Wednesday, June 29, 2005

2 churches: different & similar

thank you for visiting my blog....it has been some two weeks since i posted a new update...had a pretty hectic period for a while...thank God i now have a breather...came across this article about 2 churches...the author discussed their differences and their similarities...the point being made by the author was that none of these 2 churches were making the Gospel clear in their so-called evangelistic meetings....2 different styles, 2 different sizes, 2 different outlooks, but both not making clear what the Gospel is all about to the unbelievers that they seek to evangelise....this ought to get us thinking and re-examining what are we doing in our own churches....in an earlier posting, THE THREE DOCTRINES FROM HELL, there was a point made about churches painting a painless comfy type of gospel, to appeal to those seeking a comfort of sorts to accompany them through this life and hopefully into the next....in the article below, the author exhorts the churches to be diligent so as not to lose the Gospel...the one according to the Holy Bible, the Gospel that Jesus came to preach, and not some adulterated and twisted version....

that sort of got me asking...what really is the biblical Gospel all about....it can't just be about a sure-way ticket to heaven, there must be more to it than just that....it can't just be about being blessed by God all the time, there must be more to it than that....it can't just be about sufferings and pain in following Jesus; that would be the Gospel without the power of the Resurrection and the joy of Pentecost...then it occurs to me the following U.G.L.Y. truth about the Gospel....

U.G.L.Y. stands for UNITY, GODLINESS, LOVE, YAHWEH...isn't these what Jesus came to preach and what the early Apostles taught and wrote about, as we now have it in the New Testament....in John 17, we have Jesus' prayer to the Father God, revealing what is foremost in his heart and the heart of the Father...UNITY among believers, from the heart...if the Gospel according to Jesus has truly reached our hearts, we will want this UNITY the way Jesus had prayed for it...do your utmost to preserve the unity of the Spirit, wrote the Apostle Paul....do your best to live at peace with all....this is the call to UNITY...how often believers grieve the heart of the Father by being disunited, holding more firmly their petty little issues than the commands of their God....GODLINESS, Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Timothy how we ought to train ourselves to be godly, to be holy, just as HE is holy...we were made in HIS IMAGE, and RE-MADE into the likeness of Christ...is this godliness evident in your version of the Gospel, as reflected in your life, right now?....LOVE, Jesus came to remind all that LOVE is central to all that the Old Testament stood for...love for the Father God with all our heart, all our mind and all our soul, and to love our neighbour as our selves...Jesus gave a new commandment, and that is we believers are to love one another the way that he has loved us...without conditions and without restraint, meaning unto death...wow, this is the love that God has for us, and the true Gospel tells us that believers of God and followers of Jesus are to love, for by this shall all men know that we are HIS disciples....even wonder why the world has so much difficulties recognising who the real church is?....finally, YAHWEH, this is the Name of God that we are identified with...is HE the God we love? or is it something else we seek? is YAHWEH the one we serve, or is it something else we want in our service?...is YAHWEH's Glory the glory we desire, or is it the glory of men that lights up our path?...this is the U.G.L.Y. truth that i wonder about as i read this article about 2 different churches...Read on and be edify! Consider anew what is the state of your church and what is the state of U.G.L.Y. truth in your life...as the Spirit leads, rise up and decide today what you must do differently to realise God's purpose for your life.

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2 churches: different & similar

