Here was a question posed to me:
"It is worth noting that many of the early reformers (Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, etc) believed Mary was perpetually a virgin. Randy and Ron: do you think those guys were wrong and that you know better than them?"
This is my response:
Stephen...do you exalt these men above other men who have lived? Are these men gods...or men?
You see...we are called to exalt the Word...to exalt God...to exalt Jesus.
What does the Word say, Stephen?
Does the Word say that Mary was "perpetually a virgin?"
Why do men SPEAK where Scripture is SILENT??
Why do men suppose to answer questions that God has not posed?
Why do we seek answers to issues that bear no answer within the only established realm we can examine: the Word of God?
Does SCRIPTURE declare that Mary was "perpetually a virgin?"
No. It doesn't.
Do some MEN say that Mary was "perpetually a virgin?"
Yes. They do.
Will I base my beliefs on MEN or on the Word of God?
I will stand on the Word of God...not the beliefs of men.
So...do I think I am "better than them?"
No.
But I am WISER than they are.
Why?
I speak what the Word of God speaks.
Where it is SILENT...I am silent.
My OPINION is just that: an OPINION.
What the men you mentioned stated was an OPINION...not established TRUTH.
So...do we...as ministers of the Gospel...the Gospel which is established in TRUTH (Jesus: "I am the way, the truth, and the life...")...preach what we KNOW (truth) or what we THINK (opinion)?
Only TRUTH can make people free.
Opinion?
Well...they are like arm pits:
We all have them...and some of them stink.
Friday, December 12, 2014
Sunday, August 3, 2014
Our Call to the Cross
How often pulpits mistake the call of Christ as they declare:
"Come to Jesus to receive every great thing that life has to offer!"
What does Scripture TRULY tell us Christ offers?
Suffering...persecution...rejection.
His call to those who desire to serve Him?
"Take up your cross..."
The CALL of CHRIST was not to FILL our COFFERS of SELFISHNESS...setting up EARTHLY KINGDOMS which are DOOMED for DESTRUCTION.
The CALL that beckons us is not one of EARTHLY GAIN which will keep us evermore HAPPY...it is a call that TRANSFORMS us to be evermore HOLY.
In so doing...we discover the call to DENY ourselves...to count everything as LOSS that we might know the RICHES of Christ found only in Jesus.
No, Church...Jesus is not calling us to DWELL in COMFORT...He is calling us DIE at the CROSS.
"To live is Christ, and to die is gain."
"Life more abundantly" is not a promise of MORE THINGS to keep us HAPPY on EARTH...but it is a promise of ETERNITY if we will FORSAKE the THINGS of EARTH.
You see...Jesus does not offer us more LIFE on EARTH...but He offers ETERNAL LIFE through Him.
Why?
This EARTH will one day PERISH...and all who set up their KINGDOMS here will find they were so busy purchasing WORLDLY building materials that they forgot to plan for "retirement"...known as ETERNITY.
One day...if we are faithful...we will exchange our CROSS for a CROWN.
Sadly...many in the Church will arive at the ticket booth of Heaven without the PRICE of ADMISSION.
If you want to WEAR a CROWN...then you must BEAR the CROSS.
"Come to Jesus to receive every great thing that life has to offer!"
What does Scripture TRULY tell us Christ offers?
Suffering...persecution...rejection.
His call to those who desire to serve Him?
"Take up your cross..."
The CALL of CHRIST was not to FILL our COFFERS of SELFISHNESS...setting up EARTHLY KINGDOMS which are DOOMED for DESTRUCTION.
The CALL that beckons us is not one of EARTHLY GAIN which will keep us evermore HAPPY...it is a call that TRANSFORMS us to be evermore HOLY.
In so doing...we discover the call to DENY ourselves...to count everything as LOSS that we might know the RICHES of Christ found only in Jesus.
No, Church...Jesus is not calling us to DWELL in COMFORT...He is calling us DIE at the CROSS.
"To live is Christ, and to die is gain."
"Life more abundantly" is not a promise of MORE THINGS to keep us HAPPY on EARTH...but it is a promise of ETERNITY if we will FORSAKE the THINGS of EARTH.
You see...Jesus does not offer us more LIFE on EARTH...but He offers ETERNAL LIFE through Him.
Why?
This EARTH will one day PERISH...and all who set up their KINGDOMS here will find they were so busy purchasing WORLDLY building materials that they forgot to plan for "retirement"...known as ETERNITY.
One day...if we are faithful...we will exchange our CROSS for a CROWN.
Sadly...many in the Church will arive at the ticket booth of Heaven without the PRICE of ADMISSION.
If you want to WEAR a CROWN...then you must BEAR the CROSS.
Thursday, April 3, 2014
FALSE LOVE: Living in the Belly of a Whale
How many remember the recent uproar over the statements by Phil Robertson of "Duck Dynasty" fame regarding homosexuality and gay marriage? The question today:
What did we learn from our handling...as Christians...of this issue?
Regarding the issues of sin, homosexuality, Christian beliefs, Phil Robertson and Duck Dynasty…I have noted varying views. But…I would be remiss if I did not speak what I have increasingly felt the Lord lay on my heart as I have prayed over these issues.
Many are taking a “do not touch” approach…saying there are more important issues. Of course…”spreading the Gospel” is most often noted as the main, “more important” issue.
But what we are witnessing in our society today…and in the Church…is called EROSION. And EROSION never just “plays itself out.” Be sure of that.
So…how has our society and the Church gotten to such an ERODED state?
Slowly…incrementally…silently.
Do you remember the story of David and Goliath? Most do…but not the complete story.
David was sent down to the battlefield to take food to his brothers. Goliath had DAILY challenged the army of Israel to do battle as he marched in the valley…defiant of Israel…defiant of God.
And daily…no one dared challenge Goliath. No one dared enter into battle.
David arrives simply to bring food…and, in so doing, he hears a GIANT malign and curse His God.
It is then David asks why no one is willing to fight!
David proclaims “Is there not a cause?”
Many today see no “cause”…and the idea of a need to do BATTLE has been washed away in a tsunami of “Just LOVE…and let Jesus do the rest.”
But…as I said from the beginning…let me say what I truly feel the Spirit of God speaking:
It is the many PAST BATTLES that have been AVOIDED that have led to the many CONSEQUENCES today!
How many even realize that you can go back through the Bible and find instances where the Children of God refused to fight…refused to stand strong…and that AVOIDANCE OF BATTLE led to later DEVASTATION???
The ENTIRETY of Scripture is FILLED with AVOIDED BATTLES…and many years later believers had to face the GIANTS created by those times of AVOIDANCE.
Let me say it plainly:
Each time Christians refuse to do battle against sin…the next attack is BIGGER…more DANGEROUS…more DEADLY! And…for decades now…the Church has gradually removed itself from BATTLE!
We ARE called to LOVE…no question.
But…we are ALSO called to FIGHT!
We are told to “put on the whole armor of God”…for a reason. Why? …”that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”
So…why are so many Christians refusing to take a stand…refusing to fight?
Because…they put a FACE and a NAME on sin…and they see a stand AGAINST sin as a stand against a FRIEND…a FAMILY member!
With that…they want no confrontation. They want PEACE…at all costs!
Thus…they AVOID the issue under the banner of LOVE!
But…what did Jesus say?
Let me paraphrase:
Jesus said if we are not willing to lose FATHER…MOTHER…SISTER…BROTHER…a
The Church is facing GIANTS today because it refused to stand against the SIN of yesterday!
Decades ago…many in the Church sat SILENT as Satan began to take over society:
1. Prayer removed from schools.
2. Abortion made legal.
3. Violence and sex glorified on TV.
4. Acceptance of homosexuality as a birth trait.
The list can go on.
Battlefield after battlefield…empty of those willing to FIGHT for HOLINESS…for what is RIGHT…for what is BIBLICAL…for what is GODLY…empty of WARRIORS who see a CAUSE…and are willing to DIE for it!
Remember again the story of David:
David was willing to FIGHT…and FACE DEATH…when his brothers sat SILENT!
