In Christ/Kansas City

What's A Couple Of Slaves When You Have Good Theology?

2008-12-14T03:22:00.000-08:00

James 1:23-25
For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror;for {once} he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the {law} of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.

Mike Ditka is considered to be one of the best and by some, the best NFL coach of all time. He retired as a player in 1972 and Ditka was immediately hired as an assistant coach by Cowboys' head coach Tom Landry. Ditka spent nine seasons as an assistant coach with the Cowboys. During his tenure, the Cowboys made the playoffs eight times, won six division titles and three NFC Championships, including the one preceding their Super Bowl victory in 1977. Ditka coached the Chicago Bears for 11 years and New Orleans Saints for 3 years. Ditka and Tom Flores are the only two people to win Super Bowls as a player, an assistant coach and a head coach. Ditka was the only individual to participate in the last two Chicago Bears' championships, as a player in 1963 and as head coach in 1985.

Now being a coach or a trainer in sports does not mean that you are able to do what you expect done as well as the players you coach. Most coaches or trainers speak from past experiences or have done a lengthy study of the duties and tasks that they require of you and this is why what they speak is cherished so. Can you think back to Mike Tyson or Muhammad Ali in their prime? Can you imagine them losing their belts or titles to their coaches. The thought is insane and we all realize that just because you can logically put things in order does not necessarily mean that you yourselves can do them. So can we accurately say that Calvin, Whitefield, Edwards were just really good coaches who had our best interests at heart but chose not to implement these truths in their lives? Or to be 100% accurate, they chose to allow Christ to infiltrate some parts of their lives but not all. Is this something we all possess since no one is perfect? I would like to express some thoughts that were in before in the back of my mind but I now found the time to closer examine them. They are questions such as these:

How could George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards own slaves?
How could John Calvin brutally have Michael Servetus killed?
How can we call abortionist murderers but not apply that logic to these men?
What does the Bible say about people like these men?

First and foremost let me say that I understand that the Elect of God are all one in Christ and I along with many others strive to build God's church. I, being a black man do not have a bone to pick with these men but I think we have to be consistent with how we look at these so called "Great" men. I can surely see the providence of God in the Atlantic slave trade. Some may say I am scrutinizing great men who led flawless lives with the exception of this one minor detail. Simply because they contributed greatly by coining certain phrases(TULIP) and writing great sermons does not mean they were born of God. I know that is a bold statement but according to correct understanding of the scriptures as quoted above, people who hear the Word and do not practice are declared hypocrites. I am simply opening this up for discussion merely out of curiosity and insight from others.

Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield were both very busy and intelligent men. Whitefield from England and Edwards born in the states. These men knew the scriptures well.. here are some great facts...

Studied 13 hours a day from the scriptures
Missionary to the Native Americans
Whitefield traveled back and forth from America and England for the furtherance of the Gospel
Preached great sermons like "Sinners in the Hands of A Angry God"(one of my favorites)
Responsible for the "Great Awakening."
Raised funds for orphanages.

John Calvin the great French Theologian a few centuries before also had a commendable life. He did great works in clearly articulating the "Faith" and did much to restore Biblical doctrines first put forth by Christ and His Apostles and many others like Augustine and the list goes on. Calvin had many face to face conversations with Michael Servetus(who was clearly a heretic) regarding doctrine and the Trinity. Calvin simply lost patience with this man and he and the other ministers asked that he be spared being burnt at the stake and be beheaded instead. This was refused and on 27 October, Servetus was burnt alive at the Plateau of Champel at the edge of Geneva.

Some Arguments I hear on Slavery....

Slavery is in the Bible and it is ok.
Cultural Relevance-this was the normal behavior in that day.
As Long as he didn't whip them like Kunta Kinte-he's ok with me!!!

Slaves is as old as mankind itself and we see the scriptures portray slavery in a positive and negative manner. In the Bible the greek word doulos is used over 100 times for slave, servant, or bond servant depending on what translation you possess. Paul uses this to describe us as once being a slave to sin but now we are slaves to Christ. This relationship would not be similar to the Hebrew-Egyptian relationship in the time of Moses or it would not be similar to a slave being mistreated like in the human trafficking in the Atlantic Slave trade. The book of Phileman is regarding slavery as well. In the Greco-Roman environment around the time before and after Christ we see slaves being in bondage for various reasons such as debt and just by choice. In this time area 1 out 3 persons were enslaved and this is why Paul taught that Christian slaves ought to serve their masters wholeheartedly, "as unto the Lord, and not to men." And which attitude he also required the slave masters to have, treating their slaves fairly and without threatening, as they too had a Master in Heaven.

The Cultural argument can be addressed on two different levels. The first being simply that we are not called to be culturally relevant but distinct and contradicting the culture by being Christ-like. Secondly, history speaks to us in the life of Philliss Wheatley. Wheatley being raptured up so to speak to the America's from Gambia at the age of 7. Purchased by the Boston Wheatley Family. These people were exceptional by teaching her how to read and encouraged her to write poetry. She later was free after publishing writings in England and other countries. She was in the same time era as Whitefield. This is evidence that people at this time were not all treating their slaves as animals but to the contrary treating them like Philemon's master was challenged to do so. Certainly if Edwards or Whitefield were doing such things they would be know for it.

I don't quite understand the disconnect in these great men. It is no question that these men led exception lives for the Gospel. Maybe Ephesians wasn't published in America or England at that time...Maybe they forgot to read how we are commanded to treat our slaves.....Maybe Maybe Maybe...... I am still searching for these answers and hope to get a better understanding. But until then when I hear these great men's sermons, read their books, hear great stories about them; I will unfortunately think of James chapter 1 and wonder if they fell in this category. With all the great knowledge and wisdom I have obtained from these men I definitely hope not. What are you thoughts?

Transforming The World Or Escaping From It

2008-12-14T03:14:00.001-08:00

I love this quote from Greg Boyd’s “The Myth of a Christian Nation"
So, too the reason God now calls kingdom people to remain separate from the ways of the kingdom-of-the-world is not to isolate them from their culture but to empower them to authentically, serve their culture and ultimately win it over to allegiance to Jesus Christ. The reason we are not to be of the world is so we may be for the world.

This point is especially important today, for a significant portion of evangelical Christianity has come under the influence of an escapist apocalyptic theology. Believing Jesus will soon “rapture” Christians out of the world before destroying it, they have little concern with the church being a witness on issues of social justice, global peace, the environment, and so on. To the contrary, in the name of fulfilling biblical prophecy, many are actively supporting stances that directly or indirectly encourage violence, possibly on a global scale (of instance, extremist Christian Zionism). Since the world is doomed for soon destruction, the thinking goes, the only thing that matters is getting individuals ready for the rapture.

Whatever else one thinks about the New Testament’s eschatology, it certainly does not encourage this sort of irresponsible escapism. The hope offered to believers is not that we will be a peculiar elite group of people who will escape out of the world, leaving others behind to experience the wrath of God. The hope is rather that by our sacrificial participation in the ever-expanding kingdom, the whole creation will be redeemed (Rom. 8:20-23; Col 1:18-20)

I believe Mr. Boyd to be correct in his assessment. It is much easier to let the world go to hell in a hand basket then engaging it with Calvary type love. It is much easier to look at homosexuals with AIDS and say “this is God’s judgment” than to put our arms around them and love them. It is much easier to ignore the rapid decline of our environment than it is to march hand in hand with “tree lovers”. It is much easier to say “we will be raptured away from it all, so prepare yourself for the next kingdom” while ignoring the world around us. Why care about child slavery? Why care about Darfur? Why care about world hunger? It is funny that Jesus came to reverse the curse of the fall while we not only avoid assisting Him, we actually applaud such destruction and pain in the name of God’s judgment!

Written By Lionel Woods

God's Goodness

2008-10-22T04:01:00.000-07:00

One thing I recently realized is..the importance of writing down what the Lord does in our lives. I think it is extremely important to be able to recall all of the circumstances that the Lord has proven Himself in our lives. We recently at my fellowship have begun to explore “Faith” and what it means from Biblical standpoint. We started to write down times past that the Lord’s hand was evident on our lives and also to write prayer requests you’ve been praying for years. Sometimes after praying something for years and years-the prayer or person praying it-loses the once urgent fervency and it becomes repetitious. Or may become lackadaisical and absent of true biblical faith of belief.

Two things stuck out for me while I thought on the goodness of the Lord.

1. True Friendships
2. A Real People and Real Christians

Less than 2 years ago while making the Holy Spirit driven exodus from the false church; I used to HATE the Church of Christ or Body of Christ with a passion. I literally and unapolgetically can honestly say I thought the church folk were “Ignorant and Unlearned People.” Before making the exodus I searched long and hard for someone to hear me in my plea of Biblical Accurate Exegesis. If I could have ran to the pulpit in my old synagogue and screamed at the top of my lungs. “WHY CAN’T YOU PEOPLE HEAR ME!!!” I would have and probably should have.

Slowly and I do mean slowly the Lord started to reveal His saints to me one by one and I began to love the idea of the Church and how the members function as a body. Initially I started to meet a lot of believer’s on line and through electronic communication but no one close. As the Lord saw fit he did place me into a local fellowship of Bible believing people who were just as zealous about truth as I was. Not exactly the route I would have taken but the Lord knows exactly what He is doing.

Secondly, I have a very transparent personality and don’t like having superficial friendships. I spent at least 12 years trying to cultivate solid relationships but found out that once you start studying the Word people will either love you, hate you, or keep you at distance. The Lord has given me true friends that will rebuke, love, correct, and many other things that will push me to Christ and His Word. I just want to encourage you in the Lord to write down the things the Lord has done for you and your family in the past.

I think I can make a strong case for doing this from the scriptures. Just think throughout the Old Testament all the times that the Prophets reminded Israel of all that Lord had done for them and miraculous things the Lord had done in times present and past. They were constantly reminding them of the many works of the Lord. Even from a New Testament perspective we hear Christ doing the same things, we hear Paul reminding Agrippa, and we hear Stephen before his murder also reminding the people of their ancestors. David time and time again speaks of the works of the Lord and uses that to encourage himself when going through a trial. Point is, that this is a Biblical concept. Take the time to reminisce of the Lord’s faithfulness in your life. Just a few questions for you to ponder as well.

Do you love God’s Church that was bought by the Blood of Christ?
Are your relationships intimate with God’s people and more so than your relatives?
Not only what has God done for you but how is He using you for His glory?
Are you being fed not only by your elder/pastor but are you feeding him?
What about the Body?
What are you grasping from your fellowship and is it really true communion?

Evangelism

2008-10-18T23:10:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love sharing the Gospel of Christ. Our fellowship of believer’s decided we needed to search for an outlet in our community to begin sharing this message that so dramatically changed our hearts and our lives. Unlike most churches, we don’t go out and say, “Come to our church and it’ll be great.” No sir!! We take the church to them, knowing that from the scriptures the time of fellowship(we call the church) is for the Body of Christ. I cannot remember the last time I invited someone to my church with the exception of my family when they come in town.

About 3 months ago myself and the elder at our fellowship found a (so called) ministry to begin to go to and share. This ministry was a group home established to house about 7-10 young men who had problems with family or just troubled lives. This was located about 15 minutes from where we live and was in the “inner city.” The children had horrible stories to tell from watching their siblings be molested by step-parents to having parents who were addicted to drugs. This organization was a Christian based organization who supposedly hired church members who we soon came to discover where just that-”church members.”

We soon began going to these young men and pouring our hearts out week after week, taking them various places to do fun things but also to establish a relationship with them as well. Our first incident we took them to McDonald’s just to get to know and their chaperon came along who was also supposed to be a Christian. We gave them the raw deal about their total depravity and desperate need for a Savior-Christ. The chaperon quietly sat their and did not say a peep. All of these young men were forced to go to church with everyone from the group home and what they saw made them subtly come to abhor Christianity without even knowing it. They were seeing the staff at the group home play church on Sunday and then go back to the group home and live their lives totally separate from what they were instructed from the scriptures.

Unfortunately they attended a Word of Faith-Prosperity Church but from this experience week after week they began to develop a false view of a Christian life. We began to go through the scriptures and talk about the converted heart and true Christianity. We did not realize that we were describing the staff in which these children lived with day after day. Being children ages 14-19 in age; this truth liberated them & I assume they began to launch these truths at the staff. I can imagine the staff did not enjoy this.
This being a month in a half ago we have been struggling to get time with these youngsters. We meet with them weekly and have scheduled time with them on at least 3 occasions were the staff did not arrange the time correctly(probably purposely) and when we get to the residence they are doing something else at another location. Very frustrating for us since we are taking time away from our schedules to do this on our days off normally.

Nothing super theological here-just asking for your prayers for these young men and the seeds we have sowed with them. The group home name is “WATCM” and it stands for “Where are the Christian Men.”

To Vote or Not to Vote…….

2008-10-14T02:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday at fellowship(Lord’s Supper) with the brethren we engaged in a interesting conversation in regards to politics. This is something I brought up simply because my view is somewhat changing about this issue largely due to a book I am reading about this-church and state etc…. We are really close at our fellowship and we all are pretty open(never really understood why this is such a discreet issue amongst people?) about our stances on politics and who we or who we are not voting for. This is one issue amongst us in our fellowship that we really really differ on. Most things we pretty much have the same mind but this is another story as I discovered yesterday.

I, on the one hand am NOT voting this election and laugh at the thought of it for various reasons. I along with the Elder at our congregation have the same view on this issue. I guess I jump on the Hyper-Calvinist camp on this issue. Others as we discovered are voting they say because they must “choose between the lesser of the evils.” Ummmm I think I will choose Abortion for $100 Alex”-”Nope not me, I will choose Gay Marriage for $200 Alex.” Being Sarcastic here, but I never have been able to grasp that logic but some seem to understand and make it walk on all fours. Logically it does not make sense to me. Furthermore some will say if you don’t vote for the lesser of the evils you are by your absence-voting anyway.

Linked here are the candidates Obama and McCain’s stances on the crucials-HERE.

This year the whole political game has agitated me more than ever. WHY?

1. These candidates all talk the same game and fluff until they get elected and then what? Then the people who want to crucify you for not voting on what they consider the larger issues, they themselves aren’t involved in their neighborhoods voting for mayors or governor’s-somewhat hypocritical to me.

2.
I work nights and listen to Bott Radio Network(a somewhat Biblical radio station) and they constantly say ridiculous things like-”Obama is the anti-Christ” and they choose to vote for McCain because they say he is more conservative and has Christian Morals. Or to be just “real” about it-because he is Republican.

3. On the secular stations like “Tom Joyner” they are a little less discreet and come out and basically say, “we voting for him because he is Black” or “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and its about time I got my 40 Acres and Mule-Great Grand dad would be proud.” This is even said amongst some of the Black and Reformed Christian folk.

These are some of the questions I have.

Is the next President going to change this land for the better?

What does it really mean to “vote for the lesser evil?”

Is there a Biblical mandate for believer’s to vote?

And please don’t say anything silly like, “your ancestors died-you better vote” or “Obama is your brother-brother” (Mark 3:32-35)

The Rape of God’s Mercy

2008-10-13T03:18:00.000-07:00

A Warning About Presumptuous Sin

By Daryl Wingerd

Have you ever sinned on purpose? Have you ever known that something was sinful, had every opportunity to avoid the sin, yet decided to do it anyway? If so, were you comforted in your decision by thoughts of God’s forgiving mercy? Perhaps you said to yourself (as I once heard a man say, just before telling a blatant lie to keep himself out of trouble), “It’s easier to get forgiveness than permission.” This type of premeditated, intentional sin is called “presumptuous sin.”

Presumptuous sin is knowingly doing what God forbids while presuming that you will be covered by His mercy. It is an attempt to force God to apply mercy instead of justice. It is no wonder that John Bunyan (author of Pilgrim’s Progress) once referred to sin as “the dare of God’s justice, the rape of His mercy, the jeer of His patience, the slight of His power, and the contempt of His love.”

Consider four sobering truths about presumptuous sins and presumptuous sinners:

1. God hates presumptuous sin.

A purposeful, planned approach to sin reveals one of the things God hates the most. In Proverbs 6:16 we read, “There are six things which the Lord hates, yes, seven which are an abomination to Him.” The list that follows includes pride, lying, and murder. Among these we find that God hates “a heart that devises wicked plans” (v. 18). God hates all sin, to be sure, but when you sin on purpose, your premeditated act is particularly abhorrent to Him.

2. Presumptuous sin is feared and hated by godly persons.

David pleaded with the Lord to keep him back from presumptuous sins (Ps. 19:13). He concluded his thought by saying, “Then will I be blameless, and I shall be acquitted of great transgression.” People who sin presumptuously should have no confident expectation that they will be considered “blameless,” or even that they will be acquitted by God.

3. True Christians are repentant sinners, not presumptuous sinners.

Regardless of the type of sin involved, those who are repentant sinners are said to be “washed,” “sanctified,” and “justified,” while those who carelessly continue in sin are warned not to be deceived. People of that sort, Paul tells us, “will not inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Cor. 6:9-11). Presumptuous sinners are acting like they are on their way to hell, not heaven. They may be.

4. Presumptuous sin often leads to disastrous consequences.

King David knew that what he was tempted to do with Bathsheba was a sin against God, but he did it anyway. In this case, his presumptuous sin brought a series of painful and tragic consequences:

It led David into further sin-plotting the murder of Bathsheba’s husband. (2 Sam. 11:14-15)
It brought on a lengthy period of painful conviction. (Ps. 32:9-10; 38:1-8; 51:3, 8, 12)
It brought a stinging rebuke from the prophet Nathan. (2 Sam. 12:1-14)
It led to the death of the child of that union. (2 Sam. 12:14-18)
It gave occasion for the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme God. (2 Sam. 12:14)
It moved the Lord to plague David’s posterity with violence, and even to raise evil against him from within his own family. (2 Sam. 12:9-11)

People who presume upon God’s mercy should not be surprised when they experience similar consequences. In fact, they should expect them. Perhaps it was this very experience that led David to pray this prayer:

Also keep back your servant from presumptuous sins;Let them not rule over me;Then I will be blameless,And I shall be acquitted of great transgression. (Ps. 19:13)

UNCONDITIONAL LOVE

2008-09-29T21:07:00.000-07:00

Let me first say that I am an advocate of the permanence of marriage. This is a position that is rare amongst believer’s to say the least. John Piper also holds this position linked here. Not as if Piper is the final point of arbitration-for he is not. I linked it so you would be able to read his stance to get an idea of what I am talking about here. My stance is a lot more exhaustive but at least you’ll get an idea from reading his article on the matter. I have had a formal debate about the matter with my dearly beloved brother from Stand Up Ministries-Saiko Woods already and really don’t want to argue about it anymore-but just thought I would share. Let me tell you a story and see if you can imagine what you would do…..

Your beautiful wife(or husband) of 3 years finds out that she is pregnant!! You are both estatic over the matter and start to make preparations for the new child. You and your spouse have already agreed that she will stay home for a few years and you will work. So the man gets 3 jobs to slowly peck away at the debt and the wife searches for work to do at home on the computer all while making preparations to eventually come home from her day job. Soon enough the beautiful child is born and all seems to be going well. The good news is that you are making the ends meet with your 3 jobs but the bad news is that your relationship is dwindling because you are never at home with the family.

The husband realized this is not working as planned so the wife searches for work outside the home again since the at home computer thing just isn’t working out. The husbands approves of her new found job and they work opposite shifts in order to have round the clock care for the baby. In the time you took preparing for the baby-you also pull your family from a heavy word of faith-prosperity-seeker sensitive church and in retrospect, this move; strengthened your faith and weakened your spouses. You realize that the Lord spoke to you and saved you through this ordeal and in the process realized that your spouse is not a believer.

In the course of the next 3 months the relationship continues to dwindle and your spouse drops the bomb!! “I commited adultery!” Ironically(sovereign grace) enough you have been studying how to be a better spouse and how that is liken unto Christ and His Church. You now being a believer understand that when you recieve truth it must be followed by action, fueled by love-otherwise it is meaningless or useless. What to you do? Do you take the “Exception Clause” view and run for the hills as if you have not been a sinner who was dispatched an unlimited amount of grace or do you see this as an excusable reason to divorce your spouse? On the one hand you say, ” This is messed up Lord and this is NOT what I signed up for!” on the other you say, “What an extraordinary way to be like Christ and bask in the fellowship of His suffering.”

You see how your spouse has become the total opposite of what you had come to know and love and scriptures run through your mind regarding persecution and how the Lord said “I have not come to bring Peace…..” Listen here…

The Dictionary or the world defines love as this;A deep, tender, ineffable “feeling” of affection and solicitude toward a person, such as that arising from kinship, recognition of attractive qualities, or a sense of underlying oneness.A feeling of intense desire and attraction toward a person with whom one is disposed to make a pair; the emotion of sex and romance.
How does this contrast with the Biblical Worldview of Love? Let us look and see.

1 Corinthians 13(emphasis mine)
1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

First let me say; Isn’t it ironic how truth is connected to love? No coincidence here. Truth is conformity with fact and reality or whatever corresponds to reality. The type of love we see in these passages are rarely seen in our culture today. Yes we see couples who are happy and love without limits but are they manifesting true Biblical love? We see couples continuously getting divorces over ridiculous things. Most commonly we see divorces due to selfishness. In our culture people love and they will say it is unconditional but when something goes not according to their plan they retract their love like a rattle snake after a vicious strike to its victim. Really their love for you is tied to how they perceive your love for them. This is NOT Biblical Love, it is love centered around their own selfish will. Let me pause and say, “I have not arrived and I am learning this daily in my marriage and my wife can be a witness to this fact” I have seen enormous flaws in my past with the way I loved my wife and people in general and it is always tied to how I am treated versus how I would like to be treated regardless of their reaction towards me. You see our relationship to God is first and to people second. The way we treat people is a direct correlation of our understanding and obedience to God.

James 4:1 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God.

In this James hits the nail on the head. We are self-centered by our Adamic nature from birth but we are now striving after the qualities and nature of Christ and they are contrary to this world. If you look into your life, just think how putting the needs of others would make a difference in every situation. This is no way makes men passive or feminized, it on the contrary emulates the attributes of Christ with love and truth hand and hand; you see it can be no other way. For example-If you love your friend or family member, your love for them compels you to tell them the truth about their corrupt state, that is true love.

John 15:9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit–fruit that will last.(emphasis mine)

1 Peter4:12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; 13 but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. 14 If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.(emphasis mine)

Being in Love-I have come to the realization that this is not a Biblical Term. Biblical Love is never a state. Love is always a commitment, a choice, or an action. So the Bible crucifies what we call “In Love”, in this we see people say they fall out of love or fall into love as if it is some magical hole in the air. Love is something totally(maybe not totally but in conjunction with) aside from our fickle emotions. If you look at people in the Bible in Acts, at the time of conversion you very rarely see any documentation of emotions tied to their salvation aside from joy and happiness in their suffering in which they see it as an honor to be counted worthy to suffer for HIM. We are to Love our wives as Christ Loves the church and love one another as our self. If love is simply tied to feeling or sex, when we have hard times the marriage will diminish and a allegory can be made from that to how we see the false gospel preached and when people go through storms of life(in which the Bible promises persecution to every true believer) they fade away.(parable of the Sower)

Analyze your love in the face of the truth of God’s infallible Word. I assure you that you will see a immediate need for a change in the way you deal with people and not just your spouse. Remember your horizontal relationships are just a reflection of your vertical relationship with the Creator of all. In Christ

Who needs Faith?

2008-09-28T07:13:00.000-07:00

“I finally got it!!” I spent 4 years in a Prosperity-Word of Faith cult, 1 of which I was awakened to my ignorance by the grace of God and then decided to get out and search for a Biblical body of believer’s. I could imagine this is how I felt once the Lord rescued me from that madness. 8 months later I would find a church; join and from this point-trying as hard as I could to keep away from the likes of the heresies taught by many faith teachers and charlatans. In my attempt to do this I; in my Reformed(Biblical) circles, skip over the scriptures that speak of things that seem charismatic or too faith oriented to grasp. I gradually place “Faith” on the shelf of the past and proceed for Biblical sound doctrine since I finally found what I was looking for. This is going to be somewhat of a culmination of what I have been studying and experiencing in the past couple of months on finances, faith, and life..so please excuse the clutter.

First let me clarify that I am trying very hard to lose the term “Reformed” and hence forth, that word will be replaced with “Biblical.” I have hastily come to the conclusion that reformed does not describe what I believe and is too broad of a term to really encompass who I(we) am in Christ. “Biblical” can more closely define who we are in Christ. I, along with Lionel am reading “The Reformers and Their Stepchildren”, by Leonard Verduin. This book is great and closely examines the reformation and brings to light-when we say reformed-what do we really mean?

I am a part of a great home congregation in which i believe the Lord is leading and has been with us and guiding us daily. Now I finally found a Biblical church and got away from the craziness. To my surprise I come to the knowledge that these believer’s like so many in the Charismatic circles have experiences to go along with their testimonies just like those in the Word of Faith churches. Is this wrong or is it Biblical? Isn’t there a little subjectivity along with everyone’s objective faith in Christ? Yes, just think of Moses, Samuel, Paul and so many others. Now what about “Faith” and what part does that play in “Biblical” circles. How do we build our Faith? How is Faith apart of our every day lives? Do we allow the Lord room to show Himself? Faith seemed to be such a integral part of peoples lives in the time when Christ was ministering before His ascension. I just recently realized that in my attempt to get away for the Charis-mania that I somehow lost the zeal to exercise Faith in ways that would not exactly fit into western christian reformed circles. What do I mean? Well, this may seem simple to some but…the last time your car broke down, what did you do? When your air conditioner went out in your house…when your family member died and you did not have the money to travel…when your child was sick..when you were sick…

Well I can answer for myself and say..I without thinking ran to my credit cards before praying for the Lord to intervene or provide without going into debt and using other resources. When my son gets sick I run to the doctor sometimes while praying other times without praying about it until afterwards. What aspects of our life in this western world do we see the Lord moving mightily and the result only able to be attributed to the work of God. My next book read is going to be on the life of George Mueller. I have heard rave reviews of this man and his faith, prayer life, and testimony.

