Links To “Spreading God’s Word” Posts

For those of you who have asked, here is a listing of some of the postings on this site.  They’re not in any particular order.  We hope you’ll browse thru these and if you see a topic that’s of interest to you, we invite you to check it out and let us know what you think. 

I’m also thinking of posting some of C.H. Spurgeon’s sermons here — what would you think of that?   

Topic: #59: Did Jesus Descend into Hell?
ATTENTION: HAROLD CAMPING & FAMILY R
Joel Nederhood on “Depart Out”
Denying the Doctrine of Eternal Damnatio
Topic #24: Was Mary Without Sin?
ATTENTION All NIV Bible Readers — A MUS
DEPART OUT DOCTRINE: DOES IT VIOLATE THE
ATTENTION ALL FOLLOWERS OF DEPART OUT TE
Topic #58: Is Baptism a Requirement for
Topic #32: Misconceptions About Christia
Rebuttal to Teachings on Annihilation
Topic #51b: Where Do Unbelievers Go When
The Holy Place and Abomination of Desola
Topic #57: How Were Old Testament Believ
What’s The Most Important Question Facin
The Inoffensive Gospel
Topic #51a: Where Do True Believers Go W
Topic #62: The Sabbath
Topic #61 (Attention All Harold Camping
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God
An Overlooked Aspect of the CHRISTmas St
Topic #30: The Difference Between Religi
What If You Died Tonight?
What Is The Most Important Question Faci
Christians & Television
Additional Thoughts About Annihilation
WANTED: Godly Leaders
Requested Topic #2: Limited Atonement
Topic #53: Why Does God Permit Suffering
Birth Control and the Christian
Spreading God’s Word: This Blog Site’s M
This Sinner’s Testimony
To All iPod’ers: Redeem The Time
Is The Bible True?
The “Offer” of the Gospel
Are You Cruising for a Bruising?
Very Little Regard For Human Life
Topic #41: Christ is in Every Book of th
Would God Ever Take Away Our Salvation?
Temptation and Deliverance by Jonathan E
Post #37: Thoughts Concerning Election
Identifying Religious Cults
Topic #21: Biblical Teaching on Purgator
Recapping This Outreach Blog in 2008
Where Will Your Soul Be During Your Fune
Post #38: Reaching Unsaved Office Mates
Topic #60: Are There Carnal Christians?
Requested Topic #1: Unconditional Electi
The Timing of the Rapture
A Look at the word “Begotten”
“ALL” — What does it mean in the New Te
Topic #44: Ignorant Christians
The Gospel: What It Is NOT!
Biblical Absolutes — Food for Thought
The Danger of Agreeing to Disagree
Topic #9: A Spiritual Checkup for Church

As always, we hope the material on this blog site is faithful to the Scriptures.  That’s the only measure that accounts for anything. 

To God Be The Glory!

The Inoffensive Gospel

 

Note: To see our most recent posting, please click here: http://jeffandcindy.wordpress.com/ 

This topic unfortunately is one that too many people are familiar with.  In many of today’s churches there’s a gospel being preached which couldn’t stir the wind in a tornado.  This gospel is what I’ll call the “Inoffensive Gospel”.  It won’t arouse any feeling or give offense to anyone under its teachings.  It’s a commonplace, bland, milk & water gospel which produces no fruit.  A person can sit under its teachings and never be offended or provoked in their spirit. 

Let me clarify the difference between this “Inoffensive Gospel” and the true Gospel of the Bible.  The true Gospel of the Bible produces fruit because it delivers the entire counsel of God.  The inoffensive gospel so muddies and clouds the true Gospel message that it’s all but absent from today’s congregations.  The unsaved members might as well walk around carrying their tombstones about their necks because the message they’re hearing is a dead one that won’t lead anyone to salvation.  In the early NT church the true gospel spread throughout the Roman Empire with such fury that it seemed wherever the early Christians went the town went into an uproar:  

Acts 17:6 –  And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also 

Acts 19:29 — And the whole city was filled with confusion: and having caught Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul’s companions in travel, they rushed with one accord into the theatre. 

Acts 16:20 — And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,  

1 Th 2:2 — But even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention. 

Unfortunately, today we’re never sure what type of gospel we’re going to hear.  The reality is that Satan is loose and he’s infecting many churches and turning them upside down.  Please note I said “many” — not all of them as Harold Camping claims.  Here are some of the ways you can identify this inoffensive gospel.  If any of these situations are present in your church, then you’ve become a hearer or perhaps even a preacher of the inoffensive gospel (IG). 

1.  Very Little Scripture  

One of the IG’s tenets is that the sermon contains a very low amount of Scripture and typically when Scripture is quoted it is on a subject like love.  Of course, the type of love generally taught is “Don’t offend the unbeliever.”  Churches embracing the IG will always have a minimal amount of Scripture expounded or even mentioned.   

2.  Twisted Scripture  

Pastors preaching the IG will use a verse and then twist it to skew its meaning toward their sermon — whether it’s correct or not!  Those who are good at twisting Scriptures normally have no idea what the verses mean so they turn it into a social cause.  “Scripture twisting” changes the nature of the gospel from a salvific gospel to a worldly one.  

3.  Story Time in the Sanctuary  

Everybody loves a good story.  But when the sermon is nothing more than an entertaining story, then it is a failure.  Stories are good if they are illustrations; however, when that story is used for the whole sermon, it shows the pastor’s inability to apply Scripture to life.  