Jun 29, 2005 By Nathan A. Finn

WAKE FOREST, N.C. (BP)--The two churches are very different.One is a small, rural congregation of less than 100 active members. The people are largely blue-collar, working-class types. In the heart of tobacco country, many of them are farmers. They prefer old-fashioned preaching, the loud kind with lots of shouting and sweating. They like traditional gospel music, with men’s quartets, choir “specials” and mansions of glory on the other side. These folks are missions-minded, dutifully instructing the children through Royal Ambassadors and Girls in Action, holding a regular missions emphasis night and regularly taking on projects through the local association’s Woman’s Missionary Union and Brotherhood. The church has been more or less the same size for years, and the congregation is getting older and older.The other church is a large, growing congregation in a bustling metropolitan area. The church regularly has more than 1,000 worshipers in attendance. The members are mostly white-collar, professional types. In the heart of the suburbs, many of them are college-educated. They prefer sophisticated preaching, the kind with lots of pop culture references and video clips for sermon illustrations. They like contemporary choruses, with praise teams, solos and experiencing God in the here and now. These folks are missions-minded, dutifully instructing their children through AWANA, holding regular outreach events and participating in both domestic and global mission trips. The church has grown significantly over the last decade, and the congregation is getting younger and younger.As different as these two churches are, they have several things in common.Both churches are part of the Southern Baptist Convention. Both tend to be theologically and politically conservative, preaching an inerrant Scripture and voting for Republican (and the occasional conservative Democratic) candidates. Both hold to traditional views of the family and adhere to old-fashioned moral values. And to their great shame, both have recently held worship services where the Gospel was not clearly proclaimed.In the rural church, the occasion was a revival service in which the visiting preacher regaled the congregation with stories of people who met their death earlier than expected. He graphically depicted the sufferings of Christ, though his vivid allusions were from the gospel according to Mel instead of the Gospel according to Matthew. He spoke of the horrors of an eternity in hell and speculated about the joys of being reunited with deceased loved ones in heaven. At just the right time, when the people were at their emotional peak, he gave the invitation, encouraging them to step down the aisle and “come to Christ.” The problem was he never explained what it means to “come to Christ” or how one does such a thing. For weeks, people talked about how great that sermon was.In the suburban church, the occasion was a Sunday morning service in which the pastor regaled the congregation with verses from modern Bible translations (sometimes paraphrases) and self-help books. He graphically depicted the sufferings of those whose lives are too cluttered and stressful, boldly proclaiming the gospel of a simplified life. He spoke of the horrors of depression, stress and strained relationships, while speculating about the joys of a relaxed life with less anxiety. At just the right time, when the people were convinced that their lives were too complicated, he gave the invitation, encouraging people to step down the aisle and simplify their lives. The problem was he never even mentioned the Gospel in this service. Even the songs, while ostensibly about Jesus, never presented the Gospel itself. After the service, several people commented about how much the sermon was “exactly what they needed to hear.”In both of these services, in two different churches, I was quietly relieved when no one walked the aisle. It’s not that I didn’t want to see anyone converted -- far from it. It’s just that those particular sermons were wholly devoid of the Gospel, so someone in the audience would not know how to be saved unless he had previously heard the Gospel and the Spirit was already drawing him to faith in Christ.Southern Baptists fought a long and bitter battle over the direction of our convention. While much was at stake, at the heart of the battle was the very definition of the Gospel itself, what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ. In these days when full-scale warfare has turned into regional skirmishes, we must be diligent so that we do not lose the Gospel in our ongoing battle for the Bible. The Gospel is not being religious, having your anxieties assuaged, avoiding hell or even acquiring heaven. The Gospel is not doing good things or even necessarily having a “personal relationship with Jesus” (which almost everyone claims to have these days). Though many of these things are admittedly desirable, none of them are the Gospel.The Gospel, at its heart, is nothing more or less than what the Apostle Paul says of God in 2 Corinthians 5:21, that “He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (HCSB). This is the Gospel that we preach, and Southern Baptists have no greater obligation in these days than making this Gospel clear, so that whosoever will may have faith and believe.--30--Nathan Finn is associate archivist at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C., and a Ph.D. student in church history.

Wednesday, June 15, 2005

"THREE DOCTRINES from HELL" -A PROVOCATIVE STAND

good day and thank you for visiting my blog....came across this rather provocative article which challenges three doctrines that churches generally have accepted as gospel truth...this author obviously disagree with these three doctrines, calling them from HELL....this author seem to be reacting to the soft comfy type of preaching that western churches, especially in the US, have come to be known for....correlate this with the barna survey (earlier posting in my blog) and we get a somewhat disturbing view of what is happening within the so-called christian church....could andrew strom be right?....what storm is andrew attempting to stir up??...andrewstrom sees a big difference in the kind of christians he now sees in churches, and the kind of disciples that he reads about in his holy bible...rather than preaching the truth about carrying one's cross, about true repenting from one's old sinful lifestyle, about bearing sufferings and pain on account of being faithful to jesus and God's teachings...andrew strom sees the western church as lessening and diluting, even forsaking, such bibilical demands in favour of offering sweet and easy assurances of becoming and being a christian, which in his view, his utter nonsense, calling them lies, from hell, deceptive, and really irresponsible....read it for yourself and see what happens in your hearts and in your minds.... be edify.