I have read so many “Biblical” books about the Apostles and the works they did and for the life of me cannot be satisfied by this answer—-The miracles and work that the apostles did was only to authenticate the Gospel. HOGWASH!!! Exegetically being faithful to the texts we cannot make that answer walk on all four’s. It just does not hold water. I have stood by that answer for a long time now and it just is an excuse for us to explain away, possibly our lack of faith. I have even stood by Macarthur’s explanation (1 Cor 13:10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.) about gifts but how we exclude certain gifts and then keep others?

Here is the question I leave you. How do we know when to exercise faith and believe God versus handling it ourselves? Is their a relationship of Faith and Works modeled by Abraham in laying with his wife after receiving the promise of a child? Are we to view our Faith as Synergistic or Monergistic? These are questions I ponder a lot in seeking the Lord about many things like salvation of loved ones, getting out of debt to be freed up for missions and ministry, and the lists goes on. Throughout the entire New Testament we are constantly reminded of the faith of others and how the Lord uses faith in the life of His people. Again…

How do we know when to exercise faith and believe God versus handling it ourselves?

The Church That Disciplines

2008-08-18T07:31:00.000-07:00

This was written by an elder in our church and I thought it was an excellent article-Enjoy

Tyris Horton Sr.

Author: Jim Elliff

Let me tell you why church discipline is important to me.
A number of years ago my minister father left my mother after an adulterous affair with his secretary. I’m telling this story with his permission. My father is now 90 years old.

This turn of events jarred us. We’ve not seen divorce often in our extended family. All of us are believers, and most of us are in the ministry, for four generations. While my father was working as a denominational executive, he began to counsel his secretary about her marriage. She found in him what she could not find in her husband. Soon, compromises entered in and adultery followed. My father did what he had often told us never to do—counsel someone of the opposite sex in a closed room. What seemed impossible to him and to us actually happened. And it happened within months of his retirement.

The four children gathered, from long distances, at my parent’s home to beg for dad’s repentance. He appeared to repent at that time, but soon backed away from it. Like Lot’s wife, his heart was gone, even though, by his own admission, there was nothing on my mother’s part to cause his sin. He did not turn around. Rather, he divorced my mother, married his secretary, and moved to another city. His retirement years, which at one time were going to be filled with ministerial activity and travel, were now an impossible dream.

Then came my mother’s death, just two years later. She died of Alzheimer’s disease, the effects of which were not noticeable until after the divorce. She had remained godly, fervent in her prayers for her former husband, and amazingly forgiving. But, to put it mildly, she was devastated, never before imagining that this could possibly happen to her.

Before she died, father truly repented. With tears of anguish over his actions, he asked the family’s forgiveness. He even came to the bedside of my mother to speak with her prior to her death. But the damage was done. He had lost his job, his reputation, his confidence, his family’s respect, his future ministry, his joy, and even the assurance of his own salvation. He had been a fool.

We are now twenty-two years beyond that awful period of time. Thankfully, Dad has been restored to Christian vitality, though with scars. His repentance was real and lasting. He has attempted to help others avoid the sinful actions of his past. Recently, as an old man, he stood before the Baptist pastors of one of our states and said that “he was a testimony of failure in the ministry.” But he also spoke of God’s remarkable grace. He spoke on this subject as well at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth, Texas, where he had been a student. (Hear his story here)

Just this last year the four children took my father on the trip of his life. We traveled to ten small towns to visit all the memorable places of his childhood. We went to the place of his conversion, his call to preach, and his first church. This was a trip that none of us will ever forget. We laughed and cried, took pictures, and told stories all the way.

One day we drove down the dirt road to the quiet, secluded cemetery where my mother was buried, several miles outside of that familiar southern town where she grew up. This was the first time my father had seen the grave. He had refused to be disruptive by going to her funeral twenty-two years earlier. As we approached the grave, his body convulsed with tears as he clung to us. “How could I have done what I did to such a sweet person?” he cried. It was an agonizing, but cathartic moment for us all.

Why have I told this personal story? At the time of the affair, our family had attempted to convince the pastor of his church, one of the most prominent churches in the large city where my parents lived, to practice church discipline on my father. We had hoped that, at that vulnerable period, he would listen and repent if the church lovingly exercised this restorative biblical practice. They refused. I’m sure it was because they were not accustomed to such action and also because of the stature of my father in the church and community.

When we were in the car after that experience at the cemetery, I asked my father this question: “Dad, we tried to get your church to discipline you when you committed adultery. They would not do it. Do you think it would have stopped you from leaving mother if they had?”

Dad, who always takes the blame for his sin himself and would not let anyone else share in it, nonetheless, very humbly admitted, “I think it would have.”

Now, let me ask you, was the church where my parents attended loving my father by refusing to discipline him? Were they being gracious and kind? Were they doing what was best for him?

More that that, was the church loving God when they did not discipline my father? Were they following the Head of the church, Jesus Christ? Were they helping other families? Were they helping the believers throughout the city? Were they instructing younger children and youth in their church in the way of holiness and the sanctity of marriage?

What is the truth here? The truth is, church discipline is the most benevolent action that can ever be taken toward an erring church member, and when it is not done, it is flagrant disobedience toward God.

Restoring Those Who Fall

Let me be practical about an important matter. You need to have a comprehensive discipline statement for your church. We have a church discipline statement that may be adopted, or adapted for your use. It is called Restoring Those Who Fall, and it is the church discipline statement that I helped to write along with one of the pastors of the church I serve. The two of us were the first pastors of the church.

I have been involved in writing several statements like this in the past, but this is the clearest and most usable presentation of this doctrine I have had the privilege to work on. Since other churches through the years have asked for this statement we decided to put it in a book called Our Church on Solid Ground. We are not publishing that book presently, but will soon offer this discipline statement, now revised, as a small booklet. Dr. Jay Adams put the first writing of this statement in his Journal of Modern Ministry making it even more accessible to leaders. FIEL Ministries of Brazil distributed 22,000 copies of this statement to pastors and leaders in a small booklet for Portuguese-speaking people also.

I do not want to presume that all of you will find our statement the best for you. However, if you cannot find a better statement, or cannot write your own, you may consider accepting this as your discipline plan.

Let me suggest that you obtain copies of this booklet when they become available for your leaders. Or, you may download the statement in electronic form found on this site. Take them carefully through each line, looking up Scriptures and talking through the implications and strategy your church will take when sin enters the fellowship. Then you might consider taking the men as a whole through a period of study on church discipline, using the statement. Finally, it could be presented to all of the members. Then, according to the way your church makes decisions, the statement could be adopted as your church discipline policy.

We have found it helpful to have all incoming members read the discipline statement. We even include these words in our church membership agreement (church covenant):

I will submit to the church’s discipline upon myself and lovingly assume my responsibility to participate in the discipline of other members, as taught in Scripture.[1]

You can understand my burden for restoring this practice. If you love people and love God, you will do it. If you neglect church discipline you will be disobeying the Head of the church, Jesus Christ, who commanded that you do it.
Restoring Those Who Fall, a church discipline statement, may be ordered from CCW for inexpensive bulk rates. The publication date for this booklet will be announced soon on this site. An electronic copy of Restoring Those Who Fall may be found online at www.CCWtoday.org or www.ChristFellowshipKC.org.

The Relinquishing of Sound Doctrine

2008-07-19T15:57:00.000-07:00

The Deceiver (2 John 1:7-9)7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. 8 Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward. 9 Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.

The True Doctrine 1 (John 7:14-36)14 Now about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught. 15 And the Jews marveled, saying, “How does this Man know letters, having never studied?” 16 Jesus answered them and said, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me. 17 If anyone wants to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority. 18 He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him.

At a time in my walk with the Shepherd and Overseer of my soul I could not tell you nor did I care what sound doctrine was all about. Sound Doctrine may be mentioned in the typical charismatic or seeker sensitive churches but not thoroughly examined. You may ask, “What is Sound Doctrine and how detrimental to the Body of Christ is it?” Pastor John E. Coleman personally interviewed Frederick Price. Mr. Price would tell you that, “Doctrine is what screwed up the Church in the first place” Is this true? Unlike some of the popular professing Christians, I will hold fast to God’s infallible Word and say no.

True Doctrine 2 (1 Timothy 4:6-16)6 If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed.

I will not make any assumptions in defining sound doctrine, to some it may be apparent, and to others it may not. What is sound doctrine? Biblically speaking sound is defined as following a systematic pattern without any defect in logic or in other words the Bible must be harmonious within itself. Now that definition in and of itself just cancelled out the majority of the televangelist that you have become accustomed to listening to on TBN, Daystar, and a slew of other heretical so called Christian stations. There are a few sound preachers that air on these stations; maybe a small percentage but that would be pushing it.

Doctrine is something that is taught or a group of collective teachings, also defined as a rule or principle of law, especially when established by precedent. The Bible itself is sound doctrine. This is why Paul mentioned at least five times in the books of Timothy and Titus to adhere to sound doctrine. Paul without a shadow of a doubt understood that ravenous wolves would come in and distort the truth and Paul wrote about this in the book of Galatians. If Apostle Paul was so tenacious about this one thing why do we sit back in the church and act as if it is no issue.

Do you recall when you were a teenager or little kid and someone had the temerity to talk about your mother or father? At the drop of a hat we were ready to defend the name of our parents and some of your will even do this now. Should we not be this zealous for the Lord? I am somewhat ashamed at how Christians avoid opportunities to witness for the Lord because they do not want to be called controversial or rebellious. I would not encourage those traits but think for a minute…. Are we not called out from the world? Aren’t we supposed to be ambassadors in a foreign land? Then why are we so concerned about being everyone’s friend verses giving the people what they need and that is truth. I like most of you, wrestle with my flesh and sometimes-really most of the time doing what is righteous does not feel good on the outside. It is almost as if the majority of the things that are good for you end up being the most difficult.

Isn’t it our God given duty to defend the Faith that Christ our Savior died for? How about when we hear about charlatans who say they have been to Heaven or Hell and back and we ignorantly do not contest their claims even though they contradict scripture. What is the difference between Jesse Duplantis and Joseph Smith or Creflo Dollar and Charles Taze Russell? There is none because they all veer a mile away from the orthodox foundational teachings that were laid by Christ and the Apostles. All heresy streams from extra-Biblical emotional subjective experiences.

As I write this article you know and I know that America’s Christianity(or the typical church-of course their are exceptions) is as shallow as Joel Osteen’s theology. We have been duped!!! Here is the test of legitimacy. A great preacher named Paul Washer once said, “Have Joel Osteen, T. D. Jakes, or any other prosperity preachers go to the jungles of Peru like I do and try preaching that prosperity mess and see what happens.” The truth is that we know that these so called preachers do not preach the whole counsel of God; would that not be defined as a lie? When bringing forth the Gospel of Jesus Christ we must understand that God is totally sovereign and the truth of the Gospel is something supernatural that totally supersedes all socioeconomic hang-ups in our culture. Some of us choose our churches based on the style of music instead of the accuracy of the Gospel being preached. The majority of the Gospel music we hear today is based on God doing something for us instead of pointing us to our depravity and total dependence on the Holy Spirit and the washing of the Word to continue what God started in us. We are to speak as Paul did.

(Acts 20:27)For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.

With all the television shows that desensitize us to the reality of our sin and our total depravity, we have lost sight of the holiness of our Righteous God. How can we sit in our seats at the theater and laugh at the very things that God hates? Are we not to love the things that God loves and hate what He hates? All the things that I am mentioning come from a contorted view of the importance of adhering to sound doctrine. We don’t ask questions like, “What does the Lord think about this?” The charlatans in the pulpit have set our affections on the things of this world rather than on spiritual things of eternal significance. Honestly all the blame cannot be put on the shallow preaching, for they do exactly what scripture says they will do. This can be attributed to people wanting to have their ears tickled and just plain not wanting to hear the truth of the Gospel. Do we really believe what Peter repeated to us from the book of Isaiah?

Examine Yourself (1 Peter 1:24-25)24 For, “All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, 25 but the word of the Lord stands forever

Please thoroughly examine yourselves to see if you are really in the Faith as Paul warns us to do in II Corinthians 13:5. Listen, we spend all life doing everything else and investing time in temporal things. Take a week or longer and examine if you are a true Christian. Separate yourself from the carnal things of this world for a minute and read 1 John to see where your affections are set. This is so much more than saying a sinner’s prayer at the altar, which is not Biblical anyway. Read Matthew 24 & 25 this confirms that this is more than tongue aerobics or an emotional frenzy. The reality of eternity may be closer than we think.

Fasten Your Theology:Engaging A Remnant Culture

2008-06-30T09:10:00.000-07:00

Here in Kansas City, Missouri some families have decided to pack up and move from the suburbs to the “HOOD.” The church they attend is a church I could have easily been apart of but God saw it better for me to be a part of Christ Fellowship of KC. Some of the families at this church(Faith Community Church) have been living there for years. Jason Dawson who is a member at that church and fellow blogger lives in the Northeast part of KC with his family and others from his church have followed. (his blog is http://urbanreformation.com) We have heard of this at my church and have decided to do the same. Many at our church like myself have put their house on the market and this will be their next move God willing. I think this is an excellent sense of community that believers desire and even want to mimic when looking at the first century church. Jason wrote this article and I thought it was great! Enjoy!

Today started off innocent enough, we are preparing for our annual BYBC (Back Yard Bible Club) out of our home next week. One of the things I’ve noticed from living in the city for a few years now is the fact that when we moved down here, it was to bring Christ into this place. It was to bring light into darkness.

However one of the things that our flesh automatically does without our taking notice, is it has us in the same routines we used to do when we lived in the suburbs. In other words, we have not been engaged in the city like we should. We would often eat out in restaurants outside of the the North East, and do most of our shopping outside of the north east. I would go to work and come home. This is what most of America does, we live in these compartments of comfort and safety and we have been no different.

My family and I started the day off by considering these things, and making our way to Budd Park city pool not too far from our home, in order to be intentional. We have always managed to find the ability to swim outside of the city because often it’s been outside of what we know and our comfort zone. However today we went there with the intention of passing out flyer's for the back yard bible club next week. I was surprised when there were several there who seemed interested especially one Hispanic man and his son.

It was a small pool but the whole family enjoyed themselves and well I got a little too much sun. Regardless we were able to pass out several flyer's for the BYBC and we are hopeful some might come. May we continue to pray for the families we spoke to as well.

And then if I didn’t have enough I spoke with a friend of mine who’s in our shepherding group and he came over for dinner this evening. Things went very well at the pool so I asked him if he would go down to Independence Avenue with me. Little did I know what we would encounter as we went out to share Christ. We prayed and both of us having a conversation of this to be genuine sharing Christ and we desired that it not be just something wrote or disingenuous, but that the Holy Spirit would empower His people to share His Grace.

The first guy we ran into started speaking about terrestrials, and he was speaking to himself in the air before we got there. He spoke of uncloaking people. We did the best we could to speak to him but he was not receptive, we gave him a book Pursuing God—A Seeker’s Guide and just then another gentleman walked up to us probably late 20’s with a baseball cap, white guy with gold fronts. He was wanting to go “kick it” somewhere and just then Bobby mentioned that we are here to share the gospel with him. We let him speak for quite a while, it was a bi-polar conversation, and just as there was a crack for us to make our way in the bus came and he took off, yes with a book as well.

As we began to walk down the street slowly looking around finally we crossed, and there was a guy who we attempted to speak to, asking him “do you know who Jesus Christ is?” he replied, ” that’s a funny question because I think you know who I am” and then he walked off. We by this time were perplexed about our encounters.

Until we came down the block and as I prayed I was wondering if we’d encounter anyone who’s conscience wasn’t so seared by the things of this world so that they could hear a crying out for them to believe on Jesus Christ that they might be saved.

Right about this time we see this woman sitting right about where the back of this white car is now. We asked her simply, ” Did she know who Jesus was?” Almost in an instant her eyes welled up with tears. This poor haggard woman was probably in her early to mid 40’s. She had kind of colored reddish brown hair. She had one top tooth and her bottom teeth were black and crooked. She looked worn from drugs, abuse, possibly prostitution at some point.

Bobby and I weren’t prepared for the conversation that we had next. She said yes she knows who Jesus is, and she said that she believes in Jesus. I have counseled and spoken to dozens of addicts who say Jesus and then they love the world. This woman was different. I don’t have the conversation verbatim, however one of the first things she said is that, “God chooses people and he hasn’t chosen me.” She said she married a Christian man at the age of 33 and lived as a believer for 5 years, and gave her whole heart to God, but God would never free her from her addictions. She had heard countless stories and seen them of how people came into churches and were saved and then freed from their addiction but she’s cried and pleaded to God to free her, and she said all the immoral things I do, I’ve asked him to take it from me and he just won’t. If you could see the pain and agony in her tears, the worn face, and the tired and probably high countenance.

We had never encountered someone who had in a sense “right” doctrine and saw that in spite of her incessant crying out to God, she could not free herself, and He seemingly to her, would not help her. Bobby comforted her with these words, if you had to live in torment all the days of your life, and in agony, and pain, would your faith be worth it, is God whom you trust in? She insisted that she believes in God and that she will until the day she dies, but He has not chosen her, and so she’s given up. I tried to point her to the fact that as long as she has breath it’s not too late, and that even right now if God’s in control of everything, that us meeting her in that very moment was His purposed plan to call her back out of darkness into light.

Bobby had more words of comfort for her in the sense that he has experience with similar situations and to be truthful we were shown a glimpse of a perspective that we knew was out there but never had anticipated an articulation of theology from an addict on the streets. I pray that God will use this meeting with Donna to bring her to Himself, I’ve never seen anyone so seemingly desperate for God, and honest about it since I’ve been down here.

This was an encounter I will never forget. I’m sure Bobby won’t either, and it’s a wake up call to sitting, living compartmentally, socially detracted, and distracted from the movement of the Gospel to move men and women to engage the people around them.

We pray soon that we’ll make this a regular practice and we’ve picked out a starting point on Independence Avenue. For those of you that don’t know Independence Avenue is one of the most difficult places in Kansas City MO in regards to sin and crime. I’m still processing through everything that happened tonight so please forgive me if I’ve not articulated well, or that I leave any theological cliff hangers dangling because these are things that when they are on paper, and in the pages of books they can seem very comforting, and trustworthy but this increased God’s enormity in my life this evening in the sense that I am nothing before Him but an instrument. I hope an instrument that He might use to people to really engage people who are not like themselves.

For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but if not of my own will, I am still entrusted with a stewardship. What then is my reward? That in my preaching I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.
For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings. -1 Corinthians 9:16-23

If anyone knows me I don’t use this passage to justify being like the world but I view this passage as having to know and be engaged in peoples life, in their context for the genuine purpose, like Paul, to Share Christ with the lost.

So I charge all of you to pray for Donna, the lady we met this evening! And then I challenge all of you to look up, and see what we’re missing when it comes to lost souls!!!

The same savior that saved you desires for others to make disciples as an imperative in Mathew 28, in an authentic genuine way that will bring honor and Glory to His name.

If you’re interested in sharing Christ on Independence Avenue we will be doing it again next week starting here.

The New Covenant and Jeremiah 17:9

2008-06-16T13:05:00.000-07:00

By Lionel Woods

I was listening to a specific album and also reading a really good blog yesterday. Both of them referenced Jer 17:9 which says:

9 The heart is deceitful above all things,and desperately sick;who can understand it?

I have no problem with this being referenced at all. Actually I even use at times when I am sharing the gospel, especially when someone says “oh God knows my heart”. There is also a parallel in the Gospel according to Matthew in which Jesus says “it is not what goes into a man’s mouth what defiles him…….For out of the heart comes evil thoughts”. So again I think this is a very weighty truth and shows the depravity of mankind and the verse can be used in such an instance but……….

The current usage of the verse

In both instances the person applied these verses to themselves or others as Christians and this is where I have the problem. Christian’s don’t have wicked hearts we have new hearts. I understand where people are trying to go when quoting this verse and applying it to Christians but I think they are wrong and gravely wrong at that. You may think I am splitting hairs and that this conversation isn’t relevant but give me a few minutes and I will explain why this isn’t so. The current usage is in the battle between our fallen flesh and our new nature. Both are at war with one another so this verse is used in the sense of saying “I really can’t trust myself, I must trust the word of God and the Spirit”. I agree that we struggle with the flesh because we have dual citizenship. Our primary citizenship is in heaven while simultaneously we are strangers or aliens in this sinful world and we have the ability to sin because we still have this corrupting flesh that we occupy. This however doesn’t make this verse applicable, although I get the point that is trying to be made.

The audiences view of this scripture

First lets see exactly what is being said just a few verses previous to verse 9 to understand what the prophet Jeremiah was conveying:
17:1 “The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron; with a point of diamond it is engraved on the tablet of their heart, and on the horns of their altars, 2 while their children remember their altars and their Asherim, beside every green tree and on the high hills, 3 on the mountains in the open country. Your wealth and all your treasures I will give for spoil as the price of your high places for sin throughout all your territory. 4 You shall loosen your hand from your heritage that I gave to you, and I will make you serve your enemies in a land that you do not know, for in my anger a fire is kindled that shall burn forever.”

God is speaking to Judah through Jeremiah and proclaiming His judgment upon them. He tells them “I will make you serve your enemies in a land that you do not know”. Why is this? Because they have turned to other gods to serve them. Just as Israel will be conquered so will Judah. Judah held on a little while longer but eventually they gave themselves over to idolatry and the violating of the Covenant God made with them (thus the Old Covenant had land promises that were conditional upon covenantal faithfulness).
So first we must see how does this apply to us. The observation is quite simple. It does not apply to gentiles in its immediate context; however in its broader context we understand that all who reject the Messiah have wicked hearts and we see that in Matthew when Christ addresses what comes out of the heart is which defiles but what goes in the mouth is digested and discarded (the focus not on clean hands but clean hearts).

A Future Promise of a New Heart

Even if this did apply to all people there is a huge prophecy given 14 chapters later in which I hold in high regard because of its fulfillment in Christ. It is found in Jeremiah 31:
31 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. 33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

At last we see an answer for Israel’s problems. We have to understand what is going on here. Israel CANT KEEP THE TERMS OF THE OLD COVENANT! We must see that. We have to see that. We see in the New Testament Paul calling this covenant good and spiritual but also powerless. The covenant leaves mankind to himself and if left to ourselves we are in trouble. Israel can’t keep the terms folks. We see that quite easily.

1. Moses is gone for 40 days and they already make a god in the form of a calf

2. God keeps them and conquers their enemies and when they are on the brink of entering the promise land they punk out (we would have also) send some spies and shake their fist at God.

3. God conquers their enemies in Joshua and not a hundred years pass before they are already unfaithful to the covenant and we see the cycle of judges for 500 years.

4. They reject God’s rule over them and beg for a king.

5. The 3 king violates all the terms of the covenant by intermarriage and we see the rapid decline of Israel, the subsequent division of the kingdoms and idol worship becomes the norm.
All of this proves that God is faithful but the covenant made with the people is conditional. God always keeps His side of the deal but the mutual party can’t. It is impossible there is no life giving power in that covenant it is a covenant or ministry of death (2 Cor 3).

The prophecy fulfilled

In Hebrews 8 we see:

6 But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second…………
…….13 In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

The writer takes Jeremiah 31 and applies it to those who have placed saving faith in Jesus Christ. What is the centrality of this New Covenant? Lets see:

10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord:I will put my laws into their minds,and write them on their hearts,and I will be their God,and they shall be my people.

The New Covenant writes God’s law on our hearts and our minds and we are given the power to obey and respond. Ezekiel also makes a prophecy in chapter 36 but that is up for debate. Even if you believe that some of those promises will be fully realized in the Millennium you still must believe that the “new heart” and the “new spirit” are realized today in those who have been born again.

In Closing
Once again this may seem like I am splitting hairs but I am not. My home church is going through Ephesians and it is important that we understand our position in Christ and exactly what God has done for us in Christ. We have a high status before God and I don’t want us infringing upon this status by calling our new hearts purchased by the blood of Christ, chosen by God the Father and sealed by Spirit of God , wicked! We don’t have wicked hearts. We have new hearts which are beautiful, we have been born-again, we are new creatures, and we no longer have to struggle with our hearts. Our struggle is with the flesh and the devil. God has made us slaves to righteousness so we no longer need to fear our hearts, though the non-believer best fear it greatly. I want to tackle the wretched men but I really need about a 5-10 page essay on it to answer all of the faulty questions about the “wretched men” theology that plagues our churches. God bless and love to interact with you thin.

Free Books from Jim Elliff

2008-06-07T08:20:00.000-07:00

My Pastor and great brother in the Lord is offering Free Books. I have a few to spare so please contact me with your address if you would like a copy for free. Send your address to tlhorton80@hotmail.com or just leave the message in the post. This was written by Pastor Jim Ehrhard who was Jim Elliff's pastor a long time ago and it is an excellent biblical view of what we know as the "invitation system." Only a few copies so let me know as soon as possible. God Bless in Christ. Thanks Pastor Jim.

Update-No more books available. I posted this on our(Lionel and I) other site and plenty responded. Unfortunately we have no more copies to give at this time. Hopefully we will have more to give at a later date. Thanks in Christ.

Multi-cultural Glory in the Church: Should We Have Black Churches and White Churches? Or Cowboy Churches?

2008-05-29T07:15:00.000-07:00

Author: Jim Elliff
I have just returned from Milan, Italy, where a portion of my time was spent with leaders of The International Church of Milan (ICM). We talked together about the diversity of their congregation, which consists of 14 nations so far. Among the leaders were two families who are not only working with this congregation, but are praying and feeling their way toward an Italian-speaking congregation that will work in tandem with the ICM. I felt compelled to express my concern that the Italian wing of the church, though eventually necessary due to the language barrier, should nonetheless be as diverse as possible in itself for the glory of God. They should seek to include Asians who speak Italian, Africans who speak Italian, Moldovans who speak Italian, etc., because God is most honored in this intent to bring diverse backgrounds together into one loving body.

