We have got to learn to hate

"Jesus is THE TRUTH. The Bible is the TRUTH about THE TRUTH. Theology is the truth about the TRUTH about THE TRUTH." - Richard Wurmbrand.

Matthew 7:22-  ,"Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'" Have you ever really examined what this verse is saying? Who are these people that Jesus speaks of as if they are vile? Lets look at the three actions that they are performing:

1. Prophesy. To prophesy means simply to speak the truth. Truth is the same yesterday, today, and forever just as God is because God is truth. So these people are speaking the truth and doing it in Jesus' name, so I would think it is safe to say that they are speaking the truth about Jesus.

2. Drive out demons. It is incredible that they have authority over spiritual beings and powers but also that they have discernment of evil spirits. I think this is something that is lost and forgotten especially among the church of our day. Jesus and his disciples were casting out demons left and right in their day. Physical ailments all the way from muteness to seizures were attributed to demon possession. These days we give scientific reasoning for all sorts of physical ailments. There are many that we have no cure for or know the cause of for that matter, and yet we say, "It's just a physical deformity or ailment."

3. Perform many miracles. Like with demons, we don't even know what miracles are in America. It is not a miracle if you pray over someone's pneumonia and then they take antibiotics and medication and get well in three to four weeks. Jesus' miracles were immediate and spectacular. Jesus said,  " I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." These people are full of faith and belief.

So we have men and women that are speaking the truth, have spiritual discernment and power, and are full of faith. And they don't make it in to heaven? Then who can!? I think I know what is missing.

There has been much confusion, it seems, from day one about the Judgement and who qualifies to be apart of Jesus' kingdom. It usually comes down to an arbitrary form of goodness, or a list of do's and don'ts or pure grace with no requirements. It is actually all of these and none of these at the same time. Under the Law, the Old Covenant, we were required to fulfill the whole law to be guiltless. It was established through one man, Adam, and so had to be and was fulfilled through one man, Jesus. I want to say at this point, God doesn't owe you anything. I say it again. God doesn't owe you anything! But He wants something, you.

So He established a new deal. If you love me, you can be with me. This is the simple truth of it. Do you want to go to Heaven? Love Jesus. That's it. But what does it mean to love Jesus?

1. You have to love what He loves.

2. You have to hate what He hates.

Jesus said, ""He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters."

The issue of alcohol is still debated among many. The Bible never says not to drink. It says don't be a drunk. But, many argue that it is only a matter of time or a matter of stepping over a line before that happens. Or that alcohol is only used to medicate emotional issues. This is not my problem. I love a mixed drink, it tastes good. Or a good beer is great when I'm tired and hot. I enjoy the stress relieving result of drinking alcohol as much as anyone who eats comfort food. I hate, capital H HATE being drunk. The feeling of losing control, dizziness, loss of inhibition and motor function. Becoming drunk or becoming a drunk will never be a fear or risk for me because I loath it like cleaning a clogged toilet  with my bear hand. There are those that this is not true for and Paul addresses that in Corinthians 8.

The point in this is: It is great that you love what is good. But do you hate what is evil? Do you long for the day when Jesus' righteousness will rule? Great. But do you also long with all you being for the day when all unrighteousness is destroyed? Consider this list of evil doers who will not inherit the kingdom:

"The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;  idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions  and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God." - Galatians 5:19-21

"Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God." - 1 Corinthians 6:9-10

"Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.  They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips,  slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents;  they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless.  Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them." - Romans 1:28-31

I highlighted a few things in these verses to point out that orgies, gays, and God-haters are grouped together with people that disobey their parents!

God loves the people He created. He created us in His image; and so we can gather a lot of insight into His character just by looking around us. If there was a person that every time they entered you home the beat you, raped your wife, tortured your children, stole you possessions, and defecated on the floor would you allow them into your house? As a Christian we would not hate them, but we sure wouldn't invite them in. God is the same. Have you ever been hurt by a friend, brought the injury before them and then they treated it flippantly and just kind of told you to get over it? This is what many are doing to God and I believe those from the passage in Matthew that I quoted at the beginning are doing and why he says I never knew you. He wants everyone to be a part of His kingdom. But He will not force us if we don't want to. Nor will he invite us if we do not love what He love and hate what He hates.

