Archive for the ‘teaching’ Category

Obituary for the American Church

Posted: December 28, 2013 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, teaching, wilderness
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by Mike Breen

From time to time I will have the people I’m discipling write out their own pastoral obituary. I ask them to write out how our enemy would take them out, rendering them unable to serve their family and communities. As you can imagine, the answers vary, but always serves as a really helpful exercise as they are forced to confront issues of character, etc.

You see, taking the same exercise I’ve used with pastors, for the past year I’ve been thinking how the enemy would/might be trying to take down the American church. Now what I’ve noticed is that the original temptations Jesus faced (which can best be boiled down to Appetite, Affirmation and Ambition) are somehow warped and insinuated into the culture. As each culture is distinct and different, a smart enemy would come at each culture in subtle ways, tempting them in ways they don’t see or expect, and with things that would look different from culture to culture.

For instance, the issues the European church deal with are actually quite different than the ones the American church is dealing with – even though often times they are put under the same broad umbrella of “Western Church.” Sure, there are some similarities, but the attack is different. More nuanced.

But those original temptations of Appetite, Affirmation and Ambition are slowly insinuating themselves into everything we call CHURCH. We just often don’t recognize it or see it.

And so this is how, if our enemy gets his way, the American church could be taken out:

A culture of CELEBRITY (affirmation)

A culture of CONSUMERISM (appetite)

A culture of COMPETITION (ambition)

The original temptations of Appetite, Affirmation and Ambition are creeping into everything we call CHURCH.

CELEBRITY

The idea of celebrity is deeply woven into American culture and values. All you have to do is look at the ridiculous nature of Reality TV and you see how Americans are constantly craving celebrity (either to be a celebrity or to find the next celebrity and stalk their every move). Now there is nothing dark or sinister about “celebrity” in and of itself. You can’t find an argument that says Jesus wasn’t a huge celebrity in his day.

However, there is a difference between being famous and being significant. If Jesus was famous, it’s because he was doing something significant. The problem with many pastors is they make decisions, develop personas and define success from the lens of what will make them a celebrity/famous (even if they don’t know it or see that they are doing this). So in American church culture, it’s pretty easy to become a celebrity: Grow a HUGE church. Now all in all, it’s not terribly difficult to grow to be a giant church if you have the right tools at your disposal – but that doesn’t mean the ends justify the means of getting there.

For instance, though Jesus was a celebrity in his day, he was willing to say things that ran people off in droves. In fact, the book of Mark chronicles the way (from about the mid-point of the book on) how people left Jesus to where, at the end, virtually no one was left. NO ONE wants to be associated with him for fear of the consequences. That’s a Charlie Sheen-esque flameout (obviously without the character issues!). That’s not something you see too often in American churches.

I suspect it’s because riven deeply into the American psyche is the desire to be a celebrity. And American pastors are very susceptible to this. Many subtle things happen in people who desire to this kind of celebrity status:

* They can disengage community and isolate themselves, setting themselves up for moral failure.

* They can make decisions that are numbers driven and not always Kingdom driven.

* They can skew to a shallow understanding of the Gospel as opposed to a holistic one that leads people to discipleship.

* They can put the good of their church (their personal Kingdom) over the good of God’s Kingdom.

Question: In what ways are your decisions made by a subtle undercurrent of ambition and a hope for celebrity?

CONSUMERISM

We live in a culture that revolves around consuming. Every TV commercial, every store, every credit card company, every bank, every TV show or movie, every piece of clothing, car or product, every website, every restaurant every everything is tailored to fit your desires, needs or personal preference. We are easily infuriated when things don’t happen exactly as we want them. We exist in a place that implicitly says this: “We are here to serve you and meet your every whim and desire. Let us take care of you.” What’s more, it’s never enough.

We live in a culture that revolves around consuming.

Eventually the house or the car get older and we want new ones. The clothes aren’t as fashionable and we want something more in style. That restaurant is getting boring, we must find another. Our favorite TV show is wearing thin, so the search begins for the next favorite. And on and on and on. This is how we are wired to think in the United States. And it is all backed up by this rationale: You’re worth it. You deserve to have what you want, how you want it, when you want it. And for the most part, the church plays the exact same game.

We do as best we can to provide as comfortable an experience as humanly possible, using every means at our disposal to attract them in (and then keep them in). So we tailor what we do around their wants and desires. That’s Marketing 101, right? The problem is at the end of the day, the only thing that Jesus is counting is disciples. That’s it. He doesn’t seem to care too much about converts, attendance, budgets or buildings. It’s about disciples. And, by nature, disciples are producers, not consumers.

Yet most of our churches are built around feeding consumers. I’d argue 90% of the church’s time, energy and resources are linked to this. But the issue is this: The means you use to attract people to you are usually the means you must use to keep them. In other words, if you use consumerism to attract them to your church, it often means you must continue using it to keep them or else they will find another church who will meet their “needs.” And yet, that consumer mentality is antithetical to the Gospel and to the call of Discipleship.

Disciples aren’t consumers, they are producers. Jesus cared about disciples more than anything else.

The means you use to attract people to you are usually the means you must use to keep them.

Question: In what ways is your church community using consumerism as the means to draw people to a Gospel that is, in and of itself, anti-consumerism?

COMPETITION

You will never find a more hyper-competitive culture than you do in the United States. As a foreigner living in this land, I can attest to that with the utmost respect. Americans love to win, they love the struggle of the journey and love holding up the gold medal of victory. Now don’t hear me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with being competitive, it’s just how competition has become warped and twisted within our culture. And it’s that, at least in the church, we are competitive about the wrong things.

Much of the American church finds itself competing with the church down the road. “Are we bigger than them? Do we have more influence than them? Do we have the best/biggest youth group in town? Do people like to get married in our church building? Do people like our church better than theirs?”

The fact of the matter is that there is a battle, we do have an enemy and we should be competitive – but against our enemy! What we haven’t seen is how crafty he is. This seems to be the alliance he has struck with the American church: “I’ll let a good chunk of your churches grow, just not at the expense of my territory.”

Disciples aren’t consumers, they are producers. Jesus cared about disciples more than anything else.

And so what happens? 96% of church growth is due to transfer growth and not churches striking into the heart of our enemy’s territory. We’ll consider it a win because we have the new service or program that is growing – but that growth is mainly from people coming from other churches. That’s not a win! That’s a staggering loss.

Furthermore, for many pastors, we don’t think we’ve won until we’ve won AND someone else has lost. Seriously?! For sure, we have an enemy and we should be competitive, but we should be competing against our enemy, knowing that the final battle has already been won, and not competing against our own team members.

So gifted and skilled is our enemy, so conniving is he, that he has convinced us that beating the people on our own team is victory while he stands back and laughs, rarely having to ever engage in conflict, protecting his territory. He is beating us with a slight of hand, with a clever distraction, turning us against ourselves. Question: In what ways are you competing (both in actuality or simply in your mind) against people who are on your own team?

In all honesty, it isn’t that the American church will ever truly die or cease to exist. It will always be there. But it is entirely possible that if these three critical issues aren’t addressed and dealt with, it will be a hallow shell that is spiritually listless.