Why would I press for this? And why will I encourage you to pursue the same?

Without question, the early church’s most nagging problem was the blending of the Jewish and the Greek cultures. Consider how often Paul is concerned about this issue in his letters to the churches. When he wrote to Rome and Ephesus, his concern over this was thematic. One could easily place the burden of his Roman letter into these simple words: The absolute impartiality of God. Jews and Gentiles face the same wrath of God because they are all alike under sin, but they are also offered the same access to God because God is absolutely impartial toward ethnicity. Therefore Paul emphasized that the nascent church in Rome must embrace the diversity that God makes harmonious through Christ. The Jewish man now turned believer in Christ has to look the Gentile in the face and say, “I love you,” and vice versa, because God has now made them one. And, they must do everything possible to live out that unity.

Paul’s burden for Ephesus

In Ephesians, Paul states that by revelation he (and all Christ’s apostles and prophets) had come to understand that the exclusive privileges thought to be the birthright of the ethnic Jews are not in effect as expected, and that Gentiles are “brought near” through the cross. Contemplate his words as he explains something of the “mystery” now revealed:

By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel . . . (Eph. 3:1-6)

This was no peripheral issue for Paul. It was his mission as the “apostle to the Gentiles,” and it is the universal church’s mission as well, to promote that harmony of cultures in Christ that the cross brings them (or, we might say, forces upon them for their good). Imagine what it took for this former Jewish leader to accept that the Jews' lofty position as God’s chosen people is not ultimately about ethnic Jews, but only Jewish Christians who share the position with “Gentile dogs” who have also become Christians. The promises made to the Jews are for all who are in Christ; the inheritance is both for Jews and Gentiles. We are all members of one body. The immensity of this new knowledge is not only enough to cause every God-fearing Jew to scream curses at Paul, but is the very reason Gentiles like me have any hope whatsoever. Paul carried this message everywhere.

This homogeneity of Christian Jews and Gentiles was fully intended by God from the beginning and was not a back-up plan. Paul declares that all of this was “in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord . . .” (Eph. 3:11). The phrase “carried out” signifies completed action; it has to do with the finished work of the cross through which Christ destroyed the barrier between Gentiles and Jews who are in Christ, that barrier was the Law, as is seen below:

But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two [Christian Jew and Gentile] into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. (Eph.3:13-16)

There is so much talk of oneness in the New Testament that I can speak of it only in an introductory way. I am only calling attention to this plan of God by patting on this massive stone that is laid in the bedrock of our Christianity. It is so big and so encompassing and so vital that it is amazing that we in our current churches are avoiding its implications as if it never existed. God took the most diverse cultures in existence and brought them together into an entirely new culture. From now on there is no “distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all” (Col. 3:11).

All cultures and backgrounds

This last passage quoted above reminds us that the oneness that God seeks is not merely a Jewish/Gentile oneness, but includes all cultures and backgrounds. It is as if God dealt first with the most divergent of cultures, Jews and Gentiles, so that we are compelled now to bring together any and every kind of person in Christ with any other true believer. This is the new view that exploded on the scene following the passion week. It was launched into a missionary program on the day of Pentecost. In fact, the Spirit was poured out in part to accomplish this very leveling out and blending together of all cultures in Christ, as the Joel prophecy states in Acts 2.
I say “exploded” for that is exactly how it must have looked to everyone. The book of Acts is a chain reaction explosion taking place all across the known world until, as Paul affirms, the entire world had heard the good news (Col. 1:6). This intention of God to unite people of all cultures into a living unity in Christ was the ideological energy source of the new evangelism that prior to Pentecost was only pointed to by the prophets. The Jews were to be an object lesson to the world prior to this, but did not evangelize the world. The multi-cultural New Man, in contradistinction, is to be made up of anyone and everyone. “And it shall be that everyone [meaning anyone, not just Jews] who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Acts 2:21). It is a stunning picture laid out for us, and the biggest socio-religious shift of all time. The reverberations are all about us still.

The Church of the future

An additional impetus to our unity among diversity is that of the projected makeup of the future kingdom. It is glorious in its admixture of those from “every tribe and tongue and people and nation” (Rev. 5:11). We cannot, must not, live contrary to our final convergence in Christ. In the ugly old slavery of early America, the schizophrenia about this was incredible. There were blacks and whites who would not dream of worshipping as equals (though they were sometimes in the same building), yet at the same time would hold the doctrinal verity that all colors would be in heaven together some day. This was entirely incongruous. We are called to experience in this life as much of the spirit that will characterize us in the new earth as is possible. The ideal of heaven is always to be the pursuit of earthbound believers. “Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10). We cannot pray for the Kingdom to come and not relish what that coming Kingdom means. Our community of believers is to be a living demonstration of the power of the cross and also of the purified Bride who awaits the wedding. We are denying our future calling to fail in this area. We are smearing our reputation and throwing dirt on our bridal gown.

I am only cursorily reminding us of the race-shattering significance of the cross and the future world in order to whet our appetite. With this in mind, we might well read Scripture with a better perspective. It is not just a point of historical interest to converse about the early church Jew/Gentile divergence, but a matter of current necessity. It speaks to us now. And as we look ahead to heaven and the new earth we are not just to long for something, but to do something about our state right now.

God is glorified when we bring our diverse backgrounds together in these outposts of heaven called local churches. As one friend says, “It is God showing off.” God even affirms that it is His compelling interest for the authorities in the heavenly places to see our oneness.

“ . . . and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things; so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places” (Eph. 3:9-10, emphasis mine).

What not to be

In our own local church we are making some steady progress in demonstrating harmony of divergent cultures, thanks to God’s grace. It is only a start, but it is driven by a real, workable and biblical concept that we believe can be carried out over time. What we have already seen is glorious. Perhaps it is easier for us in our church to mix ethnicity and socio-economic levels since we meet in several homes as our meeting pattern. The flexibility of the house church network model allows us to locate in any part of town, and to avoid that stigma that a single location may bring. A church building often has limitations because it is perceived as identical to its neighborhood. Whether intended or not, it represents to many that a certain class or kind of people are welcome. Therefore, extra efforts for those who use buildings will need to be made to overcome this dilemma. Building or no building, however, we are to pursue this beautiful diversity to the greatest possible extent.

So, I will say as strongly as I can, you should not start (or have) “a black church” or “a white church” or a “homeschooling church” or a church for professional people and another church for poor people. Nor should you start a church aimed at younger people or older people. In this the modern church has erred. I do not mean that we should not be evangelistic toward all categories and types of people (actually, that is my point), but in building the local church our aim is too low, and frankly, sometimes selfish. We are forfeiting something of the glory of the church by not seeking to blend all kinds of people together, even if we cannot fully accomplish it. A cowboy church or a country music church may reach cowboys or country music lovers, but is this anything like what God intends to promote as the primary social implication of the cross? Does it depict real earth-side yearning for a future glorious church? We have diminished the meaning of the church by doing this. Paul simply refused to have a Jewish church on this end of town and a Gentile church on the other.

Again, if language barriers mean that some churches must be started for specific language groups, you must be as diverse as possible within those language groups to fulfill the intention of God. We have also not fully worked out the possibilities of multi-language churches through simultaneous translating yet, but it surely would also magnify the glory of the cross and of the church if we could find some way to do so successfully.

We all know that more homeschooling people or Hispanic people, or White people, or Black people or urban poor people may be in attendance in a given church, but that is no excuse to be a “homeschooling church” or an “Hispanic church” or an “urban poor church.” The actual demographics are God’s business; ours is to seek all people in Christ, “the desire of all nations.” We know that there may be more Asians in this particular part of town and that most in attendance will be from that background, but do not make the mistake of making your church an “Asian church.” It may be Korean-speaking, if necessary, but it should not exclusively be a KoreanChurch. If it is Christ’s church, then be aware that He does not intend it to be exclusive. Do not work against the glorious cultural ramifications of the cross with your good intentions.

Even though moving from a single-culture church to a multi-cultural church (or better to a Christ-cultural church) is sometimes a daunting task and causes many to say, “Where do we begin?” it still must be the intent of the local church, and the message of the local church, when addressing its constituency. I read an advertisement about a church in our city that said, “We sing the Old Hymns.” That was all they said. What does this say to our objective? Granted, I have likes and dislikes in music and so do you, but, in the final analysis, we really should not separate over whether old or new is sung. I’m not offering full solutions about a difficult issue here at all. I am saying that the gospel demands better solutions than dividing ourselves. We don’t work hard enough at understanding what our separations are projecting to the world and to the heavenly authorities. As difficult as it might be, the early church had far more to work through than what music would be sung. Their struggles and successes are instructive to us who may have less to work through than they did. It will be sad to face Christ in the future and say, “We could not be the glorious church you called us to be because we could not get together on the music.”

One of the by-products of thinking in the way I’m suggesting is that some of the silliness in church life goes away. Emphasizing oneness in Christ among diverse people has a way of purifying the church. No church that is multi-cultural can make it without prayer, sound doctrine, close pastoral oversight, Christ-centered worship, and biblical evangelism, all of which are unifying aspects of church life. Such churches work harder at what the people have in common, the ground that is shared in Christ. They have to let the rest go. Paul worked to de-emphasize cultural likes and dislikes that are inconsequential (if not downright divisive) in favor of New Covenant principles and behavior. It takes biblical thinking to get there. This was exactly what Paul was laboring at in so many of his letters. Sadly, we, on the other hand, just specialize in one type of people and what they enjoy (sometimes even if it has no organic relationship to the gospel at all), and avoid the need for the labor. But we must do the hard work, the kind that brings joy and glory to God.

A bolder proclamation

Paul asked the Ephesians to pray “that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak” (Eph. 6:19-20). What was he saying? He was speaking of the mystery of the shared promise, the shared inheritance for the most diverse of cultures. He did not intend to be quiet about what the cross has done. He was on a lifelong mission to bring in Gentiles, but he almost always began by teaching in Synagogues, preaching the message that both Jews and Gentiles are one and must live out their oneness before the world and before the authorities in the heavenly places. We must not minimalize what God has made so much of.

I am short-changing you in the brevity of this article, and its theoretical nature. In fact, I’m not offering much that is practical at all. I will leave that to you. I suspect that for most it will mean that more serious teaching and prayer will need to take place to arrive together at a consensus of direction. We must “see” this truth for it to grab us. But if we fail to try, what can we say about ourselves? Though the process may be difficult for a missionary, for instance, to join followers of Christ from one tribe with another tribe’s believers, who once were adverse to each other, no one can say that it would not redound to the glory of God if it were done. And, considering the Jewish/Gentile oneness Paul presses us toward, surely we cannot deny our obligation to do all within our power to display such glory. And surely, concerning our western churches, no one would deny the outrageous glory and beauty of the urban rock music orientated believer on his face in prayer next to the traditional, white-haired, hymn-loving grandmother who has walked with God for sixty years. Heaven is glorious, and this is heaven on earth.

Copyright © 2008 Jim Elliff Christian Communicators Worldwide, Inc.Permission granted for not-for-sale reproduction in unedited formincluding author's name, title, complete content, copyright and weblink.Other uses require written permission.

When Does 1=2? Only When You’re Using Dispensational Mathematics

2008-05-21T12:39:00.000-07:00

I thought this article was thought provoking and funny too. Check it out-God Bless

Written by
By Lionel Woods

Let me first start off by saying, I don’t believe the Church replaces Israel. I don’t know how anyone comes to that conclusion. The first question that should come to mind is replaces Israel how? Or replaces Israel with whom? So I don’t believe that at all. However I do believe something radically different than my Dispensational brethren and thus the premise of this post. What is that belief? I believe that two people became one people at Pentecost! I will explain why I think that in a brief second. What I mean is that at Pentecost Christ took believing Jews and believing Gentiles (which I believe are the elect of God predestined and foreknew by the Father before the foundation of the world expressed clearly back in Ephesians 1) and them one people and named them the Church. This church is the mystery Paul talks about in Ephesians 2 which was hidden in the past but now revealed. Peter also uses the same language in 1 Peter 2.

What does that say of ethnic Israel today? Well for one, they are in the same category as other nonbelievers. The covenant that they possessed (the one that made them a nation in Exodus 20) has been eradicated and a new and gracious covenant has been put in its place and it is not based on ethnicity but on faith (Hebrews 7-10 clearly states this, not to mention Galatians 3). So what Israel received by ethnicity God now offers by faith. The Sinaic covenant has been replaced and the covenant ratified by Jesus Christ is now the only way to God. Let me explain why I think there are only one people of God.

Ephesians 2:11-22 (emphasis mine)
11 Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— 12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. 17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

and……

Ephesians 3:1-6

3:1 For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— 2 assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, 3 how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. 4 When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. 6 This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

My Thoughts….

So here are my thoughts on this subject. Once again this is not a harmful jab at my brethren but it is a jab none the less. One thing that my Dispensational brethren are very fond of saying is that “we interpret the Bible literally”. So I want to apply that “literal” hermeneutic to this epistle. Once again, the Ephesians upon reading this letter has no clue what dispensationalism is, but neither did anyone else to a about hundred and something years ago. So lets take a time capsule back into the 1st century after attending seminary and hold a conversation with some of the elders in Ephesus.

Dispensational:Hey I am from the 21st century and have found this time capsule that allows me to go back in time. I can only stay 1 hour due to limitations. How are you?

Ephesian Elder: I am doing great, wow Christianity has made all over the world? That is amazing, we never knew it would get so big! Praise God what Paul said we now know to be true. We are even more encouraged.

Dispensational: Yeah Israel has become a Nation again we can see God ushering in His Kingdom. God promises to His special people are unfolding before our eyes!!!!!

Ephesian Elder: ????? I am puzzled what do you mean special people?

Dispensational: You know, we are just a parenthesis in God’s plan but His promise to bring Israel, back in the land and give them all the past promises and “save them all” is unfolding.

Ephesian Elder: Where did you hear that from? Paul just wrote us a letter and he says we now partake int the commonwealth and the ALLLLL of the promises because of what Christ did on the cross. There is no more dividing wall, no more hostility, and we are no longer two people but one and Christ is the head. We are being built up into one holy temple of God.

Dispensational: No, no, no! God is going to rapture the Church and then do something special with His chosen people. You must be greatly mistaken or you are taking Paul’s letter out of context. Haven’t you read the Old Testament.

Ephesian Elder: Oh yes I have read it and all of the promises are found in Christ. He is the “true Israel” of God, He succeeds where they fail. He is the true seed of Abraham and faith in Him makes us all one people my dear friend.

Dispensational:Well…, I have to go, but I think you are greatly mistaken. My system says that we are in the Dispensation of the Church age and the Kingdom Age is soon to come.

Ephesian Elder: ???? What does that mean?

Above is a short hypothetical conversation that I think would occur if my brethren were to take a time capsule back into the first century. I don’t see how from the plain reading of Ephesians we get two distinct people when Paul constantly uses the word “one”. Let me show you.
v. 14 - For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one
v. 15 - that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two
v. 16 - and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility
v. 18 - For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father
Now unless one means two in this epistle I have a really hard time agreeing that there are still two distinct people in God’s plan. God in Christ has made one people and they are His elect and gave them one name and that is The Church! This organism now is how Christ will make Himself known to the world (John 17). There is no more us vs them and Gentiles are no longer aliens but sons and heirs of God through faith as He promised Abraham back in Genesis. This great mystery has been made evident to all of the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. Peter puts it this way:

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

You see we are longer dogs as Jesus called the Samaritan woman. No, my friend we are children (John 1:13) of God and heirs to the promises of God. We are now as Peter says “a holy nation” (ethnic Israel was under the Old Covenant), “a royal priesthood” (the Levites were under the Old Covenant) “a chosen race” (ethic Israel was the race through the physical seed of Abraham under the Old Covenant). Why? “That we may proclaim His excellencies” (which if you read the Torah was the very reason God chose Israel). The church isn’t a mishap in God’s plan but as Paul writes in Chapter 1 of Ephesus this was “before the foundation of the world”!
In closing. This is my take as I use the plain literal meaning to interpret the scriptures. God’s plan was to redeem the world through Christ. Israel was given the privilege under the Old Covenant, but we are given the obligation under the New, to proclaim God’s excellencies. No longer are there two people but one people, and Christ is the head. No more hostility, no more gentile vs Jew but one people under one Covenant ratified in Acts 2. I am thankful that I am no longer a “dog” (LOL) but a child and heir to all of the promises of God found in Christ Jesus. Amen that God has allowed us to be witnesses of His long veiled mystery!

A New Heart

2008-05-13T22:00:00.000-07:00

by Geoff Volker from http://www.ids.org/

The New Covenant

In Hebrews 8:7-13 we find the author of Hebrews describing the content of the New Covenant. He quotes a very familiar passage, Jeremiah 33:31-34, which refers to the promise of God to restore Israel after its time of captivity in Babylon. If you read this passage in its context in Jeremiah you would swear that it is talking about literal Israel. But, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the New Testament author of Hebrews applies this passage to the time of the New Covenant church, our present era.

The context of Hebrews 8 pictures Jesus as the High Priest after the order of Melchizedek. He is contrasted with the Levitical High Priests, from the family of Aaron, who constantly die and have to be replaced. Melchizedek, that fascinating personality who shows up on the scene in Genesis 14 as the King of Salem and the Priest of the Most High God, is described as someone who has no beginning or end. I think what is meant by this is that he had no genealogical records to describe his family history. No one knows where he came from. He just shows up and then is gone. Jesus is described as the High Priest after the order of Melchizedek to show the superiority of his priesthood to that of the priesthood of Levi. The sacrifices of the Levitical priests never accomplished the forgiveness of sins.

"The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming -- not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. If It could, would they have not stopped being offered? For the worshippers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins." -- Hebrews 10:1-4 (NIV)

But just as Melchizedek shows up on the scene and then doesn't seem to die, so also Jesus dies for sin once and for all and then rises from the dead to live forever as our Redeemer. Since he does live forever as our redeemer, the salvation that he purchased on the cross is also ours forever.
"When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once and for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption." -- Hebrews 9:11-12 (NIV)

The redemption that Jesus Christ purchased on the cross, the New Covenant, is described as consisting of two parts. The first part is the forgiveness of sins. The second part is the New Heart.

"The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not remain faithful to my covenant. And I turned away from them, declares the Lord. This is the covenant I will make with house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in the minds and write them on their hearts, I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." -- Hebrews 8:8-12 (NIV)

The forgiveness of sins refers to the legal aspect of our salvation where we are declared forgiven by the judge of the court of Heaven because he fully punished Jesus, his own Son, in our place. Jesus fully satisfied the wrath of the Father so that we could have peace with God. As a result of the work of Christ, we who believe are justified.

"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand." -- Romans 5:1-2a (NIV)

The New Heart is the desire to live for Jesus which all believers receive at conversion. This new desire, or New Heart, will drive all believers to pursue the Lordship of Christ. The author of Hebrews describes it as having the law written on your mind and heart so that no one will have to teach you. By this he does not mean that believers will not need teachers. What he does mean is that believers will be motivated from the inside out to live for Jesus. They are self, or Spirit, motivated to obey the Lord of the universe.

"Therefore, in anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)

"We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, 'I know him,' but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him." -- 1 John 2:3-4 (NIV)

"This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother." -- 1 John 3:10 (NIV)

Hebrews 8 also says that no one will have to teach his neighbor to know the Lord, because all will know him. This means that all who Jesus died for, the elect, will, at the appointed time, come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and desire to live for him. It is therefore absolutely guaranteed that every believer will experience a changed life, since it was infallibly purchased by the Son of God at Calvary. Our salvation was a package deal. If you are saved you will receive JUSTIFICATION (forgiveness of sins), SANCTIFICATION (a changed life), and GLORIFICATION (the promise of Heaven). You must get all of them or none at all. But above all else you must understand that without a changed life no one will get to Heaven, for that is the evidence of a saving Faith.

"Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord." -- Hebrews 12:14 (NIV)

Repentance is Much More Than a Change of Mind

When the question is asked, "What must we do to be saved?" the biblical answer is repentance and faith.

"I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus." -- Acts 20:21 (NIV)

The basic meaning of the word repentance in Greek means to change one's mind. But when it comes to conversion, repentance takes on a much deeper meaning. The reason for the change is the state of the heart of man. Man by nature is a God-hater. As a result of Adam's sin all of mankind come into the world guilty and have a hatred toward the Lord of the universe. So the problem of getting man to truly change his mind about God is that his heart or disposition toward the God of all must first be changed.

"As it is written: 'There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.'" -- Romans 3:10-11 (NIV)

"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day." -- John 6:44 (NIV)

"The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned." --1 Corinthians 2:14 (NIV)

The changing of the heart of man is the work of the Holy Spirit. This is what our Lords was talking to Nicodemas about in John 3. Unless there is prior work of the Spirit of God on the heart of man he will never believe. When the Spirit draws to Himself those for whom Christ died, he changes the desires of the heart so that they no longer want to live for themselves (a God-hating experience), but now want to live for Jesus Christ. They do change their mind about Jesus, but it is much more than that. They change their allegiance from themselves and the world to that of serving Jesus Christ. This then is the meaning of Repentance, and why it is utterly inconceivable to view repentance as merely a change of mind.

"But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness." -- Romans 6:17-18 (NIV)

A Saving Faith Embraces Lordship

"What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such a faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. I one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same say, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action is dead. ...As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead." -- James 2:14-17 (NIV)

The clear assumption in Scripture is that Saving Faith includes a desire to follow Jesus Christ as Lord. The issue is not simply convincing someone that Jesus ought to be their savior. The problem lies in the realm of the heart. All men have an aversion to Jesus the God-Man. To believe in Jesus is to receive him for all he is. There is no way that we will willingly give the Lord of Heaven and earth the keys to our life. Therefore, Saving Faith must be given to us as a gift if any of us are going to be saved.

"Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God -- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God." -- John 1:12-13 (NIV)

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- not by works, so that no one can boast." -- Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)

The Testimony of Church Discipline to the Necessity of the New Heart
"If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector." -- Matthew 18:15-17(NIV)

When someone is caught in a verifiable sin and refuses to turn from it the Bible speaks straight to the issue. If the professed believer continues to hang on to his sin then he will ultimately find himself before the church. If he still refuses to repent then he is put out of the church (excommunication). The key point to understand about Church Discipline is the reason someone is put out of the church and regarded as an unbeliever: he is denying Jesus is his Lord! An on-going refusal to confess and turn away from a particular sin is a denial that you want Jesus Christ to be your Lord. To not want Jesus Christ as your Lord is to deny that you have a New Heart. Failure to have a New Heart means that you do not have a Saving Faith and are going to Hell.

Dispensational Futurism

2008-05-09T19:30:00.000-07:00

I am currently reading couple of books on eschatology. In my studies I am at this time reading opposing views regarding Pre-trib, Mid-trib, and Post Trib. These videos above are a post-trib view and this gentlemen is looking at the typical pre-mill dispenstationlist view. This man may not accurately represent all pre-mill disp. If you have some videos or articles that would in your view accurately depict pre-mill disp just let me know and I would surely take an honest assessment of that information. I do not agree with all his conclusions but he does make some good points. Interesting videos. If you have any suggestions on books that might shed light on these topics-please feel free to share.God Bless

Playing the Fool with Sexual Sin

2008-05-04T19:23:00.000-07:00

by Daryl Wingerd

I once heard about a man who spit himself to death. It might be an "urban legend," but as the story goes, he died while competing in a distance-spitting contest. Being a bit drunk, and running toward the low railing of the bridge, he underestimated his forward momentum and . . . well, you can imagine the rest. A similar foolish fatality story (authentic or not, I do not know) involved a man showing his son the proper way to handle rattlesnakes. When the snake bit him, he angrily bit the snake back. Actually, he tried to bite the snake's head off, which explains how he died.

Even if these stories are untrue, senseless tragedies like these do actually occur. In a recently publicized incident, a man killed his wife when he used a handgun to shoot through the wall of his house. Why did he do this? He needed to punch a hole for his satellite TV cable and did not know his wife was standing outside.

Even a wise, cautious person can have an unexpected accident. Foolish behavior is different in that it certainly (or at least with a high degree of probability) leads to unfortunate or tragic consequences. Everyone should know better, but not everyone learns before it's too late.

In the Bible, the foolish-behavior principle is applied to sexual sin. It seems like a good idea at the time, it powerfully appeals to our natural (though sinfully distorted) desires and impulses, but it leads only to negative consequences and regret. That's why the Bible warns us to "Flee [sexual] immorality" (1 Cor. 6:18) and calls people who engage in it "fools."

Proverbs 6:32 says, "The one who commits adultery with a woman is lacking sense; he who would destroy himself does it." In Proverbs 7, the man who commits sexual sin is once again described as "lacking sense" (v. 7). He naively goes to the immoral woman, "as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as one in fetters to the discipline of a fool" (v. 22). "He does not know [even though he should] that it will cost him his life" (v. 23). Proverbs 5 sums up the foolishness of sexual sin like this:

For why should you, my son, be exhilarated with an adulteress And embrace the bosom of a foreigner?For the ways of a man are before the eyes of the Lord,And He watches all his paths.His own iniquities will capture the wicked,And he will be held with the cords of his sin. He will die for lack of instruction,And in the greatness of his folly he will go astray.(Prov. 5:20-23, emphasis added)

The New Testament continues this theme. Paul wrote to the Ephesians, warning them to stay away from fornication (among other sins, cf. 5:5). He then wrote, "Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is" (Eph. 5:15-17). Elsewhere he wrote, "For we were also once foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures" (Titus 3:3).

The overarching biblical principle is summarized this way: "The wise man is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is arrogant and careless" (Prov. 14:16). "The prudent sees evil and hides himself, but the naive go on, and are punished for it" (Prov. 22:3).