Grace is not meant to be a license for sin. This seems obvious and yet we give grace for certain lifelong sins because it doesn't seem important to us and so we assume it is not important to God. We tone down the truth to make it more inclusive and easier to swallow. But God isn't interested in being inclusive or easily acceptable. He has a desire and vision for His kingdom, but we will only be welcome if we desire the same things. Jesus said, "I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." He didn't try to convince anyone of anything while He walked the Earth. He spoke the truth and if you agreed, come, if you don't, don't. God understands that we are limited weak beings. He created us. He is coming to destroy all sin and make everything new. He is happy to do it for you and I, but you have to want Him to do that as well or you will not be apart of it. You can't take the kingdom of God and then do as you wish with. It is not ours, we do not have rights to it. And God cannot be deceived. He will not allow us in to be a divisive force.

Feel free to comment or ask questions!
There is a verse in the Bible that is ignored or read over quickly almost always by all. We don't like it. We don't want to think about it. We rationalize why it can't be true or mean what it means. And yet it stands there steady as a mountain. A light of truth that cannot be snuffed out.

"But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." - Matthew 7:14. Most, MOST people will not be saved. Let that sink in. Most people will not be saved. Those making it in the kingdom of God will be a minority. A small group compared to those on the other side of the judgement throne.

God is a God of absolute morality. There are things that are unacceptable and always will be unacceptable. If we participate in them we are clearly not on God's side. But if we do not condemn them and take a stance against them we are guilty of passive rebellion. If the enemy is storming the castle, and he is, and you just don't resist or you don't sound the alarm; you didn't attack the kingdom, but you are just as guilty as those who did and will be lined up before the executioner with the rest. Love what God loves, but we must, must hate what God hates. We are the bride, He is the groom. Our wedding day is coming which makes this our engagement period. The engagement period is for practicing marriage. You are not yet rewarded with all the benefits of marriage, but are required to participate in faithfulness and decision making as if you were married. Do not prostitute yourselves out to the world and so commit adultery against your groom. Live in submission to God as He has commanded a wife to live to her husband. Love what your groom loves and hate what your groom hates. A house divided against itself cannot stand and He will not allow His house to fall.

Jesus is just good math

Math is the best. Try and argue with me and I'll give you a theorem to prove it! Seriously though, I love math more than any intellectual subject for one reason: There is only one right answer. It may be hard to get to that answer, but once it is found there is no debate about. It doesn't matter how you feel about it or what you want to be right or even what some expert says about it. It is either right or wrong. Also, there are concrete rules that guide how you do math. All you have to do is follow the rules and you will find the right answer.

          When I became a Christian I was eleven years old and had never picked up a Bible for more than a few seconds at a time and didn't do much more than flip through it. I didn't have parents that were grounded in the Word. As a matter of fact, my father thinks that reading the Bible makes you a worse Christian. I didn't have any personal drive for it either and then I was given the one of the biggest blessings and trials of my life to date. I was sent to Pinehaven Christian's Children's Ranch. The Ranch is a program for seriously troubled kids. It is located in the middle of nowhere in Montana and is completely isolated from the world. I was there from thirteen to eighteen years old. Their rules and punishments were very strict. I wasn't an outwardly rebellious kid, but I was a know-it-all and that didn't fly well there. I was grounded for basically the first two years I was there. Grounded there means no sugar, no laughing, no talking. You can't even include yourself in others conversations. You basically have to act like you don't exist. The only book you are allowed to read is the Bible.