4.  No Challenge in the Message  

The IG message is worthless dribble.  Today’s IG pastors refuse to challenge their flock — and the result is a church full of spiritual dolts.  The gospel is supposed to challenge our spiritual lives, not be a verbal message lulling us to sleep.    

5.  You’re Hearing the same Message you did a year ago  

Does your pastor’s message ever change?  How many different subjects does he preach about in a year?  Many preachers have a fixation on a particular subject (like love) and never leave its track to edify the congregation on other equally important topics (like judgement or Hell).   

6.  You Haven’t Grown  

Are you spiritually stagnant?  Are you still at the same spiritual plateau you were a year ago?  If you’re in a church which embraces an inoffensive gospel, you’ll never grow in the faith.  But remember: as a Christian you have the responsibility to study the Bible outside of church.  Unfortunately, if you’re receiving spiritual pabulum from the pulpit, it won’t spark any further interest in your spiritual growth.  

7.  The Congregants Agree with the Pastor  

Here’s how you can tell whether you’re in a church with an insipid gospel:  the preacher teaches a dead gospel and yet everyone in the congregation agrees with him.  And if you raise a question or a challenge, you’re the one who will be berated for Christian convictions.    

8.  The Sermons are Always Positive  

Acts 20:27 –  For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. 

IG sermons are always positive and only geared toward the positive.  Let us never mention Hell, damnation, judgment or other terms which could upset the good people in the pews.  After all, aren’t they doing little league or PTA — how much more does God expect? There’s nothing positive about the world system.  The IG preacher keeps his flock in the dark about Truth.  Their goal seems to be to have a congregation full of smiles.  Later, when a member of their flock is rolled down the aisle in his/her casket, the pastor can assure the people that the deceased is in heaven because of all the good he/she did.  

Final Comments

The inoffensive gospel is a deadly gospel.  If you’re in a church that consistently preaches this inoffensive gospel, then you cannot and will not grow.  Don’t stay there under the mistaken impression that you can make a difference.  You belong with other believers of like mind so you can begin to grow.  God does not want to hear things like, “Well, my Grandfather went here and my Father went here.”  We are commanded to separate ourselves.  

2 Cor 6:17 — Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you 

Have you ever come under the hearing or preaching of the Inoffensive gospel?  Do you think IGs are dangerous?  Let us know. 

To God Be The Glory!

Very Little Regard For Human Life

 

Note: To see our most recent posting, please click here: http://jeffandcindy.wordpress.com/ 

Recently many people in my neighborhood expressed outrage over an anti-abortion protest in which demonstrators had graphic posters depicting the results of taking the life of an unborn child.  While I do not fully condone the means used by these protesters, I do support the protection of human life – and that includes the lives of our unborn children.  In an editorial published in the newspaper one citizen complained that after witnessing this protest she was forced to sit her three children down to explain the meaning of abortion. She further wrote that her children would now likely grow to be abortion-rights supporters. I would like to have heard her definition of abortion.

One doesn’t grow up supporting terrorist organizations because he or she happens to view the graphic fruits of their labors on the news.  Before someone flames me, I’m not equating abortion-rights supporters with terrorist organizations.  My example highlights that our children adopt pro-abortion views not because of some gruesome posters seen on the way home from soccer practice. Our children advocate pro-abortion views because their parents show little regard for the sanctity of human life.

The Obama administration in Washington is on-the-record as having little regard for human life – when that human life in an unborn child. 

They would have us tell our children it’s perfectly acceptable to stop a beating heart as long as it’s still within its mother’s womb – this is a mother’s choice after all, a privacy matter.

They would have us tell our children the life growing inside its mother’s womb isn’t really a child.  They call it a fetus, not because they’re interested in the use of precise terminology, but because they don’t want this unborn child to have the same rights as a human being.

Since January 20, 2009 this nation has had even less regard for life.  From the President on down, the majority political position in America would tell our children it’s acceptable to stop the unborn’s beating hearts.

Maybe it’s not politically correct to call abortion murder. Maybe most newspaper editors wouldn’t even permit the linking of these two terms. Frankly, I don’t care much for political correctness. I’m more concerned about being biblically correct than I am politically correct.  

America is slaughtering unborn babies at the rate of one million per year!  We have put to death over seven times as many human beings as the Nazis slaughtered in the death camps of World War II.

Is there any hope for our children’s future given the sad state of affairs today and given the fact that our new President fully supports abortion rights?  Some might see the advances of abortion, pornography and the increasing acceptance of homosexuality as an alternative lifestyle and say it’s impossible for us to get off this wide path leading to destruction.

Thankfully, what is impossible for us is not impossible for God.  Only He can change our hearts and move us onto the narrow path that leads to life – a life eternal with no possibility of being aborted.

To God Be The Glory!

ATTENTION All NIV Bible Readers — A MUST READ

Note: To see our most recent posting, please click here: http://jeffandcindy.wordpress.com/ 

 

This posting in our Spreading God’s Word blog is for everyone who uses the New International Versionª Bible (NIV) as their “Bible of choice”.  If you don’t think there’s really any difference between the NIV and the King James Verson (KJV), then you might be in for a bit of a surprise.  This quiz is courtesy of Rex Cobb.

 

Get out your NIV Bible and answer the following questions.  Do not rely on your memory!  Use your Bible.  Because the Bible is the final authority, you must get your answers from the NIV Bible verse — not from footnotes but from the text since footnotes are not part the Bible.

1. Fill in the missing words in Matthew 5:44. “Love your enemies, ________ them that curse you, _____________ to them that hate you, and pray for them that __________ and persecute you.”