If we think through Celebrity, Consumerism and Competition, the anti-body against all of these is sacrifice. Learning to lay down what builds us up and giving to others instead. Learning to serve, rather than to be served. Looking for anonymity rather than celebrity. To build a culture of producers rather than a consumers.

To live in a vibrant, sacrificial community fighting a real enemy rather than competing against the same community God has given us to fight WITH rather than AGAINST. It’s about sacrificing what we want for the glory of God and the advancement of his Kingdom, regardless of our advancement or desires.

Clearly this is what Paul was getting after in Philippians 2:6-11 when describing the attitude of Jesus as taking on the attitude of a servant, willing to sacrifice all acclaim and equality with God. It was a willingness to set aside and sacrifice celebrity, consumerism and competition at the altar of the incarnation.

Fifty years ago, as these three subtle threads were being woven into the American church, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., serving as a prophetic voice, said this:

If today’s church does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it will lose its authenticity, forfeit the loyalty of millions, and be dismissed as an irrelevant social club with no meaning for the twentieth century.

We are now into the second decade of the 21st century and we find ourselves still, for the most part, refusing to sacrifice what we want for what God is asking of us and his Church. Will we have the courage to sacrifice as Christ sacrificed? Will we do the things that cost us so that his Kingdom may advance?

About The Author

Mike Breen has been an innovator in leading missional churches throughout Europe and the United States for more than 25 years, and leads 3DM, a movement/organization that is helping hundreds of established churches and church planters move into this discipling and missional way of being the church.  Twitter: @mike_breen

Another Gospel Revisited

Posted: July 30, 2013 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, teaching, wilderness
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Another Gospel Revisited

The Mrs. and I have been occupied with interior work at the house for what seems like forever and I have been unable to get to our computer most of the time. Obviously, this has put me behind on the articles I write, but finally I am able to squeeze in some time.

I wrote an article last month titled “Another Gospel” of which most people followed my line of thought, but with no surprise, there were a few who zeroed in on one issue that was totally irrelevant.

The accusations were primarily that I supported Hank Hanegraaff, simply because I mentioned a book, one book, he wrote, and recommended it for reading since it pertained to my subject matter. I have written numerous articles, and those who have taken the time to read them should know I do not support everything Mr. Hanegraaff believes. I was even accused of speaking unfavorably of Billy Graham. I still haven’t figured out where that one came from.

Let me see if I can make this real simple for some of you. The subject matter of the article was about “another gospel by false prophets.” It had nothing to do with the Rapture, dispensations, replacement theology, or anything else. That was it; “another gospel by false prophets.” I even gave a few examples of my line of thought, as shown in the following paragraph from the article:

Some of the blasphemies these scoundrels spew from their venomous mouths strive to elevate themselves over God. For example they teach: Jesus is not God; We are gods; Jesus suffered in hell and battled Satan; God can do nothing without our permission; God lost His right to rule; We can speak into existence anything we want; God wants us to be rich; Jesus was rich; If we are sick or poor, it is because we lack faith; Our money to their ministry is “seed” faith; We can order Satan around; There are three gods; and on and on and on they go. This is just a sampling! It seems they each try to top their buddies by coming out with something even more ludicrous than what has been said beforehand by another of their kind.

Toward the end of the article I stated the following:

While writing this article, I came across a book on this very subject that I would recommend. It is called “Christianity in Crisis 21st Century” and it is written by Hank Hanegraaff. He goes into the specifics of what I have been warning about for a long time now and examines the false teachings of many of these false teachers with another gospel. In his book, many quotes from these false teachers are discussed.

I still recommend this book, not every book he wrote, but this one, for further reading for those who are interested. Does that mean that I agree with everything in the book? Of course not! You’re adults. Read the book. Check the information as best as you can. Compare what is said with God’s Word, the Bible, and let God guide your thoughts.

The “Dear Abby” column is in most all newspapers and is heavily slanted toward support of homosexuality and gay marriage, not to mention other atrocities. Does that mean you aren’t going to read another newspaper? Of course not! Does that mean you and I support all that we read in the newspaper? Of course not! Common sense people! Use it! I might recommend you read my hometown newspaper, but I certainly do not support much of what is written in it.

Mr. Hanegraaff and I do not agree on some issues, but I feel he is a Christian and understands how and why God saved him. I do not know the man, but he is my brother in Christ, I am not going to turn my back on him simply because we do not agree on some issues that are not of an eternal consequence, or just because a few people are so narrow minded.

This reminds me of all the attacks by Christians against one of their own when a book called The Harbinger was introduced. There is no doubt in my mind that Mr. Jonathan Cahn is a Christian and my fellow brother in Christ, even though I’ve never met him either, and what he had to say was well worth reading.

Instead of attacking the veracity of those who are truly Christians, we need to stop turning a blind eye from those who are nothing but charlatans and leading people away from Jesus Christ instead of toward Him.

The subject matter of “another gospel” and the false prophets delivering a false gospel that is not Christ’s Gospel is of extreme importance. Millions of people today are being duped into believing much of this garbage that is being shoveled out. Why is that? It is so because most of those who call themselves Christians are ignorant of God’s Word. They’re generally fine people, but many are blind to what God actually says. They wouldn’t know the truth of God’s Word if it bit them on the nose. For those who are not Christians and believing this nonsense, their eternal state may be at stake.

Now if I may, I’ll throw in a little end time “stuff.” We are in the last days of the Church Age. Some of the greatest signs that the Church Age is nearly over are apostasy, false prophets, false teachings, greed and indifference from alleged church leaders, etc. These so-called leaders are everywhere. They are in the pulpits, on the stage, on the television, on the radio, on the Internet, and they love to write books.

I have personally heard much of what has been said by these false prophets (teachers) mentioned in Mr. Hanegraaff’s book, and he didn’t address them all. There are too many. He mentioned some that “maybe” I would not have been as critical, and others he mentioned that I would have been even more so.

The false teachings coming from these snakes can only come from one source. That source is an evil heart being guided by sin and nudged forward by Satan’s influence.

Partly due to the saturation of false teachers in our society with another gospel, which is a false gospel, we are most definitely in the Laodicean age of the church. If you haven’t read Revelation 3:14-22 lately, maybe you should. It is a very clear photograph of our current spiritual condition in this country.

[Jesus said,] “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?” (Matthew 7:15-16)

Often these false prophets come across as God-fearing folks, but that isn’t the case. They always mix some truth in with their false teachings, and if you are not familiar with what the Bible actually says, you will likely become another one of their victims. They know what to say, and how to say it. They often use the righteous tone of voice that is normally accepted as being very Christ-like, but they are far from Christ. They take verses and even passages and twist them to their own perverted gospel. They are not of God! Beware of them!

The apostle Paul told the Corinthians, “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works” (2 Corinthians 11:13-15).

Paul is saying the same thing that Jesus said. The false prophets are devious in portraying themselves as belonging to Christ, but they do not. Satan also masquerades as a Christian, if I may put it plainly, but we all know, or should know, where he stands.

Paul told Timothy, his protégé, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables” (2 Timothy 4:3-4, NKJV).

This is EXACTLY what has happened today. Another gospel sounds so much nicer to the ear than the gospel which says that we are condemned without true faith in Jesus Christ, that Jesus is the only way to God, that there is no other way, that God is in charge and He will have His way regardless. In other words, the true Word of God is found in His book He provided for us; i.e. the Bible, not from the mouths of arrogant apostates.

