Posted with full permission by my annonymous brother-in -Christ.
Being as how I have lately needed a lobotomy because of frustration of all the false teaching surrounding me, and also because I have the spiritual gift of nitpicking, I decided that my doctor was right. I NEED TO WRITE THIS DOWN!! My top 4 most frustrating false teachings and how to identify them are as follows...
1. Health wealth and prosperity
a) What do they teach?
Self esteem. God want’s you to be rich, happy and healthy. God is your buddy, or your business partner, helping you succeed in life. People are poor because they aren’t “go-getters” like you. The poor have chosen their lifestyle, so don’t worry about them. “God helps those who help themselves.” Although not ALL bad teaching, they most likely do have a number of true converts, but I suspect it’s in spite of their bad teaching, not because of it. They tend to focus on your overall well being in relation to others. And often have healing campaigns where people fall over or get kicked in the stomach, by the pastor. Completely ignoring the tenth commandment, they seem to be obsessed with material things and health as a sign that God is pleased with you. The more stuff you have, the more God will like you. (or is that, the more God likes you the more stuff you will have?.. Ah whatever, it’s false anyway)
b)What do their churches look like?
HUGE!! Super bowl huge! Lots of people, large parking lots. State of the art equipment with all the latest bells and whistles. Big screen TV’s everywhere. Church building comes complete with a Starbucks, studio, Lazy-Boy recliners that replace pews, and a worship team that would make Brittney Spears look like an amateur.
c)Why are they wrong?
They appeal to natural human lusts thereby insuring a large congregation. They talk very little or not at all about sin, or judgment. Very man centered instead of God centered. They twist the meaning of the Bible to fit their own agenda. Low view of scripture, even lower than that… lower, LOWER.. Yah about that low.
d)How do they evangelize?
Typically they will simply invite you to their church. Since their church is chalk full of entertainment and very friendly people, the sinner will feel compelled to stay, thinking that they’ve finally found a place where they can “be themselves“. (just like everyone else) Other techniques of evangelism might include signing a card saying that you’ve given your life to Jesus. No repentance of sin necessary, and the Card can be redeemed for 50 dollars off at the Church’s Starbucks.
e)Who are their leaders?
The high profile leaders are Joel Osteen and Kenneth Copeland. There are MANY others though, scattered all over north America. Ironically, these leaders are rampant in the US and Canada, but are much fewer in other parts of the world… I wonder why.
2. The Emergent Apostasy
a)What do they teach?
Who knows? Seriously, I don’t even think they know for sure what they teach. They don’t appear to adhere to any clear or long held doctrine. They redefine words, making it impossible to have a conversation about beliefs without massive confusion. The only thing they seem to know for sure is that you can’t know anything for sure. (which still makes my head spin) Trying to figure them out is like nailing Jell-O to the wall. They are more concerned with acceptance, the environment, treatment of animals, and feelings, than the truth of scripture. They can be indifferent to sex outside of marriage, pornography, homosexual activities, and abortion along with other obvious sins, but not necessarily always indifferent. The only thing they are dogmatic about is that you can NOT be wrong, you can’t put God in a box, and Everything is up for interpretation. Preferring to base their theology on the Matrix movies, being “enlightened” and the like, this makes for one confusing church. They tend to be pragmatic rather than adhering to scripture, replacing “Thus sayith the LORD” with “I think God meant this…(insert whatever you “feel” at the moment here)” They can be as heretical as universalists or atheists, yet somehow, by the grace of God, they can STILL have true Christians in their midst.
b)What do their churches look like?
Just like any other church building, they can be as small as an apartment room, or as large as the super bowl. They do tend to gravitate towards trends, and being hip and relevant seems to be a major goal for them. Some extreme congregations no longer have a pulpit or pews, opting instead for chairs in a circle with a bar stool in the middle. Incense is a must, and sometimes even play U2 music for worship songs. (seriously) Bibles are scarce, but not always completely absent. I once attended a Church that was expositing Rick Warrens book, “the propose driven life“. I’ve lost a few friends but, I’ve never gone back.
c)Why are they wrong?
Their hatred for being clearly defined leaves them foundationless, and ultimately makes most of what they believe pointless and self refuting. This in turn makes their teachings very easy to identify and dismantle for Mature Christians who are drenched in Biblical teachings. Since this apostasy is quickly sweeping across my home town, I’ve had the privilege of speaking to a few dedicated Emergents. While they are very interesting and fun to talk to, it should be forewarned that they tend to be very unstable and/or emotional. Specifically if they even get a small hint that you might flat out disagree with them, they might label you intolerant, legalistic, or worse. Ironically though they will avoid saying that you are wrong, even if they don’t think you’re right.
d)How do they evangelize?
“what does ‘evangelize’ mean to you?”
e)Who are their leaders?
Some of the more public leaders of this ‘leaderless’ movement include Brian McLaren, Doug Pagitt, and Rob Bell. These types of leaders are becoming increasingly popular, probably due to their obsession to popularity, the latest trends, and fashion . Their churches and groups are growing at an astounding rate, due to their acceptance of anyone with an “open mind”. Unfortunately that excludes us “close-minded fundamentalists” who believe Jesus is the ONLY way. They gotta be ‘intolerant’ only to people that have made up their minds.