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"THREE DOCTRINES from HELL" -Andrew Strom.
Let us begin with an important question - "What are the worst and most damaging doctrines in the Western church today?"
I believe that the most damaging ones are the ones that actually steal people's Salvation and afterwards wrap them in a false cocoon of comfort and assurance. -Three major doctrines do this.
There is nothing worse than giving false comfort to people who are in danger. It is the worst crime imaginable - and yet preachers do it every week across the Western world.
Imagine if a building was on fire, but instead of crying out and warning the people, you went and comforted them and assured them they were OK - even while the smoke curled up from beneath. Wouldn't it be your fault if those people believed you and were killed?
Such is the situation today, and God will hold to account those who lull the sheep falsely with soothing lies. I tell you - this is a matter of life and death. And God's judgment is coming against all who prove to be such hirelings - "tickling the ears".
The 3 DOCTRINES from HELL:
(1) "ASK JESUS into your HEART". We have spoken about this before, so I won't spend too long on it here. The fact of the matter is that NOBODY in the Bible ever "asked Jesus in" or 'gave their heart to the Lord' to become a Christian. There is NOT ONE instance of this ever happening. There are no people in the Book of Acts repeating a "Sinner's prayer" to get saved. -Nothing like it. This doctrine simply DOES NOT EXIST in the Bible.
So what did people do in Acts? Well, every time they wanted to become a Christian, they deeply REPENTED, they were BAPTIZED IN WATER, and also BAPTIZED in the HOLY SPIRIT. These three things were always done straight away - and were regarded as ESSENTIAL - not just "optional extras". We are short-changing the entire church today with a doctrine that simply CANNOT BE FOUND in Scripture. Merely "ASKING JESUS IN" is totally unscriptural. It is time to go back to getting people saved the BIBLE WAY. (-See Acts 2:38, Acts 8:12-17, Acts 10:44-48, Acts 19:1-6, Acts 22:16, etc. See also my in-depth article at- http://www.revivalschool.com ).
Please notice that what the church is doing here is replacing Truth with something CONVENIENT, COMFORTABLE and EASY. "Just come forward and say this little prayer," we tell them. No mention of DEEP REPENTANCE at all. -And a total lack of any real TRANSFORMATION into a "NEW CREATURE". This is no salvation at all. We are robbing people blind in the name of comfort and convenience. How typical of the West. We have invented a lukewarm "salvation experience" to go with our lukewarm church.
(2) "ONCE SAVED - ALWAYS SAVED". Now, having got people falsely "saved", we create another ear-tickling wonder to make sure that they sleep on contentedly in the pews. While emphasising 'tithing' and attending church (-in that order) the main thing now is to keep them warm and happy - convinced of their "eternal security".
And so we lull them with a doctrine saying that if they once got "saved" (ie. prayed the 'little prayer') - even if it was 20 years ago, then it is "IMPOSSIBLE" for them to lose their salvation. No holiness needed! Of course, we have to rely on the fact that they do not read their Bibles - lest they find out that such a doctrine is a complete fabrication.
Thus, we conveniently leave out of our preaching such Scriptures as this: "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. MANY will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works IN YOUR NAME?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART from me, you EVIL-DOERS.'" (Mt 7:21-23). Hmmm. "Eternal security", anyone?
And of course, we must also leave out parables such as "The Five Foolish Virgins" because it contains this verse: "And cast the WORTHLESS SERVANT into outer darkness, where there shall be WAILING and GNASHING OF TEETH" (Mt 25:30). Notice that both the above Scriptures are speaking of people who think they are 'saved' but who END UP IN HELL. -And Jesus says there will be "MANY" like this.
And then there are dozens of other Scriptures such as, "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling," and 'Those who do such things shall NOT inherit the kingdom of God,' and "Without holiness no man shall see the Lord," etc, etc. -So many Scriptures have to be ignored if we are to preach this cheap "Once Saved - Always Saved" doctrine.
But notice again how well this teaching suits our comfortable, convenient Western mindset. Ear-tickling by the truckload. Candy- coated and syrupy-sweet. Can't it be said that this is making people "two-fold more a child of hell" than they already were?
(3) The CHEAP "No Cost" RAPTURE Theory. -Now this is a dangerous one to bring up! But I am concerned not so much with the TIMING of the Rapture here - but rather with the CHEAPNESS of it. Do I believe in a 'Rapture'? -Yes, I do believe in a great "catching away" (as the Bible describes it). But again, we have so degraded it in the West that it just becomes one more source of false comfort and cheap grace. -This time to escape without a scratch before any persecution or tribulation begins. Once again - how CONVENIENT!
We are led to believe that our rich, fat-cat Western Christians with their false salvation and their "no need for holiness" doctrines will one day be flying in their jet airplanes and "Woosh!" - suddenly they will be gone. -'Raptured'. Just in time to escape any bad stuff happening on the earth.
There are entire industries and multi-million-dollar ministries built on this whole thing. The "no cost" Rapture theory. How wonderfully it tickles Western ears! How we rush to buy the latest Best-seller!
But wait a minute. Wasn't it Jesus (-talking about the 'time of the end') who told his DISCIPLES, "This is but the BEGINNING of the birthpangs. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation, and put you to death; and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake"? (Mt 24:8-9 RSV). How is it then, that we are taught a 'Rapture' theory today in which we are "caught up" without any major tribulation or persecution? Jesus in the above passage clearly tells his DISCIPLES - His true followers - that they MUST expect great tribulation and persecution before the end.
It is very obvious from all the New Testament writings that Christians must go through persecution, sufferings and tribulations - and that this will get much worse in the end-times. There is never a hint that we should expect to be 'Raptured' without going through this. But again, the Western doctrine preaches comfort, safety and convenience - a kind of "cheap way out".
Why is this such a serious issue? -Well, a people who have been told again and again that God will "rescue" them before the real trouble starts - these are the most ILL-PREPARED people to face real persecution. The people who are most prepared are those who have looked the danger in the eye, and prepared their hearts to go through it. With our false comfort we are doing the worst job in the world of preparing our people for what is to come.
To SUMMARIZE
As you can see, what we have set up in the Western church is an entire system of FALSE ASSURANCE. First, we falsely assure people that they are "born again" when they are not. Then we falsely assure them that it is "IMPOSSIBLE" for them to lose their salvation - no matter what they do. Then we falsely assure them that they will escape all end-time tribulation and persecution with an ultra-convenient 'Rapture'.
We have it all sewn up! It is a kind-of "cradle to the grave" system of false salvation. -A whole set-up devoted to convincing Hell-bound people that they are going to Heaven by the "cheap and easy" route. Like the Fast Food outlets that we have invented in the West, it is all about 'Instant Gratification'. It is the warm and comfortable way. No holiness needed. Just like going through a McDonalds drive-through. "Do you want fries with that 'HAPPY MEAL', sir?"
Every one of these lies is perfectly suited to our Western mindset. That is why they have been so successful. But that does not stop them being LIES. -Nor does it stop them sending multitudes to Hell.
We in the West have become devotees of a kind-of "no pain" religion. Sadly, that religion no longer resembles true Christianity. Let us REPENT of ALL such doctrines before it is too late, my friends.
To respond with feedback about this article, please write to- prophetic@revivalschool.com
God bless you all.
Kindest regards in Christ,
Andrew Strom.