And guess what?
It made his brothers ANGRY!
I was told here on FB last night that my standard of Christianity is “outdated.” I was told the days of being “direct” are over…and telling the truth “pushes people away.”
Tell me…
Where has SILENCE gotten the Church???
Show me UNWORN, SHINY ARMOR…and I will show you a person who CLAIMS to be in the BATTLE for lost souls…but they are only SILENT SPECTATORS in the BATTLE against GIANTS.
WHY?
They love LIVING for Christ…but they have NO INTENTION of ever DYING for Christ!
There is a HUGE difference!
Believers…this is not a game. This is not a skirmish. This is a full fledged WAR…and God needs WARRIORS who are willing to DIE for the cause of Christ!
You doubt that?!?
If you do…you serve an AMERICAN gospel…but not THE Gospel!
Throughout the world…people are giving their very LIVES to take a stand for Jesus!
Just yesterday…Prince Charles made a speech in which he noted the war on Christians and Christianity…and how the SLAUGHTER of Christians has reached MONUMENTAL proportions.
Yet…Christians in America are afraid to “offend” a homosexual!
God help us all!!!
Oh…I know…”You have to BEFRIEND them to WIN them!”
Really???
Jesus went and spoke to people He DID NOT KNOW…and preached REPENTANCE and REMISSION OF SINS!
Jonah was sent to tell a city to REPENT. Jonah did not BEFRIEND them. But…
Jonah DID first try to AVOID them!
You see…many in the Church today are living in the BELLY OF A WHALE…while claiming to be LOVING THE LOST!
Amazing…isn’t it.
I wonder…
How would the inhabitants of Nineveh have greeted Jonah in eternity if Jonah had continued his path of AVOIDANCE??
I have a feeling many in the Church today will get to discover the answer to that question…as those they have AVOIDED will be crying:
“Why did you stay silent?!? Why did you let me go on believing a lie?!? Why did you let me continue to believe I was right with God?!? Why did you never tell me I WAS SINNING…AND THAT I NEEDED TO REPENT?!? WHY?!? WHY?!?”
What did we learn from our handling...as Christians...of this issue?
Regarding the issues of sin, homosexuality, Christian beliefs, Phil Robertson and Duck Dynasty…I have noted varying views. But…I would be remiss if I did not speak what I have increasingly felt the Lord lay on my heart as I have prayed over these issues.
Many are taking a “do not touch” approach…saying there are more important issues. Of course…”spreading the Gospel” is most often noted as the main, “more important” issue.
But what we are witnessing in our society today…and in the Church…is called EROSION. And EROSION never just “plays itself out.” Be sure of that.
So…how has our society and the Church gotten to such an ERODED state?
Slowly…incrementally…silently.
Do you remember the story of David and Goliath? Most do…but not the complete story.
David was sent down to the battlefield to take food to his brothers. Goliath had DAILY challenged the army of Israel to do battle as he marched in the valley…defiant of Israel…defiant of God.
And daily…no one dared challenge Goliath. No one dared enter into battle.
David arrives simply to bring food…and, in so doing, he hears a GIANT malign and curse His God.
It is then David asks why no one is willing to fight!
David proclaims “Is there not a cause?”
Many today see no “cause”…and the idea of a need to do BATTLE has been washed away in a tsunami of “Just LOVE…and let Jesus do the rest.”
But…as I said from the beginning…let me say what I truly feel the Spirit of God speaking:
It is the many PAST BATTLES that have been AVOIDED that have led to the many CONSEQUENCES today!
How many even realize that you can go back through the Bible and find instances where the Children of God refused to fight…refused to stand strong…and that AVOIDANCE OF BATTLE led to later DEVASTATION???
The ENTIRETY of Scripture is FILLED with AVOIDED BATTLES…and many years later believers had to face the GIANTS created by those times of AVOIDANCE.
Let me say it plainly:
Each time Christians refuse to do battle against sin…the next attack is BIGGER…more DANGEROUS…more DEADLY! And…for decades now…the Church has gradually removed itself from BATTLE!
We ARE called to LOVE…no question.
But…we are ALSO called to FIGHT!
We are told to “put on the whole armor of God”…for a reason. Why? …”that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”
So…why are so many Christians refusing to take a stand…refusing to fight?
Because…they put a FACE and a NAME on sin…and they see a stand AGAINST sin as a stand against a FRIEND…a FAMILY member!
With that…they want no confrontation. They want PEACE…at all costs!
Thus…they AVOID the issue under the banner of LOVE!
But…what did Jesus say?
Let me paraphrase:
Jesus said if we are not willing to lose FATHER…MOTHER…SISTER…BROTHER…a
The Church is facing GIANTS today because it refused to stand against the SIN of yesterday!
Decades ago…many in the Church sat SILENT as Satan began to take over society:
1. Prayer removed from schools.
2. Abortion made legal.
3. Violence and sex glorified on TV.
4. Acceptance of homosexuality as a birth trait.
The list can go on.
Battlefield after battlefield…empty of those willing to FIGHT for HOLINESS…for what is RIGHT…for what is BIBLICAL…for what is GODLY…empty of WARRIORS who see a CAUSE…and are willing to DIE for it!
Remember again the story of David:
David was willing to FIGHT…and FACE DEATH…when his brothers sat SILENT!
And guess what?
It made his brothers ANGRY!
I was told here on FB last night that my standard of Christianity is “outdated.” I was told the days of being “direct” are over…and telling the truth “pushes people away.”
Tell me…
Where has SILENCE gotten the Church???
Show me UNWORN, SHINY ARMOR…and I will show you a person who CLAIMS to be in the BATTLE for lost souls…but they are only SILENT SPECTATORS in the BATTLE against GIANTS.
WHY?
They love LIVING for Christ…but they have NO INTENTION of ever DYING for Christ!
There is a HUGE difference!
Believers…this is not a game. This is not a skirmish. This is a full fledged WAR…and God needs WARRIORS who are willing to DIE for the cause of Christ!
You doubt that?!?
If you do…you serve an AMERICAN gospel…but not THE Gospel!
Throughout the world…people are giving their very LIVES to take a stand for Jesus!
Just yesterday…Prince Charles made a speech in which he noted the war on Christians and Christianity…and how the SLAUGHTER of Christians has reached MONUMENTAL proportions.
Yet…Christians in America are afraid to “offend” a homosexual!
God help us all!!!
Oh…I know…”You have to BEFRIEND them to WIN them!”
Really???
Jesus went and spoke to people He DID NOT KNOW…and preached REPENTANCE and REMISSION OF SINS!
Jonah was sent to tell a city to REPENT. Jonah did not BEFRIEND them. But…
Jonah DID first try to AVOID them!
You see…many in the Church today are living in the BELLY OF A WHALE…while claiming to be LOVING THE LOST!
Amazing…isn’t it.
I wonder…
How would the inhabitants of Nineveh have greeted Jonah in eternity if Jonah had continued his path of AVOIDANCE??
I have a feeling many in the Church today will get to discover the answer to that question…as those they have AVOIDED will be crying:
“Why did you stay silent?!? Why did you let me go on believing a lie?!? Why did you let me continue to believe I was right with God?!? Why did you never tell me I WAS SINNING…AND THAT I NEEDED TO REPENT?!? WHY?!? WHY?!?”
Friday, November 22, 2013
REVIVAL: The Truth about "Favor and blessings" in the Church
Revival.
It is sought after...promoted...and hyped.
It seems to be THE prize at the end of the rainbow!
But...here is an AMAZING truth that the Church seems to IGNORE about REVIVAL:
Something that NEEDS to be REVIVED is either DEAD or NEAR DEATH!
At the VERY LEAST...something that needs REVIVING is in an UNCONSCIOUS state of EXISTENCE!
The IRONY of it all?
Ministries which promote the "positive-only" gospel...promising the sheep (and even the goats) every possible "good thing"...are the most FLUENT in the use of the term REVIVAL!
