that things might not actually be OK.  He really didn’t know what to do, and in the end he would always justify his failure to obey the rules.  Thinking once again, “I am doing the best I can, God will surely accept that!”
One day, while walking on the beach, a strange thing happened…he was suddenly changed, or re-born, into a fish!  He quickly flopped into the water, and was very happy spending all his days swimming around, staying wet, and regularly eating bugs.  In fact, he found the bugs to be quite tasty, and his new life as a fish was very fulfilling.  He thought, “How much happier I am now that I am a fish!”  Now the rules he was given made perfect sense to him, and were no longer difficult to obey, now that he was a new creature with a new nature.  His life as a horse was over.  However, every once in a while he would flop up on the beach, to see if he would enjoy his old horse activities, but he found them very unfulfilling.  His old ways made him feel very uneasy and guilty.  Furthermore, he realized that living on the beach would kill him, so he quickly flip-flopped back into the water.  As time went by, he learned more fish ways, and really enjoyed being a fish.  After a while, he forgot all about once being a horse.  Being a fish and doing fish things was far more satisfying.  He was one happy fish!

The moral of the story is this… Read more…

American Christianity, Examine Yourself, Truth

Saved or Deceived?

June 30, 2011 by ChurchSalt 0 Comments

Part two of this video can be viewed HERE.

American Christianity, Examine Yourself
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New Feature… Audio Sermons!

June 27, 2011 by ChurchSalt 0 Comments

Good news!  We have added a page of mp3 sermons so you can access various teachings online.  These sermons are from New Life Baptist Church here in Longview, as well as other locations both local and national.  Please understand, listening to a sermon online does not replace the “gathering of yourselves together” in the local church every week!  Instead, it is offered so as to provide solid spiritual food that you may chew on throughout the week.  Check out this great new resource by clicking HERE now!

American Christianity, Teachings for the Believer
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