My dear friends, Jesus was not rich while on earth. His desire is not for us to be materially rich (even though some may be) but spiritually rich.

Our physical healing is not nearly as important as our spiritual healing. By His stripes we are healed … spiritually, if we will just repent and believe.

God is in absolute control of everything, and it is by His grace that we are saved.

Jesus did not suffer in hell. It was finished at the cross. He said so.

Jude wrote a very short book, but what a punch it packs. He said, “But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts” (Jude 17-19).

Many, many, many of the so-called spokesmen (and women) of today who say they speak for Jesus, are lying to you. They mock God, and if they do not repent and call upon Jesus to save their souls, they will spend eternity in hell. There may be even some who are Christians, but are out of God’s will. Their soul is secure, but they are inviting the Father to take them out to the woodshed, and they will have no reward in heaven.

Folks, just because these false teachers may look nice, wear nice clothes, have the “churchy” smile, provide beautiful music, pray, and maybe even produce a tear now and then, does not mean they are of God. Their father is Satan.

Jesus says of them, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not” (John 8:44-45).

The Pharisees, Sadducees, false prophets, scribes and hypocrites of yesterday are the false teachers of today. They will lead you away from God, not toward Him. Beware of another gospel.

“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel–not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ” (Galatians 1:6-10, ESV).

Grant Phillips

Email grantphillips@windstream.net

http://www.raptureready.com/featured/phillips/phillips205.html

The Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards

Posted: July 19, 2013 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, teaching, wilderness
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Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God’s help, I do humbly entreat him by his grace to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ’s sake.

Remember to read over these Resolutions once a week.

Overall Life Mission1

1. Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God’s glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriad’s of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many and how great soever.

2. Resolved, to be continually endeavoring to find out some new invention and contrivance to promote the aforementioned things.

3. Resolved, if ever I shall fall and grow dull, so as to neglect to keep any part of these Resolutions, to repent of all I can remember, when I come to myself again.

4. Resolved, never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God; nor be, nor suffer it, if I can avoid it.

6. Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.

22. Resolved, to endeavor to obtain for myself as much happiness, in the other world, as I possibly can, with all the power; might, vigor, and vehemence, yea violence, I am capable of, or can bring myself to exert, in any way that can be thought of.

62. Resolved, never to do anything but duty; and then according to Eph. 6:6-8, do it willingly and cheerfully as unto the Lord, and not to man; “knowing that whatever good thing any man doth, the same shall he receive of the Lord.” June 25 and July 13, 1723.

Good Works

11. Resolved, when I think of any theorem in divinity to be solved, immediately to do what I can towards solving it, if circumstances don’t hinder.

13. Resolved, to be endeavoring to find out fit objects of charity and liberality.

69. Resolved, always to do that, which I shall wish I had done when I see others do it. Aug. 11, 1723.

Time Management

5. Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.

7. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.

17. Resolved, that I will live so as I shall wish I had done when I come to die.

18. Resolved, to live so at all times, as I think is best in my devout frames, and when I have clearest notions of things of the gospel, and another world.

19. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if I expected it would not be above an hour, before I should hear the last trump.

37. Resolved, to inquire every night, as I am going to bed, wherein I have been negligent, what sin I have committed, and wherein I have denied myself: also at the end of every week, month and year. Dec. 22 and 26, 1722.

40. Resolved, to inquire every night, before I go to bed, whether I have acted in the best way I possibly could, with respect to eating and drinking. Jan. 7, 1723.

41. Resolved, to ask myself at the end of every day, week, month and year, wherein I could possibly in any respect have done better. Jan. 11, 1723.

50.Resolved, I will act so as I think I shall judge would have been best, and most prudent, when I come into the future world. July 5, 1723.

51.Resolved, that I will act so, in every respect, as I think I shall wish I had done, if I should at last be damned. July 8, 1723.

52. I frequently hear persons in old age say how they would live, if they were to live their lives over again: Resolved, that I will live just so as I can think I shall wish I had done, supposing I live to old age. July 8, 1723.

55. Resolved, to endeavor to my utmost to act as I can think I should do, if I had already seen the happiness of heaven, and hell torments. July 8, 1723.

61. Resolved, that I will not give way to that listlessness which I find unbends and relaxes my mind from being fully and fixedly set on religion, whatever excuse I may have for it-that what my listlessness inclines me to do, is best to be done, etc. May 21, and July 13, 1723.

Relationships

14. Resolved, never to do anything out of revenge.

15. Resolved, never to suffer the least motions of anger to irrational beings.

16. Resolved, never to speak evil of anyone, so that it shall tend to his dishonor, more or less, upon no account except for some real good.

31. Resolved, never to say anything at all against anybody, but when it is perfectly agreeable to the highest degree of Christian honor, and of love to mankind, agreeable to the lowest humility, and sense of my own faults and failings, and agreeable to the golden rule; often, when I have said anything against anyone, to bring it to, and try it strictly by the test of this Resolution.

33. Resolved, always to do what I can towards making, maintaining, establishing and preserving peace, when it can be without over-balancing detriment in other respects. Dec. 26, 1722.

34. Resolved, in narration’s never to speak anything but the pure and simple verity.

36. Resolved, never to speak evil of any, except I have some particular good call for it. Dec. 19, 1722.

46. Resolved, never to allow the least measure of any fretting uneasiness at my father or mother. Resolved to suffer no effects of it, so much as in the least alteration of speech, or motion of my eve: and to be especially careful of it, with respect to any of our family.

58. Resolved, not only to refrain from an air of dislike, fretfulness, and anger in conversation, but to exhibit an air of love, cheerfulness and benignity. May 27,and July 13, 1723.

59. Resolved, when I am most conscious of provocations to ill nature and anger, that I will strive most to feel and act good-naturedly; yea, at such times, to manifest good nature, though I think that in other respects it would be disadvantageous, and so as would be imprudent at other times. May 12, July 2,and July 13.

66. Resolved, that I will endeavor always to keep a benign aspect, and air of acting and speaking in all places, and in all companies, except it should so happen that duty requires otherwise.

70. Let there be something of benevolence, in all that I speak.

Suffering

9. Resolved, to think much on all occasions of my own dying, and of the common circumstances which attend death.

10. Resolved, when I feel pain, to think of the pains of martyrdom, and of hell.

67. Resolved, after afflictions, to inquire, what I am the better for them, what good I have got by them, and what I might have got by them.

57. Resolved, when I fear misfortunes and adversities, to examine whether ~ have done my duty, and resolve to do it; and let it be just as providence orders it, I will as far as I can, be concerned about nothing but my duty and my sin. June 9, and July 13, 1723.

Character

8. Resolved, to act, in all respects, both speaking and doing, as if nobody had been so vile as I, and as if I had committed the same sins, or had the same infirmities or failings as others; and that I will let the knowledge of their failings promote nothing but shame in myself, and prove only an occasion of my confessing my own sins and misery to God.

12. Resolved, if I take delight in it as a gratification of pride, or vanity, or on any such account, immediately to throw it by.

21. Resolved, never to do anything, which if I should see in another, I should count a just occasion to despise him for, or to think any way the more meanly of him.