Sunday, June 12, 2005

A CRITIQUE OF PROSPERITY GOSPEL

GOOD DAY...AND THANK YOU FOR VISITING MY BLOG...I HAVE NO DOUBT YOU MUST HAVE HEARD SOMETHING ABOUT THE PROSPERITY GOSPEL...IN ITS MANY VARIED FORMS AND EMPHASIS...MAINLY PROMOTED FROM THE WEST, LARGELY FROM U.S. (SEE THE ARTICLE BELOW)...IT PLAYS ON THE VERY HUMAN DESIRE TO BE RICH, TO BE SUCCESSFUL, TO LIVE A LONG LIFE, TO BE RECOGNISED...I NOTICED THAT SCRIPTURAL PASSAGES CITED TO PROMOTE SUCH A VIEW OFTEN COMES FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT...MAKING PARALLELS AND DRAWING ANALOGIES THAT ARE OFTEN RATHER QUESTIONABLE...I HAVE YET TO SEE ONE WHO PROMOTE SUCH A VIEW GIVE SCRIPTURES FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT....PERHAPS IT'S BECAUSE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT THERE ISN'T SUCH A VIEW OF A PROSPERITY GOSPEL...RATHER, ONE SEES A JESUS WHO CONFRONT A RICH YOUNG RULER AND TELLS HIM TO GO AND SELL EVERYTHING AND DISTRIBUTE TO THE POOR....WE SEE A JESUS WHO TEACHES US THAT WE CANNOT SERVE GOD AND MONEY AT THE SAME TIME...WE SEE A JESUS WHO COMMENDED TO HIS DISCIPLES THE POOR WIDOW WHO GAVE ONLY TWO COPPER COINS OUT OF HER POVERTY....RATHER THAN THE RICH WHO GAVE MUCH MORE, HUMANLY SPEAKING...WE SEE A JESUS WHO TELLS US NOT TO LAY UP TREASURES HERE ON EARTH, BUT TO LAY UP TREASURES IN HEAVEN...WE SEE A PAUL WHO INSTRUCT HIS YOUNG TIMOTHY TO COMMAND THOSE WHO ARE RICH IN THIS WORLD, NOT TO BE ARROGANT, NOR TO PUT THEIR FAITH IN WEALTH WHICH IS SO UNCERTAIN, BUT TO DO GOOD, TO BE GENEROUS AND WILLING TO SHARE, TO LAY UP FOR THEMSELVES A FIRM FOUNDATION, TREASURES IN HEAVEN....WE SEES A PAUL WHO SET ASIDE ALL HIS EARTHLY WEALTH AND REPUTATION TO SEEK AFTER A JESUS IN HIS SUFFERINGS....IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, WE SEE JESUS AND MEN OF GOD PROMOTING A GOSPEL THAT DOES NOT SEEM TO SUIT THE PROSPERITY GOSPEL-PREACHERS...WHICH GOSPEL ARE YOU FOLLOWING?? THE APOSTLE PAUL IN GALATIANS WARNED OF A DIFFERENT GOSPEL...AT THAT TIME, IT WAS A GOSPEL OF CIRCUMCISION, ALSO ROOTED IN THE OLD TESTAMENT...AT THIS TIME, WE HAVE THIS GOSPEL OF EARTHLY PROSPERITY....ISSUE IS WHO IS BEING MADE PROSPEROUS IN FOLLOWING SUCH A GOSPEL??....ACCORDING TO THIS ARTICLE BELOW, IT IS THE PROSPERITY GOSPEL PREACHERS....NOT THE FOLLOWERS....SO BE CAREFUL WHAT GOSPEL YOU ARE HEARING AND FOLLOWING! OUR CITIZENSHIP IS IN HEAVEN...JESUS DID NOT SO MUCH COME AND DIE SO THAT WE CAN BE PROPERSOUS HERE ON EARTH...THAT IS NOT WHAT THE FATHER GOD HAS SEND HIM TO ACCOMPLISH....JESUS CAME THAT WE MAY HAVE LIFE, ETERNAL LIFE....QUITE A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE FROM THE HERE AND THE NOW....THE GOSPEL THAT JESUS BROUGHT IS FOCUS IN HEAVEN...THE PROSPERITY GOSPEL PREACHERS IS FOCUS HERE ON EARTH....IS THERE A DECEPTION HERE TO BE UNCOVERED??...HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED HOW COME SUCH PROSPERITY GOSPEL PREACHERS ONLY SEEM TO BE SEEN IN BIG CITIES OF THE DEVELOPED AND DEVELOPING WORLD, AND NOT IN POOR THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES....I THINK JAMES ROBISON HAS A VERY GOOD POINT...READ HIS ARTICLE AND BE EDIFY...
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TV evangelist James Robison has taken to task fellow preachers who promote that he says is an unbalanced prosperity message. The host of the daily broadcast "Life Today" says that such "manipulation" has pushed people into bankruptcy, and encourages a self-centered focus that can "short-circuit a supernatural response from God." Writing in the forthcoming May issue of "Charisma" magazine, Robison says that while he is not accusing anyone of "deliberately misleading or manipulating ... the unhealthy consequences of this type of teaching ... breaks my heart." Although the principle of sowing and reaping is an important aspect of giving, it has been distorted, he says. "One of the huge deceptions in some personal prosperity teaching is the notion that everybody is going to have a big house, big car or big income," he writes. "This concept promotes a 'sameness' mentality, and it is simply not scriptural ... If you're just looking for a return, you're a miner. God wants us to be farmers for kingdom purposes." Robison's warning follows a recent report released in the United Kingdom by the Evangelical Alliance (EA) that says the prosperity message of the Word-faith movement "promotes a lifestyle and ethos, which is fundamentally at odds with the values of the kingdom of God." The "Faith, Health and Prosperity" report from the organization -- representing over a million evangelical and Pentecostal/charismatic believers -- acknowledges that Word-faith has "a deep appreciation for what God has done in Christ:" and "a desire to take the Word of God with the utmost seriousness." But it questions whether prosperity teaching is "not simply a means of excusing the lifestyle and assuaging the consciences of wealthy Christians," and observes that the image of "the prosperous, high-profile charismatic leader ... can easily replace Christ as the object of adulation and imitation." According to "The (London) Times," the EA report was partly born out of concern over the fund-raising activities of Morris Cerullo World Evangelism, which "allegedly linked the level of donors' contributions ... with the extent of God's blessing on the donors' lives." In his article, Robison says that where people put their money reveals a lot about their passion and priorities. "God wants us to put our trust completely in Him," he writes. "Isn't it ironic that the words 'In God We Trust' are printed on the back of our dollar bills? If we don't put our trust in Him, we'll put it in something else -- most likely money." He says that God does not want people to "play the money game." "This is not spiritual bingo or Bible lottery. Giving is the essence of life. If we release that which He has freely given us, He will increase it for His purpose -- not so we can build bigger barns but so we can live life abundantly." Robison warns: "Those who focus on earthly treasures and receiving a blessing may get a lot of stuff, but they will not experience fullness of life. In the end, they will rot in their stuff. The Father wants to bless children who can be trusted to release His resources, which certainly includes money, for kingdom purposes." Robison's article can be read in full in the May issue of "Charisma," out next week.