3. Seeker sensitive (self help)
a)What do they teach?
God is interested in fulfilling you needs, He’ll help you with whatever you ask for. Philippians 4:13 is their foundational teaching. Prosperity preaching not far behind, God will grant you whatever you want, even if it’s in opposition to what He wants. Basically they think of God as a bellhop or a magic genie. Focusing on evangelism, they think that a big church is what God wants and they strive to grow their congregation to the exclusion of what the Bible says. Meeting the needs of their followers is of first priority. They are always happy to change everything to get a few more pew warmers, and they have multiple programs to keep everyone happy. Some good Bible teaching can be found, but I’ve also heard of seeker sensitives preaching from … drum roll please…….DR. SEUSS!?
b)What do their churches look like?
Just like any other church, but with a LOT more programs, and I’m not talking theology or gospel centered programs, I mean addiction programs, marriage counseling, jail ministries, with the youth doing car washes every week, going on “mission” trips without preaching the gospel, but instead helping in soup kitchens, handing out blankets to homeless people, and singing at old folks homes… all of these things in and of themselves are great, and theirs nothing biblically wrong with them, but because they hardly ever preach the Gospel they are simply making the world a better place to go to hell from.
c)Why are they wrong?
The biggest problem is that they take polls from non Christians to find out what kind of Church they want, and adjust it to suit the heathen. Being very VERY man centered, they are obsessed with self esteem, keeping people happy, and changing things to make church more appealing to everyone. They will twist scripture so as to not offend. Hardly ever preaching the gospel, there are few true sheep in the congregation who are starving to death.
d)How do they evangelize?
Knock-knock “who do you want God to be? What kind of church would you attend?” sending out questionnaires, or going door to door. When an answer is given they change a few things in church to make it more accommodating, and invite the people they polled. Thus they fill their churches with false converts, and spend the rest of the time teaching them how to “act” Christian. In other words they are teaching how to be a hypocrite.
e)Who are their leaders?
Bill Hybels, and Rick Warren come to mind, they are as numerous as sand on the seashore. Seeker sensitives aren’t always bad, and I do agree that a Church should be seeker friendly, but NOT to the exclusion to how the Bible says we ought to do church. Thus I label a Church “seeker sensitive” only if Biblical Church authority is completely ignored.
4. New age
a)What do they teach?
Close your eyes, empty your mind, and imagine you are a flowing river, breath in deeply and repeat after me “hummmmmmmwalla walla ring the ding dong bell whoooosaaaaaa whooooosaaaa hummmmmm likeanidiotitumbleandfallintoatranceandannoypeoplearondmeeeeeeeeeeee” now rub some stones, play with the doll with the pins and the needles, and bow down to your wooden statue. Walk around with a robe and a candle, and if any ‘fundy’ quotes scripture, even though in ancient history we would burn ‘em, lynch ’em, or hang ’em, today we can only scare ’em, threaten ’em or ridicule ‘em.
b)What do their churches look like?
From television shows to Buddhist huts, to school gymnasiums, to cult temples, to regular church buildings, This ’buffet style’ religion will find dwelling anywhere they can.
c)Why are they wrong?
Your kidding right? How are they NOT wrong? For one, they are as postmodern as you can get. Believing that all roads lead to God, this universalistic ’all inclusive” religion very closely trails the Emergents with their open mindedness. As heretical as you can get, this religion can even lead to Satan worship. The only thing that really ticks them off is Scripture quoting (especially King James)…. Lucky me!
d)How do they evangelize?
They don’t. If you’re a true Christian I think they’d sooner kill you than convert you.
e)Who are their leaders?
Eckhart Tolle and Oprah Winfrey, are a few of the more famous but less obvious ones.William P. Young is a newbee, but vastly popular due to his “Christian” book that has more than a hint of the new age smell.
Now that I’ve vented on what my most frustrating false teachings are, you might wonder what does the Bible say?
The Bible
a) What does the Bible teach?
Mankind was created in God’s image, but since the fall, all mankind has been radically depraved and God-hating. Rebellious to the core, we have no desire to get saved from our sin filled nature. We love our sin, and drink iniquity down like water. This in turn makes us subject to the wrath of God and destined for hell. Being innately fear filled of hell and wrath but still loving our sin and pride, not wanting to give it up, we do not turn from our wickedness to our creator, but instead make idols or remake a false god who is more comforting to us (see the above list) thereby damning ourselves even more. Our only hope is to repent of our wickedness, whereby we turn from all our sin, forsake our sin, confess it to God, and being truly genuine will be manifest in our continued repentance and battle against the sin that once held us in bondage. Of utmost importance is also that we trust in Jesus, which is more than a nod of approval that “yes He exists“. We trust that His ways are better than our ways, we trust that we must put His words into action and not just merely “accept them” or “repeat them“. We trust His character and nature, we trust every word He has spoken, and we trust in His exclusivity of saving grace, that without Him we have nothing to look forward to but hell and the fierce wrath of God. We trust in His finished work on the cross, which is the means in which God can forgive our sin. So when we REPENT of our sins AND TRUST in Jesus for our atonement, He will clean us up from the inside out, forgive our sins and grant us the gift of everlasting life, from there we grow in sanctification by reading our Bibles, (something we now enjoy doing) doing what it says, and praying for increased grace, wisdom and strength, thereby growing into the image of Jesus Christ. Since our conversion, we no longer have any fear of hell for ourselves, because Jesus has been so kind to save us from hell, but we are filled with compassion for people who don’t know Jesus. Knowing where they are headed we are desperate for them to also repent and trust in Jesus and share in His mercy.
b)What do their churches look like?