2. According to Matthew 17:21, what two things are required to cast out this type of devil?

3. According to Matthew 18:11, why did Jesus come to earth?

4. According to Matthew 27:2, what was Pilate’s first name?

5. In Matthew 27:35, when the wicked soldiers parted His garments, they were fulfilling the words of the prophet. Copy what the prophet said in Matthew 27:35 from the NIV.

6. In Mark 3:15, Jesus gave the apostles power to cast out devils and to:

7. According to Mark 7:16, what does a man need to be able to hear?

8. According to Luke 7:28, what was John? (teacher, prophet, carpenter, etc.). What is his title or last name?

9. In Luke 9:55, what did the disciples not know?

10. In Luke 9:56, what did the Son of man not come to do? According to this verse, what did He come to do?

11. In Luke 22:14, how many apostles were with Jesus?

12. According to Luke 23:38, in what three languages was the superscription written?

13. In Luke 24:42, what did they give Jesus to eat with His fish?

14. John 3:13 is a very important verse, proving the deity of Christ. According to this verse (as Jesus spoke), where is the Son of man?

15. What happened each year as told in John 5:4?

16. In John 7:50, what time of day did Nicodemus come to Jesus?

17. In Acts 8:37, what is the one requirement for baptism?

 

18. What did Saul ask Jesus in Acts 9:6?

19. Write the name of the man mentioned in Acts 15:34.So what do you think now of the “accurate, easy-to-understand, up-to-date NIV Bible”?  If you’d like to improve your score, and in fact score 100%, you can take this test using the KJV Bible. 

20. Study Acts 24:6-8. What would the Jew have done with Paul? What was the chief captain’s name? What did the chief captain command?

21. Copy Romans 16:24 word for word from the NIV.

22. First Timothy 3:16 is perhaps the greatest verse in the New Testament concerning the deity of Christ. In this verse, who was manifested in the flesh?

23. In the second part of First Peter 4:14, how do [they] speak of Christ? And, what do we Christians do?

24. Who are the three Persons of the Trinity in First John 5:7?

25. Revelation 1:11 is another very important verse that proves the deity of Christ. In the first part of this verse Jesus said, “I am the A__________ and O___________ , the _________ and the _______:”

Little space is provided for your answers, but it’s much more than you’ll need.  If you followed the instructions above, you not only failed the test but you received a big goose egg.

To all the NIV readers out there, do you have enough confidence in the NIV to tell God, OUT LOUD, that the NIV is correct in deleting these words & phrases?

One final but very important fact: the NIV Bible is copyrighted…”Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.”  

 

The KJV isn’t because there’s no need to copyright the Word of God.  Only the words of men need to be copyrighted.  

 

Something to think about.

 

 

What do you think?  Let us know.

  

 

To God Be The Glory!

 

What Is The Most Important Question Facing The World Today?

Note: To see our most recent posting, please click here: http://jeffandcindy.wordpress.com/

What’s the most important question facing the world today?  Is it finding cures for terrible diseases like AIDS and cancer?  Is it preventing future armed conflicts with China and North Korea?  Perhaps it’s ending the ancient clashes between the Jewish and Palestinian peoples. 

What’s the most important question facing yourself and your family today?  Maybe it’s how your going to pay for your daughter’s braces or the skyrocketing cost of college tuition.  Perhaps it’s how well you’re able to fund your 401(k) retirement accounts. 

Those are all important questions in their own right.  However, the greatest question facing the world and all of us probably will surprise you because it may be one that you weren’t even thinking of, or maybe you’ve never given any real thought to it. 

The question is this: what is the true Gospel?   

I know what you’re thinking: why is this the most important question facing mankind?   Well friend, I’ll tell you why.  It’s by far the most important question facing mankind because only the true Gospel can save us all from our sins and from spending eternity in Hell.     

What does the word gospel mean?  Literally, it means “good tidings” or “good news”.  There are various types of gospels — ideological, political and religious.  Each has its own message and each has its own recognized authority that defines what that message is.   

Hitler was the recognized authority behind the 3^rd Reich.  His gospel was one that promoted Aryan supremacy. 

Karl Marx was the recognized authority behind the Communist gospel, which touted the welfare of the state over the welfare of individuals. 

In 2006 George Bush was the recognized authority behind the Republican political party; consequently, he was the one who defined the Republican’s message. 

Today, Barack Obama is the current leader of the United States – he defines our nation’s policies. 

Similarly, their Divine authorities establish religious gospels.   

Muslims believe God has established their message through the Koran, which serves as the written authority determining the Muslim gospel.   

Mormons believe that God spoke through the Bible plus the Book of Mormon – that serves as their authority. 

Roman Catholics believe God spoke through the Bible plus the Apocrypha, plus the visions of Joan of Arc, plus the visions of Fatima, plus the Pope’s infallible utterances. 

Charismatics believe God spoke through the Bible plus divine revelations through dreams, visions and tongues. 

As you can see, each of these gospels has a different divine authority:

Koran

Bible + Book of Mormon

Bible + Apocrypha + Joan of Arc + Fatima + Pope

Bible + Dreams + Visions + Tongues 

Having different divine authorities means you have different gospel messages.  I hope you can see this important point.  Latter Day Saints interpret the Bible based upon what they read in the Book of Mormon.  Catholics interpret the Bible based upon what they read in the Apocrypha and what they hear from other people such as the Pope.  Charismatic denominations interpret the Bible based upon their dreams and visions and what other people speak in strange languages. 

With all of these different gospels, how are we to know which one is true?  Can they all be true?  If they are not all true, whose gospel is the true one that alone can save us?  How many Gospels can save us from our sins?  