Our society would have you believe the exact opposite about sexual sin—that it is rewarding rather than risky. Various forms of mainstream media have dramatized, romanticized, and sanitized sexual sin for public consumption. Because of huge financial profits, sex plays a starring role in the movies, on TV, and in advertising of every type. The fact is, sex sells—movies, music, magazines, make-up, clothing, cars, cell phones, shampoo, diet plans, sporting goods, and virtually any other product you can think of—to the tune of billions of dollars each year. It is marketed so cleanly and professionally that consumers have come to see it as normal, desirable, and without serious consequences. Even "decent" people who shake their fingers at prostitution, pornography, and teenage sex, go right on laughing and lusting at the parade of "respectable" immorality in the media.

Please don't play the fool yourself. It's all a huge lie. Sexual sin is not cool, funny, dramatic, romantic, or profitable. It is grotesque in God's sight, and it leads ultimately to death—like the ignorant ox being led to the slaughter. Do you not think the fish frying in the skillet would have refused the bait had he known about the hook?

If you buy into the lie and go on practicing sexual sin—if you believe the advertisers and obey your own impulses rather than believing and obeying God—you will pay, not profit. However wise and successful you appear according to the standards of our perverse culture, in reality you will be the person described in Proverbs 26:11—"Like a dog that returns to its vomit is a fool who repeats his folly."

Repent! By John Piper

2008-05-02T04:45:00.000-07:00

Rapture huh? 3 Comings.....

2008-04-29T21:01:00.000-07:00

I have been wrestling with this view for some time now. At my church when I mention Rapture or Dispensationlism they laugh. I must admit I am beginning to see why. Don't hold me to a position yet but check out this video. I am always amazed out how truth can seem to be blurred with our presuppositions or what we previously were taught. God bless

Check them all out HERE.

Pseudo-Christians

2008-04-22T20:15:00.000-07:00

In a culture of all different types of Pseudo-Christian people who whole heartily deceive themselves into thinking they are the real thing we have to be extra cautious to separate ourselves from this infectious deception. Similar to the picture listed above many church go-ers have a wicked heart and mouth to match but consider themselves “BORN AGAIN” and Christian. I owe my all to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ because He and He alone rescued me from this subtle deception. As we delve into the reality of our condition from a Biblical perspective; please dig into the reality of the depths we have in Christ and search your heart to see if you belong to the Good Shepherd.

I deal with people daily on the job, within my family, and in my every day dealings. They say they are Christians but their lifestyle says something totally contrary to their profession. What is a Pseudo-Christian and do you know any of them or are you that one I am speaking about? A Pseudo-Christian is a individual who follows the beliefs of the Christian church but fails to apply them in his or her daily actions. Also can be defined as one who sincerely believes he or she is Christian and even has a level of “righteousness” in their actions but is really motivated by their own selfish interpretation of the Holy scriptures. The selfishness is deep rooted and they honestly don’t see it. Christianity is more than a profession and this is clearly seen in scripture. Many hold to Romans 10:9 as the true conversion but simply this is just one of the many first steps.

Matthew 12:30 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.

My heart sinks when I think of the reality of an eternal Hell in which the worm does not die and there is weeping and gnashing of teeth not for an age but forever. This should partly be our motivation and as we see in the scriptures Christ spoke more of Hell than He did Heaven. Heaven and Hell; we have never seen anything like it in this age. We are in this discombobulated world and we can maybe catch a glimpse of Heaven when we see a sunrise or sunset but regularly all we see are the effects of sin. I see Christians always talking about Heaven and no-one talks about judgment. Talking about getting crowns of glory but no-one mentioning condemnation for the wicked. Can you imagine Noah in his day warning the people about the coming judgment in which no-one had ever witnessed before. Do we not have the same task that he had but only with more tools and proof upon proof? Christ is coming back one day to separate His sheep from the goats and we have the foreknowledge of this truth that has been written for us in His Word.

Why then, do we call out names and give warnings about the false teachings? Well the answer is two-fold.

1) We are following our forefathers going back to Deuteronomy 13 and 18 in which Moses wrote and also the Apostles teaching that we have in the New Covenant.

2) We embody the love of Christ. In the Bible we always see love accompanied with truth (John 17), they go hand and hand like peanut butter and jelly, Joel Osteen and bad preaching, Creflo Dollar and prosperity, TD Jakes and emotion, or Rick Warren and ecumenicalism. Look at the intro in the book of Jude the brother of Jesus the Christ.

Jude 3 Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Jude wanted to just write about the joys we have in Christ but because of the culture they were in he had to warn them about this false teaching. Why? If he did not warn them about the heresy; could he have really said he loved them? Of course not just like if you had a friend who was driving to his demise off of a cliff you would in the same way tell him urgently about his forthcoming disaster. How much more should we feel about souls that will spend an eternity in Hell? I would like for you to analyze your faith as Paul emphasized more than once.

Philippians 2:12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! 6 I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test. 7 But we pray to God that you may not do wrong—not that we may appear to have met the test, but that you may do what is right, though we may seem to have failed.

Let me ask all of the Christians a question. You give birth to a beautiful baby boy and he is the most joyful being in your life. Months and years go by and the baby still remains as adorable as he was when he was born but you see a major problem. The problem is he is not growing at all even though he eats like normal and has no apparent health problems. What do you do? I would hope that you would take him to get checked out to see if he is OK. So why will you not do the same thing for your professing only Christian(not really) brother or sister? Would you be worried about what they would think of you? Or maybe you might offend them. No of course not!! You see you are propelled by your love for them and should be even more when it comes to eternal affairs.

Philippians 1:3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

You see salvation is a progressive thing. Yes we are saved once and once only but Christ chastens those he loves as the writer of Hebrews says in chapter 12:5-6 until the perfect comes again. In our journey as a Christian we are to daily strive for the likeness of Christ.

Romans 8:29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

I ask you again, “Do you know Him and does He know you?” Do not take the grace of our God fro granted or use it as a license to sin. The Truth the Bible has conveyed leaves us without an excuse and we will stand one day before a Righteous, Holy, and Infinite God and be either commended for trusting Jesus for the only acceptable propitiation or be indicted for our wickedness. I leave you with this passage from 2 Peter 3, but answer he question “Do you know Him and does He know you?”

2 Peter 3:1 This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, 2 that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, 3 knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. 4 They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” 5 For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, 6 and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. 7 But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. 8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. 11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

If Jesus is Not Risen, Our Faith is Worthless - Paul Washer

2008-04-18T00:22:00.001-07:00

Fred Price “The Apostle of Faith”: When Foolishness Needs to be Addressed

2008-04-17T04:26:00.000-07:00

By Lionel Woods

Okay kinfolk I usually try to avoid addressing false teachers because there isn’t enough memory in the world to address them all; however, when I saw this I said “get the heck out of here”!!!!!!!!!! This dude done flipped his wig in the worst of ways. If you don’t know who this is, his name is Fred K.C Price and is an infamous wolf! His track record makes him a top villain. He has devoured many sheep and have left nothing but hoofs and clumps of wool behind.

Mr. Price has now been promoted to “The Apostle of Faith”. Now if this doesn’t upset you and make you want to scream at the top of your lungs I don’t know what will. This is a sham and it is a ridicule of the faith. Here is an excerpt of his promotion (if that is what you call it), pay close attention to the reference to the Apostle Paul’s ministry:

Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, (which he had promised afore by his prophets in the Holy Scriptures,) Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; and declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name; (Romans 1: 1-5 KJV). The Call of Apostleship of Dr. Frederick K. C. Price mirrors that of Apostle Paul in that the Fruit of his ministry bears witness that This Call is From God.

You can find that here. Now if anyone is familiar to Paul’s to ministry we can clearly see how Paul was called SPECIFICALLY by God. Just in case you don’t know here it is:

9:1 But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” 5 And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” 7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. 8 Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

Jesus spoke directly to Paul and I wonder….. well….. how exactly did God confirm Fast Freddy? I am appalled by such a statement and you should be also. These men are one upping each other every day it seems like. One man calls himself a Master Prophet (what the what LOL). Whats next? Only time will tell.

Look if God has given you an allotment to watch over please talk to them about such foolishness. We can’t leave people in the dark. We can’t stick our heads in the sand and say “it will all go away” these churches are growing and people are getting duped by the millions. They are investing their souls into the hands of these wolves and we are letting them by saying “we don’t want to debate” that is exactly what we want to do. Just think if you saw someone walking into a burning building holding a newborn baby would you sit casually by saying “oh, I don’t want to be forceful”? Way too many people don’t understand the deadly venom these men release into their veins and most won’t know if we don’t say anything.

While in LA I interviewed with Pastor John E Coleman

2008-04-11T23:23:00.000-07:00

Here at Pastor John E. Coleman's site I interviewed with him for about 30 minutes. I recently went on vacation to San Diego to visit my brother and decided to drive up to Los Angeles to visit ole' PJ. Got to love that man!!! We talked about a couple of interesting topics. Take a listen when you get a chance. Just scroll down to about half way down the page and go to Friday's broadcast under Ram Radio Weekly Schedule/Listen In Right Now To The Daily Web Cast. It will take a minute or so to download.
God Bless in Christ

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

"Proclaiming the Lord's death until He comes"

2008-04-08T20:44:00.000-07:00

1 Corinthians 11:25 In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood ; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.

Proclaiming the Lord's death-what does it mean for true believer's and for those who do not believe? This passage is multi-faceted. Of course the text only has one meaning but to proclaim the "His death" seems weighty at times, why? We are to be faithful ministers of the Gospel. Paul(Rom 1:16)says, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes." This passage confirms the fact the God is the one saving people not us. I really like apologetics and love a good theological debate every now and then but sometimes it seems the Christian apologist rely too much on their own resources and neglect the proclamation of the Gospel. I know from experience and have sharpened my apologetic sword many of times to come up void. Thinking the my craftiness of speech would logically convince someone to repent and come rushing to the kingdom. (John 6:44)I could not have been more wrong with my Arminian perspective. Now in my debate with non-believer's I first or last make sure during the conversation that the Gospel is clearly presented since I rely on the sovereignty of God to save and not my logic.

1 Corinthians 15:3For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep ; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.

We understand the Christ gave his life as a ransom for many.(Matt 20:28) We have to make sure in our presentation of the Gospel that we are gracious in the fact that we can recall when we were once blinded(2 Cor 4:4) and the Lord's was patient and gracious with us then and even now as we commit sins against Him. Do not be discouraged when you present the Gospel to people and they give you crazy stares about what you believe to be true according to the scriptures. To many it sounds insane to believe that a man died and 3 days later rose from the dead to die for the sins of the elect. People have said to me on many occasions, "You really believe A man-God incarnate rose from the dead." This type of thing is foolishness to the world but to us this is the best news we could ever receive.

What does his coming mean for us and to the world. For God's people it means forever communion with the Lord's for eternity and to others it means coming judgement and eternal torment. Similar to Noah's day when he warned the people of the coming flood. Now we warn people of fire from Heaven that will consume and destroy the Earth as we know it and people laugh. Let us all be patient in our presentation of the Gospel. Christ is the only acceptable sacrifice for our sins and is the only mediator to God. Apart for Christ' efficacious death we are lost. Psalm 136 says repeatedly "His love endures forever."

2 Peter 2 1But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.
4For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment; 5if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; 6if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; 7and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men 8(for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)— 9if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment. 10This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despise authority.
Bold and arrogant, these men are not afraid to slander celestial beings; 11yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not bring slanderous accusations against such beings in the presence of the Lord. 12But these men blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like brute beasts, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like beasts they too will perish.
13They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you. 14With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed—an accursed brood! 15They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness. 16But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey—a beast without speech—who spoke with a man's voice and restrained the prophet's madness.
17These men are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. 18For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. 19They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him. 20If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. 21It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. 22Of them the proverbs are true: "A dog returns to its vomit," and, "A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud."

Nine Characteristics of Biblical Prayer

2008-03-30T22:24:00.000-07:00

by Daryl Wingerd

True prayer is not merely a matter of saying the right words. Biblical prayer is characterized and motivated by the right attitude-right thinking about the greatness of God, the beauty of Christ, and our own unworthiness and weakness. Ask yourself if your prayers are characterized by:

An Understanding of Your Own Insignificance and Sinfulness
When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained; what is man that You take thought of him, and the son of man that You care for him? (Ps. 8:3-4 NASB)
If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You that You may be feared (Ps. 130:3-4).

A Thirst for Increasing Spiritual Wisdom and Understanding
Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Your law (Ps. 119:18).
For if you cry for discernment, lift your voice for understanding; if you seek for her as silver and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will discern the fear of the Lord and discover the knowledge of God (Prov. 2:3-5).
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. (Eph. 1:18-19)

The Knowledge that Jesus is Your Only Access to the Father
Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh . . . let us draw near (Heb. 10:19-22).
. . . you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1 Pet. 2:5)

Adoration for God because of His Character and Attributes
Ascribe greatness to our God! The Rock! His work is perfect, for all His ways are just; a God of faithfulness and without injustice, righteous and upright is He. (Deut. 32:1-4)
I will extol You, my God, O King, and I will bless Your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless You, and I will praise Your name forever and ever. Great is the Lord, and highly to be praised, and His greatness is unsearchable. (Ps. 145:1-3)

Joyful Praise for God's Work in Creation and Redemption
Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created (Rev. 4:11).
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. . . . In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will (Eph. 1:3-8, 10-11).

Thankfulness for God's Kindness in Giving Every Good Thing
Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights . . . (James 1:17).
. . . let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name (Heb. 13:15).

A Sense of Your Need of Strength to Fight against Specific Sins
Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak (Matt. 26:41).
So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh-for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live (Rom. 8:12-13).

Humble Trust as You Ask the Father to Meet Every Need
Ah Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You (Jer. 32:17).
This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him (1 John 5:14-15).
Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Heb. 4:15).

A Selfless Burden to Pray for Others
With all prayer and petition pray at all times . . . be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, and pray on my behalf . . . (Eph. 6:18-19).
Brethren, pray for us (1 Thess. 5:25). We pray for you always . . . (2 Thess. 1:11).
Pray for those who persecute you . . . (Matt. 5:44; also see 1 Tim 2:1-2).

Pastor John E. Coleman on You Tube

2008-03-27T22:32:00.001-07:00

The Church of "OPRAH"

2008-03-27T22:25:00.001-07:00

Paul Washer message

2008-03-27T21:19:00.001-07:00

Shai Linne rapping about the Triune God

2008-03-26T21:53:00.001-07:00

Is it OK for Christians to Cuss?

2008-03-25T21:10:00.000-07:00

Posted by Daryl Wingerd at http://bulletininserts.org/

Why any Christian would fight for the liberty to use foul language is beyond me, but there is a growing debate as to whether cussing is appropriate for the believer. Let's start with two basic facts:

First, There is no verse in the Bible that specifically says, "Thou shall not use any of these words," followed by a list of the most common cuss-words of our day. Second, the verse most people use to argue against the use of foul language is Ephesians 4:29: "Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth . . . ." As the second half of the verse seems to indicate, the "unwholesome word" Paul has in view here is probably not a reference to individual cuss-words, but rather to unkind, unhelpful, or untrue statements or messages that would tear a fellow believer down rather than building him up.

Having said that, I wouldn't want anyone to rush to the hasty conclusion that cussing is appropriate. In my view there are at least six reasons to conclude that cussing is inappropriate for believers.

1. Many of the words known as cuss-words are descriptions of immoral acts, filthy emissions of waste from the body, or private body parts. Whatever the original meanings of these words, these vulgar meanings are undoubtedly connected with them now. When a person uses one of these words, he is calling to mind one of these acts or objects. With this in mind, remember that Paul tells Christians to dwell on things that are honorable, pure, lovely, and excellent (cf. Phil. 4:8). When you use language that calls to mind some obscene act or private body part, you are not only dwelling on the wrong objects yourself, you are also making it difficult for your hearer to focus on the right things.

2. The Christian who uses foul language in public wastes the opportunity to set himself apart from many unbelievers who commonly say the same things. The fact is, the person who does not know you but hears you fire off a cuss-word in a sentence would not likely think, "Now there's a fine Christian man (or woman)"? Your speech leaves him with no reason to suspect that you are any different than everyone else, and therefore, gives him no reason to listen to what you might have to say about Christ.

3. Paul wrote to Corinth, saying, "Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God" (1 Cor. 10:32). He did not want Christians to offend anyone unnecessarily, not even the unbelievers around them, and certainly not a fellow Christian. He was not referring to the offense of the gospel, of course, or an offense taken by someone who despises certain Christian beliefs or practices. Cussing is not part of the gospel message, however, and it certainly is not an essential Christian practice. Therefore, if even a single Christian (or an unbeliever, for that matter) is offended by your foul language, you have sinned.

4. Many movies receive an "R" rating because of foul language, meaning that even unbelievers recognize that cussing is inappropriate, at least for children. Additionally, in many public parks and other venues, the use of foul language is prohibited altogether. Frankly I find it shameful when Christians claim as a personal liberty that which even our pagan society recognizes as offensive.

5. Given the fact that the tongue is "a restless evil and full of deadly poison," that which cannot be tamed and which "defiles the body" (James 3:6, 8), Christians should have as their "default setting" a natural suspicion of what comes out of their mouths. This thought is affirmed by Proverbs 10:19 which says, "When there are many words, sin is not lacking." The fact is, the more you say, the more likely you are to sin. Using these biblical principles as a guide, if there is any question as to whether or not something produced by the tongue is sinful, we should always err on the side of caution rather than appealing to our liberty.

6. One would hope that Christians who claim the liberty to cuss in public, among their families, or even in the presence of other believers, would at least find such language unthinkable in the presence of Jesus Christ. The fact is, however, if you would not cuss in His presence, then you cannot cuss with a clean conscience at all because as Jesus said, "I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matt. 28:20).

I would never want to rob a believer of any genuine Christian liberty, but our liberty in Christ is not "the right to do whatever is not explicitly prohibited." Christian liberty is freedom from the slavery of sin (Rom. 6:16-22), freedom from the curse of the law (Gal. 3:13), and freedom to "have as our ambition . . . to be pleasing to [the Lord]" (2 Cor. 5:9).

Judge for yourself, but please make your highest aim to glorify God in all that you do and say (cf. 1 Cor. 10:31). And remember as you judge that "there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks" (Eph. 5:4).

Good Message from John Macarthur.

Easter Sunday

2008-03-22T21:59:00.000-07:00

The "Resurrection" in the life of the believer is pivotal to say the least. Without the resurrection... well Apostle Paul said it best.... 1 Corinthians 15:12 Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then [is] our preaching vain, and your faith [is] also vain.Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith [is] vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

Christ' resurrection I say unto you is essential to "THE FAITH." Without it our faith is in vain and we are yet in our sins.

On Wednesday as I was leaving my part-time job I had this flyer(listed above-front and back) stuck on the windshield of my car and was eagerly looking for a hint, insinuation, analogy, or just something about Christ or the resurrection. To my astonishment I found absolutely nothing. I couldn't even begin to explain how disappointed I was, after slapping myself back into reality I realized this is the modern day seeker sensitive church and "ITS" way of evangelism. I can always count on my good buddy Lionel to get me fired up about something since we are a bit overly zealous about these type of things pretty much all the time. We realized that this way of evangelism is just plain not Biblical and WRONG!!! I would like to delve into a Biblical way of evangelism and toss out what so many of us have been taught about reaching out to the lost. As my old Pastor and (thank God for deliverance and exegesis)Mrs. Pastor used to say, "You catch the fish,(meaning people) bring them in the church and we clean em" How ridiculous!!! I can now say this in retrospect.

The primary purpose of the "church" is mutual edification. As we see the birth of the church in Acts, what do we find? In Acts 2:42 “They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” It appears from scripture that the true Body of Christ is a body of believer's and not people visiting on Easter just to sooth their consciences in a nice Easter pink, purple, or pastel colored suit or dress. What do we see in this passage? 1)Biblical Teaching for the Body. 2) Fellowship or mutual edification 3) Eating amongst each other in like manner to the Lord's Supper, in which I wrote about this HERE. The Lord's supper was not MASS as the catholics would have you believe but it is was a meal. I have fortunately had the luxury of doing this every Sunday since I am a member of a house church and have began to see a real Body of true believer's in action and able to catch a glimpse of this in reality.

While at work Thursday I had man tell me he was going to church Sunday since he claimed to be "Catholic" and it was tradition in his family to go to church on Easter. I know his lifestyle and have an idea of what he might hear from a priest at a Catholic church with the Mass. So I blurted out.."Don't waste your time!!!!" I went further to say, "If you want the Gospel, I am an ambassador to the Most High God and have a message for you!!! Repent and believe. For the Kingdom is at Hand!!!" Of course I said it in a more acceptable manner and less intruding than that but he caught the drift. Nothing used to bother me more than the fact that on Easter, Christmas, maybe New Years Day, and Mother's Day everyone wants to show up in church with their Sunday's best with no real intention to make a God inspired conscience effort to be obedient to the revealed will of God-The Bible. Could you imagine Apostle Paul, Stephen, Peter, James, or anyone of these men preaching the Gospel in our churches today? They would either make the non-believer's feel extremely uncomfortable or they would be flogged. Their is absolutely no way that non-believer's should feel comfortable when the Gospel message is preached.

1 Corinthians 14:26 How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.

It would seem the same things are echoed here to the Corinthian church that we aforementioned in Acts 2. Now, without getting to much into the gifts, it would seem in(1 Corinthians 14:23 If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in [those that are] unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?) that non-believers coming to church did not appear to be the norm. I could be wrong and would love to hear some insight on this but as I look at the scriptures I do not see Paul and Barnabas having a outreach day or a "Eggstravaganza Hoopla." I am not saying that this is not okay but the primary tactic for evangelism seemed to be that we are a light unto wherever we go. So we are 24/7-365 sharing the Gospel.

I pray that you all have a good time sharing the Gospel without unsaved loved one's and family. For me, what I have begun to do is to ask some questions-What are your intentions in attending church today? Why brings you out this wonderful Easter? What does Easter mean to you? What does Christ' resurrection mean to you? These are simply questions to make people think and to really examine their hearts. For some reason unfortunately with a the Easter bunny fluff we tend to brush over the reality of the Cross and the mealing of His resurrection. Some preachers just aren't preaching the Gospel nowadays and it is a sad thing. The resurrection means one of two things for people...

2 Corinthians 2:15 For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: 16 To the one [we are] the 1)savour of death unto death; and to the other 2)the savour of life unto life. And who [is] sufficient for these things?

Do children, babies, or aborted babies go to Heaven?

2008-03-18T22:54:00.000-07:00

Since we are still on this topic of babies, family, abortion, etc…. I decided to introduce another issue that is somewhat relevant to the topics aforementioned in the most recent posts written by Lionel. Do babies or children before the claimed age of accountability(in which no one knows the age) go to Heaven when they die? Let me also say that I have never lost a child and I am the father of Tyris Lamont Jr.(21 months old) I am not making light of this situation but in the same token do not want to give a false hope that cannot not be affirmed by scripture. My heart goes out to those who have lost babies by miscarriage, stillborns, or early deaths. I realize this becomes an issue when we try to figure out a way to get babies to heaven after premature death while staying true to scripture-never to compromise to sooth our frail consciences.

My position on this: I believe with the knowledge I possess concerning the attributes of God and Him being loving and kind and everything else; I say that God would allow unborn babies to go to Heaven. With that said, let me also say I and many others have a very hard time making this argument from scripture. Many people make arguments mainly from the Old Testament to secure their position and cannot be brought to fruition amongst the New Testament revealed revelation. I would like to examine briefly some of the arguments of people who say that without a doubt they can assure the eternal security of the unborn.

Some of the Typical Arguments

2 Samuel 12:23 But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.

Matt 26:24 The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born.

If we are to stand before God how can we be judged or receive our crowns if we never had the opportunity to sin against an infinitely Holy God.

To further examine these as listed

1) We recall the story of David and his heinous sin with Bathsheba and his treacherous murder of her husband. If you recall David and Bathsheba had their first child and the baby died. David makes a statement that makes it seem as if he assumed he would one day be with this child after his death. My question is can we assume that this passage means distinctly that David was 100% sure that his child was in Heaven? We have to stretch very far to draw that conclusion from this narrative event.

2) This may not be as popular but I have heard on a couple of occasions that this somehow means that if he was not born or killed by Herod of someone that he would be in a better place. Not worth further investigation.

3) Once again I would like to believe that God is merciful and would save the unborn babies but can that be found in scripture? There is only one sacrifice sufficient for our sin and He is Christ. The Bible makes absolutely no exceptions regarding this issue. Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: & Romans 5:18 Therefore as by the offence of one [judgment came] upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one [the free gift came] upon all men unto justification of life.

David said in Psalm 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. Along with Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. Now, is the all here inclusive of all humanity excluding babies? Do babies become sinners at a particular age or are they in Adam as well? Some brothers at my fellowship had this discussion on Sunday during our Lord’s Supper and one said, “If we can be assured that unborn babies go to heaven then the Abortionist should be seen as the most merciful people to walk the Earth!” Let us look at another passage that I am sure that you knew since I am a reformed brother I would bring up….

Romans 9:11For [the children] being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) 12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. 13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. 14 What shall we say then? [Is there] unrighteousness with God? God forbid. 15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 16 So then [it is] not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

From this passage do we understand this to be normative or exclusive to just Esau and Jacob. I think most would say normative and we know this to be coined as Election. Some might say but…Jacob and Esau were born and lived long lives. By this some would assume that if they had died in the womb that this truth will no longer apply. From scripture we cleary see that God elects some and others are not elected to be in the family of God and God still remains perfectly just.

To clarify for those who think I am trying to put all unborn babies in Hell-I am not!! I am simply saying that no one can emphatically make a claim that they know with 100% certainty that all babies go to Heaven. We can lay hold to God’s righteous loving character and many other attributes but based on this revelation-The Bible. We see there is only one acceptable propitiation which is Christ, all others apart from Christ are in Adam.