The body of Christ is in the believers, not a building. Where we do Church is wherever believers are gathered.
c)Why are they wrong?
The Church stumbles, and falls in many ways, but is focused and determined. When a true Church is started, it will be known by the way they conduct themselves, in a godly manner. You will be able to always find faults with the true Church because there are still humans in the Church, but all in all, they will be driven to follow the word of God, and have a passion for the Gospel.
d)How do they evangelize?
Law and then Grace. They will help you understand that you have broken the Law of God, (the 10 commandments) and are destined for punishment. Because God loves you though, He has provided a way for you to be forgiven. They will try to show you the reason why anyone would go to hell, and offer the good news of Jesus Christ to you. Often rejected because it’s an offensive message. They will not alter it in any way to make it more attractive to men. They are being faithful to their King, using HIS method rather than their own. If a work of salvation is done during evangelism, the Church recognizes that it was God who made it possible, not their own efforts.
e)Who are their leaders?
None other than Jesus Himself. Anyone who stands on the word of God is welcome to teach FROM it so long as the message is initially God breathed.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
The Idolatry of THE SHACK exposed
A friend of mine composed this, and I give him full credit. However for privacy, I will not mention his name. Thank God there are still some Christians out there.
Idolatry can be defined as "worship or reverence given to any created object or person." It actually takes many forms, not just the "praying to statues" that many people think of when they hear the word "idolatry." It can also be defined as “using an object or method to reach the divine” that is not expressed in scripture.
Ken Sande wrote“An idol is not simply a statue of wood, stone, or metal; it is anything we love and pursue in place of God, and can also be referred to as a ‘false god’ or a ‘functional god.’ In biblical terms, an idol is something other than God that we set our hearts on ( Luke 12:29;1 Cor. 10:6), that motivates us (1 Cor. 4:5), that masters or rules us (Ps. 119:133), or that we serve (Matt. 6:24).” Idolatry doesn’t have to be manifest though carved statues, drawings, or any other outward images. It can be all in your head. You need not express anything or make anything physical or material in order to be an idolater. Likewise you need not make the physical outward action of bowing down or praying. All you have to do to be an idolater is have an image that exceeds the importance of God. Some common examples are: Money, sex, fame, stuff, religion, food, celebrities, self esteem, knowledge, your wife, your husband, your kids, your job, your comfort, your lives. ANY thing that takes up more importance in your life than GOD, is an idol. This is the danger of The Shack. Not only does it portray God in a nurturing, pampering way in that He just feels sorry for us and has a human shaped hole in His heart, It also physically describes Him in unbiblical human characteristics.
John Calvin wrote: “The human heart is a factory of idols.. Every one of us is, from his mother’s womb, an expert in inventing idols.”“ An idol is something within creation that is inflated to function as God. All sorts of things are potential idols, depending only on our attitudes and actions toward them...Idolatry may not involve explicit denials of God’s existence or character. It may well come in the form of an over-attachment to something that is, in itself, perfectly good...An idol can be a physical object, a property, a person, an activity, a role, an institution, a hope, an image, an idea, a pleasure, a hero - anything that can substitute for God.” Richard Keyes
The Shack is guilty of idolatry in 3 ways. First it physically portrays God the Father and God the Holy Spirit in unbiblical ways, that is, it describes their appearance, and gives them human form. Something Scripture is very careful to NOT do. It also describes Jesus, and although Jesus is also man, we have very little description of his appearance in scripture. The Shack goes well beyond the boundaries of the bible into some very dangerous territory. Even giving unbiblical gender titles to God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.
Secondly it gives unbiblical characteristics to God. Characteristics that are downright humanistic, worldly, and dare I say it, anti Christ. The thing that stood out for me was that Young has the impression that God does not need to punish sin. He states, “At that, Papa stopped her preparations and turned toward Mack. He could see a deep sadness in her eyes. ‘I am not who you think I am, Mackenzie. I don’t need to punish people for sin. Sin is its own punishment, devouring you from the inside. It is not my purpose to punish it; it’s my joy to cure it’” (119) While this sounds nice and sweet, it’s simply not true. If God doesn’t need to punish sin, then Jesus died for nothing, and Hell doesn’t exist. No, God is just, and because He is just He MUST punish sin, otherwise He ceases to be just. This is not only unbiblical, but the god Young wants to worship has schizophrenia and has no intention of holding to her own word. The Bible says God is the just judge, and will judge according to His righteousness, but “Papa” doesn’t need to be just. Can you imagine a thief being caught by the police after a high speed car chase, brought before a judge, and the judge saying something like “I don’t need to punish your crime, the crime itself was punishment enough. you’ve been though a lot, and I’m sure you just have a disease, let me cure you.” Embarrassing and insulting, this is not a god I would worship. This is a god that is more corrupt than the criminals he lets go free.