The Bible makes it crystal clear that only the gospel of Jesus Christ can save us from our sins.  Here are just some examples of the exclusive claims of the Bible: 

Jesus Christ is the only way: John 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 

No other name: Acts 4:12  Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.  

Only one Saviour: Isa 43:11  I, [even] I, [am] the LORD; and beside me [there is] no saviour. 

Other ways end in death: Prov 14:12  There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof [are] the ways of death. 

All others are thieves & robbers: John 10:1  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.  

That’s fine you say, but Mormons, Roman Catholics and Charismatics all believe in Jesus – so therefore, isn’t it sufficient to simply believe in Christ?  Look carefully at Luke 4:33-34:  And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and he cried out with a loud voice, Saying, Let [us] alone; what have we to do with Thee, [thou] Jesus of Nazareth? Art Thou come to destroy us? I know Thee who Thou art; the Holy One of God. 

From this passage, we see that Satan and his demons believe as well!  That tells us that, by itself, following a gospel broadly defined only by a belief in Christ is incomplete. Consequently, we must dig a little deeper to further define the boundaries of the true gospel. 

Let’s look at Revelation 22:18-19  For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:  And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and [from] the things which are written in this book. 

What is God saying in these verses?  Many people claim that this passage is only referring to the book of Revelation.  However, such an argument quickly crumbles when we examine it closely.  Consider our own alphabet: a change in the shape of one letter of the alphabet (the last letter, Z) changes the entire alphabet.  Or consider ourselves: cutting off one finger alters the entire human body.  In the same way, adding or deleting from Genesis or Psalms or Ruth or John or Titus or even Revelation changes the entire Bible.   God tells us that adding another message to His Word or deleting out portions we’re uncomfortable with results in us receiving the plagues spoken of in it. 

One of the greatest physical plagues throughout Scripture was leprosy, so is God telling us that Muslims, Mormons, Roman Catholics, Charismatics and others are going to be stricken with leprosy?  No, the physical plagues mentioned throughout Scripture, as terrible as they were for those on the receiving end, serve as pictures for us of the greatest plague: falling under God’s wrath as a result of our sins and spending an eternity separated from Him in Hell. 

That is the horrible consequence of following another gospel that adds to or takes away from God’s Word. If judgment and Hell typify the Bible’s plagues, then what are its “good tidings”?  The answer to that is the thread running throughout all of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation: God’s mercy and grace poured out upon His people in the salvation accomplished by Jesus Christ. 

This is the ultimate blessing for those who by God’s grace are following the gospel circumscribed by the Bible alone and in its entirety. 

Therefore, we can say that the Bible, the whole Bible and nothing but the Bible establishes the true Gospel.  God has provided a means of escape for mankind from spending eternity in Hell for our sins through the salvation accomplished by Jesus Christ. 

 

 

 

 WHAT THINKEST THEE?  Let us know. 

 

To God Be The Glory!

 

This Sinner’s Testimony

Note: To see our most recent posting, please click here: http://jeffandcindy.wordpress.com/

God tells us to always be ready to tell another about the hope that is in us.  In 1Peter 3:15 God says, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.”  That’s what I’m going to try to do with today’s posting. 

I have to consider myself lucky because I can’t remember a time when God wasn’t at least a small part of my life. My parents sent me to Sunday school every week, and I attended regularly until I graduated from high school.   

After I went off to college, I only went to church when I was home on breaks.  In college I took a lot of Religious Studies classes along with my other courses.  I actually had enough of an academic background in theology to nearly qualify for a minor in Religious Studies.  But despite all the theological and religious book knowledge that I gained during those years, I still didn’t have a real relationship with the LORD. 

In college I found a very interesting reformed Christian radio station – and I listened occasionally.  What I heard made me think – but it was at odds with most of what I’d heard & learned through all my years of Sunday School, church attendance and college classes.  There was something about that radio station that made it different from all the others I’d heard. 

After college, I started out on my career.  I had a decent job.  I got married.  I didn’t lie, cheat, steal, smoke, or drink.  I was a decent, moral person – or, at least I thought I was.  Something was missing from my life – and intellectually I think I knew that what was missing was a relationship with Christ.  I watched all the Billy Graham Crusades on TV; even went to one in Washington.  Without fail, I’d always pray that “Sinner’s Prayer” — and I genuinely meant it every time!  And then without fail, a day or maybe a week later I’d be right back engaged in my old lifestyle.             

What about that change?  There really wasn’t any difference in my life.  I’d be more frustrated than ever that I couldn’t sustain this desire for the Lord.  I still didn’t have any sort of real relationship with God.  All around me, my life was changing – I now had a daughter and a wife to care for and that cared for me.  But within, I still hadn’t undergone any real change.  A dozen years ago my family moved to Carroll County and we  began attending a local church.  We also began regularly listening to another reformed Christian radio station.   

Then one day it finally dawned on me what set this reformed station apart from most of the others: everything they tried to say and do at that time was structured around what the BIBLE said.  What a concept?! So, I began to really read the Bible to see what “IT” had to say. I knew what my denomination said; I knew what the majority of TV Evangelists and radio stations said.  I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was listening more to what man was saying than to what God said.  Slowly I began to realize that all those years – in church, in Sunday school, in my college religious studies classes — I hadn’t been hearing or understanding the entire message of the Bible. 

The portion of the gospel usually presented in most churches – and the only part I heard in all my years in a certain denomination — was about God’s Love.  Growing up and in my church I never heard an honest, biblically based account of why I needed a Savior. As I read and listened more to the Bible, a clearer picture came into focus for me of the Bible’s Gospel — not the gospel of a specific denomination, pastor, or radio station – but the Bible’s gospel. 