I did not exhaust all of the arguments that on this issue because I would love to hear some insight from a Biblical perspective regarding this topic.

God Bless in Christ, Tyris Sr.

A lot f debate has already begun on this topic and a couple others on babies. I would encourage you to dialogue here... http://blackandreformedministries.com/

Interesting Tithing Video

2008-03-18T20:55:00.000-07:00

Article HERE I got this video from my brother Karsten's site. Enjoy

I wrote an article on this a while ago listed HERE

Be A Straight Shooter

2008-03-17T21:34:00.000-07:00

I Corinthians 13 :1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become [as] sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have [the gift of] prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed [the poor], and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

Over the past 3 months I have had more than my share of many many theological debates. Some were mild conversations, radical conversations, and just plain ignorant debates. Quite honestly I did maintain my composure and never raised my voice or did anything that would not reflect the attributes of Christ. No! I am not flawless but it was important for me not to descend to character bashing or anything of the sort.

Before the Lord dramatically changed my heart I used to study apologetics relentlessly as if I was cramming for a big test or exam one day. I was a machine gun waiting to shoot the next victim down with my apologetic bullets ready to fire. If anyone even hinted of something that related to morals, The Bible, afterlife, or religion I was more than ready to fire. The thing I was lacking was agapē love. Therefore it fell on many dull and irritated ears. I had to ask myself the question; "What is my motive behind learning all of this important information?" At the heart of the matter was pride and knowledge with the intent to win an argument.

Aforementioned I have had plenty of opportunities to share the gospel and would like to share two instances.

The first was with a woman at my part-time job and she is a devout Jehovah's Witness. She is about 65 years old and I think God has used and is using me to share the Gospel with her one last time. My first encounter with her was around Christmas time and we both agreed that the commercialization of Christmas was over emphasized so I thought she was a church attendee but could not tell what her stance was theologically. I pretty consistently take my Bible with me wherever I go along with something else Biblical to read. My second encounter with this woman was when she saw me reading my Bible and very rudely(as she would have thought was coming to my rescue) grabbed my Bible and told me all of the times the Hebrew word YHWH(Yahweh) was changed to Lord or Jehovah in the Bible and she was infuriated. I said, "OK what is your point?" She says, "You have a contaminated Bible" So politely before I pulled out my sword I wanted to size her up before her decapitation. She proudly proclaimed that she was a Witness. To sum up this long three months of debating with this woman-I found myself debating semantics for hours a week as the Jehovah's Witness' are trained to do regarding the Doctrine of the Trinity in which they emphatically deny.

I finally through the grace of God realized what I was doing and simply asked her, "How are you saved?" She says, "By works and grace" This is a direct contradiction to God's Word in Ephesians 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no one can boast. Plain and simple since I understand in Romans 1:16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.

I calmly and politely told heard that if she did not turn from her sins and repent that she and her Jehovah's Witness' will shortly be in Hell. Now, this is something I should have done a long time ago but I neglected the fact that it is my obligation to be an ambassador and messenger-meaning I simply say what my King has already pronounced.

I pray for her regularly. I do believe that this may be her last chance for salvation. This woman has had 4 strokes in the last 5 years and the Lord I know has been gracious with her because she looks great and is 100% mobile.

The second situation is a old friend of mine for over 5 years. This is a friend who called me out of the blue and usually calls me when he wants to feels spiritual for a moment. This gentleman is 1 year older than me and has been married a little longer than me and his wife committed adultery in the past with 2 other men. During this trial he and his wife got back together and wanted to seek reconciliation since they have 3 beautiful daughters. He wanted to work in out and they had many ups and downs and unfortunately this man committed adultery himself and is now in a relationship with a woman who is 25 his senior. He has no intent to work this out with his wife and right now is in the process of moving in with this 50+ year old woman. He came to my house and we talked for 3 hours. I gave him the Gospel backwards and forwards and told him that he is living in sin and would go to hell if he did not repent of this lifestyle. I am also in continual prayer for this lost brother.

I listed these examples because sometimes we can either get caught up in quarrelsome arguments or be too interested in salvaging relationships. It is our obligation to give everyone the gospel regardless of how it makes them or us feel. This is simply our duty as followers of Christ-Our Lord. If you really want to be a friend to anyone regardless if it be your wife, husband, family member, or co-worker. You will be the best friend ever if you simply open your mouth and God could use the seed you plant in their heart to save them. I am not against apologetics and I think they are useful along side of the Gospel but it is only the Gospel and the working of the Holy Spirit that brings about regeneration that saves.

Tolerance of Evil is Evil Itself

2008-03-10T21:51:00.000-07:00

I thought this is a good article written by a great guy. Enjoy

By Daryl Wingerd site here

"Congratulations to Corey Delaney . . . ."
That's how the news broadcaster began his story about a 16-year-old in Australia who recently hosted a party in his parents' home while they were away on vacation. The party, which was advertised on Delaney's "My Space" page, drew 500 people along with a lot of alcohol. It resulted in $20,000 damage to the home and had to be broken up by police officers using dogs.
The broadcaster may have been using sarcasm when he offered his congratulations, but he went on to explain that the young man's stunt seems to have paid off. He now has a loyal following, particularly among teenagers, and has been booked as a party promoter, planner, and DJ at numerous events in Australia and the U.K. He even has a manager who will receive a share of the $100,000 he expects to make this year. His father is angry, of course, and has insisted that Corey live elsewhere, but he also stated that his son's new enterprise will be better than working as a carpenter's apprentice, as he had been previously employed.

Not everyone thinks Corey Delaney should be congratulated. Many recognize that the parties he promotes, like the one that made him famous, often involve underage drinking, immorality, and violence. Thousands have expressed their outrage at this arrogant young man who wears a fur-lined hooded jacket and over sized yellow sunglasses with a few strands of blond hair hanging in front. To many, Corey Delaney is a purveyor of evil who came by his success through evil means, but his popularity with so many others brings to mind a sobering biblical truth.

He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous,Both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord. (Prov. 17:15)

In this context, to justify a wicked person is to indicate that what he is doing is acceptable, or even praiseworthy. One person might justify a wicked person actively by saying, "I think that what you are doing is great!" Another might justify him passively by saying, "I would not do the same myself, but who am I to say that what you are doing is evil?" The promoters who are scrambling to book Mr. Delaney (before his undoubtedly short fuse of fame burns out) are in the first category. Those who would not emulate him personally, but who secretly admire his entrepreneurial spirit and financial success, are in the second. The point is, neither person is willing to call evil "evil."

The socially acceptable response to wickedness these days is to praise whatever good can be seen in a person while speaking in veiled terms about the bad (if the bad is mentioned at all). Using Corey Delaney's behavior as an example, the typical response might sound something like this: "Corey will have a lot of potential in the business world once he's gotten through his difficult teenage years." Applied to any form of sin, this is not the biblical message to those who practice evil.

A more appropriate response would be, "Corey, God sees you as wicked and rebellious. If you do not repent of your sins and find God's mercy through faith in Jesus Christ, you will suffer eternally under His wrath."

I am not suggesting that you should go around offering unsolicited rebukes to every unbeliever you see committing evil acts. Silence in the presence of sin is often appropriate as long as it does not amount to an implicit approval of the sin. I especially would not want Christians to start blasting away verbally at fellow Christians when they see them stumble in sin. Rebuke among fellow Christians has its place, but the love we share as believers "covers a multitude of sins" (1 Pet. 4:8) and should color every word we say to one another.

My real aim is not to persuade you to begin speaking more openly or directly to those who are practicing evil (though I would not discourage anyone from doing so either, if done compassionately). I simply want you to understand that the person who routinely approves of evil is simply practicing a different form of evil. "He who justifies the wicked . . . [is] an abomination to the Lord."

You may not be a rebellious teenager, or openly practicing some other form of obvious wickedness. You may profess to be a Christian who loves God. You may attend church regularly. You may even believe (as is so commonly taught in many religious circles) that tolerance of evil is a Christian virtue. But if you characteristically condone that which God condemns, you prove yourself to be God's enemy, not His friend. You show yourself to be just as much in need of His saving mercy as those whose more obvious sins you gladly tolerate.

Copyright © 2008 Daryl Wingerd Permission granted for reproduction in exact form, including web address. All other uses require written permission www.CCWonline.org

Sad, but true sometimes today.

2008-03-05T23:50:00.000-08:00

John Macarthur and Kirk Cameron VIdeo.

2008-03-05T23:35:00.001-08:00

Experience and Theology

2008-03-02T22:08:00.000-08:00

To go from one extreme to the next in the time-span of only 2 or 3 years is truly a work of God. I have done this and have had the view from each perspective; “The Extreme Charismatic Experimenter” to the “Overly Reformed Analyzer.” I would like to share my experiences briefly with you and see if I can draw a bridge between these 2 cousins. I think there is much to be learned from circumstances in life before and after the completed Canon of scripture. A question many ask is-How do we balance our circumstances in life through dreams, experiences, and unexplainable events against the written revelation of God, the Bible? Can the two walk together?

Experience- particular instance of personally encountering or undergoing something.

Theology-the field of study and analysis that treats of God and of God’s attributes and relations to the universe; study of divine things or religious truth; divinity.

My Pastor invited me to a conference in Saint Louis last week on a Tuesday and Wednesday. I learned a lot of great things from many excellent preachers and teachers. What baffled me the most was with all these men being totally reformed in their theology-they had many experiences to go along with their teachings. Don’t misunderstand me here, all of their experiences were subjected to the Word of God but nevertheless, their experiences complimented and did not contradict the Word of God. I learned about Christmas Evans, Sandemanianism, John Mason Peck, and many other early Christian men who’s lives were also riddled with experiences.

Throughout all of scripture starting from Genesis and ending in Revelation we see God interacting with humanity continuously through visions, dreams, personal experiences, and even on some occasions audibly. Then all of a sudden with the culmination of the scriptures God now becomes mute and we somehow we no longer can hear from God. This may be a bit of a extreme some would say. Typically most doctrinally sound teachers of our day like John Macarthur would say that, “The foundation has already been laid and the primary communication from God to us is through the written Word of God.” In which I wholeheartedly agree with, but does that mean that God cannot and does not speak today?

My life from inception has been also accompanied by experiences that cannot necessarily be confirmed or discredited by the Bible. For one example I think of when I was born, I had neuroplastoma and my mother visited a church near the hospital since I was basically in and out of the hospital with my condition for about 2 years. While my mother was at the church(I assume it was charismatic) someone started to speak in tongues and apparently there was also a translator who translated the message or language to be Biblical.(To clarify, I believe tongues was(is) a language and not the gibberish we hear today and this can be proved throughout scripture) Long story short they called her up for prayer knowing about her situation already I assume from the translation. Excuse me for lacking the details but is this coincidence or God? I don’t know but I am sure everyone nowadays has a similar story like this one. I personally believe God would have healed my cancer apart from this churches prayers but He allowed for men and women to intercede for my health.

I have fasted for 17 days straight at a time while I was the “SUPER CHARISMATIC”, gave my last savings to the church, sought God for spiritual gifts, and many other extremes before looking to His Word first. I would encourage many of you to seek God through His written Word and if you do have a “EXPERIENCE” I would be overly skeptical since we live in such a deceptive age and our adversary is very crafty.

Gal 1:8
But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

While in the charismatic church I read many books with a untrained eye regarding things that contradicted scripture. Many things I read talking about the nature of Hell from a perspective or experience that cannot be found in scripture and in the same token contradicted Luk 16:19 - Luk 16:31. We have to have balance and understand that God can speak in any way He chooses but I would be cautious and say that hearing an audible voice is not normative and that whatever the experience might be, it will not contradict God’s word. If it does contradict most likely it is not God. This has been proved through time through all the famous cult leaders like Charles Taze Russell, Bringam Young, Joseph Smith, and many others.

Gal 1:8
But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed

In conclusion our experiences should absolutely never alter our theology(study of God-the Bible). On the contrary our theology and growth in the fear and knowledge of GOD through His word should ultimately be the filter in which our experiences are rendered legit and from God or a hoax by the deceiver.

Recommended Reading: Led by the Spirit by Jim Elliff

Is Preterism Heresy?

2008-02-29T22:13:00.000-08:00

Preterism is something that I personally had not heard of until about 5 years ago. It has become more popular in recent years and many reputable people hold to a partial or full preterist view. Some are Hank Hanegraaf, Gary Demar, and many others.

Preterism is a variant of Christian eschatology which holds that some or all of the biblical prophecies concerning the Last Days or End Times refer to events which actually happened in the first century after Christ’s birth. The term preterism comes from the Latin praeter, meaning “past”. Adherents of Preterism are known as Preterists. The two principal schools of Preterist thought are commonly called Partial Preterism and Full Preterism.

In the Word of God something we that would somewhat seem relevant to this teaching is when Hymenaeus is mentioned by name twice in Scripture (1 Timothy 1:20; 2 Timothy 2:17) — named in connection with Alexander (the coppersmith) and also Philetus. The apostle Paul denounced him as a blasphemer. Scripture does not fully describe his heresy, but apparently Hymenaeus denied the future physical resurrection of the born again (2 Timothy 2:17-18), as taught by Jesus Christ (John 5:25-29) and Paul (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). He claimed, instead, that the believer’s “resurrection” only happens in a spiritual sense, occurring at the moment one is born again. This heresy was apparently taught by the Nicolaitanes.

So this is my question-If we meet a Christian today that believes the essentials of the Faith- (the authority of Scripture, the existence of a triune God, Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit - Christ/Who is fully God and fully man - was sent to save the elect from our bondage of sin, and other things that can be affirmed by the Word of God.) but hold to a different eschatalogical position, can we say they are not saved? Now some as mentioned above are partial meaning they believe some of the events have already taken place and others say they believe Christ has already done all that is said would be done throughout the book of Revelation.

I personally think that if you are a Full Preterist that you have some serious explaining to do but I have not spent a whole lot of time studying this topic. Lionel and I are currently going through the presuppositions of Covenant Theology and Dispensationlism. At this time I do not believe in the “Rapture” and have recently decided to study this more in depth. So this may change-so don’t hold me to a position yet.

I would love to hear some insight on this topic from a Biblical perspective on what many of you think.

Here is the question again-Is Preterism Heresy?
Some information obtained from www.wikipedia.com

Home Alone: Do We StillNeed the Local Church?

2008-02-27T21:19:00.000-08:00

Home Alone: Do We StillNeed the Local Church?

Good article written By Jim Elliff at http://www.ccwonline.org/

The down-the-street local church is not the only show in town anymore. We are able to enjoy faith-building messages, listen to the latest Christian music, and explore the rich diversity and variety found in the most noted Christian gatherings, all with the click of the mouse or the touch of a button.

Many local church pastors now say, "The world is my parish," just as did the horseback-riding evangelist, John Wesley. But they mean this without ever going out of their own studio or auditorium! Some are communicating to millions.

It is not unusual for savvy web users to feed from many sources during a given week. Avid cable television viewers can watch the world's premium communicators any on almost any day! Some listen to Christian radio all day long. In fact, you can hear and see Christian leaders on your handheld media device while eating a hamburger in the local fast food restaurant.

For some time we have been losing the aura of significance once automatically assigned to the local church—the attention we had when nothing else much was going on.

We now have to face the truth—most media preachers are more engaging than those who speak in our own church, and we can watch them in our pajamas. Massive church meetings on television are so vivacious and musically stimulating that many simply lose their appetite for the "same ol' same ol'" of the regular assembly. And the church programs that once seemed so essential for spiritual vitality have become a bother to masses of declared believers, as illustrated by low levels of participation. Who really wants to be out one more night missing his favorite TV programming?

Do we really need the local church anymore?

This is not a meaningless question. Millions have written off church life as irrelevant. But some benefits are to be found in the local church that not even the best media experience can offer, such as . . .

Actual relationships rather than imaginary ones. Weak as some churches are, they are still made up of living people who come together. The media-engrossed Christian isolates himself from other believers while imagining relationships that are actually not there. This is not living life, but skipping life. I am often saddened by the isolated person who misses out on people. There is no true fellowship except among believers. Once you know it, you will not be satisfied without it.

Compassionate care rather than mere talk of concern. The media pastors talk about their love for their audience, but they will not be there when your child experiments with drugs, or your spouse dies, or your business goes down the drain. Those in the media audience will not sit at your bedside when you are dying. Radio preachers say they pray for you, but they really don't know you at all. Remember this: if you live alone, you die alone.

Real accountability rather than unchecked liberty. It may not seem immediately desirable, but accountability is a precious gift. In the local church, if you stray from God, someone is there to bring you back, or even to lovingly discipline you. If you are alone, you may stray deeper and deeper into sin even though you have periodic religious media fixes. Rather, you must subject yourself to the answerability that comes from engaging with real people. If you understand the deceitfulness of sin, you know you need that.

Authentic shared worship rather than vicarious viewing of worship. God promises benefits and blessings to corporate worship, even more so than for individual worship, though we should do both. Yet the isolated virtual Christian only imagines himself worshipping with others as he sits before the monitor. If the professing solo believer were to arrive in heaven one day, he would only then experience what he was made for when he became a believer. He will say, "How could I have missed it?"

Add to the above that the isolated media-only Christian disobeys God by not participating in the ordinance of the Lord's Supper or the corporate experience of Baptism, and that he refuses to use spiritual gifts and talents which God gave him expressly for edifying his local church, a distinct privilege and responsibility.
Do we still need the local church? Yes! But its members had better major on what makes it irreplaceable—becoming the loving, caring, worshipping, responsible fellowship it was meant to be. Your church, for instance, can be the most loving church in the world. Nothing can stop you except your own unwillingness. Love, especially in our media saturated day, is immensely attractive and satisfying.
Forget the flash and the showmanship. Don't even try to compete. Leave that to those media churches enamored with such surface concerns. They soon lose meaning to true believers anyway. Pare away all that is trifling—especially the traditions that have lost their meaning because they were only the last generation's attempts at being up-to-date. Do what is biblical even if it means changing everything. And then you will have meaning. You will be the local church that nobody can think little of anymore.

". . . not forsaking our own assembling together . . ." Hebrews 10:25

Copyright © 2008 Jim Elliff Permission granted for reproduction in exact form, including web address. All other uses require written permissionwww.CCWonline.org

Is Black History Important?

2008-02-20T23:48:00.000-08:00

Through my wonderful journey since the Lord Jesus Christ drug(John 6:44) me to Himself I have been pushed further away from ministering to a certain type of people simply based on their race. I see many people who get excited when we get the “First Black Person” to do this or to do that and we as a “black people” take it as a personal badge of honor as if that person alone represents our entire race. In retrospect I think this type of thinking is ignorant and not that of a follower of Christ. I see so many black and reformed men who rely heavily on the works of great men like Saint Augustine who was a philosopher and theologian, and was bishop of the North African city of Hippo Regius for the last third of his life. Augustine is one of the most important figures in the development of Western Christianity, and is considered to be one of the church fathers. I have had a hard time getting an answer to the question, “Was he a Black Man?” as if it would matter when it comes to Christ finishing the work He began in me.(Phil 1:6)

What bothers me at times is that the fact that some hold to the teachings of Calvin, Luther, Edwards, Wesley and so many others, then they crucify these men for having African slaves and in the same breath gleam so much from their writings, insights, and revelation concerning the Word of God. The fact that these men had sin in their lives does not nullify what they have learned through the regeneration of the Holy Spirit. If so, we would all be disqualified on that scale, even today as we stand upon the shoulders of giants. To make matters worse, they highly esteem people like Martin(Michael) Luther King Jr., Malcolm(X)Little, and a slew of others who were not Christians by any stretch of the wildest imagination(Please do some research on this before trying to stand behind these non-Christians). Somehow they get a “Get by Free Card” based on the color of their skin and not by the doctrine they teach. I really had to wrestle with some questions before coming to this particular stance. Some of the questions were:

1) Has Christ called us to preach to a certain group or to preach and teach the gospel to all people regardless of race, age, and gender?

2) Has Christ told us whom He has willed to save? Or in other words do we as mortals know who His elect are?

3) How is black history going to help me share the gospel of Christ?

Difficult questions. Let me say that I appreciate what all African Americans have done in the past to give me the freedoms that I possess today. The question is, “Do I feel indebted to a group of people for the sacrifices that God has sovereignly chosen them to go through?” NO!! I am thankful but surely am not indebted to give praises to men but rather God. I catch a lot of flack from many people of all races simply because I don’t vote(uh oh!!) and I can’t find a scripture that commands me to do so. To get back to the topic let us look at Joseph’s view of God’s sovereignty in retrospect of his trial.

Genesis 45:5 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.

Genesis 45:7 And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now [it was] not you [that] sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

I would encourage you to read this story through about Joseph see how he has a brilliant view of the hand of God over every situation. Joseph could have easily blamed his brothers and would have been right by doing so; but he seen the sovereign work of God in this. I guess the question would be how sovereign is God? Isaiah 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these [things].

I believe black history is important to all people but it is dwarfed when compared to knowing church history. When I was a young man I could tell you all about many of the highly esteemed blacks of our day and the of the past but could not tell you about the Council of Nicea or the Jerusalem Council(Acts 15). What good does it do anyone to know about the black history and to not know about church history? Which is more important? Generally we have a lot of black churches specializing in black history month and are totally ignorant of Biblical or church history. What is the result? Humanism, Black Pride, Separatism, and Prejudice disguised as false racial love.

Now to fast forward to the New Covenant, has God chosen a people set apart for Himself? Well of course He has and those people are followers of Christ-Christians. Christ has commanded us to Go ye therefore, and teach all nations(ethnos), baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. No one will argue with the great commission that was given for all believers to carry out and not to be limited by a particular race. We as humans were all brothers and sisters linked together by Adam and lost in our sins and trespasses. Once Christ came(Gal 4:4), we then are part of the family of God linked together by Our Redeemer-Christ Jesus. So now we no longer see the black people as “our people” but we now see the famous colloquialism as a term that describes the family of God in Christ.

In conclusion one might say that it is important that blacks see other positive black people in order to be motivated. I would differ. We see black men and women aspiring to be like Michael Jordan, Oprah Winfrey, Obama, Colin Powell, and many others but if they die without Christ they too will go to hell. So my question is what really matters? Time out for the superficial racial hype dressed as a wolf in sheep’s clothing which screams… pride!! pride!! pride!!! Time to put Christ at the forefront of our everything meaning that we completely lose our everything in Christ. Furthermore meaning if we are going to esteem people let us check and see if they really have the heart of Christ in all that they do. We emulate Christ to all the world to see the love of Christ and in this they will know that we are His disciples.

What do you desire for your child?

2008-02-18T21:32:00.000-08:00

Paul Washer Video

2008-02-16T22:50:00.001-08:00

Heaven and Hell

2008-02-13T22:19:00.001-08:00

I am currently reading through this book now with the men in my church and it is a great book thus far and wanted to recommend this read for all. I wanted to include an excerpt from the book in which the author quotes Jonathan Edwards in his sermon called “The Eternity of Hell Torments.” Let this thought always be on your mind whenever you present the whole counsel of God!!!

“Consider what is it to suffer extreme torment for ever and ever, and to suffer it day and night, from one year to another, from one age to another, and from one thousand ages to another, and so adding age to age, thousands to thousands, in pain, in wailing and lamenting, groaning and shrieking, and gnashing your teeth, with your souls full of dreadful grief and amazement, your bodies full of racking torture, without any possibility of getting ease; without any possibility of moving God to pity by your cries; without any possibility of hiding yourselves from him; without any possibility of diverting your thoughts from your pain. Consider how dreadful despair will be in such torment; to know assuredly that you never, never shall be delivered from them; to have no hope: when you shall wish you might be turned into nothing but shall have no hope of it… when you would rejoice, if you might but have any relief, after you have endured these torments millions of ages but shall have no hope of it. After you shall have worn our the age of the sun, moon and stars……… without rest day and night, or one minutes ease, yet you shall have no hope of ever being delivered; after you have worn a thousand more such ages you shall have no hope… but that still there are the same groans, the same shrieks, the same doleful cries, incessantly to be made by you, and that the smoke of your torment shall still ascend up for ever and ever. The more the damned in hell think of the eternity to their torments, the more amazing it will appear to them; and alas! they will not be able to keep it out of their minds. Their tortures will not divert them from it, but will fix their attention to it. O how dreadful will eternity appear to them after they shall have so long an experience of their torments! The damned in hell will have two infinities perpetually to amaze them and swallow them up; one is an infinite God, whose wrath they will bear and in whom they will behold their perfect and irreconcilable enemy. The other is the infinite duration of their torment.”

Joel Osteen's Theology?

2008-02-09T03:07:00.000-08:00

Homosexual Christians?

2008-02-07T22:54:00.000-08:00

This is terribly sad. I am almost speechless.

This Satuday Conference Call

2008-02-06T09:05:00.000-08:00

Stand Up Ministries is having their 4th conference call this coming Saturday-February 9th. My apologies since I kept on forgetting to post this when we had our previous calls. Stand Up Minsitries is currently conducting live chat conference calls with over 150 lines to access over the phone every other Saturday which has been a blessing to those who have attended. This is not a line where we simply argue. The intent is also not to be a replacement for true Biblical fellowship. This is simply an extension of the 1st conference we had in November of 2007 and enables those of us across the country to keep in touch. At the past conference we had men and women from all over the US attend and even from England.

The time zones for your area are as follows:
6:00 pm - eastern 5:00 pm - central 4:00 pm -

mountain 3:00 pm - pacific (605) 475-4333

Access code: 339865#

(please hit the pound key after entering the code)

This Saturday's topic is "Divorce and Re-marriage." There are seven historically significant interpretations of the exception clause is Matthew 19:9, and there is no small amount of disagreement among reputable Bible scholars as to which one of these seven is correct. Five of the seven views affirm a no-divorce understanding of the text, and six affirm a no-remarriage view. Only one permits both divorce and re-marriage.