         I love to read, so I spent two years sitting in a corner reading the Bible for about eight hours a day, seven days a week, fifty-two weeks a year front to back and everything in between. At first it was just a reading exercise for me. I didn't really grasp what I was reading. But the more and more I read, the more and more I understood and was able to see how it was all interconnected. But the most flabbergasting thing I found was the requirements of a Christian and the requirements of the Church, it's function, and organization. The things I read did not at all match up to the 'Christians' I was being instructed by everyday or the church I attended twice a week. Though I was vocal about it at the time I wasn't fired up with righteous indignation. I figured that they were just isolated, this wasn't how the rest of the Church was, and it wasn't really a big deal anyway. I would just love my Lord with all I had and be ready and willing when I was released back into the world.

         Once I was back in the real world I found more lively churches and thought the problem was solved. But my love of math started causing problems for my spiritual life. The more I 'worked' this equation of life and Jesus the more things were not adding up. I didn't have a final answer to check my work with but, as anyone seasoned in a field would know, I knew this wasn't going the right way. But I still held my tongue. I was still fairly new to the 'real' world and knew and realized I had a very limited view on life. Jesus has poured mercy on me for my ignorance, so who was I to judge others for what I didn't fully understand myself?

        I moved to Arkansas in 2004 a little before my 20th birthday. The next two years were unstable and wavering years for me. I felt I had missed out on a lot of fun and indulged myself to the fullest. I didn't take long for me to realize how unfulfilling  a self-serving life was. I went back to the only life and happiness I had ever know, Jesus. And go back I did. I rehashed and brought back the massive scriptural knowledge I had amassed as a teenager and truly devoted my heart, soul, mind, and strength to my Lord. In 2006 I enrolled in Applied Life Christian College and was attending Christian Ministries Church that it was attached to. It seemed I had found what I had been looking for. This church was full of people of all ages and people that seemed very excited and passionate about Jesus. The college was centered around hashing out the scripture and learning what it means to be a disciple. Their motto was "Doers of the Word" based on James 1:22. But, something still just didn't seem quite right. It seemed... forced.  Just before the spring semester started I attended the One Thing conference at the International House Of Prayer or IHOP in Kansas City, MO.

        I liked what they had going on at the church and college, but IHOP. Wow. The premise of IHOP is how David had 2,000 men and women who's sole job was to pray and worship before the Lord 24 hours a day without ceasing. And these people have capital P Passion. This had to be the life that Jesus was talking about. I encountered Jesus in a way I had never thought possible. I had always had a check in my spirit about the churches I attended and christians I met because their lives did not match up with the faith and power that the Apostles and early christians basked in. But now it all felt possible. I came back to Arkansas and did one semester at ALCC. By the time summer of 2007 came around the fire for the church and college had died down and the shine had worn off of what they had going on. After spending six months with them I could tell this was the same institutional, religious spirit I had been seeing all along.

         At this point I thought the only answer was to get back to IHOP. They were the only people I had ever been around that seemed to be actually living the Word as it was written. Their leader Mike Bickle is an excellent speaker and very insightful with a commanding knowledge of scripture. He has spent the last 30 years devoted to prayer. The worship is the most real and heartfelt I have ever experienced. It all seemed to be spot on from a distance. I wanted to be there more than anything but the Lord seemed to be shutting every door that would lead me to Kansas City. I was able to return to the One Thing conference at the end of 2009. Something was different. I don't know if it was there the first time I was there or if something changed, but something was wrong, very wrong.

           They had given themselves over to a spirit of possession. During their corporate prayer sessions people were acting drunk, having seizures, jerking their bodies and heads in repetitive violent motions and were crediting this all to the Holy Spirit. This behavior is seen commonly in another place, the Hindu religion.  I have seen all kinds of manifestation and signs that have been attributed to the Holy Spirit. There is no Biblical evidence or precedent for this behavior, but the most solid evidence against this is my own testimony. Not that I can prove it to you, but I love Jesus with everything that I am. I want nothing but to know Him, honor Him, and to be found faithful to what He has charged me with. I went to One Thing with an open heart to receive. I don't care how ridiculous or unpopular being a christian makes me. I have often said, "If to be saved Jesus said I had to make love to chickens, I would be a chicken lover." When these manifestations began they had no power over me. I felt no pull to participate. Any time the Holy Spirit has shown up in the Bible the consequences were not optional. The presence of God floors people across the board, not just those who want to be floored. But I did want to be floored. I wanted to be over whelmed. But this was not of the Holy Spirit and it literally made me sick to be in the room with these people.