It was then that I came to understand that all those years I was trying to change myself; I was trying to save myself.  Now, I didn’t think so at the time!  I was absolutely convinced I’d been doing things God’s way.  But if God truly is the author and finisher of our faith (as Scripture says) then what can I contribute?  God is the One who must circumcise my heart. He’s the One who makes me a new creation.  He’s the One who causes me to undergo the Change of rebirth. What can I contribute toward this new birth if it’s truly one from above? Nothing.

The salvation I had been seeking all through my adolescence, teen years, young adulthood and even into middle age was 99% grace, but I still had to do something myself.  God’s work wasn’t quite enough.  I had to do something.  I had to say a certain prayer or make a certain vow before I could then put myself into a position so God could save me.  No wonder I’d failed so miserably so many times. 

When I realized I wasn’t being faithful to what the Scriptures say, I was stunned.  All those years I’d considered myself reasonably well educated — almost had a minor in theology for crying out loud.  I went to church – but still I didn’t get it!  What a fool I was! The change that only God can bring about, I was trying to bring about on my own.  

So I began to check out in the Scriptures what I was hearing from these reformed sources.  I came to understand that my lifelong understanding of salvation that I had grown so accustomed to and comfortable with was incorrect.  As I delved more and more into what the Bible said, more & more I found I was 100% wrong!

And then you know what happened?  God began to open my eyes as I read the Scriptures.  Suddenly I had a desire for them I’d never had before.  I saw the gospel message of salvation through Christ alone revealed everywhere – not just in the gospels & New Testament.  But even in the Old Testament stories about the Flood, Joseph in Egypt, Joshua and Jericho, and even in the story of Jonah and the fish. For the first time in my life a relationship with the Lord began to develop.

I know I’m a filthy sinner.  I deserve an eternity in Hell paying for all my sins. What scares me is that my body still lusts after sin. There’s only one thing I’ve earned from God: His judgment for my sins.  “For the wages of sin is death” and the death God has in view is spiritual — separation from God.  That was the Bible teaches. 

My problem was I thought I needed a certain amount of personal desire and willpower before I could become saved; that I had to meet some preconditions in terms of my own will before God could or would change me. It’s only by the grace of God that I now understand this spiritual truth: that whatever desires I may have to know the Lord or to even try to do His will is a byproduct or a consequence of my salvation.  It isn’t the cause for it – it’s the result of it. 

My free will didn’t bring about The Change.  In fact, just the opposite is true: my desire to do the will of God is evidence that I’ve undergone the Change. 

By God’s grace and mercy only, today my core set of beliefs is structured around the Bible – alone and in its entirety.  Period.  Everything I see, hear and read must be weighed against what God says in His Word. 

Likewise, everything that shows up on this blog site needs to be weighed against what God says in the Bible.  Don’t trust us.  Trust only in God.   

To God Be The Glory!

Are You Cruising for a Bruising?

 

Today’s posting is our meager attempt at a modern parable about the gospel.  Don’t analyze it too much — the closer you look, the more holes you’ll find.  But maybe…just maybe…it might get someone thinking about much more weighty matters.

——————————————————–

Thousands of people excitedly embarked on the cruise ship CAREFREE on a delightfully sunny day, one similar to many before and seemingly a prelude for many to come.  On that first day at sea most of the passengers paid little attention to the mandatory evacuation training…they were too busy eating, drinking and being merry.   

One afternoon an alarm was suddenly sounded.  Crewmembers said the ship was sinking.  Some passengers joined in with them and began proclaiming the news to everyone on board that the time was short. 

Some travelers refused to believe these warnings.  They looked about and everything seemed just fine.  The ship wasn’t listing, there was no evidence of water leaking into the lower decks, no rogue icebergs were spotted…their instincts, experience and intelligence collectively told them all was well.  They laughed at the poor fools wasting their time thinking they were in danger.  Some deliberately opposed the warning by shouting, “All is well!” Some heard the warnings and casually went about putting on the lifejackets before quickly returning to their leisurely activities.  Scant attention was given to the continued warnings.  They reasoned since they had their lifejackets on, they were protected. If the warnings turned out to be true, which most of them doubted, then they would simply jump into the ocean and trust in their lifejackets. 

 

 

 

 

Others listened to the warnings and, after donning their lifejackets, searched for a lifeboat.  They saw some conveniently located by wide aisle ways that were especially appealing.  When crewmen instructed them to move to other lifeboats due to the condition of the hulls, no one paid attention.  “Why leave this one,” one figured.  “The hull looks fine to me – freshly painted as a matter of fact.  All lifeboats are pretty much the same anyway, so what difference could it possibly make which one is holding me?   My friends are already here and I’m not going to leave them.  I’m staying put!”

 But there were a few who, after hearing and heeding the warnings, put on their lifejackets and searched for a lifeboat.  Asking the crewmen which ones were seaworthy, they searched specifically for those lifeboats.  Seeing the hulls on the others were rotting, they entreated the passengers in them to leave.  Most dismissed this with, “Everyone has a right to their own opinions.  We’re happy where we are.  We’re all going to get to the same place when this over – it doesn’t matter how we get there.”  

The warnings of impending disaster were true.  The ship indeed sank. 

 When those who had purposefully ignored the warnings realized they were sinking, it was too late.  Every one of them perished.    