Typically most Christians see marriage after a divorce as an option and see that there are exceptions based on Matthew chapter 5 and 19. I differ on this topic completely. I am posting below a paper written by John Piper who also holds this view. His paper is not as detailed as I would like but it gives an overview of his position on this. I believe this position is the most accurate and true to Christ' intent in the Bible. John Macarthur(my favorite Bible expositor) holds the common view and I think he couldn't be more wrong on this issue.

One basic rule of hermeneutics is if we find a passage in which in itself is capable of two interpretations, one of which harmonizes with the rest of the Scriptures while the other does not, we are duty bound to accept the former. This is a recognized principle of interpretation that the more obscure passages are to be interpreted in the light of clearer passages and not vice versa. Prayerfully I ask you to leave your presuppositions to the side and take a Berean look at the opposing views with a non-biased view.

Good book on the seven different views is "Marriage and Ministry in the New Temple" by Abel Isaksson.

Here is the Piper article. Here is Macarthur's site and his link here.

When God wants to drill a man.

2008-02-04T20:36:00.000-08:00

This is a poem my pastor Jim Elliff gave to me about 8 months ago and I thought I would share it. God bless

Romans 7?

2008-02-04T00:21:00.000-08:00

The common view of Romans chapter 7 typically is that Paul is speaking of himself as a believer and his stuggle with sin. I honestly have a hard time with that based of off chapter 6 and then chapter 8. My pastor's son Bryan Elliff(18 years old) teaches Wednesday night Bible study for the teenagers and makes some compelling arguments for the opposing view. The beauty of being young and in the Faith is the fact that(we) unlike many older guys in the Faith, do not have a lot of faulty pressuppositions about many topics.

Check out 1(Romans 7:14-25: “Sin Became Alive and I Died” Part 1) and 2(Romans 7:14-25: “Sin Became Alive and I Died” Part 2) of his studies so far. I couldn't link his blog article because I think he a older style blog to where you can't link the articles directly but I will give you his site and you can scroll through to find these articles-God Bless in Christ

His site is HERE.

Paul Washer

2008-02-02T23:44:00.000-08:00

How do you know you are saved?

2008-02-02T07:33:00.000-08:00

This is post from this site. Thanks to Alan Higgins for this great post-GOD Bless

2 Corinthians 13:5 says that we should

Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.
So how do you make sure that you are not disqualified? How do you make sure that you are not in that number of many church-going people who will say to God on Judgement Day

….Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then (he) will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’(Matthew 7:22-23)

How do you know you are saved?

Well first of all, you should be displaying (or starting to display) the fruit of the spirit which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23)
If you are displaying immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness and carousing, then this is a good indication that you are not saved and as it says in Galatians 5:21, those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God

The books of 1 and 2 John also give you a list of things to look out for ’so that you may know that you have eternal life.’ (1 John 5:13)
You will not walk in darkness. If you do, then you do not practice or live by the truth (1 John 1:6)
You will have fellowship with other christians (1 John 1:7)
You recognise your sinful nature (1 John 1:8,10)
You confess your sins (1 John 1:9)
You obey and keep his commandments (1 John 2:3,5 ,1 John 3:24, 1 John 5:2)
You will not hate your brother or sister but love them (1 John 2:9,11 , 1 John 3:10 and 1 John 4:7-8,12-13, 20-21, 2 John 1:5)
You will not love the world or the things of the world (1 John 2:15)
You will do the will of God (1 John 2:17)
You believe the divinity of Jesus Christ and that he has come in the flesh (1 John 2:22 and 1 John 4:2-4,15, 2 John 1:7)
Biblical truth will be abiding in you (1 John 2:24)
You understand the righteousnes of Christ (1 John 2:29)
You will be practicing righteousness (1 John 2:29)
You will not habitually practice sin (1 John 3:8,9, 1 John 5:18)
You will have compassion for those in need (1 John 3:17)
You believe that Jesus is the Christ and is the Son of God (1 John 5:1)
You abide in the doctrine of Christ (2 John 1:9)

Now am I saying that if you are missing any of these then you are not saved? Of course not. It is not about perfection but about direction. You should be moving in the direction of doing the things above. This is called progressive sanctification where God is doing an inward work in you.
Other questions to ask yourself are:

Am I growing in holiness?
What is my relationship with sin?
Do I have a struggle with sin or do I feel no way about my sin? (Read Romans 7:7-25)
Do I hate it more and more or do I try and justify it?
Do I have a love for Gods word?
Do I hunger and thirst for righteousness?
Do I have a concern for the lost?
If the answer to the majority of these questions is no, then I would seriously doubt your salvation and I would urge you to repent of your sins and put your trust in Jesus Christ and in him alone.

Amazing Grace Video Snippet.

2008-01-31T21:58:00.000-08:00

Integration or Separation?

2008-01-31T04:08:00.000-08:00

Lionel's articles regarding this issue as well. 1 & 2

These figures above may bring back horrid memories to some. To others like myself, probably not as offensive since I grew up after this era. These pictures above are referencing a term that was used offensively used throughout history over the past 200 years and made more popular within the last century. There are many stories on the history of this term one says that the origins of the word “Sambo” stem from an occurrence believed to be at the height of the British Empire. An unknown slave ship had docked in the then-popular Morecambe Bay area to buy various sundry items; once back at sea it was noticed that a black member of the ship’s staff had been left ashore. This man’s name was Sambo; shunned by the people of Morecambe, he was made to live out the remainder of his days on the outskirts of the villages at that time. To this day there is a monument known as ‘Sambo’s Grave” on the coast of the Lancashire village of Heysham. The term “Sambo” has its origin from the Spanish word “nzambu” which means monkey. The Royal Spanish Academy gives the origin from a Latin word which in modern Spanish means “bow-legged.”

About 1600 years prior to this event we see a great man name Apostle Peter. Apostle Peter was one of the 12 and some would claim the most influential of the Apostles. In Acts 10 we see Peter receives a special revelation from God and is placed in a trance. What he learns from this trance from God is that this Gospel that he had been commissioned to preach was not just for Jews but for all nations also created by God. In this we see God demolishing the ignorant presuppositions that were put in place by his Jewish culture. It was a unlawful(Acts 10:28) thing for a Jew to dine with a gentile regardless of the circumstance. In other words we can only imagine how doing this command from God made his flesh feel. We catch a glimpse of this when Peter says in verse 14, “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.” Wait a minute!! Did Peter just openly disobey Our Lord? Thank God for His grace!! Peter was a bold man. He must have forgotten what happened in Acts 5 right?

Furthermore we see Peter being obedient for 1) To the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19and 2) To the command just received from God the Father. What happens? Peter preaches the unadulterated Gospel and I guess we can step into the Charismatic dialect and say he saw “A mighty move of God.” The Gentiles received the Holy Spirit and secondly they were baptized. Shortly after this wonderful act of God we see the Judaizers coming on the scene in Acts 11. Peter does not withhold his special revelation from God and informs them of the great news. It would appear based on the disappointment that the Judaizers had with Peter that possibly they had some type of relationship with Peter before or after Christ’ ascension but that could be a incorrect speculation.

Peter does not relent and dishes a double scoop of the Gospel to the Judaizers as well. From this passage in Acts it would certainly appear that the Judaizers were OK with this great news. They say, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.” Somewhere in this or thereafter Paul exposes some further insight in Galatians 2:11-21. I am unsure of the chronological order here but it would appear that this sin committed by Peter in Galatia was done after Acts 15-The Jerusalem Council. During this meeting among Paul and others, Paul states in verse 8, “So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us, and made no distinction between us them. This is not Supersessionism or Replacement Theology rather it simply states that all of God’s elect throughout time have been saved the same way-By Faith.

It is horrible to think of how some of our ancestors were treated but just as they fought for us to be considered humans and to vote, they also fought so that we can be integrated and not separated. I used the Sambo figure above because many people say they are Christian’s but cannot let go(forgive) of the past. They hold Sambo and slavery issues as a grudge towards there brother or sister in Christ and allow it hinder their spiritual growth. In our day we don’t see the sovereignty of God in slavery as being similar to Joseph and him forgiving his brothers. We miss the purpose of God in the things he does throughout history. Joseph says, “Genesis 45:5 Do not be angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. 45:8 So now it was not you who sent me here, but God, and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.At times in my dealing with blacks and whites I see the animosity they hold to in their dealings with their Christian brethren which is a direct opposition to scripture and definitely not Christ-like. Similar to how Peter was acting when after he recieved the revelation from God. How much more should we act in accordance with scripture since we have the completed Canon.

If God calls you to sit amongst people who don’t look like you-SO WHAT!! So the worship is different-Maybe you have opposition at home. You-my friend have been commissioned to follow the LAMB not your comfort. God causes us to do things at times that does not coincide with our feelings or our regular dealings. When God saved me I heard His voice and followed and will continue to follow wherever HE leads me. The Gospel is all that matters and all that will ever matter-without it we have absolutely nothing. As Lionel stated in an earlier post-”stop complaining about your situation(which is sin by the was Phil 2:14) and GOD may have called you to be that “Catalyst” for a while.

1) How much are you willing to compromise your Biblical convictions for the sake of being comfortable?

2) Did God only call you to save a certain race or to preach the Gospel to all nations?

3) Are there any benefits to learning how to mingle with other cultures and can that help you be a better witness for the Kingdom of God?

4) Would this help us become all things to all men that we might by all means save some?

Ponder these things if you consider yourself a Christian. We are to emulate the attributes of Christ in all we do. Search for a Biblical church and don’t be locked in on finding a particular race of people. The only people you should be concered about being in fellowship with are your brothers in sisters in Christ in which you share the same blood-that of Christ.

Brittany Williams

2008-01-27T00:34:00.000-08:00

Isaiah 45:5 I am the Lord, and there is no other; There is no God besides Me. I will gird you, though you have not known Me, 6 That they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting That there is none besides Me. I am the Lord, and there is no other; 7 I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the Lord, do all these things.

Some links for the story here here and here.

My cousin 21 years old was killed last week in a random shooting(in the head) in Omaha Nebraska. For those of you who don't know I used to live in Omaha and a large majority of my family still resides there. Brittany Williams and I went to church for years together although I did not talk to her much since I've been, older I was shocked at her death. Her Funeral is tomorrow January 29/2008. Please pray for my family during this time and pray that people who are lost would be saved and turn to their only hope-that is Christ and Christ alone!!

We see a lot of death nowadays and have pretty much as people become accustomed to it so much so that we don't feel sorrow about people dying until it hits close to home. I personally stopped watching the news when I was around 14 years old. It really sickened me and I just did not have a yearning to hear about the madness in this world. At a young age I always have had an interest in the things I did not know. Questions such as; where to people go when they die? Where did God come from? How should we view death? Is God Sovereign in death and suffering?

I would like to delve into a Biblical view of death and see what God says about it. Personally I view death as a beautiful thing regardless of how it happens. Let me clarify myself here. Death is only beautiful for the believer and for the non-believer it is the worst thing beyond our imagination. Let us look at 2 Corinthians 5:11 (Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience. ) Other translations say (Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord), I particularly like that phrasing a little better. This is somewhat hard to say when we look into Hebrews 11 and see people like Isaiah being sawn in two by a wooden saw-OUCH!!! But in the Psalms it says, Psalm 116:15 Precious in the sight of the Lord Is the death of His saints. I would love to get into the history of what the means in context but I believe that would take us into an entirely different direction.

I would encourage the reading of this entire passage-it is such a great hope. Paul begins to speak of how we know that our earthly bodies are only temporal but we are searching for a house in heaven not made by human hands. Paul is speaking about when Daniel also spoke of this long time before this. He says our bodies continue to groan until we are finally completely fulfilled in Christ at his Second Advent. Romans 8:23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. He also says in verse 9-So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. Do you make it your goal to please the Bishop and Overseer of your soul, Christ Jesus?

And here-15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. 16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

This is just a wonderful passage of scripture. I am so amazed of the treasures we find in scripture and the more I get to know Him the more I begin to delight in Him. How is your relationship with Christ? Stagnant? Non-existent? Do you take the grace of God for a license to sin? Do you act as if you think Death will never come to you? Assess your walk with Christ in light of His Word. I recall going to so many churches where the children and adults alike hear a sermon on sin and how their sin is disgusting to God but get in their car after church and bob there heads to the music in which people sing about the very things they just got through hearing about-SIN. Boastful Pride of life, Lust of flesh, and lust of the eyes. Or your tongue-does it reflect Christ? Is Christ in YOU? Do you have a changed heart as mentioned in verse 17? Do you have any evidence or fruit of your conversion?

These are good questions-do not think that you could not have been the victim? I can hear people saying, "oh yeah you're right" But are you going to let these questions resonate in your mind for more than a couple of hours? Probably not but I hope so!! Death has a 1 to 1 ratio and only one has escaped it and if you are not putting your hope and faith in Christ and forsaking your fake Christian life of filthy righteousness-my friend YOU will face the terror of the Lord!! This is pretty near and dear to my heart because I used to be one of those church goers who had the act down, but in reality I did not have a changed heart and a changed life. I believe this is something that really needs to be wrestled with by all who profess to know Christ. Don't get me wrong here, it is a sad thing anytime someone so young gets killed in that manner, but in comparison to the terror of the Lord-it is a small thing. Everyone will die one day and that is how it has always been since the fall of Adam and will always be until Christ returns for His church. Christ has not promised we will not have trials and quite honestly He says the exact opposite. We just have to keep a eternal perspective in absolutely everything.

God is totally sovereign in absolutely everything. This is hard to believe during times like these but it is Biblical Truth. GOD is surprised by nothing. My prayer is that when things happen like this that it will make people really examine themselves and not to just look at life from a temporal perspective but let us be heavenly minded in all things-Knowing the Terror of the Lord-we try to persuade men. In Christ Alone

Good Article worth Reading by Lionel.

2008-01-26T04:40:00.000-08:00

So You Want a Diverse Church? Be a Catalyst Then!

Boy Do I love Paul Washer!!!

2008-01-24T22:02:00.001-08:00

John Piper Sets Them Straight.

2008-01-24T05:47:00.000-08:00

Got the Holy Ghost?

2008-01-21T08:57:00.000-08:00

Wow I can recall when I used to attend a church like this. I would not recommend watching the entire video cause after about the first 3 minutes it only gets worse and just repetitious. When I attended I was never the one running the isles or catching those who did not have self-control, rather I was the one on the the keyboard and organ keeping it all going and being pushed on by the pastor to keep up the paste or give him more volume. It is a shame that these kid sinners are simply imitating what they have become accustom to view as the "CHURCH." It is my prayer that these little ones are saved but.....

Pray that people likes the ones in this video would start to think critically about the Faith and how are these actions in line with scripture. Is anyone being edified by this behavior and is this order in church or amongst believers. I would say no but would love to hear some thoughts on this-God Bless in Christ

Give Us a Shot?

2008-01-19T23:36:00.000-08:00

Any thoughts on this?

Television

2008-01-19T19:50:00.000-08:00

1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things [that are] in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
For all that [is] in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

Television I believe it to be the most influential piece of technology known to man thus far. I cannot go as far to say that television is inherently evil because I think that would be a stretch but we all can agree without a doubt that this small piece of technology is used for more bad than good. In my short life of 27 years I have seen television take a pretty wicked turn from "Bill Cosby" which would be considered a pretty moral family show to the likes of a show similar to "Girlfriends" or the adult cartoon "Family Guy."

This has become a more obvious reality for me for two main reasons. 1) I have become more accustom to God's Word and I am a lot more sensitive and aware of sin. 2) I have a 18 1/2 month old son and I am more cautious as to how I live my Christian life before him knowing that my example as a Christian man is more important than what I say to him. Personally I absolutely always keep the television off if he and I are at home with the exception of bedtime since I prefer to have some light on so I can see how he is doing but even then the volume is on mute. I know how influential this time is for his mind and young people are very impressionable.

This became really obvious to me more so now than ever. Why? I exercise quite a bit more now than i ever have for a long time and I also read more now in my life than I ever have in the past. So, to my understanding even when I do these things my son appears to not be paying attention-To my surprise this little man was one day on the floor and he started to do push ups just like he sees his daddy do all the time. Another occasion is when he is in the back seat of my car-he picks up some books in the back seat and starts to pretend to read them. I thought WOW!! For many of you that might be pretty obvious but for a young brother like me who has never really had a lot of experience with little children-this is brand spanking new and I learn daily. So in essence my Christian life is now under a microscope and this helps me further realize who my obedience is to-Christ. My son is a constant reminder that this little guy is watching me but more importantly Christ is watching me.

A great brother at my church told me last week as we met for a late snack that his daughter was watching a children's program on the children network and she saw someone practicing yoga. So his daughter unknowingly was in the room sitting Indian style saying with her fingers clinged together "hmmmmm" "hmmmmmm." Now my friend being very much like me had to nip this in the bud and inform his daughter that what she was doing was not Biblical and is dangerous. Now how much so is this the norm in our every day life. Simply watching a football or basketball game and "BOOM" a half naked woman walks across the screen in a commercial. Now we have seen how TV has changed just in the past 30 years and we can only imagine how it will continue to progressively continue to get worse. An example of this can be seen as we listen to the expletives that were not tolerated in the 1970's are now normal words on the basic non cable stations today.

Why do we see such a contrast in our day versus two centuries ago. I just recently started to read Puritan material (thanks to my church) and to me it was startling to see how these guys viewed sin and how much so it is tolerated today and has become common place. Sin has become a part of our very being so much so that when we watch the regular news on TV it no longer has an effect on us to the point where we seek out God in prayer for the depraved people of this world. We have become desensitized to the very thing that got Adam thrown out of Eden-SIN.

As referenced in the scripture above John focuses on the same 3 ways in which Christ was tempted by Satan and I believe every sin can be put in one of these three categories. These things are the very things that are glorified on TV and in the music of our day.

1) Lust of the flesh.
2) Lust of the eyes.
3) Pride of life.

I would like some feedback from you all on this.

1) Has TV had more of a positive or negative influence on you in your life?

2) Do you find yourself spending more time watching TV than reading your Bible or praying?

3) Do you think our society would be challenged to think more critically about everything rather than let television make their minds weak.

When the Adultress Went Home!

2008-01-19T19:28:00.000-08:00

This is an excellent article written by John Piper's ministry-Enjoy.

“Neither do I condemn you; go and from now on, sin no more.”

These words were almost unbelievable. A half hour ago she had been dragged out of her illicit lover’s house and shoved through the streets. Just minutes before, she had been bracing herself for the stones of judgment to crush her. Now those stones lay on the ground and the execution squad was gone. And the young rabbi with compassionate eyes was telling her she was free to go, as if she was no longer guilty. It was hard to comprehend. Adultery. Not guilty. Free.

As she turned and began to walk toward home she felt clean—cleaner than she could ever remember. How could that be? She hadn’t done anything to deserve to be clean. There hadn’t even been a ritual sacrifice or water cleansing according to the law yet. That rabbi had simply declared her guilt-free, and it was so. No one ever spoke like this man. She heard God when he spoke.

But after a few minutes of walking it hit her: “I have to go home.” Fear shot through her. She wanted to bolt. The rabbi had forgiven her. But waiting at home was her betrayed husband. And her children. And her parents. And his parents. She had shamed the entire family. Her life was like a broken pot; shards all over the floor. Because of her sin. She almost longed to be buried by the stones.

But she still felt clean.

She pulled her head-covering around her face and took a detour, walking streets where she might not be recognized. She needed time to think. And pray.

That was strange. She hadn’t prayed a heartfelt prayer for years. She hadn’t really wanted anything to do with God. She had merely been going through religious motions while secretly pursuing her own happiness in forbidden places. She had just tried to lay low and escape the Judge’s attention.

But now it was all different. As she thought about God she felt that cleanness again, like she had when the rabbi spoke. She found herself wanting to run to God to hide rather than hide from him. Suddenly he was the one she wanted to talk to the most. This was new. God was no longer her angry Judge. He had become a forgiving Father.

So she ducked into a lonely alley to repent of her horrible, selfish sin and to ask her Father for help with what seemed like an impossible situation. As she prayed, she heard the rabbi’s words again, “Neither do I condemn you.” And then these words followed, “Go, and from now on sin no more. I will be with you. With man it is impossible. But not with God. For all things are possible with God.”

With a new peace that passed understanding, she took a deep breath and headed for what was left of her home.

We do not know happened to the adulteress in John chapter 8 after she left Jesus. We can only imagine. God in his infinite wisdom does not tell us. That’s for the best.

What Jesus said to her in forgiving her sin (“Neither do I condemn you”) is true of all of those he calls. But the earthly consequences of sin which we must live with are different in every case. Jesus removed the guilt of her sin, taking it and God’s wrath against it upon himself. But he did not remove the fact that she had sinned and the relational pain that must have resulted. Maybe her husband was also saved and they were reconciled. Maybe he divorced her.

But whatever happened, what remained true was the fact that she was forgiven, clean. She was justified in God’s eyes. In Jesus she became a new creature. Wearing Jesus’ righteousness, the Father viewed her as if she had never sinned and as if she had perfectly obeyed, because Jesus became sin for her and he perfectly obeyed the Father on her behalf. And even the earthly consequences of her sin became a means of grace to her because God caused all of them to work together for her good.

And that’s the hope we all need. We need the hope that we have been justified by the substitutionary atonement of Jesus. And we need the hope of the promise of Romans 8:28, that God will work all things together for good for us, even the fallout from our past sins.
That’s why as we begin a new year we want to point you to a message John Piper preached on Hebrews 13 titled, Here

In it he says, When I… feel guilty… and hopeless because of yesterday’s failure… I need the grace of forgiveness based on a great past substitutionary sacrifice on the cross, that covers all my sins… and I need the grace of promised help from Jesus today and tomorrow.

The adulteress had a long walk back home. And no doubt there was much pain as she faced the consequences of her sin. But God’s grace was sufficient for her, both to cover her sins and redeem her life. And his grace will be sufficient for us, too.
Seeking with you to strengthen my heart with grace (Hebrews 13:9),

Written by,

Jon Bloom
Executive Director

Emergent Church

2008-01-16T00:13:00.000-08:00

I am not real familiar with Doug Pagitt but I assume he is a popular emergent church practitioner. I think the the Way OF The Master crew Todd, Kirk, Ray, and others are pretty effective in presenting the true Gospel of Christ apart from the law. I do not necessarily agree on the heavy emphasis on what they call "The Moral Law" which is a unbiblical term. I would recommend you read "Tablets of Stone and the History of Redemption" by John Reisinger, God Bless in Christ.

Mormons Refuted

2008-01-13T20:46:00.000-08:00

After doing a little research I discovered this man who was refuting the Mormons may be one of those people who claim to be a "Black Israelite." Of course that is insidious but I still thought I would post this because what he was saying in this clip was definitely accurate- God bless in Christ

Did Moses Marry a Black Woman?

2008-01-12T10:00:00.000-08:00

My brother in the Lord Saiko sent me this article by John Piper titled,
"Did Moses Marry a Black Woman?"

I thought it was a interesting article-God Bless in Christ

Another Reformed Brother in Kansas City!!!

2008-01-11T21:04:00.000-08:00

Sermon here .

This sermon is from a brother(Damon Horton) here in Kansas City, Missouri. He is the same age as me(27) and a pastor. He just finished Bible college and is currently attending seminary. He is very solid. Listen now-God bless

Tony Evans

2008-01-08T20:54:00.000-08:00

Dr. Tony Evans is well respected amongst evangelical circles and has been one of the few black somewhat solid teachers that we can be somewhat proud of his accomplishments and Biblical faithfulness. He has some wonderful accomplishments. I honestly had never heard of him until I began to attend Bible college in the fall of 2006. While attending our teacher asked us to read a book called "Free At Last." It was an elementary book to say the least but Evans spoke out somewhat harshly about the Word of Faith/Prosperity Gospel movement. So I decided to dig a little deeper to see what he was about. Found out he was the first African-American to graduate with a doctoral degree from Dallas Theological Seminary. (By the way I don't get into "The first black man this" and "The first black man that"-It is really is not important but just an interesting fact.) With this mans background you would assume that he understands basic Biblical Hermeneutics without a shadow of a doubt. Lionel sent me this daily word that Evans issues out to email recipients and to our amazement we found this quote by Evans...

Evans says, "Did you know that many problems people face are linked to choices their parents, grandparents and even “great-grandpa” made? This may be a new way of thinking for you, and it is certainly not about placing blame. Yet we need to know God´s truth about generational curses and how to live free of their bondages.A generational curse is passed down from one generation to another due to rebellion against God. If your family line is marked by divorce, incest, poverty, anger or other ungodly patterns, you’re most likely under a generational curse. The Bible says that these curses are tied to choices.Deuteronomy 30:19 says we can either choose life and blessing or death and cursing.
Freedom comes when we confess the ungodly patterns, ask God for forgiveness and then walk in obedience by consistently choosing His ways.

Wait a minute...this would be the proper time for me to be improper and say.. NO HE DIDN"T!!
Dr. Tony Evans didn't say that! Please wake me if I am dreaming.. OK enough sarcasm.

Lionel wrote about his HERE. So I would like to come at this from a different angle. Let me preface this and say that I am saddened by this; in which this might seem like a small minor slip up that Evans has done but this is not just a slip of the pen. This has been a consistent habitual behavior that Evans has been rehearsing(for lack of a better term). Subtle to some but obvious to others. We know that typically when the cash flow starts coming in and you have thousands of members-people begin to change. They become more compromising and less Sola Scriptora.

September 10-12, 2006. Tony Evans spoke at New Birth, the pastor here is Word of Faith Expositor Eddie Long. Along with Eddie were Creflo Dollar, Bishop Gary Hawkins, Dr. Robert Schuller, and Dr. I.V. Hillard. We are told by Apostle Paul in Eph 5:11 not to have fellowship(sygkoinōneō) with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove [them]. You may say that me using this scripture is a harsh description but I think it is accurate. Look at some of the key words to describe these people in Ephesians 5-foolish talking, jesting, covetous, and idolater. This is a much deserved description of the prosperity preachers of our day.