It is actually quite easy to see:
In the OVERWHELMING desire to HYPE their SERVICES, MEETINGS, and CONFERENCES...the FALSE TEACHERS have no TRUE understanding of the PURPOSE of REVIVAL...and the CONDITIONS that NECESSITATE the NEED for revival.
If REVIVAL is necessary...something has gone TERRIBLY wrong!
And...in most cases...LIFE and DEATH now weigh in the balance!
So...what will DEFINE revival?
REVIVAL will never be defined by the EXCITEMENT experienced in a series of services...but it will be marked by a REPENTANT Church which exits its buildings while bearing a CROSS.
Matthew 10:38 "And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me."
Matthew 16:24 "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me."
In Matthew 16, Jesus has just spoken of His coming death on the cross. In response, Peter rebuked him...and Jesus turns to Peter with even sharper rebuke.
What was happening with this exchange between Jesus and Peter?
Peter and the other disciples were still expecting Jesus to establish His Kingdom in the very near future...with thoughts of Jesus leading His followers in victorious battle over those who were oppressing the people.
At this point, the disciples were looking for WEALTH and RICHES and PROMINENCE...all as a result of following Jesus.
This erroneous mindset was evident in many encounters between Jesus and His followers.
After Jesus rebuked Peter...He spoke the words quoted above.
And...with those words...Jesus made it CLEAR what was expected of those who gave their lives in service to Him...to God:
True followers of Christ would be DESPISED...REJECTED...HATED...RIDICULED...PERSECUTED...SHAMED...
...and CRUCIFIED unto DEATH!
Today...the Church has lost the meaning of the CROSS.
When Jesus spoke those words to Peter as the other disciples stood in witness, everyone present knew EXACTLY what those words meant...whether they chose to ACCEPT the meaning or not!
The CROSS was the most DESPISED form of DEATH...reserved for the most VILE of all humanity. Those who died there were REJECTED by man.
Death on the CROSS was a SHAMEFUL and DESPICABLE death.
Thus...we come to today...as we see the Church in "blessing" and "favor" mode.
Just as with Peter so long ago, the Church is now busy REBUKING Jesus for saying the path to GLORY must go through the CROSS!
And...just like Peter...the Church wants all the GOOD THINGS which they claim are "promised by God"...all the while IGNORING the clear declaration of Jesus:
"If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me."
Today, the Church exists as the PRODIGAL SON...demanding their inheritance now.
The Church is OBLIVIOUS to the fact that it no longer dwells in the PRESENCE of GOD...as it declares the SLOP of the PIG PEN to be NUGGETS of GOLD.
And...with every "prophetic declaration of blessings and favor"...the Church settles in to enjoy the LEFTOVERS which come from the table of the PAGANS.
Unlike the PRODIGAL SON of Scripture, the Church is CONTENT in the PIG PEN...and any return to the FATHER'S HOUSE is thwarted by the DELUSION that they are eating STEAK in the PALACE of GOD...all while "feasting" on RANCID MEAT!
Oh...be sure...the CROSS remains present...but only as a SYMBOLIC representation of what CHRIST endured...all as the Church is busy IGNORING the fact that Jesus said that ANYONE who follows Him will be EASILY RECOGNIZABLE by the MARKS of the CROSS on their shoulders and back!
But...all too often...the CROSS has been LAID DOWN...as the POT OF GOLD they found along the way to GOLGOTHA was enough to make them FORSAKE the CROSS in exchange for those EARTHLY RICHES.
You see...no one gets to CALVARY empty handed.
As one carries their CROSS...willing to DIE for the cause of Christ...many simply carry 30 PIECES OF SILVER...wrongly believing their WALLET is PROOF that Jesus was with them along the way!
Sadly...the Church now seems to be filled with the spirit of JUDAS more than the Spirit of Christ.
Oh...do not misunderstand me...and be sure of this:
The Church today LOVES the CROSS...as long as they do not have to CARRY it!
In the "modern era," the Church is full of proclamations and declarations of "favor and blessings" to those who serve the Lord.
So...let's review a list of those who faithfully served the Lord...and their path of "favor and blessings."
1. Stephen: He was a Disciple of Christ. He was the first Christian martyr noted in Scripture, as he was stoned to death outside the city of Jerusalem. (History records that approximately 2000 Christians were martyred during this same uprising of persecution due to the allegiance to Stephen...and to Jesus.) He was FAITHFUL..."favored and blessed."
2. James: He was a Disciple of Christ. James was beheaded about A.D. 44. (Timon and Parmenas were martyred during this same period.) He was FAITHFUL..."favored and blessed."
3. Philip: He was a Disciple of Christ. Philip was scourged, imprisoned, and crucified in A.D. 54. He was FAITHFUL..."favored and blessed."
4. Matthew: He was a Disciple of Christ. Matthew was slain with a halberd in A.D. 60. He was FAITHFUL..."favored and blessed."
5. James the Less: He was a Disciple of Christ. James was beaten and stoned, having his skull beaten with a club until his skull was crushed with his brains bashed out. He was FAITHFUL..."favored and blessed."
6. Matthias: He was a Disciple of Christ. Matthias was stoned and beheaded. He was FAITHFUL..."favored and blessed."
7. Andrew: He was a Disciple of Christ...and the brother of Peter. Andrew was crucified on an X-shaped cross which bears his name. He was FAITHFUL..."favored and blessed."
8. Mark: He was a Disciple of Christ...reportedly converted to Christ under the ministry of Peter. He is the author of The Gospel according to Mark. Mark was dragged to pieces. He was FAITHFUL..."favored and blessed."
9. Peter: He was a Disciple of Christ. Peter was crucified upside down...reportedly at his own request, as he said he was UNWORTHY to be crucified in the same manner as his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He was FAITHFUL..."favored and blessed."
10. Paul: He was a Disciple of Christ...being converted on the road to Damascus, as Jesus appeared to him (he was known as Saul at this time), calling him to become an Apostle in spreading the Gospel. Paul suffered many persecutions, finally being beheaded at Rome. He was FAITHFUL..."favored and blessed."
11. Jude: He was a Disciple of Christ. Also known as Thaddeus, he was the brother of James. Jude was crucified in A.D. 72. He was FAITHFUL..."favored and blessed."
12. Bartholomew: He was a Disciple of Christ. Bartholomew was beaten at length before being crucified. He was FAITHFUL..."favored and blessed."
13. Thomas: He was a Disciple of Christ. Also known as Didymus, Thomas was thrust thru with a spear. He was FAITHFUL..."favored and blessed."
14. Luke: He was a Disciple of Christ. He wrote the Gospel which bears his name. Luke was hanged by the neck from a tree. He was FAITHFUL..."favored and blessed."
All of these were FAITHFUL in their service to Jesus Christ...as they spread the Gospel under severe persecution.
Yet...their FAITHFULNESS did not equate to the "favor and blessings" as defined by most in the Church today.
Far from finding...and living in..."promises of wealth and earthly riches," these loyal and FAITHFUL followers of Jesus Christ were recipients of HATRED and PERSECUTION and MARTYRDOM.
May the Church of today find TRUTH...the truth which REDEFINES "favor and blessings" in a BIBLICALLY HISTORICAL manner.
"Favor and blessings" of Christ will bring TRIALS and PERSECUTION followed by an ETERNAL REWARD...not FAME and FORTUNE and an EARTHLY REWARD.
Yes...the Church needs REVIVAL...but that REVIVAL will awaken us to the TRUE call of Christ:
"If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me."
If we are ALIVE in Christ...we are called to LIVE for Him...even if we must DIE for Him.
It is sought after...promoted...and hyped.
It seems to be THE prize at the end of the rainbow!
But...here is an AMAZING truth that the Church seems to IGNORE about REVIVAL:
Something that NEEDS to be REVIVED is either DEAD or NEAR DEATH!
At the VERY LEAST...something that needs REVIVING is in an UNCONSCIOUS state of EXISTENCE!
The IRONY of it all?