When those wearing their lifejackets realized they were sinking, they blithely jumped into the ocean fully expecting their lifejackets to save them.  They hadn’t counted on the water temperature being 40 degrees.  All of them perished as well.

Those trusting in the comfortable, appealing lifeboats confidently set out to sea awaiting their sure rescue.  How surprised they were to discover only too late that the rotting hulls made their lifeboats no more capable of saving them than the doomed ship they had just abandoned.  Every individual in these lifeboats perished. 

But those who had diligently listened to the evacuation orders, who had carefully put on their lifejackets, who had heeded the crewmen by making their way through the narrow aisles to board the outwardly unappealing lifeboats – every last one of them was saved.  Not a single soul was lost.

 

With God’s help, may all of us trust completely and solely in what Jesus Christ has already accomplished for our salvation.  Trusting in anything else – whether it’s family, infant baptism, church tradition – leads us to the same end: we will perish!  He who has ears to hear, let him hear. 

 

 

Will you join with us in sounding the clarion call to a world that is eating, drinking, and making merry oblivious to any thoughts of God’s impending judgment?   Don’t delay. The time is short!

 

To God Be The Glory!

 

An Overlooked Aspect of the CHRISTmas Story

Merry CHRISTmas to one and all!  From our family to yours, we wish everyone a blessed Christmas season and a joyous 2010.  The past 12 months has flown by — there’s no doubt about it: the older I get, the faster the days go by.

As we celebrate our Saviour’s incarnation and birth, we’d like our visitors to reflect on one aspect of the Christmas Story that oftentimes get lost in the discussion/debates over how many Magi came to Bethlehem or whether the star was a supernova or alignment of planets.  The point to ponder is this: why did Mary & Jospeh remain for so long in Bethlemen after Christ’s birth? 

The Magi definitely visited Joseph, Mary & Jesus in Bethlehem — and we know the three were now living in a house and no longer in the stable.  Couple this with Herod’s decree to kill all male children 2 years old and under and we can infer that as much as 18 mos to 2 years had passed before the arrival of the Magi.   That begs the question: why did they remain in Bethlehem for so long?

Scripture doesn’t tell us, so all we can do is speculate. 

Perhaps one reason was the difficulty of the journey back to Nazareth — and with an infant, the trip would be all-the-more dangerous. 

Perhaps they decided to stay in Bethlehem because no one there was aware of the circumstances surrounding Mary’s pregnancy.  The same couldn’t be said about their neighbors in Nazareth.   No doubt she and Joseph would have been subjected to scorn and hostilities in Nazareth, with gossip and innuendo about Mary’s “unfaithfulness”.

Perhaps the Roman census took several years to complete and they needed to remain there to be counted.  This doesn’t seem plausible however because there definitely was an urgency to get to Bethlehem right away.  The Romans were an efficient bunch and they could probably conduct a census in a small, rural village quite quickly.

So we’re left pondering why they remained in this village for so long – far from their families, friends and Joesph’s occupation.  The only thing we can say with confidence is that they remained there because it was the LORD’s will for them.  They remained there so that the magi could pay homage to the King of Kings.  They remained there to fulfill all that the Scriptures had predicted about the coming Messiah. 

Does anyone else have other ideas as to why they called Bethlehem home for so long after Christ’s birth?  Let us know.

Merry CHRISTmas!

To God Be The Gloria (in excelsis deo too!)

ATTENTION: HAROLD CAMPING & FAMILY RADIO LISTENERS

Note: To see our most recent posting, please click here: http://jeffandcindy.wordpress.com/

Galatians 1:6-8: I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 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 the early 1980’s when I was in college I frequently listened to Family Radio.  The gospel message being proclaimed at that time by FR’s founder Harold Camping was rooted firmly in Scripture.  Regular listeners to his Open Forum programs would consistently hear the truths about man’s total depravity, unconditional election, particular atonement, effectual calling and perseverance of the saints.  Solid, reformed doctrine frequently preached and meticulously explained. 

Let’s now fast forward to around 2000.  The message being proclaimed during  that time by Harold Camping was still sprinkled with sound biblical doctrine; however, there was an increasing emphasis on teachings related to what he termed Latter Rain/High Places.  The result was that the message proclaimed over FR’s airwaves was beginning to change based upon the progressive revelation related to the Latter Rain, High Places, and their associated teachings.

So let’s now fast forward a few more years to around 2004.  Mr. Camping and FR’s message now was largely focused on the Latter Rain, High Places and now a Depart Out teaching.  Mr. Camping’s progressive understanding and approach to Scripture now taught that every single church in the world without exception was being ruled by Satan and that no more of God’s elect would come from within the church.  Rather, they would come from para-church ministries such as FR.  Believers had no choice: given these high places, they must depart out and be edified instead by the latter rain nourishment provided from FR.  Once again, the gospel message proclaimed over the airwaves of FR had changed.

Now let’s look at the present.  In addition to all of the above, Mr. Camping and FR now teach the following:

* the annihilation of the unsaved

* there will not be a visible return of Christ

* there will be no resurrection and final judgement of the unsaved

* the “eternal” wrath of God on the unsaved will last just 5 months

* Christ became the Son of God after He rose from the dead before the foundation of the world.  Quoting Mr Camping directly, “Thus when Jesus went to the cross, He was not there to pay for our sins.”

My intent here is to highlight for everyone how Mr. Camping’s gospel message has progressed over the years based upon his progressive understanding of the Bible as well as upon progressive revelation itself.  If you listened to FR in 1983, you heard one gospel message.  If you listened to FR in 2000, you heard a different gospel message.  If you listened to FR in 2004, you heard yet another gospel message.  And listeners today are hearing still another gospel message. 