Furthermore Tony Evans was the man who coined a phrase known as "transdispensationalism" in the book he wrote called, "Totally Saved." Here is the answer John MacArthur gives to a question regarding this issue....

"At the end of the book, there is a chapter in which the question comes up about people who have never heard the gospel. And, in that section, Tony writes that people who never hear the gospel, if they will accept whatever light they have, God will acknowledge that as sufficient for their salvation. That, in itself, is a—that is a departure from historic Christian gospel. We would say that if someone lives up to the light they have, then the Lord, who is not limited in His capacity to deliver the truth, will bring the full light—and that no one could ever be saved apart from Christ.
"And that’s essentially the argument of this book, that in the world, there are going to be people who never hear the gospel, and they are not going to reject the light they have. They’re going to accept the light they have, and God will count that as sufficient to save them. "

***There was a radio interview that followed that book that’s available. You can get the transcript of that radio interview, in which the host was interviewing Tony Evans and said to him, “You’re saying, if a Hindu looks up and says, ‘I know you’re up there somewhere. I don’t know who you are, but I’d really like to know you,’ God will count that as sufficient as salvation?” And the answer to that was “Yes.” ***

Transdispensationalism is somewhat hard to define but it seems to be an off shoot of universalism. It is so sad when these people start to go this direction. It hurts because this is not salvific-meaning I don't know if Tony Evans is saved or ever was, or he may be saved-i don't know. What I do know is a lot of these somewhat solid teachers or preachers we know end up going down this slippery slope and we know it only gets worse. Lionel Woods did a good job referencing the New Testament evidences that discredits any possibility of a believer in Christ being bogged down with any generational curses. So I encourage you to read his argument and also let us glance at Ezekiel chapter 18.

1 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 What do you mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge? 3 As I live, declares the Lord God, this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel. 4 Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins shall die. 5 If a man is righteous and does what is just and right 6 if he does not eat upon the mountains or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbor's wife or approach a woman in her time of menstrual impurity, 7 does not oppress anyone, but restores to the debtor his pledge, commits no robbery, gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with a garment, 8 does not lend at interest or take any profit, withholds his hand from injustice, executes true justice between man and man, 9 walks in my statutes, and keeps my rules by acting faithfullyâ€”he is righteous; he shall surely live, declares the Lord God.
10 If he fathers a son who is violent, a shedder of blood, who does any of these things 11 (though he himself did none of these things), who even eats upon the mountains, defiles his neighbor's wife, 12 oppresses the poor and needy, commits robbery, does not restore the pledge, lifts up his eyes to the idols, commits abomination, 13 lends at interest, and takes profit; shall he then live? He shall not live. He has done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon himself. 14 Now suppose this man fathers a son who sees all the sins that his father has done; he sees, and does not do likewise: 15 he does not eat upon the mountains or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbor's wife, 16 does not oppress anyone, exacts no pledge, commits no robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with a garment, 17 withholds his hand from iniquity, takes no interest or profit, obeys my rules, and walks in my statutes; he shall not die for his father's iniquity; he shall surely live. 18 As for his father, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother, and did what is not good among his people, behold, he shall die for his iniquity. 19 Yet you say, Why should not the son suffer for the iniquity of the father? When the son has done what is just and right, and has been careful to observe all my statutes, he shall surely live. 20 The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.
21 But if a wicked person turns away from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does what is just and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 22 None of the transgressions that he has committed shall be remembered against him; for the righteousness that he has done he shall live. 23 Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live? 24 But when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice and does the same abominations that the wicked person does, shall he live? None of the righteous deeds that he has done shall be remembered; for the treachery of which he is guilty and the sin he has committed, for them he shall die. 25 Yet you say, The way of the Lord is not just. Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? 26 When a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice, he shall die for it; for the injustice that he has done he shall die. 27 Again, when a wicked person turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he shall save his life. 28 Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions that he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 29 Yet the house of Israel says, The way of the Lord is not just. O house of Israel, are my ways not just? Is it not your ways that are not just?
30 Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, declares the Lord God. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin. 31 Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? 32 For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live.

We are called to Biblical faithfulness-Sola Scriptora. Therefore even if John MacArthur, John Piper,or who else ever goes astray,(God forbid) we stay faithful to God first and man second. We stick with the Lord at all cost. We don't make excuses because someone is our favorite teacher. We cannot compromise the truth of the scriptures for anyone. Regardless of your theology, we all agree that what Evans has done is eisegesis and continues to go down the slope. Let us pray for men like him, for we know not what the Lord has in store for him. Sola Christus.

Knowing Christ

2008-01-06T12:29:00.000-08:00

I had the wonderful opportunity to witness to a co-worker today. He was a young man, 21 years of age. He like many have the idea that people should not go to church unless they are living "right" and then find a local church to attend so that they will not be "hypocrites."

My first question was how do you define a hypocrite? The definition is as follows:

1. a person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that he or she does not actually possess, esp. a person whose actions belie stated beliefs.
2. a person who feigns some desirable or publicly approved attitude, esp. one whose private life, opinions, or statements belie his or her public statements.

3. an actor, stage player

I told the young man picture yourself as a dirty dish after a thanksgiving meal. Let us say that you are the plate that a 300 pound man used to eat his wonderful thanksgiving meal on. Without a doubt you are considerably dirty as you can imagine. You, the dish say, " I am going to wait until I get myself cleaned up before I put myself in the water. This is and of itself is a mere impossibility since you are just a mere dish and have nothing in and of yourself or any means to do any type cleaning. You are helpless. The water in the in the dishwasher or sink is the only way or means to be thoroughly cleaned. Needless to say you will need some divine intervention, correct. I had to take him through the analogy once more before he got it. But it was clear.

I was not speaking particularly about salvation here but this is the purpose of the Body of Christ and a true Biblical church. Furthermore this is what the Word of God does. It changes us through the work of the Holy Spirit and with more knowledge we understand even more clearly that God's only acceptable sacrifice is His Son-Jesus the Christ-Our Deliverer. From here the young man began to say, "there are so many bad churches altogether so I just stopped going" From here I used an analogy of a close friend of mine and said, "When you get food poisoning do you stop eating or do you look for other good food."

Bad experiences are not excuses that we use to stay away from God standard and do what He has commanded us to do. I informed him the his bad experiences do not mean that there are not good churches out there.

After hearing of his experiences I thought of the book of 1 John and many other passages. This young man had never seen(to his knowledge) and example of true Christianity. He had never seen people who live what they say and have changed hearts to the point where they earnestly turn from sin once they learn of it and try to obey the revealed Word of God the Bible. If we love Him we obey what he has commanded in every avenue of our life. This does not mean we do not sin. 1 John makes that clear, but we do not have a lifestyle of habitual sin. Meaning we do not know of sin in our life and continue to do it contrary to what we know in scripture and our conscience. If we do the truth is that God's grace is sufficient for all sins but we have to examine our self to see if we are really in the Faith. I say this simply because the demons know God exist and even people reference in Hebrews 6 and 10 have an intellectual knowledge of Him but truly do not know him.

John's Purpose in this letter is clear here in 1 John 1:4

1 John 1:4
And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

1Jo 1:6
If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

1 John 2:3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

1Jo 2:5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

Jhn 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Jhn 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

1Jo 3:6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.

1Jo 3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

1Jo 3:24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

1Jo 4:6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

1 John 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

1Jo 5:18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.

Mat 7:21
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

The Greek word here in Matthew is the same one used in 1John. We understand that knowing Him is much more than just knowing about Him. Demons know about Christ and many people know about Him but do not know Him in the intimate way that the scriptures talk about. We understand that truly knowing Him is linked to obedience and obeying what He has commanded in the revealed will of God-The Bible.

ginōskō

1) to learn to know, come to know, get a knowledge of perceive, feel
a) to become known
2) to know, understand, perceive, have knowledge of
a) to understand
b) to know
3) Jewish idiom for sexual intercourse between a man and a woman
4) to become acquainted with, to know

I ask you to examine yourself. Time out for some silly un-biblical altar call, and really wrestle with the reality that our time here on Earth is simply a vapor-here one day and gone the next. What do you desire most? What makes you happy or angry? Is Christ working in you to bring about His glory? Does you attitude and your worldview hang upon God's Word? How are you loving your neighbor, wife, husband, or co-worker? These questions need to be asked and use scripture to check yourself-In Christ.

Once Saved Always Saved?

2008-01-03T20:47:00.000-08:00

Pastor Saiko Woods in Texas regularly witnesses. The Gospel for him and for all Christians consumes our everything. It is like a deadly(heavenly)virus that not kills but gives life. He is a Black and Reformed Pastor who is very solid. Here is his response to a Arminian pastor. It is lengthy but worth the read.

Saiko's response to the arminian theology.

The Bible supports the doctrine of Eternal Security because it is based solely upon the finished work of Christ’s atonement on the cross for those who believe. Those who fall away, are unrepentant, or refuse to accept Christ’s free offer of salvation give evidence that their salvation was never genuine to begin with. In other words, they NEVER were saved (1 Jn. 2:19)! To say that a true Christian can lose his/her salvation contradicts, conflicts, & compromises the following (3) things that God has done for the truly repentant believer:

It nullifies the Electing purpose of God in salvation

Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved (Eph. 1:4-6; emphasis mine).

The Apostle Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit makes this declarative statement concerning our position in Christ. If our salvation were on the basis of what we would do, then it would be according to works and not God’s electing grace (Eph. 2:8-9). If keeping ourselves saved were true, then that would contradict Paul’s teaching in Phil. 1:6; 2:13.

It nullifies Christ’s redeeming work on the cross for His elect

“I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep (Jn. 10:14-15; emphasis mine).

It nullifies the securing work of the Holy Spirit to God’s elect

In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory (Eph. 1:13-14).

Paul uses the Greek word (sphragizo- pronounced “spra-gid-zo”) and it is used in the passive voice meaning that the recipient receives the action. In other words, the Holy Spirit sealed (protected, pledged, secured) those who God chose to save unto salvation. We [believers] had absolutely nothing to do with our salvation. God is the active cause in salvation; we are the passive recipients of His saving grace. Salvation is totally sola-gratia (by grace alone).

In your letter, you ask the following question:

“However, the questions remain, “Can we walk away from salvation?” Or, can we reject the salvation that we once embraced?” Clearly, the previous verses indicate that nothing external can place our eternal security in jeopardy, but what about an internal choice to reject Christ? What does the Bible say”?

No truly born-again believer will ever walk away from Christ in a saving relationship with Him. Why? Because the love of Christ constrains (i.e. to hold) us (2 Cor. 5:14). To reject a salvation that you once embraced is not biblical salvation and is foreign to the teaching of Jesus and the apostles (Jn. 10:28-30; 1 Pt. 1:5). As far as an “internal” choice to reject Christ in the life of a true born-again believer, I will refer to the scripture that you quoted from the Apostle Paul when he said,

“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom. 8:38-39; emphasis mine).”

“What about the individual who sincerely accepts Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, but then subsequently chooses to reject a relationship with Jesus, wanting nothing to do with Him, or His salvation”?

No one who is truly saved will ever reject the lordship of Christ in his/her life. It is utterly impossible (1 Jn. 2:19). There are varying views concerning the interpretation of Hebrews in chapters 6:4-6 &10:26-27. However, most scholars who interpret the Bible based on the principles of hermeneutics would strongly agree that both passages do not teach that a Christian can lose his/her salvation (Heb. 3:1, 12; 6:9).

“The Bible teaches that only those who “receive” Him are privileged with eternal life (see John 1:11-12). There is nothing in the Bible to indicate that God EVER takes away our free will, especially in regard to salvation. The picture of God forcing someone into heaven against their will is terribly inconsistent with scripture”.
The Apostle John gives his readers the reason why those who receive Christ are born again in the 13th verse of John.
….who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God (emphasis mine).

Jesus makes this pride-destroying statement in the 6th chapter of John.

No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him…. (Jn. 6:44; emphasis mine).

The word “draw” is the Greek word (helkuo) which means to drag or to induce to come. The word is in the active voice meaning that God is the one who brings or “draws” those He desires to save to Himself. Those who come to Christ is because of the Father’s drawing them to the Son, and His drawing is irresistible (Jn. 6:37).

Also Scripture is abundantly clear that no one chooses to come to Christ (Rom. 3:10-12) because they are dead in trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1-2). The only way a person can accept Christ is that God must first regenerate the sinner making him able to respond in saving faith to the gospel of Christ (Eph. 2:4-5). To say that man who is spiritually dead is able to “choose” Christ out of his own “free-will” is totally inconsistent to the doctrine of the depravity of man (Rom. 8:5-8) and robs God of His glory.

In closing, based on the reading of your letter it seems to me that the teaching that you hold regarding Christians losing their salvation is based on man and not the power of God that needs serious attention and consideration (1 Pet. 1:5). If salvation were up to me to keep it, I know that I would have lost it the moment I had it. Also man’s will will always consistent with his nature (Gen. 6:5; Psalm 14:2-3).

The Black Church

2007-12-29T22:49:00.000-08:00

When you think of the so called "Black Church", who do you think of & what things run through your mind while imagining or remembering your typical experiences past and present? This question could have various answers depending on who you would ask. If you ask me, I can only speak from my experiences and what I have read. To answer my own questions, I would say I think of a bunch(generally speaking, not for all) ignorant people who specialize in the terrible art of eisegesis and think that they can praise there way through the trials of life. In which they have been told that when trials come, all God wants from you is praise and He will work it out. Here are some others; Give your way out of your storm by sowing gobs of money to your church or TBN or some other insidious apostate pseudo-christian organization. Can we mention any prominent black leaders? Many would say Martin(Michael King) Luther King, TD Jakes, Fred KC Price, IV Hilliard, Creflo Dollar, and the list would go on. All of these men are black and may have done some good things for society, but according to their beliefs and doctrinal statements they would be disqualified from being a Christian from a Biblical standpoint.

I have to be honest and say that this makes me and continues to make my very saddened and angry at the same time. WHY? Simply because we do not hear about Thabiti Anyabwile, Ken Jones, Anthony Carter, Saiko Woods, John E Coleman, or the men from Black and Reformed Churches of America. So when people see me carrying my Bible, they jokingly starting running in circles, doing cart wheels, speaking in tongues, or some type of generalization(a truth typically) of the Black Church.

I think the fact the norm in America and a harsh fact is that Sunday is the most segregated day during any given week. Why do people have such a hard time separating themselves from tradition or what makes your feel comfortable? This was a question I had to come face to face with. At the time I was a 26 year old male(now 27) who God dragged out of my comfortable feeling because I have a God given desire to hear the Word preached accurate and authoritatively. I got to the point where I felt that I was losing my mind because no one spoke my language amongst my own black people. I hated church with a passion and thought, "there is no one in the church who thinks things through logically or anyone who has the guts to tell there pastor that they were wrong."

Where does this begin? Typically we are taught to respect our leaders in the church and nowadays pastors are saying that they hear directly from God and not always from the Bible. So we hold them in a higher regard. Here is the problem. When your pastor starts to say things that do not line up with the revealed will of God(the Bible), at that time you challenge him in a respectful way. If he does not give you an answer backed by scripture, GET OUT!!! Some might differ with me here and say follow the Matthew 18 approach, but I say no. Why? Unfortunately if you are in that church and you go to your brother or sister in that church, they are not thinking like you. If they were they would not be there. This may be a good approach to wake up some people in the church but typically from all of the stories I have heard; it is a rarity. I also say this because sometimes pastors can be very deceptive and manipulative and you may not be prepared to discern his craftiness. Once again this is based off of my experiences and stories I hear all the time, but I would be prayerful in seeking God in how you should handle this.

The intent of my writing & our(me and Lionel's) other site is to sound the alarm for not only black people but all people. I believe reformed theology to be **100% Biblical. Most people in the black church will never hear about reformed biblical theology and will look for black churches only. We want to be that light in this darkness. Get out of the mode of thinking that says, "black church, white church, Asian church, Indian church etc." God's elect are of every tribe and nation. My white pastor is my brother just as much as my black brethren. We are not related by any type of physical lineage but we are tied to together by our Lord Jesus the Christ. Do not be dismayed when you have strife in the home about what God has enlightened you to. Just obey Him and trust Him.

** J. MacArthur made a comment at his 2003 conference concerning that issue and stated, "I embrace reformed theology as long as it is Biblical & where it is not biblical I do not embrace it". He went on further to state, "They [Reformers] got their anthropology right, their harmartiology right, soteriology right, ecclesiology right, but when they came to eschatology, that's when the problem started". Just to clarify, some current Reformed Baptist preachers and former one's had different eschatoligical positions. When I stated Reformed Theology, I am speaking mainly on TULIP & how we are Saved.(i.e. 1 Sola scriptura ("by Scripture alone") 2 Sola fide ("by faith alone") 3 Sola gratia ("by grace alone") 4 Solus Christus ("Christ alone") 5 Soli Deo gloria ("glory to God alone").

Free Books

2007-12-27T18:42:00.000-08:00

Lionel graciously bought some books from John Piper's ministry. I have a couple of copies left from the stash he sent me. If anyone would like a free copy. Please email me with your address and I will send you a copy. God Bless in Christ

tlhorton80@hotmail.com

Good Videos Clips

2007-12-24T00:21:00.000-08:00

Apostasy

2007-12-22T20:37:00.000-08:00

I remember at at time in my walk with the Lord when I thought that Hebrews chapter 6 and 10 was talking to the believer who had sinned after being saved. I was terrified when reading this and thought I was doomed and had lost my salvation. I thought that my salvation was something that I decided and therefore if I messed up I could lose it. Glory be to God it is not me holding it together. If I made the wrong mistake or slipped I was forever lost. This was before I was introduced to the Biblical doctrines of grace.(i.e. TULIP-Calvinism) I hope you know that for a true believer in Christ it is impossible to lose your salvation. Why? Not because I said it, but because God has said this in His Word. (John 10:27-29, Rom 8:35,38-39, 1 Pet 1: 4-5, & Phil 1:6)

I would like to focus on these two passages.

Hebrews 6:4 For [it is] impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put [him] to an open shame.

Hebrews 10:26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?

In the book of Hebrews the writer starts out building a case for the supremacy of Christ against everyone else prior to his first advent. He proceeds and makes it ridiculously obvious that the Israelites had seen the wonderful works of God and still would not believe in chapter 3. From all of this we are built up to what we understand to be a warning to the apostates. We understand that this could not possibly be talking about the believer simply because we have all sinned prior and after coming to salvation. (1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.) Christ died for our sins past, present, and future.

Many people today and even then in one way or another experience the blessings of God(Romans 1:20). We see the grace of God alone in just life and breathing and others like the Israelites and the people during the life of Christ seen His works first hand. Let us just think of the Pharisees who seen the very hand of God before their eyes and attributed that good to the evil one. To go even further all we have to do is examine the life of Judas and see how he betrayed our Lord after being with the Lord on many more intimate and personal occasions and still turning his back on Christ. In this we see that mere intellectual understanding does not save anyone. Without the gift of faith given to us from God, surely we would all be without hope. The gift of faith(Ephesians 2) coming from the Father is the key that unlocks the shackles that bind us to sin and the evil one. No this does not mean that after salvation we never sin. If you've been through the book of first John he makes it clear that after salvation our affections change and we begin to love what God loves and hate what God hates more and more as we get to know him in our temporal earthly journey. (1 John 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.) ( 1 John 2:5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.) We are to be Christ-like. What does this mean? Well we have to get to the understanding of how badly God hates sin. We simply have to look at the first sin that was committed in Eden to see how serious God is about sin.

I caught of glimpse of this first hand last week at work. My boss simply told all of the people on our team to not do something. I knew that my boss was in a meeting and willfully decided to do it anyway. Immediately the phrase popped in my head, "premeditated sin" and I thought of Psalm 19. Now did I lose my salvation? I certainly hope not!!! We as Christians ought to become so acquainted with the Word of God that sin should not be habitual or permanent in our life.

In Hebrews 10 the comparison is made of the ones who rejected Moses, how much more will they be off when rejecting the one time propitiating blood of Christ and regard it as a common thing. The Greek word used here lets us know that this is not general knowledge but more of a personal "knowing without a shadow of a doubt knowledge."
Epignosis akin to epiginosko, denotes "exact or full knowledge, discernment, recognition," and is a strengthened form of gnosis, expressing a fuller or a full "knowledge," a greater participation by the "knower" in the object "known," thus more powerfully influencing him.

I wanted to make it clear that when Paul says in Romans 8:1 [There is] therefore now no condemnation(damnatory sentence, condemnation) to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. He meant exactly what he said. My question is what sin do you haphazardly let reside in your life and say, "it is only a small sin." Does your sin bother you? What things are you doing to eliminate the sin in your life. I leave with a interesting quote by Spurgeon.

“Of all the sins that can happen to us, perhaps the deadliest of all is that of not being conscious of having any sin. A good old Scotchman used to say that there was no devil in the world so bad as having no devil at all, and that not to be tempted was the worst sort of temptation. So I think, and not to be conscious of any sin is, perhaps, to be at the furthest point from God to which any human being can go; for, the nearer we are to God, the more conscious we are of our own shortcomings, and the more earnestly do we struggle to overcome every atom of sin which we discover to be within our souls.”

Free Inserts for Christmas Cards

2007-12-18T18:43:00.000-08:00

My Pastor Jim Elliff and some of his associates have some great Biblical materials for free. I plan on printing some of these out and putting them in Christmas Cards when I send them. Very good material-God Bless

Here is the Link

Above the Clouds

2007-12-16T19:43:00.000-08:00

Psalms 139:7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? 8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou [art] there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou [art there]. 9 [If] I take the wings of the morning, [and] dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; 10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. 11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. 12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light [are] both alike [to thee]. 13 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.

As many of you know, I had the pleasure of attending the 1st Stand Up Conference in Newark New Jersey. I have to be honest here. I hadn't flown since I was 5 years old and at the time I had the pleasure of having my wonderful mother to sit with me and comfort me in my fear. Fast forward 22 years later and I was flying alone. I have the full assurance that the Lord is with me where ever I go just as David said listed above. It is such a blessing when all the head knowledge I have had the pleasure to obtain by the mercies of God come to life before my eyes. What do I mean you ask? Well I understand that God is totally sovereign over absolutely everything. The hard part is believing what He has said in His Word and then when you have to apply it to your life. Understand that the purpose of us having to apply what we believe is not so that God can test us for His knowledge, for He already knows exactly what we possess simply because He is the Giver of all we have. The purpose of us being tested is so that we know what the Lord had placed in us for His glory.

Certainly as stated above I understood that God is in control of every single aspect of my life but even as I took off in the plane I feared. After thinking about this while flying I realized how incredibly stupid(this is how I talk to myself sometimes-I am harsh with me) I was on this topic. I say that I would love to be with the Lord and I am looking forward to spending all eternity with Him and loving him without my human flaws. (1John 3:2)What a pleasure it will be to see him and then be like him. This is my position and I firmly hold to this but I had to think; Do I cherish anything over Christ in my life? What a pleasure to have this desire placed in me. I have absolutely no reason whatsoever to fear death because Christ has already conquered this for the elect.(1Cr 15:55)

Romans 9:15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

After arriving in Newark I literally wanted to kiss the pilot and tell him," next time give me a parachute chump!!" Just joking here. How shallow of me to have the understanding that God is totally sovereign but only apply it when it is convenient or comfortable to me. That is not how it works and I am thankful that the Lord showed this to me. To top it off I had the temerity to talk with Saiko Woods about the sovereignty of God and not even really apply it to certain aspects of my life. It was blessing to hear his sermon about the complete sovereignty of God over everything.

On my flight back the Lord really gave me a peace while flying. I began to cry as I left the conference and cry even more when we took off. I was very joyful to see so many people who adhered to the Word of God and also felt sad that so many where without a body. I know the people who were sitting across the aisle from me wondered why I was crying. During my flight it was snowing and the pilot took us above the clouds and I got a chance to see the Glory of God in a whole new perspective. Some of you who frequently fly might not think this is a big deal. I once again began to cry like a new born baby uncontrollably. In the past year after soaking myself in the Word of God and with the Lord supplying me with a life breathing body of believer's. From going to a person who literally despised the church because I honestly thought church go-ers where the most Biblically ignorant people on the earth. I used to be just a church go-er and God sovereignty started me actually reading the scriptures and studying for myself. Once I did that I realized either I am crazy or you all are not reading your Bible. I am not and was not crazy. I longed for a body of like minded true Christians and the Lord graciously supplied.

In the past year and a half the Lord has changed my heart to the point is all that I see is Him. I could no longer look at the moon the same. I started to see the handy work of God in creation. I began to see my total depravity and God's holiness. I began to deteste what God detested. I began to love what God loves. You see before when I would see a sunrise or a simplistic star, it did not move me. Now I understand more and more every day that the Lord does not and has not saved everyone. For this I am forever thankful. I don''t understand why God saved me nor do I care. He did not see anything in me good and nothing I could ever do to be accepted by Him. I was just like Adam and all other creation after him. But glory be to God for Christ Jesus-The Lamb of God. Worthy Worthy Worthy Is the Lamb that was slain.

Rev 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

Rev 5:12 Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

Workplace Religion

2007-12-13T21:13:00.000-08:00

Hebrews 3:7 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in [their] heart; and they have not known my ways. So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.) Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

What great joy I find in Jesus the Christ. Here in Hebrews the writer talks about the history of Israel and how they seen all the works of God and still did not believe. Now God has spoken through His Son and if some of Israel did not enter the rest after not believing, how much worse off shall we be if we disregard His Son.