Finally, the book itself is an idol. People are praising, bubbling, and gushing about how much they just LOVED and adored the book, it’s truly unreal. What I find funny is it’s all about feelings, and self esteem. This book makes people feel good therefore they love it. While it lies to them, and tickles their ears, it slips them deadly poison while they are emotionally involved, and their guard is down. This is why I hate to hear about people recommending it to others, especially people who are supposedly “Christian”. I thought Christians loved to read the word of truth, not heresy. Christians are Christ followers not Christ abandoners. Why people call themselves Christian while loving The Shack is beyond me. I just CANNOT for the life of me understand people who profess their love for Christ yet love this fiction that is so blatantly anti Christ. How can you love this book? My initial reaction to the book when I first flipped though the pages was a partially digested body fluid rising from my stomach, leaving a burning gross tasting acid in the back of my mouth. If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! Yet this book claims the same old heresy, repackaged, and people just gobble it up. When people recommend The Shack to others it shows that they hold it in high esteem, even disregarding the biblical command that you should not encourage idols. How can anyone then say that they don’t hold The Shack higher than scripture when scripture strictly forbids this type of activity. You deceive yourself by disobeying and then denying that you disobeyed. When people say things like “well I can distinguish between the good theology and the unbiblical teaching” All I can say is the Bible says to stay away, don’t touch, run away, don’t even think about it. It does not say “if you can distinguish”. Besides that, I doubt anyone who reads The Shack doesn’t already have an image of a god who doesn’t punish sin. My friends, line yourselves up with the word of God, test yourself to see if you are in the faith. Make your calling and election sure. Don’t ask me for any excuse that I might budge on this issue, because that would be favoritism on my part, and I am simply trying to proclaim the word of Truth in an unbiased way. I am not here to make you comfortable, pat you on the head and say that you’re ok. I will not say you are going to heaven if you read the shack with a great deal of discernment, nor will I give license to read it with a certain motive. Likewise I am also not here to poke you in the eye until you hate me. I’m not out with the agenda to make people mad just for the sake of being right or making the world burn with hatred. I am here to plead with you and beg you, make sure you are saved, examine yourselves to see if you are born again.
Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 1 Corinthians 6:9,10 If any of these thing describes you, please be aware, that I don’t hate you, I am pleading with you to stop it, repent towards God, and believe on the sacrifice made in your place by Jesus Christ. “Knowing God without knowing our own wretchedness makes for pride. Knowing our own wretchedness without knowing God makes for despair. Knowing Jesus Christ strikes the balance because he shows us both God and our own wretchedness.” Blaise Pascal
One last thing I wish to leave you with, and that is the biblical punishment for idolatry
Deuteronomy 13:6 If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, "Let us go and worship other gods" (gods that neither you nor your fathers have known, 7 gods of the peoples around you, whether near or far, from one end of the land to the other), 8 do not yield to him or listen to him. Show him no pity. Do not spare him or shield him. 9 You must certainly put him to death. Your hand must be the first in putting him to death, and then the hands of all the people. 10 Stone him to death, because he tried to turn you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 11 Then all Israel will hear and be afraid, and no one among you will do such an evil thing again. This is a scary punishment. I thank God that I live in the age of grace because I would have been stoned before I reached my 9th birthday. And if I was lucky enough to escape that punishment, I would be required by law to stone other people who have recommended The Shack to me. Don’t comfort yourself saying that God won’t punish this sin though. Don’t sear your conscience saying that this was just a punishment for Israelites, because God has a place called hell and it‘s worse than stoning. Repent of your wickedness, turn away from your own lusts and desires, turn away from The Shack and trust alone in Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins.
Idolatry can be defined as "worship or reverence given to any created object or person." It actually takes many forms, not just the "praying to statues" that many people think of when they hear the word "idolatry." It can also be defined as “using an object or method to reach the divine” that is not expressed in scripture.
Ken Sande wrote“An idol is not simply a statue of wood, stone, or metal; it is anything we love and pursue in place of God, and can also be referred to as a ‘false god’ or a ‘functional god.’ In biblical terms, an idol is something other than God that we set our hearts on ( Luke 12:29;1 Cor. 10:6), that motivates us (1 Cor. 4:5), that masters or rules us (Ps. 119:133), or that we serve (Matt. 6:24).” Idolatry doesn’t have to be manifest though carved statues, drawings, or any other outward images. It can be all in your head. You need not express anything or make anything physical or material in order to be an idolater. Likewise you need not make the physical outward action of bowing down or praying. All you have to do to be an idolater is have an image that exceeds the importance of God. Some common examples are: Money, sex, fame, stuff, religion, food, celebrities, self esteem, knowledge, your wife, your husband, your kids, your job, your comfort, your lives. ANY thing that takes up more importance in your life than GOD, is an idol. This is the danger of The Shack. Not only does it portray God in a nurturing, pampering way in that He just feels sorry for us and has a human shaped hole in His heart, It also physically describes Him in unbiblical human characteristics.