Thursday, June 09, 2005

CHURCH IN US...Christians No Different From The World

GOOD DAY TO YOU AND THANK YOU FOR VISITING MY BLOG...CAME ACROSS THIS ARTICLE ABOUT THE STATE OF THE CHURCH IN US... A FRIGHTENING PICTURE INDEED ! REMINDS ME OF THE PARABLE THAT JESUS TOLD ABOUT THE FARMER SOWING SEEDS IN A FIELD...JESUS WANTED US TO TAKE CARE HOW WE LISTEN TO THE WORD OF GOD...HOW OFTEN BECAUSE WE DON'T TAKE CARE TO LISTEN CAREFULLY, NO SOONER WAS THE WORD SOWN IN THE FIELD OF OUR HEART, WE ALLOW THE EVIL ONE TO COME AND TAKE IT AWAY..THIS IS THE SEED THAT FELL ON HARD GROUND, ON THE PATH...IS YOUR HEART LIKE THAT EVERY WEEK AS YOU LISTEN TO THE WORD IN CHURCH??...NOTHING REALLY GETS LONG ENOUGH INTO OUR HEARTS AND STAY THERE FOR IT TO IMPACT ANY CHANGE TO OUR LIFE...OR MAY BE YOU DO LET THE SEED OF GOD'S WORD ENTER YOUR HEART AND IT GREW FOR A WHILE...JESUS WARNED ABOUT THE SEED THAT FEEL ON ROCKY GROUND...NO DEEP ROOTS, SO IT DOES NOT LAST...NO REAL CHANGE CAN TAKE PLACE...WHEN THE HEAT IS ON, WHEN WE ENCOUNTER SOME TROUBLES, SOME DIFFICULTIES, SOME PAIN, WE WITHER AND FALL AWAY...WHILE OUR BODIES MAY STILL BE FOUND IN CHURCH, OUR SPIRITS HAVE LONG GONE BACK TO THE WORLD...LIKE WHAT THIS BARNA SURVEY SHOW OF THE CHURCH IN US...FOR SURE, WE HAVE MANY IN OUR CHURCHES THAT ARE VERY MUCH LIKE WHAT JESUS SAID HAPPENED TO THE SEED THAT FELL ON THE THIRD KIND OF GROUND...THE KIND THAT HAVE WEEDS THAT CHOKED...LET'S EXAMINE OUR LIVES...ARE THEY NOT FULL OF THE ANXIETIES OF THIS WORLD AND THE PLEASURES OF THIS LIFE??...HOW OFTEN WE ALLOW THESE WORLDINESS TO COME ALONGSIDE OUR INTAKE OF THE WORD THAT THE WORD HAVE RESTRICTED SPACE TO GROW AND BECOME FRUITFUL...MAY WE GET RID OF THESE WEEDS AND LET THE WORD OF GOD GROW STRONG IN US...PRODUCING MUCH FRUIT...TO THE GLORY OF GOD...SHOULD A SURVEY LIKE WHAT BARNA DID FOR THE CHURCH IN US BE DONE FOR YOUR CHURCH, WHAT WOULD BE THE FINDINGS? WHERE WOULD YOU STAND? MAY GOD BLESS YOU TODAY TO BE WHAT JESUS SAID OF HIS CHOSEN ONES IN JOHN 15:16 ... "You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatever you shall ask of the Father in My name, He may give it to you." BE EDIFY.