While at work today two people on my team went on a extra long lunch to buy some Christ-mas things to decorate our work area since we are having a contest for tomorrow for "Best Decorated Work Station." The two people who went to gather the materials by mistake bought a statue of Christ being born in a manger. They were going to put it in with the decorations and decided "That would be too religious and might offend someone." An unbeliever who is on my team said, "too religious? how could that be when we are celebrating Christ-mas?" Yes I wanted to say, "PREACH PREACHER!!!!" "WELL WELL!!" "UM MMMMMM"

From here somehow we got into a discussion on the Bible and its legitimacy. Some of the comments said were, "The Bible was written by men and is not reputable now" "King James Version was the only true translation" "God does not judge" Oh and check this one out..."Before you die God gives you a chance to get it right with him"(deathbed conversions) "I hope I just make it in" "I am going to have a long talk with God when I get to Heaven and tell him what is up and why I better get in"

If you know me I started throwing scriptures like I was a world class pitcher. Obviously with those few comments my theological juices were flowing like the Nile. I quickly became the bigot and narrow minded one when I began to speak about the judgement of God and His standards. I made very clear that the only acceptable sacrifice and righteousness that God accepts is His Son-Jesus the Christ-The Lamb Of God.

What bugs me is why do people want to wait to die or until they get close to death to try to figure God out? Why not seek God now when things according to you, seem to be going smooth. After our conversation I felt bad for these people and prayed the Lord would be gracious in opening their hearts for salvation. In the same thought I felt great joy for God saving such a wicked filthy man like me who at one time used to be just like these people who are absolutely blinded to the truth of the Gospel.

2 Corinthians 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

This year in my christian life, I like never before long to be with Christ. While at the conference in Newark New Jersey and when I listen to Pastor John Coleman I constantly hear him say how he does not fear death and that he like all Christians should do-embraces death. Ephesians 2:3 says-Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

It seems in our culture we naturally view tribulation as the judgement of God or think that we are going through a trial because of sin in our life. Lets look at what James says on this.

James 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing [this], that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have [her] perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

Is Jesus Christ your joy. Is there anything or anyone in this world that you find more satisfaction in? This is a difficult question because Jesus says

Matthew 10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 36 And a man's foes [shall be] they of his own household. 37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

More Conferences Photos.

2007-12-12T20:55:00.000-08:00

This is Steve Lumbley and his wife from Carrolton, Texas. his site is here.

This brother came from England. His name is Ron Perrott. He plans on moving to the states soon. God willing. Ron says there are not many good churches in London area of England. Keep him and his family in prayer.

Here is Pastor John Coleman on the left and Melvin(the sarcastic apologetic giant)on the right. We never knew that Melvin was so big. They are both great guys standing up for the Truth. Both men are extremely intelligent and gifted from the Lord. These 2 men were the tools GOD used as confirmation for me when I was seeking the truth of God's word. Melvin site is here. John's site is here.

Women Pastors?

2007-12-09T20:45:00.000-08:00

I am posting some dialogue from a Pastor and myself. How did we meet? I have never met this gentleman. I put a lot of funny pictures up on my site and I get them from various places. Sometimes google, yahoo, and many others. Long story short I somehow got a picture of his that was copy written by his church and he asked me to take it down. I complied, but I also checked out his site and he had some views that contradicted scripture and if you all know me, you know I had to let him know about his error in a loving but stern way. Here are the questions I asked him and also here is his response. Please leave comments and let me know what you think about his answers. The questions I asked him are the same one's Pastor Saiko Woods asked IV Hilliard but unlike Hilliard this gentleman answered. I got his permission to post his answers-God Bless.

Q. What reliable source(s) (i.e. books, commentaries, etc.) do you have that support the biblical view you have cited regarding 1 Tim. 3:1-7? Does the passage in the original language support such a view?

A. William D. Mounce, vol. 46, Word Biblical Commentary : Pastoral Epistles . (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 2002), 153ff.

Q. What was the historical setting in Gal. 3:28 that prompted Paul to make such a statement? Is he discussing salvation by faith w/o distinction? Or is he discussing the acceptance & approval of women to minister as Pastors?

A. No, Paul is not so much discussing salvation by faith without distinction, as he is discussing that we are all on a level playing field before grace, faith, and in standing before God. He is indeed not discussing specific functions or roles of the body, but he definitely places all the body on the same basis of equality.

Q. If gender is not an issue of concern with God, why would He distinguish the roles of men & women in the home, church, society, etc. (Gen. 1:27; 1 Cor. 11:3)?

A. I did not intend that gender is of complete unimportance. We are not created complete until we are both male and female. Genesis 1:27 says nothing about God creating them for different roles. Mankind is only complete as male AND female. If you pay attention to the Hebrew nuances of the terms for male and female in Gen 2-4, the same applies. Certainly there are different functions in sexual reproduction, yet it is the question of wholeness that applies rather than positioning one over the other. The question of male dominance in chap 3 can be read in terms of “male domination of women is a byproduct of sin.”
As to 1 Corinthians 11:2-16, Paul seems to deal mainly with issues of cultural interpretation and perception. If a culture does not associate head coverings with issues of modesty and propriety, this text will not apply directly to that culture. It will apply in terms of how our actions communicate in the culture within which we live. Paul says we need to respect how the larger society interprets our actions, norms, and manner of dress. Note that Paul refers to women prophesying in this passage. That is essentially the task of preaching—professing God’s word.

Q. If gender is not an issue of concern with God, why does Paul in 1 Tim. 3:1-7 in the original Greek language use the noun for “man or he” in the masculine form & not the feminine?

A. Masculine pronouns can refer to either gender, especially in a sense of a plural reference. John 3:16 also uses a masculine noun for “whoever”. From your question, that would infer that only females will be saved on the basis of trusting God.

Q. What reliable source(s) could you refer that states that 1 Tim. 3:1-7 was a temporary command due to the culture and not a universal command given to all churches for all time as Paul so states under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (1 Tim. 3:15; 2 Tim. 3:16)?

A. Thomas C. Oden, First and Second Timothy and Titus (Interpretation, a Bible commentary for teaching and preaching) Louisville: J. Knox Press, 1989). Acts 18 shows that Priscilla taught Scripture alongside if not before her husband. The couple is first introduced as Aquilla and his wife Priscilla. When they go to correct Apollos teaching, however, it is Priscilla with Aquilla in tow. You must reconcile the praxis of the early church along with your interpretation of proof text verses.

Q. If gender is not an issue with God, why should we as Christians discourage the practice homosexuality, lesbianism, & transvestism in society and its consequences? Why not allow them to pursue whatever gender they decide to choose?

A. This question misreads my comments on gender.If gender is not an issue with God, should the wife be allowed to lead the home when there is a husband present? (Please provide scriptural support for your answer)Timothy was raise in faith by his mother and grandmother. There was a father present. What you are asking, however, is a question of culture and tradition. Deborah stood as a judge in her own right. We would assume a husband, but I don’t recall mention of such.Where in Mark’s gospel does it state that Mary preached the gospel to the disciples after Christ’s resurrection? Wouldn’t the writer have made that point clear if that were the case? Why would she have had to preach the gospel to someone who already followed Jesus (Jn. 17:6, 9, 14, 20)?Mark 16:7 they are commissioned to tell the news of the resurrection to the disciples and Peter. They have a specific message of meeting Jesus, yet implicit is the news of the resurrection. This was the first version of the gospel—“The Jesus you crucified is raised from the dead.” The disciples had believed, yet they still had not understood the rest of the story. If they had, they would not have run to the tomb to verify (per other accounts) and still turn away without believing (John 20:4-9).

Q. According to scripture, when does God allow the culture to influence or determine His creative order? (Please provide scriptural support)

A. Irrelevant and not dealt with precisely in these terms. (Slavery is allowed from a standpoint of culture and Scripture. Scripture likewise shows a higher way of living that would rule out slavery and its other forms in economic and oppression. Women in ministry is not so much a cultural issue as it is that society has helped us recognize elements in the gospel that many ignored.)

Q. Where in the Bible does it clearly state that women led churches in the five-fold ministry gifts described in Eph. 4:11? (Please refer to the gender form of each word used in the original language)

A. The gifts in Eph 4:11 are the people who exercise said functions. Acts 18 shows Priscilla in a teaching position, as well as working with Paul in evangelism. Acts 21:9 mentions four prophetesses, the term indicating the professing of God’s truth (what we call preaching). Apostles is not indicated. As to gender, these terms are given in the plural, which makes no specific indication of gender.

Q. Where in the Bible does it state that Phoebe, Priscilla, Mary, Euodia, Syntyche, & Junia ever had pastoral positions of authority in the early church? (Please see the word for “servant” (diakonos) in the original language)

A. Diakonos is not pastor. Neither is episkopos. Pastor as we use the term did not exist in the early church. 1249. διάκονος diákonos; gen. diakónou, masc., fem. noun. A minister, servant, deacon. The derivation is uncertain. According to some it comes from diakónis, in the dust laboring, or running through dust. Others derive it from diákō, the same as dié̄kō, to hasten, related to dió̄kō, to pursue.Also used in the NT as a technical term side by side with epískopos (1985), bishop or overseer (1 Tim. 3:8, 12; Phil. 1:1). The deacons in this sense were helping or serving the bishops or elders, and this is why they were probably called deacons. They did not, though, possess any ruling authority as did the elders.[1] The only passage in which special officials of the church are mentioned is 1 Tim. 3:8–12. In verse eight it speaks of diakónous which undoubtedly refers to male deacons because the adjectives that are used in the verse such as semnoús (4586), grave, are in the masc. pl. and not in the fem.[1]The only possible reference to a woman as a deacon is Rom. 16:1, 2, although the word diákonon may just as well be translated “servant.” In this regard we must note that the story of the early church significantly begins with the inclusion of women in the apostolic meetings for prayer (Acts 1:14). Their presence and activity are clearly illustrated by the references to Tabitha (Acts 9:36), Mary the mother of John Mark (Acts 12:12), Lydia (Acts 16:14), Damaris (Acts 17:34), and Priscilla (Acts 18:2). The story of Sapphira (Acts 5:7f.) implies the comparatively independent membership and responsibility of women within the Christian community. Priscilla illustrates their active evangelism (Acts 18:26). Attention is expressly called to the “multitudes” of women converts added to the church (Acts 5:14). In Phil. 4:2, 3 Euodias and Syntyche (both women) are spoken of as fellow laborers of the Apostle Paul, and in 1 Cor. 1:11 Chloe is mentioned as having reported to Paul the condition of the church at Corinth. In Rom. 16:1–3, 6, 12, 13, 15 we have numerous salutations to women. Nevertheless, aside from the normal and expected involvement of women in a wide range of church activities and auxiliary ministries, they are never found to be holding ordained offices or engaging in the work of those positions.

Pliny the Younger’s letter to Trajan denotes the torturing of two slaves women who were deacons of the church. They are mentioned in relation to some recognized position of leadership. By the way, pastors are not ordained in the New Testament. Only deacons and missionaries are ordained. Our use of pastoral ordination comes from Roman Catholic traditional ordination of priests. This does not have NT roots, so much as roots in issues of ecclesiastical, structural authority. The NT speaks of mission and purpose, rather power, position, and authority. (“If you want to be great in God’s kingdom, you must be the servant of all.”) In Jesus’ words, it is the act of serving as a foot-slave that indicates true greatness, not the recognition of ordination.

This pastor wanted me to give this link if I posted this dialogue. So here they are

www.theotrek.org/resources/th/2007_Ecclesiology.pdf

www.theotrek.org/about_us/believe.shtml

My Doggie Bag

2007-12-06T20:38:00.000-08:00

MY DOGGIE BAG

More Reflections from the Conference

By Saiko Woods

This past Saturday evening after the conference, my wife and I and several other brothers went to IHOP for dinner to discuss and reflect on what we learned so far from the conference and to fellowship with each other as well. After we finished our meal, one of the other brothers still had some food left on his plate and requested for a “doggie bag” for him to take back to his hotel room where he could later on finish eating what he had left over. The thought came to my mind as my brother Tyris said that. There are so many things that I’ve learned from the conference and was convicted, & challenged to consider as I spent time learning from everyone that I met that weekend that I decided to bring home my own spiritual “doggie bag” that I would like to share with all of you and pray that the Spirit of God will speak to your hearts as you read my thoughts and to apply them in your lives daily as we meet other brothers/sisters in Christ.

Our fight (struggle) is not inside (against one another) but outside! Don’t take petty, non-essential matters personal (Eph. 6:12).

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Strive to keep unity within the body of Christ no matter the cost (Eph. 4:1-6).

Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.

Cultivate (learn; practice) ways to show love to one another (1 Cor. 13:4-7; 16:14; 1 Jn. 3:18; 4:20).

Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Let all that you do be done in love.

Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.

If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.

Reflections on the Conference.

2007-12-05T20:19:00.001-08:00

This past weekend I attended the first Stand Up Conference and I had a excellent time. I would like to just highlight some of the events from this weekend. I have always been very observant even as a youngster and even more so as a man. I have the tendency to observe peoples words along with their actions to see if they match. Over the weekend I had the opportunity to be ministered to on more than one occasion.

Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD [is] the beginning of knowledge: [but] fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Sean Isaacs(NY):Friday. The conference started promptly at 7pm. Sean Isaacs speaks on the "Fear of God". I have to be honest here and say that I did not expect him to preach well. Typically when a person tells me they have been in over 100 churches in a year; I basically write them off as a unstable church hopper who has dabbled in every wind of doctrine and would coin them as unstable and unsubmissive to church discipline. WRONG!! This brother preached on this topic as if Jesus was coming back tomorrow. Which by the way is how we should preach all the time. Honestly Sean is a learned brother. He unlike most knows about church history and understands the Gospel. I would encourage these brothers to stop playing and start a church or either link up with Vincent Grimsley to assist him in building a church or doing a house church to avoid the cost of maintaining a building. Sean spoke about cultivating a healthy fear of God based on learning about HIM through the Word of God. Scripture highlights from Sean are:Proverbs 1:7, 16:6 Psalms 89:7 Luke 9:51 Hebrews 2, 10:26-27 Deut 31:10-12 2nd Cor 7 Acts 9:31 Phil 2:12

Isa 45:5 I [am] the LORD, and [there is] none else, [there is] no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that [there is] none beside me. I [am] the LORD, and [there is] none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace and create evil: I the LORD do all these [things].

Saiko Woods(TX):Friday I know Saiko personally and honestly was expecting him to preach and teach well. This is the kind of brother we need to see on TV. I know good preaching. I have heard Paul Washer, John MacArthur and many others. I am always put in a weird state of mind when I hear a combination of John MacArthur with the heart and passion of Washer. This, to me is how John Coleman preaches and I can now put Saiko in this category too. We rarely hear about Thabiti Anyabwile, Anthony Carter, Ken Jones or any other solid expositional black preachers. Typically when the world or even some of the (so called) church thinks about solid black preachers; they think of heretics(wolves) like Jakes, Dollar, Price, Hilliard, and many others not worth mentioning. I describe Saiko's preaching as an Expositional Charismatic. I know Charismatic is a dirty word nowadays. As a people(blacks) we try to separate ourselves so far from where we have come from and now think that preaching with emotion or speaking with passion is a bad thing. It is not!! From reading the scriptures I cannot believe that the Apostles were light hearted and without passion. I too get passionate about speaking and talking about the Word of God. Emotion combined with sound doctrine is somewhat lacking in the Evangelical church. We cannot speak passively about the truth God has entrusted us with. Saiko spoke on the Sovereignty of God in 1) Creation, 2) Humanity, 3) Suffering-Death-Calamity-Sickness 4) Salvation. What a treat this was!!! Scriptures: Job 42:2 & 7 Psalm 115:3, 50:10-12 Psalm 8:1-9 Gen 1:26 Isa 45:5-7 and many others.

Pastor John(CA) Saturday morning. Pastor John Coleman I have known for about a year now and he is one of the tools that God used to pull me out of the Word of Faith heresy. He taught on a myriad of topics on Saturday morning. I can't say enough good about this man! He has a heart to bring theology to the inner city where it is needed the most. He does not charge to teach and had a wealth of information on is computer and not to mention in his head. Pastor John is 63 years old. With his own money he bought 4 hours of time(from his own pocket) so he could teach us. Keep in mind this was not part of the original conference time. John is not seeking to make friends or make a name for himself. He just simply wants to do what God has instructed Him to do. In 4 hours he taught us many things but what I learn most about PJ is how wise he is. I honestly don't think just because you are old that you are wise, but PJ is older and wiser than most because he stays in the Word. Wisdom comes from God and is not gained with age.

Saiko Woods(TX) Saturday evening. Saiko Woods spoke to the Doctrine of Hell. Scriptures proofs: Matt 3:12,5:29-30, 8:12, 10:28, 13:45 Luke 16:23 Isa 33:14 Rev 20:15 and many others.

Bob Miller(NY) Saturday evening. Rev. Miller spoke on "Pressing Towards the Mark". This was a great emotion filled sermon. Miller preached with fire and stayed true to the text. Miller gave a great historical setting of 1 Corinthians 9:24. Miller spoke on what Paul's intent was on comparing this life to a race. I really enjoyed his preaching and teaching and I am glad that Tim has this brother on the Stand Up Crew!!
1 Corinthians 9:24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

John Coleman(CA) Sunday Morning. Pastor John taught on "Hermeneutics." He went over the 5 Basic Premises of Interpretation.
1) Literal
2)Grammatical
3)Historical
4)Literary
5)Theological

Pastor John also teaches philosophy at a secular college in the Los Angeles area and did an excellent job in going over this truth and many more for 4 hours.
Lords Supper: One highlight for me in this conference was the Lord's Supper. John stayed true to his duty as a Pastor and warned the people not to partake in the Supper if they are unregenerate. John, Saiko, Bob, and Tim served the congregation after breaking bread(literally sharing one piece of bread) amongst each other. This was a very emotional time for many; seeing the humility in the pastors serving the people. What a treat this was for me and many others.
This was a very emotional weekend for me especially departing back to Kansas City. WHY? Because I seen so many families who were searching for a TRUE BODY and could not find one. A lot have been burned by the churches who are not the true body of Christ but only imposter's. I would encourage those to seek Bible churches who teach sound doctrine and stay true to the Word of God. This may mean venturing out and getting in a position that makes you uncomfortable for a bit. The body of Christ is not just black and white but reflects every nation and tongue.

Rev5 :9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

Rev: 14:9 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

Videos from Conference

2007-12-04T00:33:00.000-08:00

This is Steve Lumbley from Apostasy Watch.

*****Big Thanks to my older brother in the Lord-Pastor Saiko Woods for the Videos******

New Site "Black and Reformed Ministries"

2007-12-03T15:56:00.000-08:00

Lionel and I decided to put some foot work to our words. The intent of the site is to point those of us blacks who absolutely cannot find any solid black churches in our area. Our aim is to point us to Biblically sound churches regardless of the nationality & regardless of race. We will feature sound churches at least one a week in which Lionel or I will call and speak to the pastors of these churches personally and see if they are sound. Once completed we will put them on our Good Churches list and build from there. We also would like to give out free materials to all people that will help better equip the entire body of Christ. Please let us know if you have any information or would like to assist in equipping the Body of Christ. Thanks.

New Site listed Here.

2007-11-28T20:00:00.000-08:00

I will be here at the conference from Friday November 30-Sunday December 2nd. Hope to see many fellow Christians here and I can't wait!!!

This coming Friday (30 November 2007) is the start of the Stand Up Conference in Newark, New Jersey.

Here’s the location.
The Robert Treat Hotel
50 Park Pl.
Newark, New Jersey 07102
(973) 622-1000

Day 1)

And here’s the schedule for the three days.
7pm-11pm Friday night
Friday – 30 November- A bit of music Standing Up – Sean Isaacs (New York)

The Sovereignty of God – Pastor Saiko Woods (Houston)

Question and answer period

Day 2)

Saturday – 1 December from 2-6pm

The Sovereignty of God– Pastor Saiko Woods
Pressing Toward the Mark – Bob Miller (New York)
The Wrath of God – John E. Coleman (Los Angeles)

Day 3)

Sunday – 2 December 10am-2pm
Hermeneutics and the Dialectic – Pastor John E. Coleman

Living Water

2007-11-27T20:37:00.000-08:00

John 4:4 Now he had to go through Samaria. 5 So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour. 7 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?" 8 (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."

Here in John 4 Christ seems gracious and stern at the same time. He offers her something spiritual but like Nicodemus in John 3 she thinks Christ is talking about something natural or physical. I think this is an excellent example of how a true witness should share the Gospel of Christ. He offers something she knows not and then diagnoses her with the sickness-her sin. He then makes her sin obvious and shows his sovereignty in knowing her past, present, and future. Lastly he offers the cure-HIM-The Living Water!!

Today I had the painful discussion with a long time friend. This person said, "I understand that Christ is all that matters but you talk about HIM too much." This is a mystery to me. I delight in the Lord and have been known for talking on the phone with many people such as my great friend Lionel for hours just about HIM. I could not imagine Lionel saying, C'mon man lets talk about something besides Jesus sometimes." I know how to have fun and talk about other things besides Christ but everything that I do revolves around HIM. He is the SUN and I would say I am the Earth. My everything is affected by HIM and what He thinks and what He has said through His Word. My questions is....

How much Jesus Christ is too much? Can you ever get tired of learning of HIM? Does His Word bore you at times? What about Wednesday and Sunday, is that your maximum time capacity for Jesus Christ?

I recall Pastor John Coleman when he came to Omaha to teach us about theology and he taught us for basically 6 hours straight. Pastor John got snowed in and had to leave the next day and we told him, "Let us go back to Miguel's house and we want you to teach us for 4 more hours." We stayed to about 1am just conversing about the Faith and enjoying the fellowship of one another; sort of like Heaven on Earth. Why? I think for one we alike, had never met a solid black pastor who can teach theology like PJ. I like Miguel and Nate have been hearing watered down messages in churches for decades and when we got exposed to the true Gospel we simply could not get enough. We thirsted for Christ and we could drink Him and will drink HIM forever!!!

Can we ever get enough of Jesus? I would say no!!

Who are the true believer's and how can they be described? I thought these terms fit well...
clamorous, crying, demanding, desiring, exigent, gluttonous, greedy, importunate, insatiate, insistent, intemperate, pressing, quenchless, rapacious, ravenous, unappeasable, unquenchable, unsatisfiable, unsatisfied, urgent, voracious, yearning.

Apostle Paul says this.... That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

This whole verse is just ridiculous. Let's do a brief look at the Greek text at some of words.

1) That I may know=ginosko-Jewish idiom for sexual intercourse between a man and a woman. This is a very intimate knowing that liken unto a wife and husband.

2) The fellowship=koinonia-intercourse, fellowship, intimacy. This is used 18 times in the New Testament and is the type of fellowship we should have with our fellow brethren and with of course the Messiah.

3) Sufferings=pathēma-also the afflictions which Christians must undergo in behalf of the same cause which Christ patiently endured, an enduring, undergoing, suffering.

WOW!! I just sort of scared myself. Could Christ require that we suffer-Certainly HE WOULDN'T!! This is the Gospel we rarely here in American Churches today.

What was Paul's motivation and why? Paul knew that he knew that he knew!! That everything his eyes could see was simply temporal and his affections were set on things heavenly. He like us understand by the sovereign grace of God electing us that we our life is simply a vapor and short lived.

2 Corinithians 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen [are] temporal; but the things which are not seen [are] eternal.

Psalms 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. 5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

I have to be honest here and say sometimes I feel is if I should be less zealous for the Lord but why......... I am not the fool here-I am simply doing what comes natural since I have become a new creature in Christ Jesus. When I was a slave to sin I did what my father wanted me to, but now I have become apart of the eternal family of God. We are Christ-followers and we simply DELIGHT IN HIM WITH NO APOLOGIES!!!

The Lord's Supper.

2007-11-25T13:30:00.000-08:00

1 Corinthians 11:17 In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. 18 In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. 19 No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God's approval. 20 When you come together, it is not the Lord's Supper you eat, 21 for as you eat, each of you goes ahead without waiting for anybody else. One remains hungry, another gets drunk. 22 Don't you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you for this? Certainly not!
23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. 27 Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. 31 But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. 32 When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world. 33 So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for each other. 34 If anyone is hungry, he should eat at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment. And when I come I will give further directions.

The Lords supper spoke of here is one of the church ordinances that we are to do until the Lord's return. The purpose of this is mentioned in this passage; For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes and this is to be done as a constant reminder that the Lord will return just as He said He would and He is not slow to keep his promises.

What I would like to focus on is this passage of scripture.

1 Corinthians 11:28 28 A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment(emphasis mine) on himself.

The word examine here is dokimazō.

1) to test, examine, prove, scrutinise (to see whether a thing is genuine or not), as metals
2) to recognise as genuine after examination, to approve, deem worthy

It is used 12 times in the New Testament. At the time of this passage many Corinthians were better off than others at the Lord's supper and were not being Christ-like in sharing the food since the Lord's Supper was a feast for all believer's regardless of social classes. Jude mentions the love feasts in verse 12:

Jude 12 These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds [they are] without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.

Jude speaking in this particular context is speaking very harshly of these same types of people who did not take the Lord's supper at what it was worth and had a misconstrued view of the Lord's supper. Things they were doing are mentioned to the Corinthians in verse 11:27 and 29. People were not thorougly examining themself by the Word of God and were taking the Lord's supper without true repentance or maybe having a hard heart towards their brother or sister. It should be a regular deed in the life of every believer and follower of Christ to examine theirself according to the Word of God-the Bible.

2 Peter 2:13 And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, [as] they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots [they are] and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you; Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children: Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam [the son] of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

In Matthew scripture speaks of the fact that the non-believer will always be with us even in some churches. Only God knows the heart of man. In my church when you visit you are not able to partake in the Lords supper for various reasons. I would love for you to read the reasoning why and maybe talk to your pastor if he lets non-believer's join in communion, an example would be a child who has not been converted or a visitor in which you do not know if he is a genuine Christian. Read this article HERE on this position.

Matt 13:24 The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. 27 "The owner's servants came to him and said, 'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?' 28 "'An enemy did this,' he replied. "The servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?' 29 "'No,' he answered, 'because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.'"