32. Resolved, to be strictly and firmly faithful to my trust, that that in Prov. 20:6, “A faithful man who can find?” may not be partly fulfilled in me.

47. Resolved, to endeavor to my utmost to deny whatever is not most agreeable to a good, and universally sweet and benevolent, quiet, peaceable, contented, easy, compassionate, generous, humble, meek, modest, submissive, obliging, diligent and industrious, charitable, even, patient, moderate, forgiving, sincere temper; and to do at all times what such a temper would lead me to. Examine strictly every week, whether I have done so. Sabbath morning. May 5, 1723.

54. Whenever I hear anything spoken in conversation of any person, if I think it would be praiseworthy in me, Resolved to endeavor to imitate it. July 8, 1723.

63. On the supposition, that there never was to be but one individual in the world, at any one time, who was properly a complete Christian, in all respects of a right stamp, having Christianity always shining in its true luster, and appearing excellent and lovely, from whatever part and under whatever character viewed: Resolved, to act just as I would do, if I strove with all my might to be that one, who should live in my time. Jan. 14 and July 3, 1723.

27. Resolved, never willfully to omit anything, except the omission be for the glory of God; and frequently to examine my omissions.

39. Resolved, never to do anything that I so much question the lawfulness of, as that I intend, at the same time, to consider and examine afterwards, whether it be lawful or no; except I as much question the lawfulness of the omission.

20. Resolved, to maintain the strictest temperance in eating and drinking.

Spiritual Life

Assurance

25. Resolved, to examine carefully, and constantly, what that one thing in me is, which causes me in the least to doubt of the love of God; and to direct all my forces against it.

26. Resolved, to cast away such things, as I find do abate my assurance.

48. Resolved, constantly, with the utmost niceness and diligence, and the strictest scrutiny, to be looking into the state of my soul, that I may know whether I have truly an interest in Christ or no; that when I come to die, I may not have any negligence respecting this to repent of. May 26, 1723.

49. Resolved, that this never shall be, if I can help it.

The Scriptures

28. Resolved, to study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly and frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive myself to grow in the knowledge of the same.

Prayer

29. Resolved, never to count that a prayer, nor to let that pass as a prayer, nor that as a petition of a prayer, which is so made, that I cannot hope that God will answer it; nor that as a confession, which I cannot hope God will accept.

64. Resolved, when I find those “groanings which cannot be uttered” (Rom. 8:26), of which the Apostle speaks, and those “breakings of soul for the longing it hath,” of which the Psalmist speaks, Psalm 119:20, that I will promote them to the utmost of my power, and that I will not be wear’, of earnestly endeavoring to vent my desires, nor of the repetitions of such earnestness. July 23, and August 10, 1723.

The Lord’s Day

38. Resolved, never to speak anything that is ridiculous, sportive, or matter of laughter on the Lord’s day. Sabbath evening, Dec. 23, 1722.

Vivification of Righteousness

30. Resolved, to strive to my utmost every week to be brought higher in religion, and to a higher exercise of grace, than I was the week before.

42. Resolved, frequently to renew the dedication of myself to God, which was made at my baptism; which I solemnly renewed, when I was received into the communion of the church; and which I have solemnly re-made this twelfth day of January, 1722-23.

43. Resolved, never henceforward, till I die, to act as if I were any way my own, but entirely and altogether God’s, agreeable to what is to be found in Saturday, January 12, 1723.

44- Resolved, that no other end but religion, shall have any influence at all on any of my actions; and that no action shall be, in the least circumstance, any otherwise than the religious end will carry it. Jan.12, 1723.

45. Resolved, never to allow any pleasure or grief, joy or sorrow, nor any affection at all, nor any degree of affection, nor any circumstance relating to it, but what helps religion. Jan. 12-13, 1723.

Mortification of Sin and Self Examination

23. Resolved, frequently to take some deliberate action, which seems most unlikely to be done, for the glory of God, and trace it back to the original intention, designs and ends of it; and if I find it not to be for God’s glory, to repute it as a breach of the 4th Resolution.

24. Resolved, whenever I do any conspicuously evil action, to trace it back, till I come to the original cause; and then both carefully endeavor to do so no more, and to fight and pray with all my might against the original of it.

35. Resolved, whenever I so much question whether I have done my duty, as that my quiet and calm is thereby disturbed, to set it down, and also how the question was resolved. Dec. 18, 1722.

60. Resolved, whenever my feelings begin to appear in the least out of order, when I am conscious of the least uneasiness within, or the least irregularity without, I will then subject myself to the strictest examination. July 4 and 13, 1723.

68. Resolved, to confess frankly to myself all that which I find in myself, either infirmity or sin; and, if it be what concerns religion, also to confess the whole case to God, and implore needed help. July 23 and August 10, 1723.

56. Resolved, never to give over, nor in the least to slacken my fight with my corruptions, however unsuccessful I may be.

Communion with God

53. Resolved, to improve every opportunity, when I am in the best and happiest frame of mind, to cast and venture my soul on the Lord Jesus Christ, to trust and confide in him, and consecrate myself wholly to him; that from this I may have assurance of my safety, knowing that I confide in my Redeemer. July 8, 1723.

65. Resolved, very much to exercise myself in this all my life long, viz. with the greatest openness I am capable of, to declare my ways to God, and lay open my soul to him: all my sins, temptations, difficulties, sorrows, fears, hopes, desires, and every thing, and every circumstance; according to Dr. Manton’s 27th Sermon on Psalm 119. July 26 and Aug. 10, 1723.

Aug. 17, 1723

So as a Hyper-Calvinist you think you know the whole truth and nothing but the truth?

Posted: July 16, 2013 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, teaching, wilderness
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Though there are truths in Calvinism, as a whole it does not completely hold up to the Word of God. The truth is that Calvin did not originally even develop the system, but Augustine of Hyppo (354-430 A.D.) in the fifth century came up with this false idea. Augustine tried in vain to live a celibate life but because of his many sexual and other sins he concluded that man was totally depraved from birth. Since he chose to lead a sinful lifestyle he tried to justify himself by developing a theology to substantiate it.

Below is the true Gospel Jesus preached, Paul preached, Luther preached, Spurgeon preached, Jonathan Edwards preached and a host of other men faithful to the teachings of God’s Holy & Righteous Word.

Jesus said “No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draw him: and I will raise him up on the last day.” (John 6:44). Many refer to this verse in an effort to support a man-made doctrine which says that only those whom the Lord “calls” in some mystical way can be saved. They will say that this calling is some sort of direct operation of the Spirit. Hyper-Calvinism teaches that man is totally passive and cannot do anything until God zaps him with some special anointing, thereby enabling him to believe. Such an idea is foreign to the scriptures.

Our Lord does draw people to Him, and no one can come to the Lord apart from God’s drawing power. But this is not a matter of God electing to save some of us and condemn others of us arbitrarily. Consider: God wants all to be saved, and the reason some are lost is not because God has unconditionally chosen them to be.

For Whom Does God Desire Salvation?