John Calvin wrote: “The human heart is a factory of idols.. Every one of us is, from his mother’s womb, an expert in inventing idols.”“ An idol is something within creation that is inflated to function as God. All sorts of things are potential idols, depending only on our attitudes and actions toward them...Idolatry may not involve explicit denials of God’s existence or character. It may well come in the form of an over-attachment to something that is, in itself, perfectly good...An idol can be a physical object, a property, a person, an activity, a role, an institution, a hope, an image, an idea, a pleasure, a hero - anything that can substitute for God.” Richard Keyes
The Shack is guilty of idolatry in 3 ways. First it physically portrays God the Father and God the Holy Spirit in unbiblical ways, that is, it describes their appearance, and gives them human form. Something Scripture is very careful to NOT do. It also describes Jesus, and although Jesus is also man, we have very little description of his appearance in scripture. The Shack goes well beyond the boundaries of the bible into some very dangerous territory. Even giving unbiblical gender titles to God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.
Secondly it gives unbiblical characteristics to God. Characteristics that are downright humanistic, worldly, and dare I say it, anti Christ. The thing that stood out for me was that Young has the impression that God does not need to punish sin. He states, “At that, Papa stopped her preparations and turned toward Mack. He could see a deep sadness in her eyes. ‘I am not who you think I am, Mackenzie. I don’t need to punish people for sin. Sin is its own punishment, devouring you from the inside. It is not my purpose to punish it; it’s my joy to cure it’” (119) While this sounds nice and sweet, it’s simply not true. If God doesn’t need to punish sin, then Jesus died for nothing, and Hell doesn’t exist. No, God is just, and because He is just He MUST punish sin, otherwise He ceases to be just. This is not only unbiblical, but the god Young wants to worship has schizophrenia and has no intention of holding to her own word. The Bible says God is the just judge, and will judge according to His righteousness, but “Papa” doesn’t need to be just. Can you imagine a thief being caught by the police after a high speed car chase, brought before a judge, and the judge saying something like “I don’t need to punish your crime, the crime itself was punishment enough. you’ve been though a lot, and I’m sure you just have a disease, let me cure you.” Embarrassing and insulting, this is not a god I would worship. This is a god that is more corrupt than the criminals he lets go free.
Finally, the book itself is an idol. People are praising, bubbling, and gushing about how much they just LOVED and adored the book, it’s truly unreal. What I find funny is it’s all about feelings, and self esteem. This book makes people feel good therefore they love it. While it lies to them, and tickles their ears, it slips them deadly poison while they are emotionally involved, and their guard is down. This is why I hate to hear about people recommending it to others, especially people who are supposedly “Christian”. I thought Christians loved to read the word of truth, not heresy. Christians are Christ followers not Christ abandoners. Why people call themselves Christian while loving The Shack is beyond me. I just CANNOT for the life of me understand people who profess their love for Christ yet love this fiction that is so blatantly anti Christ. How can you love this book? My initial reaction to the book when I first flipped though the pages was a partially digested body fluid rising from my stomach, leaving a burning gross tasting acid in the back of my mouth. If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! Yet this book claims the same old heresy, repackaged, and people just gobble it up. When people recommend The Shack to others it shows that they hold it in high esteem, even disregarding the biblical command that you should not encourage idols. How can anyone then say that they don’t hold The Shack higher than scripture when scripture strictly forbids this type of activity. You deceive yourself by disobeying and then denying that you disobeyed. When people say things like “well I can distinguish between the good theology and the unbiblical teaching” All I can say is the Bible says to stay away, don’t touch, run away, don’t even think about it. It does not say “if you can distinguish”. Besides that, I doubt anyone who reads The Shack doesn’t already have an image of a god who doesn’t punish sin. My friends, line yourselves up with the word of God, test yourself to see if you are in the faith. Make your calling and election sure. Don’t ask me for any excuse that I might budge on this issue, because that would be favoritism on my part, and I am simply trying to proclaim the word of Truth in an unbiased way. I am not here to make you comfortable, pat you on the head and say that you’re ok. I will not say you are going to heaven if you read the shack with a great deal of discernment, nor will I give license to read it with a certain motive. Likewise I am also not here to poke you in the eye until you hate me. I’m not out with the agenda to make people mad just for the sake of being right or making the world burn with hatred. I am here to plead with you and beg you, make sure you are saved, examine yourselves to see if you are born again.
Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 1 Corinthians 6:9,10 If any of these thing describes you, please be aware, that I don’t hate you, I am pleading with you to stop it, repent towards God, and believe on the sacrifice made in your place by Jesus Christ. “Knowing God without knowing our own wretchedness makes for pride. Knowing our own wretchedness without knowing God makes for despair. Knowing Jesus Christ strikes the balance because he shows us both God and our own wretchedness.” Blaise Pascal
One last thing I wish to leave you with, and that is the biblical punishment for idolatry
Deuteronomy 13:6 If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, "Let us go and worship other gods" (gods that neither you nor your fathers have known, 7 gods of the peoples around you, whether near or far, from one end of the land to the other), 8 do not yield to him or listen to him. Show him no pity. Do not spare him or shield him. 9 You must certainly put him to death. Your hand must be the first in putting him to death, and then the hands of all the people. 10 Stone him to death, because he tried to turn you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 11 Then all Israel will hear and be afraid, and no one among you will do such an evil thing again. This is a scary punishment. I thank God that I live in the age of grace because I would have been stoned before I reached my 9th birthday. And if I was lucky enough to escape that punishment, I would be required by law to stone other people who have recommended The Shack to me. Don’t comfort yourself saying that God won’t punish this sin though. Don’t sear your conscience saying that this was just a punishment for Israelites, because God has a place called hell and it‘s worse than stoning. Repent of your wickedness, turn away from your own lusts and desires, turn away from The Shack and trust alone in Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins.
Questions, questions, questions!!
Here are some questions i hope you answer. As we go about our daily routines and busy ourselves with life, lets take a minute (myself included) and ponder these questions. Can you be honest with yourself about them? You may just learn a little about yourself. And if you take this with someone, you may both learn a lot about each other you may not have already known.
Why is it that when we have a really nice day outside we are grateful for mother nature's kindness, but when bad weather strikes, we call it an "Act of God"?
Why is it when something good happens to us we say we had good luck, but when something bad happens we ask, "where was God..."?
Why is it when a "bad" person has something bad happen to them, we call it "karma", but if it happens to us we would scream, "I didn't deserve this!"
Why is it men can oogle other men's wives/girlfriends and justify it by calling it window shopping, but NO ONE can do the same to their wives/girlfirends?
Why is it women can gossip about other women and be considered sneaky, yet if someone else gossips about them, its considered "catty"?
Why is it that we think we can butt in line if we are in a hurry, but if someone else does it they are a jerk?
Why is it if someone is "jay-walking" in front of our cars we get mad at them, yet when we do it it because, "Well, I have the right of way!"
Why is it that we think we should be "let off the hook" for running a red light or not fully stopping for a stop sign, yet scream for justice for others who break the same? "Someone could've been hurt!"... sound familiar?
Why is it we think that if the speed limit says one thing we think we can add 10 to it; yet when we get caught we say "Its not fair! I was only going __ much over!"
Why is it we think we can consistantly break God's Laws and believe He would overlook our "bad deeds" with our "good deeds"?
Why do we think we are smarter than God? Do we honestly think we can devise a plan of excuse or escape on the Day of Judgment with a God who knows All things?
Why do you?
Why is it that when we have a really nice day outside we are grateful for mother nature's kindness, but when bad weather strikes, we call it an "Act of God"?
Why is it when something good happens to us we say we had good luck, but when something bad happens we ask, "where was God..."?
Why is it when a "bad" person has something bad happen to them, we call it "karma", but if it happens to us we would scream, "I didn't deserve this!"
Why is it men can oogle other men's wives/girlfriends and justify it by calling it window shopping, but NO ONE can do the same to their wives/girlfirends?
Why is it women can gossip about other women and be considered sneaky, yet if someone else gossips about them, its considered "catty"?
Why is it that we think we can butt in line if we are in a hurry, but if someone else does it they are a jerk?
Why is it if someone is "jay-walking" in front of our cars we get mad at them, yet when we do it it because, "Well, I have the right of way!"
Why is it that we think we should be "let off the hook" for running a red light or not fully stopping for a stop sign, yet scream for justice for others who break the same? "Someone could've been hurt!"... sound familiar?
Why is it we think that if the speed limit says one thing we think we can add 10 to it; yet when we get caught we say "Its not fair! I was only going __ much over!"
Why is it we think we can consistantly break God's Laws and believe He would overlook our "bad deeds" with our "good deeds"?
Why do we think we are smarter than God? Do we honestly think we can devise a plan of excuse or escape on the Day of Judgment with a God who knows All things?
Why do you?
Isaw my life pass before my eyes, and was at peace
This last trip i had started out as a nightmare and didn't get much better. To write it all down would take far too long, so i'll just give you meat of the story.
My truck broke down at 2 am in the middle of nowhere in -55 degree weather. I was in the cold for 2 hours, and let me tell you, the brain does not think like you want it to think. I could not feel my hands, feet, or body, except that i was shaking. There was no C.B. in this truck so i couldn't radio for help. No one stopped for 2 hours. It is a strange thing being confronted with knowing that you are quickly freezing to death, and not being able to stop it.
I thanked God for my family, and friends, and asked Him to take care of them all. For my sweet wife, and my little son, that they would not become angry or bitter, but to know that i had gone home to my Father's house in paradise. THAT was not an easy thing to do!! For my family, that God might use this to help those who are not saved to think about their eternity, and for the rest to become bold in sharing their faith because of the time we do not have left. And for my friends, that they too, would become bold and fearless in sharing the Gospel of Christ with those wherever they are.