This is not an individual’s personal opinion of Mr. Camping’s theology; the teachings are out there for anyone to check out for themselves – don’t listen to us.  This is a statement of objective fact based upon the evidence, which are FR’s broadcasts and Mr. Camping’s teachings.     

Certainly, it’s possible Christ may return sometime during 2011.  He could also return this very moment, or He may choose to tarry for many more years.  But please ask yourselves this question: what new gospel message will FR proclaim should Christ tarry beyond May 2011?  What progression will there necessarily be to their teachings? 

As a footnote to this posting, the doctrine of progressive revelation has been (and is today) supported by many groups:

1. The Latter-Day Saints
2. Pentecostal and Charismatic Churches
3. The Seventh-Day Adventist Church
4. The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
5. The Watchtower
6. The Bahai Faith
7. Christian cults (David Koresh and Jim Jones)
8. Family Radio, Harold Camping and all their disciples..
9. FR-related websites (Latter Rain, E-Bible Fellowship, Bible Only)

Galatians 1:9  As we said before, so say I now again, If any [man] preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

To God Be The Glory!

Is The Bible True?

Although the question posed is simple enough, the answer you give could have eternal consequences.  Our answer is a resounding YES!  A detailed list is outlined below supporting our claim (and the claim of countless others today and down through the centuries) that indeed the Bible is true.  In fact, it is the only source for real TRUTH.   

We’d like to know what you think…is the Bible true, is it to be believed?  Or, is it merely a wonderful collection of stories that should be studied only for its literary significance?

There are good reasons to trust the Bible.  Both external and internal evidence support the statement that the Bible is “true and righteous altogether” (Psalm19:9) 

1. EXTERNAL EVIDENCE 

External evidence, that is, facts outside of the Bible demonstrate that it is a reliable and trustworthy source of information. 

A.     Scientific Evidence

No scientific fact has ever disproved the Bible in any way. Many people will say, “The Bible is not a scientific book, but is meant to provide a religious or spiritual view of the universe.” The implication of that statement is that because the physical descriptions serve a religious intent, these descriptions cannot be expected to be absolutely accurate.  This line of thinking is wrong because it is illogical. How are we to decide which statements are true and which are not? If we cannot trust some statements in the Bible, then we cannot trust the moral or spiritual message it brings. The reason we could not trust the spiritual message is that we would not have a standard by which to know what things are accurate and relevant to our lives and what things are inaccurate and not to be taken seriously. This line of thinking is wrong because it is a faithless insult to God Who is the author of the Bible.  The accuracy of the accounts, people, and places in the Bible is a reflection of God’s integrity, inasmuch as He presents statements that are to be taken at face value and which are a reflection of God’s ability to keep the contents of the Bible accurate over the centuries. We cannot have too high a regard for the accurate description of the physical world as presented in the Bible because it reflects upon God Who wrote it. 

An Example from Geography 

While the Bible does not intend to deliberately school its readers in scientific principles and data, any subject that it discusses about God’s creation is accurate and true. As one case in point, we can turn to Job 26:7, where we read a modern description of the earth as it spins in empty space.  This was written about 3,000 years BC.  This description is in sharp contrast to the fantastic imaginary notions that the rest of the world taught or believed at that time. In support of Job 26:7, Isaiah 40:22 points out that God sits upon “the circle of the earth.” The earth would appear as a “circle” to all those who lived on it only if it were a sphere. Isaiah 40 matches the description in Job 26 and supports its accurate statement, which is what we can expect from the Bible. After all, who knows better than the Creator how the universe is designed and built? 

An Example from Archaeology

The oldest existing copies of the most famous Greek poems and essays are from 800 to 1,000 years newer than the original manuscripts. However, no scholar would accept an argument that these Greek classics are unfaithful to the original and should be thrown away. In contrast to that, the oldest copies of many Old Testament books are only 200 years newer than the original. And the oldest copies of some New Testament books are dated only 50 to 80 years later than the original autographs. On the basis of that information, then, the Bible should be trusted at least as much as the Greek literature, which is so revered today. Recent discoveries have validated the historical integrity of the Bible, causing many archaeologists, who have had a poor regard for the Bible, to turn from a bias against it to a scientific respect for it.  For example, in Genesis 15:20 a people called the “Hittites” are mentioned. For centuries, people laughed at the Bible for making up a whole group of people. But a few decades ago, the ruins of a city located in the country of Turkey, north of present-day Israel, was discovered which proved to be the ruins of a main Hittite city.  

B. Historical Evidence

The Bible tells about things before they happen. The prophet Isaiah talks about the Persian king Cyrus (Isaiah 45:1), who would eventually restore the nation of Judah. Persia was a great kingdom, located in what is now the country of Iran.  Isaiah wrote during the reign of the Judean king Hezekiah, who died in 687 BC, but Cyrus did not begin to reign as king of the Persian empire until after 600 BC, more than 80 years after Isaiah left the scene.  Only God could know the name of the man who would be the Persian king before he sat on the throne. Many historical prophecies of Jesus Christ were given 1,000 years before His birth. Every Old Testament book of the Bible refers clearly to Jesus. For example, notice the detail of Psalm 22, Isaiah 53, and Micah 5:2. Faced with this historical evidence, we have only the following options. Either the Bible was written by Him for whom time is no barrier, or it is a joke, or it is a hoax in which people later scribbled in the prophecies to make the Bible look good, or it is an evil deception. The right choice is that the Bible alone is God’s holy and true Word.  