Ministries which promote the "positive-only" gospel...promising the sheep (and even the goats) every possible "good thing"...are the most FLUENT in the use of the term REVIVAL!
It is actually quite easy to see:
In the OVERWHELMING desire to HYPE their SERVICES, MEETINGS, and CONFERENCES...the FALSE TEACHERS have no TRUE understanding of the PURPOSE of REVIVAL...and the CONDITIONS that NECESSITATE the NEED for revival.
If REVIVAL is necessary...something has gone TERRIBLY wrong!
And...in most cases...LIFE and DEATH now weigh in the balance!
So...what will DEFINE revival?
REVIVAL will never be defined by the EXCITEMENT experienced in a series of services...but it will be marked by a REPENTANT Church which exits its buildings while bearing a CROSS.
Matthew 10:38 "And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me."
Matthew 16:24 "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me."
In Matthew 16, Jesus has just spoken of His coming death on the cross. In response, Peter rebuked him...and Jesus turns to Peter with even sharper rebuke.
What was happening with this exchange between Jesus and Peter?
Peter and the other disciples were still expecting Jesus to establish His Kingdom in the very near future...with thoughts of Jesus leading His followers in victorious battle over those who were oppressing the people.
At this point, the disciples were looking for WEALTH and RICHES and PROMINENCE...all as a result of following Jesus.
This erroneous mindset was evident in many encounters between Jesus and His followers.
After Jesus rebuked Peter...He spoke the words quoted above.
And...with those words...Jesus made it CLEAR what was expected of those who gave their lives in service to Him...to God:
True followers of Christ would be DESPISED...REJECTED...HATED...RIDICULED...PERSECUTED...SHAMED...
...and CRUCIFIED unto DEATH!
Today...the Church has lost the meaning of the CROSS.
When Jesus spoke those words to Peter as the other disciples stood in witness, everyone present knew EXACTLY what those words meant...whether they chose to ACCEPT the meaning or not!
The CROSS was the most DESPISED form of DEATH...reserved for the most VILE of all humanity. Those who died there were REJECTED by man.
Death on the CROSS was a SHAMEFUL and DESPICABLE death.
Thus...we come to today...as we see the Church in "blessing" and "favor" mode.
Just as with Peter so long ago, the Church is now busy REBUKING Jesus for saying the path to GLORY must go through the CROSS!
And...just like Peter...the Church wants all the GOOD THINGS which they claim are "promised by God"...all the while IGNORING the clear declaration of Jesus:
"If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me."
Today, the Church exists as the PRODIGAL SON...demanding their inheritance now.
The Church is OBLIVIOUS to the fact that it no longer dwells in the PRESENCE of GOD...as it declares the SLOP of the PIG PEN to be NUGGETS of GOLD.
And...with every "prophetic declaration of blessings and favor"...the Church settles in to enjoy the LEFTOVERS which come from the table of the PAGANS.
Unlike the PRODIGAL SON of Scripture, the Church is CONTENT in the PIG PEN...and any return to the FATHER'S HOUSE is thwarted by the DELUSION that they are eating STEAK in the PALACE of GOD...all while "feasting" on RANCID MEAT!
Oh...be sure...the CROSS remains present...but only as a SYMBOLIC representation of what CHRIST endured...all as the Church is busy IGNORING the fact that Jesus said that ANYONE who follows Him will be EASILY RECOGNIZABLE by the MARKS of the CROSS on their shoulders and back!
But...all too often...the CROSS has been LAID DOWN...as the POT OF GOLD they found along the way to GOLGOTHA was enough to make them FORSAKE the CROSS in exchange for those EARTHLY RICHES.
You see...no one gets to CALVARY empty handed.
As one carries their CROSS...willing to DIE for the cause of Christ...many simply carry 30 PIECES OF SILVER...wrongly believing their WALLET is PROOF that Jesus was with them along the way!
Sadly...the Church now seems to be filled with the spirit of JUDAS more than the Spirit of Christ.
Oh...do not misunderstand me...and be sure of this:
The Church today LOVES the CROSS...as long as they do not have to CARRY it!
In the "modern era," the Church is full of proclamations and declarations of "favor and blessings" to those who serve the Lord.
So...let's review a list of those who faithfully served the Lord...and their path of "favor and blessings."
1. Stephen: He was a Disciple of Christ. He was the first Christian martyr noted in Scripture, as he was stoned to death outside the city of Jerusalem. (History records that approximately 2000 Christians were martyred during this same uprising of persecution due to the allegiance to Stephen...and to Jesus.) He was FAITHFUL..."favored and blessed."
2. James: He was a Disciple of Christ. James was beheaded about A.D. 44. (Timon and Parmenas were martyred during this same period.) He was FAITHFUL..."favored and blessed."
3. Philip: He was a Disciple of Christ. Philip was scourged, imprisoned, and crucified in A.D. 54. He was FAITHFUL..."favored and blessed."
4. Matthew: He was a Disciple of Christ. Matthew was slain with a halberd in A.D. 60. He was FAITHFUL..."favored and blessed."
5. James the Less: He was a Disciple of Christ. James was beaten and stoned, having his skull beaten with a club until his skull was crushed with his brains bashed out. He was FAITHFUL..."favored and blessed."
6. Matthias: He was a Disciple of Christ. Matthias was stoned and beheaded. He was FAITHFUL..."favored and blessed."
7. Andrew: He was a Disciple of Christ...and the brother of Peter. Andrew was crucified on an X-shaped cross which bears his name. He was FAITHFUL..."favored and blessed."
8. Mark: He was a Disciple of Christ...reportedly converted to Christ under the ministry of Peter. He is the author of The Gospel according to Mark. Mark was dragged to pieces. He was FAITHFUL..."favored and blessed."
9. Peter: He was a Disciple of Christ. Peter was crucified upside down...reportedly at his own request, as he said he was UNWORTHY to be crucified in the same manner as his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He was FAITHFUL..."favored and blessed."
10. Paul: He was a Disciple of Christ...being converted on the road to Damascus, as Jesus appeared to him (he was known as Saul at this time), calling him to become an Apostle in spreading the Gospel. Paul suffered many persecutions, finally being beheaded at Rome. He was FAITHFUL..."favored and blessed."
11. Jude: He was a Disciple of Christ. Also known as Thaddeus, he was the brother of James. Jude was crucified in A.D. 72. He was FAITHFUL..."favored and blessed."
12. Bartholomew: He was a Disciple of Christ. Bartholomew was beaten at length before being crucified. He was FAITHFUL..."favored and blessed."
13. Thomas: He was a Disciple of Christ. Also known as Didymus, Thomas was thrust thru with a spear. He was FAITHFUL..."favored and blessed."
14. Luke: He was a Disciple of Christ. He wrote the Gospel which bears his name. Luke was hanged by the neck from a tree. He was FAITHFUL..."favored and blessed."
All of these were FAITHFUL in their service to Jesus Christ...as they spread the Gospel under severe persecution.
Yet...their FAITHFULNESS did not equate to the "favor and blessings" as defined by most in the Church today.
Far from finding...and living in..."promises of wealth and earthly riches," these loyal and FAITHFUL followers of Jesus Christ were recipients of HATRED and PERSECUTION and MARTYRDOM.
May the Church of today find TRUTH...the truth which REDEFINES "favor and blessings" in a BIBLICALLY HISTORICAL manner.
"Favor and blessings" of Christ will bring TRIALS and PERSECUTION followed by an ETERNAL REWARD...not FAME and FORTUNE and an EARTHLY REWARD.
Yes...the Church needs REVIVAL...but that REVIVAL will awaken us to the TRUE call of Christ:
"If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me."
If we are ALIVE in Christ...we are called to LIVE for Him...even if we must DIE for Him.
The Windy Church: "Carried about by every wind of doctrine"
MOTIVATION and INSPIRATION absent of TRUTH's REVELATION are nothing more than EMOTIONAL PARTICIPATION in a WINDY Church.