Shortly after 4am He sent a truck driver to pick me up. We both knew I would not have lasted another hour. So what did I feel? My brain was too cold to think about what to do if i had not been saved. I probably would have panicked, and froze to death on the side of the road somohow. But i was calm. Very calm. I had peace because I knew where I was going when I died. I was pretty sure that was going to happen, too. And I was ready. I wonder if I would have been at peace had i "made a decision for Jesus", or if I just "asked Jesus into my heart"? I wonder if I would have pannicked like a snake trying to get to higher ground in a flood? Would i have been trying to bargain with Him, to reason with Him, to mumble some trite little superstitious prayer and hope for the best? When you are in the Truth, and live a life based on the Bible and His commandments, you will know you are saved. Having been given another chance at this life on earth, I echo strongly the words of brother Paul Washer, "I will preach as a dying man to dying men. And I will preach as though I will never preach again." Its that important!
Where do you stand with your Creator, reader? We cannot base our life on whether we have "accepted" Him, but only on if He has accepted us! Will you please think about your mortality today? Don't put it off, please! Your life may be called of you today! Be ready!! PLEASE!! Think about your sins, and when you cannot stand it anymore, fall before Him at the foot of the cross and repent (turn from your sins, and appologise to God) and put your trust in His Son Jesus like you had been trusting in your own self and your own goodness to save you. The minute you do that, He has promised that your sins will be forgiven and you will be one of His own children!! PLEASE think about that, okay? We are here but for a whisp of smoke in the course of time. Eternity is a long time to regret living a season for yourself!!
I do not write this to brag, or to get accolaids, or to say "look how holy i am"! If that was your impression, then I sincerely appoligise! I write because I hope you all will make your calling and election sure. Examine yourselves in the faith so when that day comes, you too, will be ready.
My truck broke down at 2 am in the middle of nowhere in -55 degree weather. I was in the cold for 2 hours, and let me tell you, the brain does not think like you want it to think. I could not feel my hands, feet, or body, except that i was shaking. There was no C.B. in this truck so i couldn't radio for help. No one stopped for 2 hours. It is a strange thing being confronted with knowing that you are quickly freezing to death, and not being able to stop it.
I thanked God for my family, and friends, and asked Him to take care of them all. For my sweet wife, and my little son, that they would not become angry or bitter, but to know that i had gone home to my Father's house in paradise. THAT was not an easy thing to do!! For my family, that God might use this to help those who are not saved to think about their eternity, and for the rest to become bold in sharing their faith because of the time we do not have left. And for my friends, that they too, would become bold and fearless in sharing the Gospel of Christ with those wherever they are.
Shortly after 4am He sent a truck driver to pick me up. We both knew I would not have lasted another hour. So what did I feel? My brain was too cold to think about what to do if i had not been saved. I probably would have panicked, and froze to death on the side of the road somohow. But i was calm. Very calm. I had peace because I knew where I was going when I died. I was pretty sure that was going to happen, too. And I was ready. I wonder if I would have been at peace had i "made a decision for Jesus", or if I just "asked Jesus into my heart"? I wonder if I would have pannicked like a snake trying to get to higher ground in a flood? Would i have been trying to bargain with Him, to reason with Him, to mumble some trite little superstitious prayer and hope for the best? When you are in the Truth, and live a life based on the Bible and His commandments, you will know you are saved. Having been given another chance at this life on earth, I echo strongly the words of brother Paul Washer, "I will preach as a dying man to dying men. And I will preach as though I will never preach again." Its that important!
Where do you stand with your Creator, reader? We cannot base our life on whether we have "accepted" Him, but only on if He has accepted us! Will you please think about your mortality today? Don't put it off, please! Your life may be called of you today! Be ready!! PLEASE!! Think about your sins, and when you cannot stand it anymore, fall before Him at the foot of the cross and repent (turn from your sins, and appologise to God) and put your trust in His Son Jesus like you had been trusting in your own self and your own goodness to save you. The minute you do that, He has promised that your sins will be forgiven and you will be one of His own children!! PLEASE think about that, okay? We are here but for a whisp of smoke in the course of time. Eternity is a long time to regret living a season for yourself!!
I do not write this to brag, or to get accolaids, or to say "look how holy i am"! If that was your impression, then I sincerely appoligise! I write because I hope you all will make your calling and election sure. Examine yourselves in the faith so when that day comes, you too, will be ready.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Can a Christian lose their Salvation?