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Christians No Different From The World=By Chuck Baldwin

Recently, pollster George Barna released his research regarding the
beliefs and conduct of today's Christians. The results are shocking!
According to Barna, only 9% of America's born again Christians have a
Biblical worldview. Only 9%!

To determine a Biblical worldview, Barna used the following 8 point
criteria:

Believing that absolute moral truths exist.
Such truths are defined by the Bible.
Jesus Christ lived a sinless life.
God is all-knowing, all-powerful Creator and still rules today.
Salvation is a gift of God and cannot be earned.
Christians have a responsibility to share their faith in Christ.
Satan is real.
The Bible is accurate in all its teachings.
As any real Christian can see, these 8 points comprise basic Biblical
truth. To think that more than 90% of born again Christians would deny
any one of these fundamental truths suggests that the vast majority of
professing Christians today have no clue as to what being a Christian
really means.

As a result, the obvious question that must be asked is, "What in the
world are our pastors and church leaders teaching their congregations?"
It would appear that whatever they are teaching, it isn't the Bible!

Barna's research gets even more disturbing. His survey reveals that
only 3% of Christian parents include the salvation of their children in
the list of critical parental emphasis. What?? Does this mean that 97%
of America's Christian parents really don't think it "critical" that
their own children go to heaven?

At the same time, 39% of America's Christian parents believe it is
"critical" that their children get a good education. Compare these
sentiments with those of President Theodore Roosevelt who said, "A
thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college
education."

Barna's research also revealed that only 36% of America's Christian
parents monitor or regulate the time and quality of T.V., music, and
other media that their children were allowed to access. In addition,
45% of America's Christian parents teach their children that there are
NO moral absolutes. 43% teach their children that there are SOME moral
absolutes.

George Barna summarized his findings by saying, "Faith makes very
little difference in their [Christians] lives : believers do not train
their children to think or act differently [from the world]. It's no
wonder that they [Christian children] grow up to be just as involved in
gambling, excessive drinking, and any other unbiblical behavior as
everyone else."

The problem with America's Christianity today is that, for the most
part, it doesn't exist! What passes for Christianity is instead an
anemic, spineless, diluted substitute without convictions or principle.

No wonder so many unbelievers see nothing in the church that would draw
them to a life-transforming faith in Christ. No wonder so many
political leaders ignore the church. No wonder that despite some
300,000 evangelical churches, scores and hundreds of television and
radio ministries, and millions of professing Christians, our nation is
still on a collision course with calamity!

What America needs is real Christianity! The kind of Christianity that
changed the course of his tory. The kind of Christianity that changed
the face of Europe. The kind of Christianity that propelled the
Pilgrims, Puritans, and Patriots to shake off the bands of tyranny and
establish this great country called America.

Christianity of old quenched the flames of oppression, lit the fires of
freedom, and led two continents out of the darkness of paganism.
Today's Christianity is known for bingo games, softball leagues, and
milquetoast preachers. Christianity of old toppled the Roman Empire.
Today's Christianity cannot even rid the nation of legal abortion.

George Barna's research suggests that the real mission field may not be
in heathen lands across the seas but in America's churches right here
at home!

© Chuck Baldwin

Thursday, June 02, 2005

BECAUSE GOD IS SOVEREIGN

GOOD DAY...ANOTHER ARTICLE TO ENCOURAGE YOU AND TO REMIND YOU WHO YOUR GOD TRULY IS. THIS EXCERPT IS BY CHIP INGRAM, PRESIDENT OF THE WORLD THRU THE BIBLE
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So what does the phrase "God is sovereign" really mean?

If you were to look up the word "sovereign" in the dictionary, you would find words and phrases like "superior," "greatest," "supreme in power and authority," "ruler," and "independent of all others" in its definition. But the way I like to explain God's sovereignty best is simply to say, "God is in control."

There is absolutely nothing that happens in the universe that is outside of God's influence and authority. As King of kings and Lord of lords, God has no limitations. Consider just a few of the claims the Bible makes about God:

* God is above all things and before all things. He is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end. He is immortal, and He is present everywhere so that everyone can know Him (Revelation 21:6).

* God created all things and holds all things together, both in heaven and on earth, both visible and invisible (Colossians 1:16).

* God knows all things past, present, and future. There is no limit to His knowledge, for God knows everything completely before it even happens (Romans 11:33).

* God can do all things and accomplish all things. Nothing is too difficult for Him, and He orchestrates and determines everything that is going to happen in your life, in my life, in America, and throughout the world. Whatever He wants to do in the universe, He does, for nothing is impossible with Him (Jeremiah 32:17).

* God is in control of all things and rules over all things. He has power and authority over nature, earthly kings, history, angels, and demons. Even Satan himself has to ask God's permission before he can act (Psalm 103:19).

That's what being sovereign means. It means being the ultimate source of all power, authority, and everything that exists. Only God can make those claims; therefore, it's God's sovereignty that makes Him superior to all other gods and makes Him, and Him alone, worthy of worship.