"And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of... God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; THAT WE SHOULD NO LONGER BE CHILDREN, TOSSED TO AND FRO AND CARRIED ABOUT BY EVERY WIND OF DOCTRINE, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting..." (Ephesians 4:11-14)
1. To equip the saints for the work of ministry
2. To edify the body of Christ
3. To bring everyone into unity of the faith (that faith being TRUTH...not false doctrine, as Paul will clarify)
4. To keep people in the truth...which prevents them from being carried about by every wind of doctrine that blows into the Church...usually blowing from the pulpit.
5. To speak the TRUTH in love. (Verses 15 and 16) Notice it does not say to speak LOVE...but speak the TRUTH, doing so OUT OF love. True LOVE speaks the TRUTH...and LOVE cannot exist ABSENT of TRUTH.
Paul presents the role of the Church as it meets together as believers...and as it operates around the reality and necessity of TRUTH.
How do you make TRUE disciples? By proclaiming TRUTH.
How do you make FALSE disciples (or disciples of something or someone OTHER THAN truth)? By APPEALING to the people, giving them "every wind of doctrine" as the pulpit tries to MOTIVATE and INSPIRE the masses.
MOTIVATION and INSPIRATION appeal to the EMOTIONS...seeking a RESPONSE.
TRUTH makes no appeal...and most often is FOOLISHNESS to those who are perishing. Yet...it does its work as the very POWER of God.
1 Corinthians 1:18 "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."
"And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of... God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; THAT WE SHOULD NO LONGER BE CHILDREN, TOSSED TO AND FRO AND CARRIED ABOUT BY EVERY WIND OF DOCTRINE, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting..." (Ephesians 4:11-14)
1. To equip the saints for the work of ministry
2. To edify the body of Christ
3. To bring everyone into unity of the faith (that faith being TRUTH...not false doctrine, as Paul will clarify)
4. To keep people in the truth...which prevents them from being carried about by every wind of doctrine that blows into the Church...usually blowing from the pulpit.
5. To speak the TRUTH in love. (Verses 15 and 16) Notice it does not say to speak LOVE...but speak the TRUTH, doing so OUT OF love. True LOVE speaks the TRUTH...and LOVE cannot exist ABSENT of TRUTH.
Paul presents the role of the Church as it meets together as believers...and as it operates around the reality and necessity of TRUTH.
How do you make TRUE disciples? By proclaiming TRUTH.
How do you make FALSE disciples (or disciples of something or someone OTHER THAN truth)? By APPEALING to the people, giving them "every wind of doctrine" as the pulpit tries to MOTIVATE and INSPIRE the masses.
MOTIVATION and INSPIRATION appeal to the EMOTIONS...seeking a RESPONSE.
TRUTH makes no appeal...and most often is FOOLISHNESS to those who are perishing. Yet...it does its work as the very POWER of God.
1 Corinthians 1:18 "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."
Friday, October 11, 2013
Dangerous Declarations: The Rejection of CONVICTION in the Church
There is a spirit present in the Church today which has allowed the PULPIT to be HIJACKED by falsehood.
This spirit has ONE GOAL:
To drown out the Voice of the Lord, silencing the CONVICTING POWER which comes through the Word of God and TRUTH.
The danger?
There was a man who was being drawn to Christ, feeling the conviction of the Holy Spirit as the Spirit dealt with him regarding the sin i...n his life. More and more, the man felt the Spirit of God's conviction.
Then...one night, listening to the messages of Joel Osteen, Joyce Meyer, Joseph Prince, and similar preachers, this man heard words much like these:
"God is NOT angry with you! He LOVES you...just as you are!"
The man LIKED that message!
Soon...the declarations from Osteen and others saying that God "accepts you just as you are" were drowning out the Voice of the Spirit of God...and the man began to view the CONVICTION of the Spirit as some "work of Satan"...because "Jesus only comes to bring peace. He doesn't judge you. He just loves you...just as you are."
Soon...all CONVICTION of the Spirit was seen as WRONG...and the man began to see himself as "OK with God!"...and the need to REPENT of his sins became "unnecessary."
So...there the man sat...declared by Osteen to be SAVED...albeit without ANY CONFESSION OF SINS and REPENTANCE....and, thus, without any REAL spiritual transformation.
Just a fable, you say?
No...a true story. And this story is being repeated day after day...IN THE CHURCH.
The DANGER of the FALSE TEACHINGS of Joel Osteen and others?
Many now sit in CHURCH with a false sense of salvation...actually declaring the CONVICTING POWER of the Holy Spirit to be SATANIC OPPRESSION. These deceived "believers" are actually being TRAINED to IGNORE the CONVICTION of the Holy Spirit regarding SIN...as "men of God" declare them to be "accepted by God" with absolutely NO TRUE TRANSFORMATION taking place spiritually.
FURTHER...let's be clear:
Sometimes the Father IS angry with us!
False teachers often proclaim "God is not angry with you! He LOVES you!" In many cases, these statements are LIES. Why? NEVER does Scripture say ANGER is WRONG or UNLOVING! God DOES loves us...yet He can STILL be ANGRY with us! My parents have at times loved me EVEN WHEN ANGRY WITH ME. And so has God!
Read the Bible: God DOES get ANGRY with His children at times. And if you believe God's anger is not kindled when we SIN...then you are GREATLY ignorant of the content of Scripture! The SIN of Israel often brought the ANGER of God! And...the Church is NOT exempt from the same! There are times God is HAPPY with us...and times He is ANGRY with us. Yes, Jesus STILL loves us even when ANGRY with us...but NEVER should we believe that a HOLY God is not ANGERED by sin and disobedience. Jesus proved otherwise when He cleared the Temple with a whip. Though Jesus LOVED those present that day (as Jesus loves EVERYONE), His ANGER was still kindled against them for their heinous sin.
It is DANGEROUS and GROSS NEGLIGENCE to tell someone who may be in the midst of PRIVATE DISOBEDIENCE to God...or, at times, blatant and open REBELLION...that God is "pleased"...and that "God is not angry or mad at you!"
Many are so busy declaring that God is a God of LOVE that they neglect the TRUTH of Scripture which CLEARLY tells us that SIN, DISOBEDIENCE, and REBELLION will ALL cause God's WRATH to be "kindled" against those who refuse to turn from their "wicked ways."
Keep this SIGNIFICANT truth in mind:
Hitler died LOVED by God...but Hitler did not die FREE from SIN.
Every person who dies LOST also dies LOVED!
The LOVE of God NEVER excuses our sin...nor does it release us from the CONSEQUENCES of CONTINUING in SIN.
Only when we CONFESS OUR SINS do we find SALVATION.
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)
Do not despise the CONVICTION of the Holy Spirit...as the "godly sorrow" it brings will lead us to REPENTANCE.
2 Corinthians 7:9-11 (NKJV)
Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter.
This spirit has ONE GOAL:
To drown out the Voice of the Lord, silencing the CONVICTING POWER which comes through the Word of God and TRUTH.
The danger?
There was a man who was being drawn to Christ, feeling the conviction of the Holy Spirit as the Spirit dealt with him regarding the sin i...n his life. More and more, the man felt the Spirit of God's conviction.
Then...one night, listening to the messages of Joel Osteen, Joyce Meyer, Joseph Prince, and similar preachers, this man heard words much like these:
"God is NOT angry with you! He LOVES you...just as you are!"
The man LIKED that message!
Soon...the declarations from Osteen and others saying that God "accepts you just as you are" were drowning out the Voice of the Spirit of God...and the man began to view the CONVICTION of the Spirit as some "work of Satan"...because "Jesus only comes to bring peace. He doesn't judge you. He just loves you...just as you are."
Soon...all CONVICTION of the Spirit was seen as WRONG...and the man began to see himself as "OK with God!"...and the need to REPENT of his sins became "unnecessary."
So...there the man sat...declared by Osteen to be SAVED...albeit without ANY CONFESSION OF SINS and REPENTANCE....and, thus, without any REAL spiritual transformation.
Just a fable, you say?
No...a true story. And this story is being repeated day after day...IN THE CHURCH.