         I have said all this to say this: "By their fruit you will recognize them."   Some other quotes of Jesus are, "If you love me, you will obey my commands." and "He who is not with me is against me." What are these things that Jesus requires of us? I have a compiled a list that I will leave a link to at the end of this.This is not the end all of commands. You are not guaranteed a place at the wedding feast if you follow all of these. But these are the guidelines by which we do the 'math' of Jesus. The right answer will be found inside these commands. Read carefully through these commands of Jesus. First, forget everything you have ever know or been taught about Christianity or the Church. Clear your mind as if you were from another planet and were hearing everything for the first time.  It will shock you how the church has been spitting in their Lord's face. The reason I started with the math analogy is because their is an enormous difference between failing in what the Lord requires and reasoning away why we don't have to follow what Jesus clearly commanded. Between not doing the math properly and trying to create your own system or rules. One is a matter of mercy, the other a matter of rebellion.

         I was discussing this with my wife and she said, "Most people don't know that they are following something wrong." and it does seem like ignorance would be a good excuse. But it is not an excuse at all because our source of information and wisdom does not come from man. It doesn't matter who is controlling the flow of information because we don't receive from man. If your heart, mind, eyes and ears are tuned to Jesus you cannot be fooled. Jesus said, "My sheep know my voice." and "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit , whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things  and will remind you of everything I have said to you." I am not a scholar. The greatest claim I have is that I have read the Bible thoroughly and have prayed and prayed for knowledge and discernment. I am just an average guy that has read the truth and sees the truth. Anyone who opens their heart to the Lord will see the same thing I see, because it comes from the same Spirit. I have nothing to gain from this. I not an anti-establishment guy. I am a legalist if anything. But the church is either deathly sick or dead already and obviously so to anyone that wants to open their eyes. That Day is fast approaching and many will stand before the Lord and say, "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?"and He will say, "I never knew you."

        I'm not going to tell you what a Godly Church or Christian looks like because I don't have to. Just like Nebuchadnezzar didn't have to tell Daniel his dream, so you will receive the truth from the same Spirit that I did. He meant what He said and if you do not take it upon yourself to seek the truth regardless of the cost there will not be mercy.  There is no way of interpreting, rationalizing, or reasoning it away. I'm not here to convince you. I'm here to call you out. Be holy, set apart, for He is Holy. What many call the Church is not holy. It is indulgent and self serving. Not obeying the Lord isn't harmless or inconsequential. It's monumental and will determine your fate in the next life. There will not be any mercy for rebellion, whether it be passive or aggressive. There is only one model, one right answer that Jesus meant for His Church to be. Will we fail the test? There is no retake.


Feel free to comment or ask questions!

What the Church is, what the Church is not.

There is a chruch down the road from my house that has this on it's marque: "The church is not a hotel for saints, it is a hospital for sinners." This doesn't sound bad at first glance. But what really is the function of the church? Who really belongs in it?

For starters, the chruch is not a building. It is not programs or services. It is not full time staff, paid or unpaid. It is not people who claim to know Christ. The church is a people group as much as hispanics describes a people group regardless of their place of residence. There are not any unbelievers or false prophets in the church as their lack of allegience to Jesus automatically excludes them. And there is no need for a building or leader, as we already have a leader in Christ and the Holy Spirit.