Just as peasants always bowed before their king for fear of offending the one who had the authority to take their life, God's sovereignty compels us to bow before Him. But unlike corrupt earthly kings who abuse their authority to terrorize their subjects, God rules in love. He loves you and wants the best for you.

Romans 8:28 promises that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.

That's an amazing promise not only because it demonstrates that an all-powerful God cares about you and me, but because it cannot be fulfilled unless the One Who gives it is all-knowing, all-wise, all-powerful, and all-loving. The promise itself is a testimony to God's sovereignty.

But God makes that promise, and millions throughout history have testified to its truth because God has proven His ability to back it up time and time again.

Think about the implications of that promise. Because God is sovereign and He loves you, nothing will ever come into your life that He does not either decree or allow.

Consequently, no matter what you face in life, you can take comfort in the fact that God is sovereign.

Whether a loved one lies in a hospital bed, your child is living in rebellion, you lose your source of income, or the nation is at war, God is in control. And He is constantly working all things together for good. Somehow, He takes all the events, all the situations, all the people, the prayers, the relationships-everything involved in whatever pleasant or difficult situation you're in-and works them together for good.

So the next time you bow your head to pray-when you're in a jam or need to ask God for something-remember that you're talking to the One Who has power over the entire universe. He controls everything from the tiniest atom to the largest galaxy.

Approach Him with the respect, awe, and wonder that He deserves, but also approach Him with confidence knowing that He can answer your prayer. And know also that because He loves you, He will answer your prayer-in the way He knows is best.

DO NOT WITHHOLD GOOD

GOOD DAY, AND THANK YOU FOR VISITING MY BLOG...CAME ACROSS THIS SCRIPTURE TODAY FROM PROVERBS; MAY I SHARE IT WITH YOU WITH MY THOTS FOR YOUR EDIFICATION;=

Pro 3:26 For Jehovah shall be your hope, and shall keep your foot from being taken.
Pro 3:27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do it.
Pro 3:28 Do not say to your neighbor, Go and come back again, and tomorrow I will give; when you have it beside you:

VERSE26;=JEHOVAH GOD MUST BE THE HOPE OF YOUR LIVING..IF YOU MAKE HIM SO, WE CAN REST SECURE IN HIM...THIS IS HIS GLORIOUS PROMISE...JESUS TAUGHT THIS TRUTH TOO IN MATTHEW 6, EXHORTING HIS DISCIPLES TO SEEK FIRST GOD'S KINGDOM AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, MAKING GOD AND HIS AGENDA HERE ON EARTH YOURS AS WELL...WITH HIM ON OUR SIDE, THERE IS NOTHING WE CANNOT SURMOUNT OR WITHSTAND...JEHOVAH GOD SHALL KEEP YOUR FOOT FROM BEING TAKEN/TRAPPED.

VERSE27;=OFTEN TIMES IN OUR DAILY LIFE, WE COME ACROSS OPPORTUNTIES TO DO GOOD, TO HELP A FELLOW BELIEVER IN CHRIST, OR JUST ANOTHER HUMAN BEING IN NEED OR IN TROUBLE..JUST LIKE THE STORY OF THE GOOD SAMARITIAN THAT JESUS TOLD WHEN HE WAS ASKED 'WHO IS MY NEIGBHOUR?"...THIS VERSE TEACHES US NOT TO WITHHOLD DOING GOOD WHEN YOU ARE ABLE TO HELP...DOES THIS MEAN ANYONE, EVERYTIME?...THE VERSE SAYS "TO WHOM IT IS DUE"...DOES THIS MEAN WE NEED TO FIRST DO AN ASSESSMENT ABOUT THE SPECIFICS OF THE SITUATION AND THE PERSON, TO SEE THE MERIT? IT SEEM SO. THEN WE DON'T OPEN OURSELVES TO BEING DECEIVED BY CON-PERSONS...WE NEED TO ASK GOD TO GRANT US DISCERNMENT AND WISDOM TO MAKE THIS CALL CORRECTLY, SO THAT WE DON'T ERR AND MISS DOING GOOD...HOW OFTEN WE MISS SEEING THE "JESUS" IN A PARTICULAR SITUATION?...WHAT JESUS REVEALED IN MATTHEW 25 ABOUT DOING GOOD TO THE HUNGRY, THE THIRSTY, THE NAKED, THE STRANGERS IN NEED, THOSE IN PRISON FOR THE FAITH, THOSE SUFFERING...ETC...THESE ARE NOT THE GOOD THAT CATCHES THAT LIMELIGHT..IT IS THE GOOD THAT GOD SEES AS HE SEARCHES HUMAN HEARTS...WHAT WILL HE SEE WHEN HE SEARCH YOUR HEART TODAY?

VERSE28;=HOW OFTEN WE TURN OUR FACES AND OUR HEARTS AWAY FROM A PERSON BECAUSE WE ARE NOT READY TODAY TO GIVE, TO DO GOOD, WHEN WE ARE WELL ABLE TO...WE PROCRASTINATE...WE TELL THE NEEDY PERSON COME BACK ANOTHER DAY...AS IF WE WILL BE READY THEN...IF INDEED WE ARE, FINE...BUT MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, EITHER THE PERSON DON'T COME BACK...OR WE FIND ANOTHER EXCUSE WHEN TOMMORROW COMES WHY WE OUGHT NOT TO DO THE GOOD...SO, THE TEACHING HERE IS NOT TO DELAY, NOT TO SAY TOMMORROW WHEN TODAY GOD BRINGS BEFORE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO GOOD...YOU REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT TOMMORROW WILL BRING, DO YOU?