 C. Evidence From Personal Experience

Another source of external evidence is the personal experience of those who have been changed by the Bible. There are noticeable differences in the life of a person who has placed his trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and who walks according to His Word, the Bible. In other words, the Bible can do for believers what it claims it can do. The Bible promises to remove the penalty of judgment and gives the assurance that there is no condemnation to all who trust what it says (John 5:24, Romans 8:1,16, I John 4:18). The Bible promises that it can make a Christian clean inside (Psalm 119:9,11, John 15:3). The Bible promises freedom from slavery to sin as well as the wisdom and power to successfully overcome sin (John 8:34-36, Romans 6:18, Colossians 3:1-2). The Bible gives meaning and purpose to life, which motivate a Christian to serve his Lord (I Peter 2:9). All of these things are part of the experience of a believer. Believers experience a life that they never had before, a new life that is evidenced by the fact that they are no longer full of bitterness and regret about their past since they have read of God’s forgiveness (Hebrews 10:16-17).  Believers experience a new life that is evidenced by the fact that they can sacrifice for others. Believers experience a new life that is evidenced by the fact that they can overcome their fears because they rest in the Lord rather than in a vain hope that somehow things will work out all right. A person who trusts in the Bible has the personal spiritual experience to know that the promises of the Bible are more than just poetry, they are real and testify to his heart that his trust in the Bible is not misplaced.  

 2. INTERNAL EVIDENCE 

 In addition to external evidence, there is internal evidence that gives us good reason to trust the Bible. In other words, there are facts inside of the Bible that demonstrate it is a reliable and trustworthy source of information. 

 A. The Bible’s Testimony

 The Bible claims that it is from God. For example, in II Samuel 23:2 David, who wrote many of the psalms, stated that what he wrote came from God. Jeremiah stated the same thing (Jeremiah 1:4), as did the Apostle Paul (I Thessalonians 2:13). Peter says Paul’s writings are “scripture” (II Peter 3:16). Jesus Himself makes many statements about the Bible’s trustworthy character (Luke 16:17, 24:44, John 17:17). For example, Jesus routinely considered all Old Testament stories to be trustworthy accounts (Luke 11:51, 17:26-33).  

 B. The Bible’s Unity

 The Bible was written over a period of more than 1,500 years, from Moses’ time (before 1400 BC) to the time of the Apostle John (about AD 100). The total number of human authors is at least forty. And yet, even though all these different men wrote at different times, the message they wrote is always the same, without any contradiction in any details. The reason is that God is the author, who used men to set down what He wanted to say. The human writers lived and died at different times, but the same God Who lives forever told each man what to write. For that reason, we are able to compare different parts of the Bible and find that they agree with, support, and clarify each other (I Corinthians 2:13). We can go to any part of the Bible and know it is consistently trustworthy.  

 C. The Bible’s Contents

 The most amazing internal evidences of the Bible’s trustworthiness are the subjects that it discusses. The contents of the Bible, the things it talks about, are things that the Bible could say only if God wrote it. For example, the Bible states that Jesus claimed that He is God (John 10:30); the Bible states that Jesus’ apostles claimed that He is God (John 20:28); the  Bible states that the Father declared that He is God (Hebrews 1:8). The conclusion of this testimony is that either the message of the Bible is an insane and evil deception, or the message is true and the Bible is the only book of its kind. Another important example is that only the Bible talks about sin (I John 3:14). No man has the courage to write the accurate assessment of humankind that is described in the Bible. The Bible presents a horrible picture. It offends us, and we are not happy to read it. This explains why we find it so hard to believe that the Bible is true. The problem is not with the evidence but rather with our hearts. Who wants to know that he is a miserable, rotten, no-good sinner? Who rejoices at being told that he is headed for hell, where he will suffer under the eternal wrath of God? Who welcomes the knowledge that there is no good in him at all and that he is in rebellion against the God Who made him? Only God can be honest with us because only He knows the truth. Only God is willing to be honest with us as an expression of His love. Real love is not expressed by the words of people who try to make us feel good by means of vain flatteries, but leave us in our situation because they have no real hope to offer. Real love is expressed by the truth because it is the only thing that can help us. The Bible’s honest word-portrait of humankind is not appealing. However, the Bible contains the words of a real Friend. God knows we are walking on the edge of a cliff ready to fall into hell. He tells us exactly what we need to know to avoid this peril. Even though the Bible is not going to show up on the list of the ten most popular books of the year, only the Bible can make and keep a promise such as “Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). 

 D. The Bible’s Message

 There is one final idea we must face when we consider whether the Bible can be trusted. Most people believe that there is a God. But if God is really God, then He speaks with absolute authority and we must submit to His Word. In other words, what we think about God’s Word, and how we react to it, reflects what we think about God Himself. We cannot separate God and His Bible. We do not have to believe the Bible, but we must deal with the consequences. If people do not believe in the God of the Bible then they are going to act like it, for the bitter fruit of their selfish lives will come to harvest, as the Bible says it will. This is the most frightening evidence of all. In addition to that, they must deal with an angry God who pursues them beyond the grave and will force them to submit to His Word of Judgment Day, as the Bible predicts. It is a good thing to ask if we can trust the Bible. The Bible is able to take our scrutiny and come through vindicated. James 1:6 states that we must never feel reluctant to ask God for the ability to trust in His Word and the wisdom needed to get the most out of the Bible. However, Bible study is a holy inquiry. Only if we approach the Bible humbly and with an open mind toward the truth, will we find the answers we need. 

 ”Thy word is truth.”  John 17:17

 To God Be The Glory!