The good news is that God does not desire anyone to be lost. No one! God is “…patient, not wishing for any to perish.” (II Peter 3:9). God is “compassionate” (Matthew 9:36; Psalm 86:15) God is “…just” (Romans 3:24-26). God is “Sorrowful” that many are lost (Ezekiel 18:23; 31,32; cf. Matthew 23:37). To suggest that man cannot respond to God’s gospel apart from a special anointing or calling that God gives to them that He does not give to all others makes God responsible for the lost being lost. But that does not fit with the Biblical description of God’s character and nature.

God made salvation available to all. Salvation is available for all men, not just a select few. Jesus died for everyone (Hebrews 2:9; John 3:16). God wants all to come to know the truth (I Timothy 2:4). The invitation is open to all, 24 hours a day. There’s no such thing as waiting on God’s “special call.” (Matthew 11:28-30; Revelation 22:17). He has already issued His call, and it has gone out unto the whole world. Any of us can choose to answer it, or not. They have built the high places of Baal to burn their children in the fire as offerings to Baal—something I did not command or mention, nor did it enter my mind.

With confusing concepts and words that have just enough of a ring of truth and spoken with just enough “authority”, and systematic just enough..yes, this combination takes people right where they are dying to go. To the place where they are special and smarter than everyone else who foolishly think that what they see is actually what is real. And the really ironic part is that this kind of thinking is actually accomplished with doctrines like “total depravity”. Have you noticed the level of arrogance displayed by those adhering to this as reformed doctrine? Luther was the father of the reformation, and he did not teach this part of the reformed theology.

They speak to you like you are a child; or worse, rebuke your “heresy” or block you from their blogs altogether. As if somehow depravity doesn’t apply to them…as if, for some reason THEY are exempt from the depravity of the mind, and that through the mine-laden obstacle course of TULIP they have come out the other side with understanding. Which, of course, is completely contradictory to their doctrine, which categorically declares that men can know nothing at all. There is no human agency capable of understanding GOOD; which is to say TRUTH.

The Doctrine of Christ is the true doctrine for the Christian, upon which all other doctrines must be weighed. Although men have brought to light some truths in the Word, they have also in some instances such as such as this aspect of Calvinism.

Are We Radical Enough?

Posted: July 15, 2013 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, teaching, wilderness
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Over the last few years, I have been thrilled to watch an increasing number of American Christians explore the idea that their faith requires them to break out of the confines of their middle class lives. In response to a deep yearning and the clear message of some authors and speakers, many followers of Christ are adopting children, moving across town or across the ocean to minister to those in need, and discovering exciting new callings to live out the mission of God.

Unfortunately, some are labeling this all-in, life-altering activism as the “new legalism.” Critics argue that we shouldn’t make people believe they have to reject suburbia to do amazing, cool, and world changing things for Jesus. In a Christianity Today cover story, the author wrote that the Good Samaritan didn’t do any of the things we call radical today. Instead it was “as he traveled” that he did something ordinary. He helped a person out. We just need to be faithful, the author says, “in our corporate jobs, in our middle-class neighborhoods … reaching out in quiet, practical, and loving ways.” True. But that represents just the start of the all-in commitment that Christ calls us to.

I think the critics of radical Christianity have got it wrong—they are encouraging Christians to play it safe, keep it comfortable.

The problem isn’t that we are asking too much of Christians who seem content with ordinary Christian lives. The problem—or should I say “opportunity”—is that the Gospel places much higher demands on Christians. We aren’t being radical enough!

As followers of Jesus Christ, we are supposed to actually follow Jesus Christ—the man whose radical message got him killed. Certainly, Jesus was on a unique mission, but nearly all of his earliest followers also gave up their lives. Make no mistake, the call of Christ on our lives is not one that fits easily into a pleasant middle class existence.

Perhaps the church has done an inadequate job of explaining this, but when we become Christians, we make a pretty radical commitment. It’s like enlisting in the military. When you sign up, you don’t get to tell your commanding officer that you’ve decided to settle down in Boca Raton, spend time golfing, and become a stock broker. When you enlist, you sign on to the mission. It is expected that an army private might be deployed overseas and risk his life for a greater cause. Why would we think enlisting as a follower of Christ would somehow be less radical?

Of course, just as the military has its press corps, its logistics operators, its procurement officers, and other desk jobs, we may not all be called to the front lines. God may not ask you to move into the inner city or the hinterlands of South Sudan. Our job is to offer our service to God, to be available, and to be willing to lay down our lives. Being radical is about the commitment you’re willing to make. Whether God puts you on the front lines or behind a desk, the point is: you’ve enlisted.

Jesus’ agenda is about changing the world. It’s a breath-taking revolution to bring all things under the reign of Jesus Christ. We are to show the world an extraordinary new way to live. So we pursue Jesus’ mission by being beacons of truth and love in whatever work we do. Whether God has called you to a corporate job, to raise a family, or go to the mission field, his agenda is about demonstrating the good news of the gospel to a watching world through our actions and our words. This radically changes why and how we do what we do.

We have been sent into the world with a message – that all people can find forgiveness and healing at the cross and that Jesus offers each one of us a different way to live. This is a revolutionary message that transforms all dimensions of human endeavor – the arts, the sciences, business, politics, communities, and families.

Yes, the Good Samaritan was doing something ordinary when he stopped to help a wounded traveler on his journey to Jericho. But he radically upset the social norms that said Samaritans don’t associate with Jews. The Good Samaritan was no ordinary nice guy. He was a radical. And we must be too.

~By Rich Stearns

Rich Stearns

Rich Stearns is president of World Vision US and author of Unfinished: Believing Is Only the Beginning. Follow Rich at RichStearns.org.

Historic Calvinism – Hypercalvinism

Posted: July 14, 2013 in Kingdom Teaching, teaching
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Caution: This was written by a man who is widely known as a strong Calvinist. Some readers may find him too strong a Calvinist. But, although a strong Calvinist, he does not think that only strong Calvinists will get to heaven.

Historic Calvinism teaches that the gospel is to be proclaimed indiscriminately to all men, that all men are responsible to believe the gospel, and that God promises salvation to all who come in faith to Christ to receive it. For this reason, the term “Evangelical Calvinism” is an apt description of the historic Calvinistic position regarding the gospel. Historic Calvinists believe in proclaiming the gospel to all men indiscriminately, and calling all without exception to come to Christ and be saved. Some of the most prominent evangelists and missionaries of history were evangelical Calvinists, including George Whitefield, Charles H. Spurgeon, Jonathan Edwards, Samuel Davies, William Carey, Adoniram Judson, Asahel Nettleton, John Knox, John Calvin, and many others.

 Hypercalvinism, in contrast, teaches that the unregenerate are not responsible to trust in Christ for salvation. Instead, the gospel call is viewed as being directed solely to the elect of God, and often, only to those who have already been regenerated by God.

Hypercalvinists often manifest an apathy or even an antipathy toward evangelism and missions. This is epitomized by John Ryland’s (Sr.) alleged rebuke to William Carey when Carey expressed a concern for evangelizing the heathen: “Young man, sit down; when God pleases to convert the heathen, He will do so without your help or mine.”

Biblical theology is perpetually challenged by the human tendency toward imbalance—emphasizing one truth to the exclusion of another. A true scholar of God’s Word must be willing to embrace both the truth that salvation is always a monergistic work of God, and also that God calls men indiscriminately to come to Christ in faith to receive forgiveness and eternal life and holds them guilty for not coming. These are not two incompatible assertions, but rather two clearly revealed, Biblical truths that can be reconciled without doing violence to either. It is fitting that God should invite even the non-elect to come to Christ to receive salvation, for this demonstrates the kindness of God and fully manifests and underscores the fact that they alone are to blame for the horrific eternal destiny that awaits them.