MAY JEHOVAH GOD BLESS YOU AND MAKE HIS FACE SHINE UPON GOD AND GIVE YOU PEACE. BE GOOD. DO GOOD. TODAY, FOR TOMMORROW MAY NEVER COME ! AND IF IT DOES COME, IT MAY FIND YOU IN WORSE STATE THAN TODAY..BE EDIFY.

Wednesday, June 01, 2005

The Cry of a Father's Heart

GOOD DAY AND THANKS FOR VISITING MY BLOG...CAME ACROSS THIS ONE AND WAS MOVED BY ITS FORMULATION...MAY IT MOVE YOU TOO AS YOU HEARD THE CRY OF OUR HEAVENLY FATHER...FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NOT BELIEVED, MAY THIS CRY REACH YOUR EARS AFRESH AND MOVE YOUR HEART TO REPENT OF YOUR CURRENT LIFESTYLE AND BEGIN TO RETURN TO HEAR AND DO WHAT YOUR CREATOR-FATHER WANTS...FOR THOSE WHO ARE ALREADY BELIVERS, MAY THIS CRY INSPIRE YOU DAILY COME BEFORE HIS PRESENCE AND EXPERIENCE HIM ANEW EVERYDAY...HE IS NOT FAR AWAY..HE IS VERY NEAR...AT TIMES, IN OUR TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS, IN OUR TROUBLES AND STRUGGLES, WE TEND TO LOSE SIGHT OF OUR FATHER...AND BEGIN TO HEAR OTHER VOICES, AND BEHAVE IN WAYS THAT GRIEVE OUR FATHER GOD AND HURT US IN THE LONG RUN...LET US LEARN TO ALWAYS RUN TO THE FATHER FIRST, THEN WE NEED RUN NO FURTHUR...MAY FATHER GOD BLESS YOU TODAY! HAVE YOU HEARD HIS CRY?

The Cry of a Father's Heart
Michael and Shari Lienau


The Cry of a Father's Heart
from Genesis to Revelation

My Child,

You may not know me, but I know everything about you … Psalm 139:1

I know when you sit down and when you rise up … Psalm 139:2

I am familiar with all your ways … Psalm 139:3

Even the very hairs on your hear are numbered … Matthew 10:29-30

For you were made in my image … Genesis 1:27

In me you live and move and have your being … Acts 17:28

For you are my offspring … Acts 17:28

I knew you even before you were conceived … Jeremiah 1:4-5

I chose you when I planned creation … Ephesians 1:11-12

You were not a mistake … Psalm 139:15-16

For all your days are written in my book … Psalm 139:15-16

I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live … Acts 17:26

You are fearfully and wonderfully made … Psalm 139:14

I knit you together in your mother's womb … Psalm 139:13

And brought you forth on the day you were born … Psalm 71:6

I have been misrepresented by those who don't know me … John 8:41-44

I am not distant and angry, but am the complete _expression of love … 1 John 4:16

And it is my desire to lavish my love on you … 1 John 3:1

Simply because you are my child and I am your father … 1 John 3:1

I offer you more than your earthly father ever could … Matthew 7:11

For I am the perfect father … Matthew 5:48

Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand … James 1:17

For I am your provider and I meet all your needs … Matthew 6:31-33

My plan for your future has always been filled with hope … Jeremiah 29:11

Because I love you with an everlasting love … Jeremiah 31:3

My thoughts towards you are countless as the sand on the seashore … Psalm 139:17-18

And I rejoice over you with singing … Zepheniah 3:17

I will never stop doing good to you … Jeremiah 32:40

For you are my treasured possession … Exodus 19:5

I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul … Jeremiah 32:41

And I want to show you great and marvellous things … Jeremiah 33:3

If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me … Deuteronomy 4:29

Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart … Psalm 37:4

For it is I who gave you those desires … Philippians 2:13

I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine … Ephesians 3:20

For I am your greatest encourager … 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles … 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

When you are broken-hearted, I am close to you … Psalm 34:18

As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart … Isaiah 40:11

One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes … Revelation 21:3-4

And I'll take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth … Revelation 21:3-4

I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus … John 17:23

For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed … John 17:26

He is the exact representation of my being … Hebrews 1:3

He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you … Romans 8:31

And to tell you that I am not counting your sins … 2 Corinthians 5:18-19

Jesus died so that we could be reconciled … 2 Corinthians 5:18-19

His death was the ultimate _expression of my love for you … 1 John 4: 10

I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love … Romans 8:31-32

If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive me … 1 John 2:23

And nothing will ever separate you from my love again … Romans 8:38-39

Come home and I'll throw the biggest party heaven has ever seen … Luke 15:7

I have always been Father, and will always be Father … Ephesians 3:14-15

My question is … Will you be my child? … John1:12-13

I am waiting for you …Luke 15:11-32

Love, Your Dad Almighty God