The DANGER of the FALSE TEACHINGS of Joel Osteen and others?
Many now sit in CHURCH with a false sense of salvation...actually declaring the CONVICTING POWER of the Holy Spirit to be SATANIC OPPRESSION. These deceived "believers" are actually being TRAINED to IGNORE the CONVICTION of the Holy Spirit regarding SIN...as "men of God" declare them to be "accepted by God" with absolutely NO TRUE TRANSFORMATION taking place spiritually.
FURTHER...let's be clear:
Sometimes the Father IS angry with us!
False teachers often proclaim "God is not angry with you! He LOVES you!" In many cases, these statements are LIES. Why? NEVER does Scripture say ANGER is WRONG or UNLOVING! God DOES loves us...yet He can STILL be ANGRY with us! My parents have at times loved me EVEN WHEN ANGRY WITH ME. And so has God!
Read the Bible: God DOES get ANGRY with His children at times. And if you believe God's anger is not kindled when we SIN...then you are GREATLY ignorant of the content of Scripture! The SIN of Israel often brought the ANGER of God! And...the Church is NOT exempt from the same! There are times God is HAPPY with us...and times He is ANGRY with us. Yes, Jesus STILL loves us even when ANGRY with us...but NEVER should we believe that a HOLY God is not ANGERED by sin and disobedience. Jesus proved otherwise when He cleared the Temple with a whip. Though Jesus LOVED those present that day (as Jesus loves EVERYONE), His ANGER was still kindled against them for their heinous sin.
It is DANGEROUS and GROSS NEGLIGENCE to tell someone who may be in the midst of PRIVATE DISOBEDIENCE to God...or, at times, blatant and open REBELLION...that God is "pleased"...and that "God is not angry or mad at you!"
Many are so busy declaring that God is a God of LOVE that they neglect the TRUTH of Scripture which CLEARLY tells us that SIN, DISOBEDIENCE, and REBELLION will ALL cause God's WRATH to be "kindled" against those who refuse to turn from their "wicked ways."
Keep this SIGNIFICANT truth in mind:
Hitler died LOVED by God...but Hitler did not die FREE from SIN.
Every person who dies LOST also dies LOVED!
The LOVE of God NEVER excuses our sin...nor does it release us from the CONSEQUENCES of CONTINUING in SIN.
Only when we CONFESS OUR SINS do we find SALVATION.
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)
Do not despise the CONVICTION of the Holy Spirit...as the "godly sorrow" it brings will lead us to REPENTANCE.
2 Corinthians 7:9-11 (NKJV)
Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter.
People need TRUTH...not FALSE CONFIRMATION...and THAT is why I speak out against the deception of false teaching...and why I will continue to do so.
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Grace: Raising the Standard of Holiness
How often does one's DOCTRINE change based on one's propensity toward a particular sin?
In my nearly 50 years...with approximately 31 of those years being spent in some type of ministry...I have witnessed two variations on those who "fall" ( as it is oft noted) in ministry.
1. Those who fail God by entering into sin...and, as a result of their sin, they CHANGE THEIR MESSAGE and THEOLOGY to ACCOMODATE their sin.
2. Those who fail God by entering into sin...and...after their sorrow and repentance leads them back into the GRACE of God...they continue to proclaim that sin for what it is:
SIN...and they REFUSE to preach ANY OTHER gospel!
It is common for the message of the PULPIT to be "We all sin. All of us have sinned in some way this past week or month or year."
But imagine: What if on a given Sunday the ENTIRE CHURCH...the BODY of BELIEVERS...had to CONFESS their SINS to everyone present?!
Could you imagine the PASTOR having to stand in the pulpit and tell his EVERY sin...no matter how SMALL or BIG those sins may be!!
We are OK with sin until we all have to NAME our sin!
And...then...we most likely would lose trust in everyone...everywhere.
You may wonder WHY I am speaking about this. Here is why:
Most in the Church are taking the stance that says since we ALL sin...and...we should go EASY on sin.
Sadly...that is NOT the Biblical mandate we see declared by God in His Word!
We often hear:
"Don't be so hard on yourself!"
But...be sure:
Sin IS a "big deal."
So...what is the BIBLICAL position presented by GOD?
We are to RAISE the STANDARD...NOT to LOWER the STANDARD!
The declaration which says "We ALL sin!" was NEVER to become some banner of PRIDE...as everyone feels JUSTIFIED because those around them are JUST AS GUILTY!
Today...such declarations are made with EQUALITY in mind...and the desire is to "level the playing field."
Now...that might be OK if our GOAL is "To be like OTHERS!"...and COMPARING ourselves to OTHERS will ALWAYS give us a sense of SECURITY...and a sense of SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS!
But...the term CHRISTIAN denotes the desire to be CHRIST-LIKE...and...we are ALWAYS to MEASURE ourselves by the STANDARD which HE set...NOT the STANDARD of OTHERS around us.
Throughout the years...being raised in the Church of God (Cleveland, TN)...I have known of many ministers who have "fallen"...and I have known many who found RESTORATION through CONFESSION, REPENTANCE, FORGIVENESS, GODLY COUNSEL, and a WILLINGNESS to be ACCOUNTABLE.
In my view...that is HONORABLE.
Now...how can we KNOW that one who has "fallen" is truly REPENTANT??
It is usually quite simple:
BIBLICAL DOCTRINE which readily proclaims THEIR OWN SIN as WRONG...and the WILLINGNESS to RENOUNCE it with NO COMPROMISE!!
The Bible speaks of RESTORING "one who has fallen"...and that RESTORATION is noted in their RECOGNITION of THEIR sin AS sin! It is SCRIPTURAL...as we see DAVID repentant before God...and in SORROW he GRIEVES over his sin.
Time and time again...we see those who FAIL God CONFESS that they have SINNED...and that FIRST STEP opens the door to RESTORATION!
Praise God!
Now...here comes the TWIST and the PRESENT-DAY APPLICATION of all of this...apart from what has already been presented here:
I know FEW in the Church who would stand for an UNREPENTANT ADULTERER continuing as PASTOR of a CONGREGATION of BELIEVERS.
But...neither should we be COMFORTABLE allowing an UNREPENTANT ADULTERER to sit UNREPENTANT in the Church!!
There should be a willingness to CONFRONT the one in sin.
You see...it is EASY to adhere to REBUKE and CORRECTION when it fills the PULPIT...but the present day Church is willing to declare "Do not DARE confront sin in the congregation! Everyone sins...and we ALL are guilty!"
Sadly...it is called LOWERING the STANDARD!
It is the promotion of what I call "SINFUL EQUALITY!"
Thus...we now have gone in search of the LOWEST COMMON DENOMINATOR...and the STANDARD of ALL STANDARDS is relegated to some simplistic label of God as the "Bestower of Grace" who looks down at humanity in a search for the WORST SINNERS.
But...by the UNSPOKEN STANDARDS of the Church...these "worst sinners" are simply ANY OF THOSE who sin...but they do it OUTSIDE the Church...and, therefore, "Their sin is not under Grace!"
So...now...COMFORTABLY the Church sits...with the ability to look around at the other members with this wonderful truth:
"I am JUST AS GOOD as the REST of these!"
I have always wondered why we never hear the sorrowful proclamation:
"I am JUST AS BAD as the REST of these!" as the altars fill with those who want SOMETHING MORE...SOMETHING BETTER...SOMETHING HOLY:
A TRANSFORMATION that can only come through the HOLY SPIRIT as we seek to be MORE LIKE JESUS...not just BETTER than CHURCH MEMBER X, Y, or Z!
But...what about the ONE SIN which REIGNS SUPREME in PULPITS across America...in varying denominations...yet...the sinners GUILTY of this sin are NEVER held accountable, NEVER called to REPENTANCE, NEVER rebuked or corrected...and...NEVER removed from leadership AT ALL...no matter how OPENLY they sin?
What IS that SIN, you ask?