If we err on the side of Hypercalvinism, our zeal for evangelism will be consumed by doubts about the appropriateness of beseeching unregenerate people to come to Christ, or of promising salvation if they will but come to Christ to receive it. The question “But what if they are not elect?” may keep nagging at us, and we may decide to omit any explicit calls to faith or repentance. Our gospel may degenerate into “If you are elect, you will come to Christ, and if not, then anything I say to you will fall on deaf ears,” or we may decide that we should try to second-guess who is elect and only give the gospel to them.
The issues raised in this article are vital to our evangelistic ministry.

If we do not answer these questions well, we cannot expect the sort of evangelistic fervor and effectiveness that characterized the ministries of the Reformers and Whitefield, Edwards, Nettleton and Spurgeon and of the pioneering missionaries such as Carey and Judson. Beliefs have profound consequences in our lives and actions—sound doctrine is essential for effective ministry. It is my prayer that this article will start you thinking about these issues and that you will come to a position that leaves you with a renewed commitment to the doctrines of grace, along with a renewed compassionate zeal to proclaim God’s mercy to perishing sinners.

by M Servinka

PROSPERITY GOSPEL?

Posted: July 11, 2013 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, Prophetic, teaching, wilderness
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Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? . . . Therefore do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or, “What shall we wear?” Matthew 6:25-26

These are the words of our Lord when He was teaching the multitudes what is important in this life, and to not worry about having what you need, as God knows what you need, even before we may ask Him in prayer. When pondering this great truth, that we trust in God for our very sustenance, and the breath we breathe, I think on people who ask me about Prosperity Gospel and the many tele-evangelist that speak of “Name it and Claim it” theology. Is it biblical and is God pleased with the so called “ministers” that drive fancy cars, live in expensive homes (sometimes several of them) and jet set all around the world spreading their “doctrine” purporting that we have a kindly “Grandfather in the sky” that just loves to make us all rich. Does He and is there something more than meets the eye for the followers of this aberration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ? I won’t speak for God if He is pleased, but you must determine that for yourself by their fruits. For an indepth examination of this movement follow this URL:

http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/word-faith.html

Newsflash: Benny Hinn caught in a awkward moment with Paula White, another prosperity gospel “minister”. Won’t these folks learn?

http://ivarfjeld.wordpress.com/2010/08/01/benny-hinn-caught-in-adultery-and-web-of-lies-in-rome/

I believe that these ministers are taking scripture and twisting it into what I believe is a “fleecing” of the flock for the multitudes who desire riches in this life, instead of seeking riches in the next life. They pull scriptures as proof text to their cause such as:

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” –Matthew 7:7

Many-among them preachers of the “prosperity gospel”-believe that the focus of this verse is on receiving things, that is, that we will get whatever we ask for as long as we ask according to God’s will. While this is a true principle, if put in terms of materialism, it misses the real point Jesus intended because He never appeals to our vanity or instructs us to satisfy human nature’s selfish desires. I have a dear sister in Christ who laments that she is surrounded by false teachings of prosperity gospel and the dumbing down of the church with its feel good message, in direct conflict with scripture. It takes faith and courage not to be swept away by the lust of the flesh and the pride of life. This is what these modern churches are professing. It’s not about reaching the lost for Jesus Christ, but making churches social clubs, or not churches at all, but a shopping mall and coffee shops, and “hey, if you like this shopping experience, come to church and we’ll give you some more food for your fleshly appetite. Would you like some more coffee?” What is wrong with this picture?

God’s Word is about “giving to others” not “getting rich”. It’s a give Gospel, not a get gospel. Leading that person to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ as their only hope for eternal life should be every Christian’s priority focus. That is the way God has intended for each of us as Christians to work for His harvest of souls. We should be more concerned about reaching out to others to meet their needs, instead of hording riches in this life that will all eventually fade away, as so much dust in the wind anyway. What did Jesus say?

Matthew 6:19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

6:20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Sunday Morning Tele-Evangelist or TBN

I see many of these preachers on the Satanic box we have in the corner of most living rooms, called your TV, come on with their fancy station call letters, ie. TBN, (paid with God’s tithe) begging for more money. I remember back many years ago of PTL and Jim Bakker doing little preaching but begging for more money. Where was the instruction? Where was the teaching of the whole counsel of the Word of God? There was none of it. Then we went through the likes of Jimmy Swaggart and his indiscretions with a paid prostitute, twice. Today we have more wolves in sheep’s clothing that have entered into our midst and have perverted the Gospel to their own riches. Tele-Evangelism is big business and has made these men fabulously wealthy. I think of people like Joel Olsteen, Benny Hinn, Paul Crouch, Creflo Dollar, Kenneth Copeland and just about anybody that comes on this station called Trinity Broadcasting Network (sic) and utter a lot of false statements. They make me shutter with their arrogance and demanding that God give everyone the goose that laid the golden egg, or the fancy house, or the big car, expensive clothes, fancy jewelry and they want that all for you? Really? God warned us in His Word of such men:

Matthew 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

7:16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

7:17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

7:18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

7:19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

These tele-evangelist today are not ministers of God’s Word, but preach a “Purpose Driven Life” or Mo’ Money! They are professors and purveyors of the human pride and the need for “stuff.” They preach an aberration of God’s Word, and another gospel that Paul warned us about. Galatians,

1:6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:

1:7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

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

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.

When was the last time that you saw any of these slick preachers get up with open Bible in hand and preach the unadulterated truth of God’s Word? I’ve seen many of them, most of them with headsets on and speaking for hours and never, never quote scripture. NOT ONCE!! Does a Berean study of God’s Word support their oratory and fancy words? What do we hear if we sit in front of the box in your living room and listen to them for more than 5 minutes? We hear a social gospel and a feel good message of personal development, not Jesus Christ and Him crucified which they do not proclaim. They drone on about what you need to do to have the “good life” in this world, deal with depression that you don’t have the lastest gadget or the newest car out there, or get whatever else that you may want. You need a purpose, and they give you one, “get mo’ stuff”.

There’s only one catch, to get mo’ stuff, you must send them your mo’ money. Give till it hurts and hurts some more. Not just 10% or 20%, but give more as a sign of faith in the goodness of God. They call it “seed” money. Plant your seed and God will give you back more than you can give. They call upon this verse:

Luke 6:38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

Is this what our Lord was talking about that to give till it hurts to these ministries gives you a heads up on receiving from God whatever you can think of or pray for? I’ve heard so many people stand up and say that you just have to reach out and claim with both hands by speaking the words, and God will bring it to pass. That is the “Name it and Claim it” Theology dubbed Word of Faith. So many people miss what God is telling us through the Words of His Son when He spoke about giving to others. These preachers of a false gospel invoke a “Grandfatherly God” who gives His children whatever they desire. Or another one is that they hold God hostage in their misguided belief that God cannot refuse them anything, because He Said So!! So they think. God loves a cheerful giver who expects nothing in return, but to give in order to get ‘mo stuff” is misdirected and a sign of being selfish in your attitude and not about giving out of love of your neighbor!