I have been thinking a lot about Salvation lately, and the ability of one to "lose" his or her Salvation. I must begin with this: I used to firmly believe that one could very easily lose their Salvation if they did not live a "good" life. As long as they continued to "re-dedicate" their lives to Jesus, it would be okay again. Then I got saved. For a while I still held on to the idea, but with many lingering doubts as to the validity of the argument; "As long as you are IN CHRIST you will be saved". Then, the more i read my Bible, the more things started to work themselves out. 2 Corinthians 5:17 states, "Therefore if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" So, when a person becomes "saved", they "die" to themselves, and are created anew to live for Christ. They are created ANEW! How can we still dwell on our sinful desires when God has created us anew? Once a person is saved, they should hate the things they once loved (the world and its devices) and love the things they once hated (God, the Word, fellowshiping with other believers, and the Church) One cannot come to Salvation in steps over time. You are either a Christian, or you are not. You are either alive, or you are dead. There is no "mostly dead", or "mostly alive"! You are or you are not. I have heard the line (or lie if you prefer), " He's almost a Christian. He just needs to take that final step." WHAT?! Excuse me?! The devil is "almost a Christian" as much as you or I were in our unconverted state! And just how many steps are there to become a Christian anyway? 5 simple steps? 4 Spiritual laws? Or can a person (though he HATES God) still walk toward Him, and when he feels like it "accept" Him? Do we think so little of the wondrous power of God that we reduce Him to such trite, and pathetic views? Who is this God? Does He have white hair, a big bushy beard, and sit upstairs just waiting so desperately for us to accept Him? Santa Clause in heaven, perhaps. IDOLATRY!!! You have broken the first and second commandments!
How about this one, "You're still a Christian, you just need to start acting like one again!" Yes.Yes. You are still a Christan. Colossians 2:20 says, "Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules"? I will agree that a Christian can fall into sin, even for a season, but is their life characterised by their sin? No. Are they habitually continuing to sin, looking for opportunities, and planning to sin? No. But for those whose lives ARE characterized by their sins, HOW DARE YOU CALL THEM A CHRISTIAN!!!!! They talk, dress, tell jokes, watch movies, t.v. shows, have sexual relationships like the world and you think they are a follower of Christ?! "Put to death, therefore whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self, with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator." Colossians 3:5-10.
Who are you to say that one can become saved and then walk away from the faith, only to become saved again? If that were so then the Bible is telling a lie when, in Hebrews 6:4-6, it reads," It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the Word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting Him to public disgrace." And in Hebrews 11:26-28, " Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself. Just as man is destined to die once, and after that face judgement, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring Salvation to those who are waiting for Him." Maybe you should really pour over the book of Hebrews for a while. Jesus said, " It is finished", in John 19:30. Does he have to die again?
If you think that a person can walk away from their Salvation still, then you think that you are just as powerful as He is. How can I say that? Who has the power to change a man? You? No! God alone!! When you are saved He creates a new creature from the old. If your sinful self has died to sin, then it is dead. Duh. If you think you can still walk away, you are able to have to power (the same as God's) to resurrect your old self to live in sin, and when it is convenient, "come back" to Him again. So do you have the same life-changing ability as God who is the Creator of all? Do you? Well?! If you answered yes, you are a flat-out worshiper of an idol you call God!
Why am I being so harsh? Because I am tired of people living their lives the way they do and still calling themselves Children of God! This thinking has to stop! Open your eyes people!!!We can be confident of this, "that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." If we are truly saved, we will hear our Master's voice, and we will know Him. And most importantly, He will know us.
Some reading for you:
Matthew 7:21-23
Ephesians 5:1-16
Hebrews
The Gospels
The New testament
The Bible
How about this one, "You're still a Christian, you just need to start acting like one again!" Yes.Yes. You are still a Christan. Colossians 2:20 says, "Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules"? I will agree that a Christian can fall into sin, even for a season, but is their life characterised by their sin? No. Are they habitually continuing to sin, looking for opportunities, and planning to sin? No. But for those whose lives ARE characterized by their sins, HOW DARE YOU CALL THEM A CHRISTIAN!!!!! They talk, dress, tell jokes, watch movies, t.v. shows, have sexual relationships like the world and you think they are a follower of Christ?! "Put to death, therefore whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self, with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator." Colossians 3:5-10.
Who are you to say that one can become saved and then walk away from the faith, only to become saved again? If that were so then the Bible is telling a lie when, in Hebrews 6:4-6, it reads," It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the Word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting Him to public disgrace." And in Hebrews 11:26-28, " Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself. Just as man is destined to die once, and after that face judgement, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring Salvation to those who are waiting for Him." Maybe you should really pour over the book of Hebrews for a while. Jesus said, " It is finished", in John 19:30. Does he have to die again?
If you think that a person can walk away from their Salvation still, then you think that you are just as powerful as He is. How can I say that? Who has the power to change a man? You? No! God alone!! When you are saved He creates a new creature from the old. If your sinful self has died to sin, then it is dead. Duh. If you think you can still walk away, you are able to have to power (the same as God's) to resurrect your old self to live in sin, and when it is convenient, "come back" to Him again. So do you have the same life-changing ability as God who is the Creator of all? Do you? Well?! If you answered yes, you are a flat-out worshiper of an idol you call God!
Why am I being so harsh? Because I am tired of people living their lives the way they do and still calling themselves Children of God! This thinking has to stop! Open your eyes people!!!We can be confident of this, "that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." If we are truly saved, we will hear our Master's voice, and we will know Him. And most importantly, He will know us.
Some reading for you:
Matthew 7:21-23
Ephesians 5:1-16
Hebrews
The Gospels
The New testament
The Bible
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