The SIN of teaching FALSE DOCTRINE...the SIN of preaching LIES as TRUTH...the SIN of OPPOSING TRUTH...the SIN of teaching "doctrines of demons"...the SIN of being a "hireling"...the SIN of being a FALSE TEACHER!
Oh...how READY the masses are to REMOVE a man from the PULPIT if he commits a SEXUAL SIN (as SHOULD happen)...yet they want the pulpit SILENT if a MEMBER commits that SAME SIN!!
BUT WORSE...how READY the LEADERSHIP is to REMOVE a man who commits a SEXUAL SIN (as SHOULD happen)...yet that leadership will NOT remove a man for preaching FALSE DOCTRINE!!
Here is the reality of our time...and a sobering truth:
The PULPIT has been EQUALLY DEFILED by SEXUAL sin AND SPIRITUAL sin!
And...any attempt to JUSTIFY the refusal to set STANDARDS of TRUTH within DENOMINATIONAL organizations is nothing more than COMPROMISE!
It is NOT "diversity in ministries"...it is FALSE TEACHING and LYING SPIRITS...and it is IRRESPONSIBLE to IGNORE the DOCTRINES of ERROR which are being taught under the banner of "truth!"
Face it...within a denomination...allowing ONE CHURCH to preach the PROSPERITY GOSPEL and ANOTHER CHURCH to preach that the PROSPERITY GOSPEL is a FALSE gospel is nothing more than "a house divided against itself!"
And...sadly...most denominational leaders would choose to decide WHICH teaching to SUPPORT simply by determining WHICH MESSAGE is MORE PROFITABLE...and WHICH MESSAGE draws the BIGGER CROWDS which leads to BIGGER CHURCHES and MORE TITHE COMING IN.
Few would do the RIGHT thing...which is this:
To be as the BEREANS...seeking out TRUTH...without regard to what is POPULAR and CONVENIENT and PROFITABLE! (Acts 17 gives us insight into the Bereans...as they LOVED to RECEIVE the Word of God...but the REFUSED to believe what was being TAUGHT until they CONFIRMED it by "searching the Scriptures.")
In almost EVERY REALM, the STANDARDS of Scripture have been LOWERED to meet the demands of a SINFUL CHURCH.
And...NEVER has that STANDARD been ANY LOWER than the STANDARD of TRUTH which is now PREACHED and ACCEPTED in PULPITS across America!
God did not SEND us GRACE so that we could STAND in our SINFULNESS...He sent us GRACE to FREE us from our SINFULNESS!
"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:32)
The Spirit of God comes to RAISE the STANDARD...not to LOWER the STANDARD!
"So shall they fear the Name of the Lord from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun: when the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him." (Isaiah 59:19)
But read this passage in CONTEXT (provided in the link below)...reading Isaiah 59 in totality.
Note the REFUSAL of the people to maintain a STANDARD of HOLINESS...as SIN and FALSE TEACHING are ALLOWED...as the people demand SILENCE from the PROPHET.
Here...Isaiah establishes that sin and false teaching CANNOT go without REBUKE and CORRECTION!
And... then note that it will ONLY BE when the STANDARD is RAISED...which comes by the SPIRIT of the LORD...that the people will be CAPABLE of OVERCOMING the POWER of the ENEMY in the realm of SIN and FALSE TEACHING.
In Isaiah 59...we see a description not just of humanity before the Son of God was sent to REDEEM us...but we see a parallel of the CONDITION of the CHURCH and SOCIETY today....as Isaiah notes that TWO things have been SO DISTORTED that BOTH are almost NONEXISTENT:
JUSTICE and TRUTH.
Clearly presented is a picture of LOWERED STANDARDS...and these standards are now the NORM...even among those who are SUPPOSED to be a HOLY PEOPLE!
Then...again...notice that the Spirit of God does not come to LOWER the STANDARD through GRACE...but through GRACE the Spirit of God "lifts up"...or RAISES...the standard!
Be sure...Satan WILL NOT be DEFEATED...nor OVERCOME...by a Church whose HOLY standard is ON PAR with SATAN'S standard!
If the STANDARD is not JESUS CHRIST...then our STANDARD is no STANDARD at all!
And...if our STANDARD is CHRIST...then SIN is never MINIMIZED in His HOLY PRESENCE.
No...it is in CHRIST'S PRESENCE that EVERY imperfection is ILLUMINATED...and NO SIN IS HIDDEN in the LIGHT of the SON OF GOD.
So...I feel the Spirit of God calling...calling us to REPENTANCE...calling us to SUBMISSION...calling us to HOLINESS...calling us to recognize that we MUST NOT repeat the path of Israel in the days of Isaiah.
Israel would end up REJECTING the very GRACE they had long awaited...as they TURNED AWAY from God time and time again!
And...in so doing...Israel began to ACCEPT a LOWER STANDARD!
Will the Church continue down this SAME PATH...as it sits COMFORTABLE in a RIGHTEOUSNESS that it has REMADE in its OWN image?
Will the Church fail to recognize...as Israel did...the cry of God spoken through the PROPHETS...as God tries to REVERSE their COURSE before the day of JUDGMENT set their eternal fate forever?
I pray that the SLUMBERING CHURCH will AWAKEN...and that they will see before them the HIGH STANDARD of HOLINESS which is HIGHLY EXALTED...and that the STATUS QUO CHRISTIANITY which has INFESTED the Church will MELT AWAY in the FIRE of CONFESSION and REPENTANCE which is SO NEEDED within it!
In Christ,
Ron
In my nearly 50 years...with approximately 31 of those years being spent in some type of ministry...I have witnessed two variations on those who "fall" ( as it is oft noted) in ministry.
1. Those who fail God by entering into sin...and, as a result of their sin, they CHANGE THEIR MESSAGE and THEOLOGY to ACCOMODATE their sin.
2. Those who fail God by entering into sin...and...after their sorrow and repentance leads them back into the GRACE of God...they continue to proclaim that sin for what it is:
SIN...and they REFUSE to preach ANY OTHER gospel!
It is common for the message of the PULPIT to be "We all sin. All of us have sinned in some way this past week or month or year."
But imagine: What if on a given Sunday the ENTIRE CHURCH...the BODY of BELIEVERS...had to CONFESS their SINS to everyone present?!
Could you imagine the PASTOR having to stand in the pulpit and tell his EVERY sin...no matter how SMALL or BIG those sins may be!!
We are OK with sin until we all have to NAME our sin!
And...then...we most likely would lose trust in everyone...everywhere.
You may wonder WHY I am speaking about this. Here is why:
Most in the Church are taking the stance that says since we ALL sin...and...we should go EASY on sin.
Sadly...that is NOT the Biblical mandate we see declared by God in His Word!
We often hear:
"Don't be so hard on yourself!"
But...be sure:
Sin IS a "big deal."
So...what is the BIBLICAL position presented by GOD?
We are to RAISE the STANDARD...NOT to LOWER the STANDARD!
The declaration which says "We ALL sin!" was NEVER to become some banner of PRIDE...as everyone feels JUSTIFIED because those around them are JUST AS GUILTY!
Today...such declarations are made with EQUALITY in mind...and the desire is to "level the playing field."
Now...that might be OK if our GOAL is "To be like OTHERS!"...and COMPARING ourselves to OTHERS will ALWAYS give us a sense of SECURITY...and a sense of SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS!
But...the term CHRISTIAN denotes the desire to be CHRIST-LIKE...and...we are ALWAYS to MEASURE ourselves by the STANDARD which HE set...NOT the STANDARD of OTHERS around us.
Throughout the years...being raised in the Church of God (Cleveland, TN)...I have known of many ministers who have "fallen"...and I have known many who found RESTORATION through CONFESSION, REPENTANCE, FORGIVENESS, GODLY COUNSEL, and a WILLINGNESS to be ACCOUNTABLE.
In my view...that is HONORABLE.
Now...how can we KNOW that one who has "fallen" is truly REPENTANT??
It is usually quite simple:
BIBLICAL DOCTRINE which readily proclaims THEIR OWN SIN as WRONG...and the WILLINGNESS to RENOUNCE it with NO COMPROMISE!!