AS YOU DO UNTO OTHERS….

Human nature tends to value the wrong things in life-to eat, drink, and be merry-things without eternal worth. Because of this temptation, people’s main anxiety concerns accumulating this world’s luxuries. A rich man may even be embarrassed by his inability to store his hoarded wealth, but he never considered using his riches for the benefit of others. Irishman Jonathan Swift observed, “Nothing is so hard for those who abound in riches as to conceive how others can be in want.” A generous person, however, sees the needs of others first

Proverbs 11:25-26;). The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.

11:26 He that withholdeth corn, the people shall curse him: but blessing shall be upon the head of him that selleth it.

11:27 He that diligently seeketh good procureth favour: but he that seeketh mischief, it shall come unto him.

We should sow goodness and generosity so we will reap the same as Paul said in:

Galatians 6:7-10,

6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

6:8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

Do we not see that if we are generous and think of others before our selves, that what we give to others individually will bring us friends and allies in this life, that when we need something, they are the first to be there to meet out needs in return?

Galatians 6:10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

I don’t begrudge giving for the help of brethren in need or want and neither should any Christian brethren. Nor do we turn away from helping our fellow man when the opportunity arises, but we give to the ministry as was done to the Levitical priesthood in the Old Testament for their work of ministering in the Temple in Jerusalem as they had no inheritance but the work of God. It is the same as meeting the needs of ministers who spread the Good News of the coming Kingdom of God, but not to the extent that these preachers mentioned live lavish lifestyles and fall into sins of the flesh that have been zealously, even with delight reported by our news media when one of them is caught “with his pants down” so to speak.

1st Timothy 5:17 Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.

5:18 For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward.

Adam Clarke comments here,

Almost every critic of note allows that double honor, here, signifies reward, stipend, wages. Let him have a double or a larger salary who rules well; and why? Because in the discharge of his office he must be at expense, in proportion to his diligence, in visiting and relieving the sick, in lodging and providing for strangers; in a word in his being given to hospitality which was required of every minister.

The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, on this same section, states,

Elders, those who directed the affairs of the church. Those who performed their functions well were worthy of double honor. Since the word honor (5092) in this case means compensation, remuneration ‘that which is paid in honor of another’s work ‘double honor probably refers to an honorarium or wage.

It says a wage because of expenses doing their duties of the office, requires being supported by the members under their ministry to promote the Kingdom of God, not riches that would embarrass most sane men of God, if they be of a true and upright soldier for promoting salvation through no other but Jesus Christ and His shed blood on Calvary. Ministers should be protecting the flock, not fleecing them, but leading them to a life found in Jesus Christ. They should not, must not take advantage of the poor soul who believes their unscriptural message and follows them due to ignorance of the Truth found in their Bible, which they may not even read or understand.

I have family members who have been caught up in the personality of these charlatans, because they are charismatic and speak a feel good gospel. Who doesn’t want to feel good about their life and a brighter future? It’s a terrible mindset that leads people to follow men, instead of God found in the pages of your bible. These are people who are unfamiliar with the scriptures, or they have been led astray by idolizing men in white suits and preacher haircuts used in many gospel quartets of the past. Don’t they look the part? Don’t they look “holy” to you? Don’t you just love to hear them speak and hang onto every word they say, punctuated with a quick “hallelujahs” or “praise the Lord.” They get you excited. You feel euphoric, giddy while clapping your hands in agreement and calling out “Amen, brother,” and then they hit you with the message they came for all along which is, I need your money in all their Elmer Gantry impersonations.

JESUS AND THE RICH YOUNG RULER

I am reminded of the rich man that came to Jesus and asked Him a question:

Matthew 19:16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?

19:17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

Reading on down, Jesus said:

19:21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.

19:22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.

19:23 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.

19:24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

Unlike what many of us would do, Christ avoids becoming mired in a dispute about the rich man’s claim that he has kept the law and what does he lack, but gets right to the bottom line: The young man’s love of the world. He tells him to sell his possessions, give the money away, and follow Him as a disciple. Yet, the young ruler was unwilling to do this. His treasure was here on earth. His money exerted a stronger tug on his heart than Jesus Christ did. Matthew Henry says in his commentary, “When we embrace Christ, we must let go of the world, for we cannot serve God and money.”

That is the unseen message that drives the Prosperity Gospel, the love of this world and the love of money and riches. The more we have in luxuries, the more we are tied to this world. The more we are intoxicated with the Prosperity Gospel and its promise of riches supplied by our following these men who preach another “gospel”, then the more we rely on ourselves and our ability to get wealth by holding God hostage and holding these men up as our examples of righteous living. Ultimately, the sad truth is more we will ignore what is the most important, or should be, in our lives. It is a dangerous road many have been led astray upon. We must seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness:

Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

6:34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Finally, my brethren and those who follow this teaching, turn to the only supplier of your every need and ask Him for what is best for your growth as a follower of Jesus Christ and His coming Kingdom here on earth. Remember in closing what Paul wrote in Philippians:

4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

– By Pastor Mike Taylor – http://www.churchofgod-usa.org/1/post/2013/07/prosperity-gospel.html

Profile of the Obsessed, Part 2

Posted: July 8, 2013 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, teaching, wilderness
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Sometimes I feel like when I make decisions that are remotely biblical, people who call themselves Christians are the first to criticize and say I’m crazy, that I’m taking the Bible too literally, or that I’m not thinking about my family’s well-being.

For example, when I returned from my first trip to Africa, I felt very strongly that we were to sell our house and move into something smaller, in order to give more away. The feedback I got was along the lines of “It’s not fair to your kids,” “It’s not a prudent financial choice,” and “You are doing it just for show.” I do not remember a single person who encouraged me to explore it or supported the decision at the time.

We ended up moving into a house half the size of our previous home, and we haven’t regretted it. My response to the cynics, in the context of eternity, was, am I the crazy one for selling my house? Or are you for not giving more, serving more, being with your Creator more?

If one person “wastes” away his day by spending hours connecting with God, and the other person believes he is too busy or has better things to do than worship the Creator and Sustainer, who is the crazy one? If one person invests her or his resources in the poor–which, according to Matthew 25, is giving to Jesus Himself–and the other extravagantly remodels a temporary dwelling that will not last beyond his few years left on this earth, who is the crazy one?

When people gladly sacrifice their time or comfort or home, it is obvious that they trust in the promises of God. Why is it that the story of someone who has actually done what Jesus commands resonates deeply with us, but we then assume we could never do anything so radical or intense? Or why do we call it radical when, to Jesus, it is simply the way it is? The way it should be?

Obsessed people are more concerned with obeying God than doing what is expected or fulfilling the status quo. A person who is obsessed with Jesus will do things that don’t always make sense in terms of success or wealth on this earth. As Martin Luther put it, “There are two days on my calendar: this day and that day” (Luke 14:25-35; Matt. 7:13-23; 8:18-22; Rev. 3:1-6).

Servers

As I shared in previous essays, I used to be driven by my fear of God. I also used to work hard to prove that I was committed to God. Now I have tremendous fear and awe of God, but that doesn’t motivate me. Now I work hard to serve God, but it isn’t to prove my devotion.