Jesus said, "For where two or more come together in my name, there I am with them." and "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." If these things are true then why is almost every church in America set up like a funnel? All teaching, leadership, and council comes though or has to be approved by the pastor. Jesus is supposed to be the head of the church. Everyone has equal access to His truth and guidance. We as church members are all supposed to be recieving from Him equally. Yes, everyone has different gifts. But when did the pastor get elevated to such a position of authority? 

The word pastor that we see in Ephesians 4:11 is poimen. It is used only once in the entire Bible. ONCE! The word simply means shepherd. Biblically speaking, a shepherd is the loweliest of postions. It is often left to children! And that word does not mean teacher. The other positions mentioned in that verse are apostles, prophets, evangelists, and teachers. And these are positions Paul says are given to everyone.

We live in a slothful, lazy society. We like everything to be handed up to us on a silver plater like we are a bunch of princes and prinicesses. Think about the typical Sunday morining for most "Christians". They show up to a building they had no part in building. They walk in the doors and are greeted and given bullitens like they are congressmen entering the house or senate floor. The sit in chiars or pews they did not arrange, set out, or maintain. A band serves up for them pre-arranged music. The lights go up, the lights go down. The air is conditioned hot and cold. A man stands up front tells them whats right, wrong, and what God's revelation for the week is with no ability to question or challange him in the moment while everyone else is soaking it up. Then they are dismissed until they are welcomed again. People brag about their churches missions, outreach, and youth groups. But what does the massive majority of attenders have to do with what goes on with the function of this "church". 

I think Jesus had it right. If we ever had an example of what church is supposed to look like it was Jesus and his diciples. He spent day in and day out with them. He lived with them ,ate with them, worked, played, preached, and weeped with them. And, there was only twelve of them. Now, if God himself only saw fit to take on twelve apprentices where do we get the gall and arrogance to take on hundreds, if not thousands? 

Christianity is not a buffet. You don't go though at you own pace, pick out what you like and call it a meal. It is meant to be life consuming. You are a follower of Christ and then __________. Fill in the blank. And just as Jesus entrusted His task of dicipleship to His diciples. So should we. If a man has an anoiting from the Lord to be an Apostle then he should take on no more than twelve men under him. And their lives should be so entwined that they are insepreable. And when those are qualified, should go on to do the same with others. This is how diciples are to be made. 

Now, for the role of the gathered believers in this, aka the Chuch. The Church is simply a gathering of believers. It may be big, it may be small. But it is not the teaching, preaching, worshiping corporate outlet. There should be many teachers, preachesr, prophets, and apostles. The church should assemble together and anyone who has a word of prophecy, teaching, or worship should share it. And we should all look together to Christ for guidance. This gathering should happen in homes or parks or public spaces. There is no reason for there to be so many multi-million dollar buildings with the word church on them scattered across the country. I'm sure the exact amount of money spent would be staggering and sickening. We were never charged with setting up shop and getting comfortable. 

The church is not a hotel for saints, because we are not supposed to be stationary in this life. And it is not a hospital for sinners because the gathering of believers is not for unbelievers. Unbelievers are to be won in the streets, in our homes and workplaces. We are to preach the message of Christ to everyone. Those who see the truth and repent are to be welcomed into our lives and homes to be dicipled. Then, as diciples, join the gathering of believers. 

Don't take my word for it. Go back, with an open mind, and re-read the New Testament; more specifically the epistles. It is obvious that what we call church is nothing like what the early church had. Nor is dicipleship anything like the model Jesus gave us. This impersonal, rush'em in - rush'em out dicipleship is shallow and useless. Abandon the buildings. Stop depending on these Walmarts of Christianity to serve up your spiritual needs at a low low price and to take care of all the gruling, dirty details. Stop being isolationist and bring people into your lives and homes. Seriously, have them sleep on your couch if you don't have an extra bed for them. Live together, work together, play together, worship together, pray together. Heck, act like you are all of the same family! We are on this Earth for one purpose and one purpose only: to know Jesus and obey Him. We will be spending eternity doing things His way one way or another. It is about time we started practicing that in this life.