The Bible speaks of RESTORING "one who has fallen"...and that RESTORATION is noted in their RECOGNITION of THEIR sin AS sin! It is SCRIPTURAL...as we see DAVID repentant before God...and in SORROW he GRIEVES over his sin.
Time and time again...we see those who FAIL God CONFESS that they have SINNED...and that FIRST STEP opens the door to RESTORATION!
Praise God!
Now...here comes the TWIST and the PRESENT-DAY APPLICATION of all of this...apart from what has already been presented here:
I know FEW in the Church who would stand for an UNREPENTANT ADULTERER continuing as PASTOR of a CONGREGATION of BELIEVERS.
But...neither should we be COMFORTABLE allowing an UNREPENTANT ADULTERER to sit UNREPENTANT in the Church!!
There should be a willingness to CONFRONT the one in sin.
You see...it is EASY to adhere to REBUKE and CORRECTION when it fills the PULPIT...but the present day Church is willing to declare "Do not DARE confront sin in the congregation! Everyone sins...and we ALL are guilty!"
Sadly...it is called LOWERING the STANDARD!
It is the promotion of what I call "SINFUL EQUALITY!"
Thus...we now have gone in search of the LOWEST COMMON DENOMINATOR...and the STANDARD of ALL STANDARDS is relegated to some simplistic label of God as the "Bestower of Grace" who looks down at humanity in a search for the WORST SINNERS.
But...by the UNSPOKEN STANDARDS of the Church...these "worst sinners" are simply ANY OF THOSE who sin...but they do it OUTSIDE the Church...and, therefore, "Their sin is not under Grace!"
So...now...COMFORTABLY the Church sits...with the ability to look around at the other members with this wonderful truth:
"I am JUST AS GOOD as the REST of these!"
I have always wondered why we never hear the sorrowful proclamation:
"I am JUST AS BAD as the REST of these!" as the altars fill with those who want SOMETHING MORE...SOMETHING BETTER...SOMETHING HOLY:
A TRANSFORMATION that can only come through the HOLY SPIRIT as we seek to be MORE LIKE JESUS...not just BETTER than CHURCH MEMBER X, Y, or Z!
But...what about the ONE SIN which REIGNS SUPREME in PULPITS across America...in varying denominations...yet...the sinners GUILTY of this sin are NEVER held accountable, NEVER called to REPENTANCE, NEVER rebuked or corrected...and...NEVER removed from leadership AT ALL...no matter how OPENLY they sin?
What IS that SIN, you ask?
The SIN of teaching FALSE DOCTRINE...the SIN of preaching LIES as TRUTH...the SIN of OPPOSING TRUTH...the SIN of teaching "doctrines of demons"...the SIN of being a "hireling"...the SIN of being a FALSE TEACHER!
Oh...how READY the masses are to REMOVE a man from the PULPIT if he commits a SEXUAL SIN (as SHOULD happen)...yet they want the pulpit SILENT if a MEMBER commits that SAME SIN!!
BUT WORSE...how READY the LEADERSHIP is to REMOVE a man who commits a SEXUAL SIN (as SHOULD happen)...yet that leadership will NOT remove a man for preaching FALSE DOCTRINE!!
Here is the reality of our time...and a sobering truth:
The PULPIT has been EQUALLY DEFILED by SEXUAL sin AND SPIRITUAL sin!
And...any attempt to JUSTIFY the refusal to set STANDARDS of TRUTH within DENOMINATIONAL organizations is nothing more than COMPROMISE!
It is NOT "diversity in ministries"...it is FALSE TEACHING and LYING SPIRITS...and it is IRRESPONSIBLE to IGNORE the DOCTRINES of ERROR which are being taught under the banner of "truth!"
Face it...within a denomination...allowing ONE CHURCH to preach the PROSPERITY GOSPEL and ANOTHER CHURCH to preach that the PROSPERITY GOSPEL is a FALSE gospel is nothing more than "a house divided against itself!"
And...sadly...most denominational leaders would choose to decide WHICH teaching to SUPPORT simply by determining WHICH MESSAGE is MORE PROFITABLE...and WHICH MESSAGE draws the BIGGER CROWDS which leads to BIGGER CHURCHES and MORE TITHE COMING IN.
Few would do the RIGHT thing...which is this:
To be as the BEREANS...seeking out TRUTH...without regard to what is POPULAR and CONVENIENT and PROFITABLE! (Acts 17 gives us insight into the Bereans...as they LOVED to RECEIVE the Word of God...but the REFUSED to believe what was being TAUGHT until they CONFIRMED it by "searching the Scriptures.")
In almost EVERY REALM, the STANDARDS of Scripture have been LOWERED to meet the demands of a SINFUL CHURCH.
And...NEVER has that STANDARD been ANY LOWER than the STANDARD of TRUTH which is now PREACHED and ACCEPTED in PULPITS across America!
God did not SEND us GRACE so that we could STAND in our SINFULNESS...He sent us GRACE to FREE us from our SINFULNESS!
"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:32)
The Spirit of God comes to RAISE the STANDARD...not to LOWER the STANDARD!
"So shall they fear the Name of the Lord from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun: when the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him." (Isaiah 59:19)
But read this passage in CONTEXT (provided in the link below)...reading Isaiah 59 in totality.
Note the REFUSAL of the people to maintain a STANDARD of HOLINESS...as SIN and FALSE TEACHING are ALLOWED...as the people demand SILENCE from the PROPHET.
Here...Isaiah establishes that sin and false teaching CANNOT go without REBUKE and CORRECTION!
And... then note that it will ONLY BE when the STANDARD is RAISED...which comes by the SPIRIT of the LORD...that the people will be CAPABLE of OVERCOMING the POWER of the ENEMY in the realm of SIN and FALSE TEACHING.
In Isaiah 59...we see a description not just of humanity before the Son of God was sent to REDEEM us...but we see a parallel of the CONDITION of the CHURCH and SOCIETY today....as Isaiah notes that TWO things have been SO DISTORTED that BOTH are almost NONEXISTENT:
JUSTICE and TRUTH.
Clearly presented is a picture of LOWERED STANDARDS...and these standards are now the NORM...even among those who are SUPPOSED to be a HOLY PEOPLE!
Then...again...notice that the Spirit of God does not come to LOWER the STANDARD through GRACE...but through GRACE the Spirit of God "lifts up"...or RAISES...the standard!
Be sure...Satan WILL NOT be DEFEATED...nor OVERCOME...by a Church whose HOLY standard is ON PAR with SATAN'S standard!
If the STANDARD is not JESUS CHRIST...then our STANDARD is no STANDARD at all!
And...if our STANDARD is CHRIST...then SIN is never MINIMIZED in His HOLY PRESENCE.
No...it is in CHRIST'S PRESENCE that EVERY imperfection is ILLUMINATED...and NO SIN IS HIDDEN in the LIGHT of the SON OF GOD.
So...I feel the Spirit of God calling...calling us to REPENTANCE...calling us to SUBMISSION...calling us to HOLINESS...calling us to recognize that we MUST NOT repeat the path of Israel in the days of Isaiah.
Israel would end up REJECTING the very GRACE they had long awaited...as they TURNED AWAY from God time and time again!
And...in so doing...Israel began to ACCEPT a LOWER STANDARD!
Will the Church continue down this SAME PATH...as it sits COMFORTABLE in a RIGHTEOUSNESS that it has REMADE in its OWN image?
Will the Church fail to recognize...as Israel did...the cry of God spoken through the PROPHETS...as God tries to REVERSE their COURSE before the day of JUDGMENT set their eternal fate forever?
I pray that the SLUMBERING CHURCH will AWAKEN...and that they will see before them the HIGH STANDARD of HOLINESS which is HIGHLY EXALTED...and that the STATUS QUO CHRISTIANITY which has INFESTED the Church will MELT AWAY in the FIRE of CONFESSION and REPENTANCE which is SO NEEDED within it!
In Christ,
Ron
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