Now I think I’m actually in love. Maybe that sounds corny to you, but I can’t think of a more appropriate way to say it.

If a guy were dating my daughter but didn’t want to spend the gas money to come pick her up or refused to buy her dinner because it cost too much, I would question whether he were really in love with her. In the same way, I question whether many American churchgoers are really in love with God because they are so hesitant to do anything for Him.

People who are obsessed with Jesus do not consider service a burden. Obsessed people take joy in loving God by loving His people (Matt. 13:44;John 15:8).

Givers

Tears come to my eyes when I think about some of God’s people I have had the privilege to meet in the past few years. These are people with families, with dreams, people who are made in God’s image as much as you and I are. And these people are suffering.

Many of them are sick, some even dying, as they live out their lives in dwellings that we would not consider good enough for our household pets. I am not exaggerating. Much of their daily hardship and suffering could be relieved with access to food, clean water, clothing, adequate shelter, or basic medical attention.

I believe that God wants His people, His church, to meet these needs. The Scriptures are filled with commands and references about caring for the poor and for those who cannot help themselves. The crazy part about God’s heart is that He doesn’t just ask us to give; He desires that we love those in need as much as we love ourselves. That is the core of the second greatest command, to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt. 22:39).

He is asking you to love as you would want to be loved if it were your child who was blind from drinking contaminated water; to love the way you would want to be loved if you were the homeless woman sitting outside the cafe; to love as though it were your family living in the shack slapped together from cardboard and scrap metal.

Non-churchgoers tend to see Christians as takers rather than givers. When Christians sacrifice and give wildly to the poor, that is truly a light that glimmers. The Bible teaches that the church is to be that light, that sign of hope, in an increasingly dark and hopeless world. Matthew 5:16 says, “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

People who are obsessed with God are known as givers, not takers. Obsessed people genuinely think that others matter as much as they do, and they are particularly aware of those who are poor around the world (James 2:14-26).

Sacrificers

We cannot start believing that we are indispensable to God. According to the psalmist,

I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens, for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine. If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it…. Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High. — Psalm 50:9-12, 14

There is no way we can contribute or add to God. He has everything and is complete. When we are in God’s presence, all we can do is praise Him.Romans 11:35-36 says, “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.”

A person who is obsessed with Jesus knows that the best thing he can do is be faithful to his Savior in every aspect of his life, continually saying “Thank You!”to God. An obsessed person knows there can never be intimacy if he is always trying to pay God back or work hard enough to be worthy. He revels in his role as child and friend of God.

While these descriptions combined don’t necessarily answer the question of what it looks like to be wholly surrendered to God, they represent important pieces of the puzzle. Hopefully you are beginning to imagine and pray about what this looks like in your own life.

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Do you really know your Father who art in Heaven?

Posted: July 6, 2013 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, teaching, wilderness
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Many Christians today have never experienced the true intimacy of son-ship in having a relationship with God the Father. There are many who can only relate to God the Father thru the eyes of who their own earthly father was, thus they have a wrong perspective of God. Some may view Him as being a absent God because their own father was never there or left the home when they were a child. Others may view Him as a God of punishment their own earthly father was that way and the list goes on. In this Fathers day message I seek to pull down the barriers that separate so many from the awesome relation with Father God that Jesus Christ has paved the way for all His followers to experience.

Profile of the Obsessed, Part 1

Posted: July 1, 2013 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, teaching, wilderness
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Obsessed: To have the mind excessively preoccupied with a single emotion or topic.

The idea of holding back certainly didn’t come from Scripture. The Bible teaches us to be consumed with Christ and to faithfully live out His words. The Holy Spirit stirs in us a joy and peace when we are fixated on Jesus, living by faith, and focused on the life to come.

Lovers

I think sometimes we assume that if we are nice, people will know that we are Christians and want to know more about Jesus. But it really doesn’t work that way. I know a lot of people who don’t know Christ and are really nice people–nicer and more fun to be with, in fact, than a lot of Christians I know.

There has to be more to our faith than friendliness, politeness, and even kindness. Jesus teaches in Luke’s gospel:

If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even “sinner” love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even “sinners” do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even “sinners” lend to “sinners,” expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. — Luke 6:32-36

True faith is loving a person after he has hurt you. True love makes you stand out.

In October 2006, near Lancaster, Pennsylvania, a man stormed an Amish school and killed several girls. The day after the shootings, many Amish people visited the shooter’s family to say they had forgiven him. That sort of forgiveness is incomprehensible to the world; because of it, people have even accused the families of being bad parents, of not dealing properly with their anger, of living in denial.

It is just this sort of love that is crazy to the world: true love, a kind found nowhere but through Christ.

We are commanded to love our enemies and do good to them. Who are your enemies? Or, in terms we connect with better, who are the people you avoid or who avoid you? Who are the people who have hurt you or hurt your friends or hurt your kids? Are you willing to do good to those people? To reach out to them?

Oftentimes, my first response when someone does something to me–or worse, to my wife or to one of my kids–is retaliation. I don’t want to bless those who hurt me or people I love dearly. I wouldn’t want to forgive someone who walked into my daughter’s school and shot her and her friends.

But that is exactly what Christ asks us to do. He commands that we give without expecting anything in return.

Later in Luke, Jesus says, When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous. –Luke 14:12-14

Have you ever actually done anything like that? Do you give to those who cannot repay you? To those who would do you harm, if they could? To those who have already done you harm? This is Christ’s love. He gave us something for which we can never repay Him, and then He asks us to keep giving like He gives.

People who are obsessed with Jesus give freely and openly, without censure. Obsessed people love those who hate them and who can never love them back.

Risk Takers

Haven’t we all prayed the following prayer? Lord, we pray for safety as we travel. We ask that no one gets hurt on this trip. Please keep everyone safe until we return, and bring us back safely. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen. The exact wording may vary a bit, but that is the standard prayer we recite before leaving on mission trips, retreats, vacations, and business trips.

We are consumed by safety. Obsessed with it, actually. Now, I’m not saying it is wrong to pray for God’s protection, but I am questioning how we’ve made safety our highest priority. We’ve elevated safety to the neglect of whatever God’s best is, whatever would bring God the most glory, or whatever would accomplish His purposes in our lives and in the world.

Would you be willing to pray this prayer? God, bring me closer to You during this trip, whatever it takes.

People who are obsessed with Jesus aren’t consumed with their personal safety and comfort above all else. Obsessed people care more about God’s kingdom coming to this earth than their own lives being shielded from pain or distress.

Friends of All

Awhile back I had a free evening, so I decided to go to the store and buy some items to give away to those who needed them more than I do. It was a good idea, something I want my life to be characterized by more and more.

But it was embarrassing.

I realized that everyone I knew had enough, that I didn’t know many people who were truly in need, and that I needed to change that. I needed to go and intentionally meet people who don’t live like I do or think like I do, people who could never repay me. For their sake, but for my own as well.

First Timothy reaffirms that we are not to be controlled by money or to pursue it:

Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. — 1 Timothy 6:6-13

People who are obsessed with Jesus live lives that connect them with the poor in some way or another. Obsessed people believe that Jesus talked about money and the poor so often because it was really important to Him (1 John 2:4-6; Matt. 16:24-26).

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