Feel free to comment or ask questions! 

Don't believe it! Because you can't prove it.

"The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood." - John 1:5

I've been involved in debates from time to time over orgins of life, scriptual veracity, theology, and many other topics orbiting around the issue of God. Some debaters are good speakers, some bring compelling evidence, and some are just convinced and cannot see beyond that. I believe with all of my being that God created life knowing what would happen before it began. I don't think it is out of control or He stepped in after things started going haywire and is now trying to recover something that was lost. He gave us this life with all the information in it on purpose. It seems perfectly logical to me that if you have a God who desires free will that he wouldn't overwhelm us with evidence for Himself and thereby leave us without a choice. There is enough evidence to go either way in any of these areas of debate. It really depends on what you want to believe. 

I didn't start our believing in God. You could say I come from a Christian background, but nothing was ever taught in my home and we rarely and inconsistantly attended chruches of all persuasions. I have always been an analytical person. I don't easily accept things that don't make a lot of sense. I started my spiritual journey believeing there was a force out there bigger than me, but wholly secular and evolutionist outside of that. Most, if any, that knew me as a young man would not recognize me on paper. I don't intend to spark up a debate on here. I do enjoy the intellectual exercise that a debate brings purely for athletic purposes, if you will allow me to use that word in that way. But, I have no desire to convice anyone of anything; and I don't think Jesus did either. Romans 8:28-29 says,  

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those that love Him and are called according to His 

purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers."

and in Matthew 13:11-12, 

"He replied, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him."

These verses show that we can only know the truth of God by being given it. It cannot be taken or discovered. They also show that God already knows who will accept Him and who will not and that He is only interested in the ones He will be spending eternity with. When you read Jesus' interactions while on this Earth there are obviously two camps. The diciples who He painstakingly explains things to. And everyone else, who it seems He is only saying the things He did so that there is evidence against them, not so that they will understand. I think we should do the same. 

Don't be caught up in the rehtoric and endless arguments. I have been watching Creation/Evolution debates on youtube tonight and have posted some links below. The evidence is there but it doesn't matter what you say because you are not actually debating science with these people. You are debating theology because by accepting Intelligent Design/Creationism they must accept a Designer/Creator and that is what they refuse to do. Most want to skip the extremely basic and foundational science that pulls the rug out of underneath evolution right off the bat and transition into a mocking tone talking about a God in the sky, supernatural, and the Bible.

Every man and woman will be judged by the motivations of the heart because many 'moral' issues could be labeled either good or evil based on your reasons for doing so. Not everyone in the world has access to the wealth of information that we do and they will be judged accordingly, but we here in the US have no excuse. There is no explaination for life other than evolution or a creator. If it can be proven that it all started by a designer, then it behooves you to search out who that designer is and what he wants. Jesus said in Matthew 7:7,

          "Ask and it shall be given, seek and you shall find, knock and the door shall be opened to you."

Evolution is a religion as much as Christianity is. It interprits the data to support itself and takes great leaps of faith in the face of opposition.  Open you heart and mind and ask yourself why you enter the arena with a predisposed bias. Why is one or the other so repulsive that you will not even consider the evidence? Is it you hatred of God and desire to be the master of you own universe? It is frightening to think that we will be held accountable for all of our actions, words, and thoughts. Hatred of the truth  doesn't make it any less true. If I told you there is an office 500 feet above the peak of Mt. Everest would call me a liar and say it is impossible? Or would you see if a foundation had been laid on top of the mountain? And if a foundation is there, is there a first floor? And so on. If the foundation is gone there is no need to look for the upper floors of theology. But if the foundation is there don't scoff at the 50th floor before you examine if everything in between is evident and factual. You must either pass by or go through everything in between before you can discredit the higher tenants of a idea. And you must start at the begining, because if the foundation is wrong or gone the whole house of cards comes down. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7kSU1SpVYc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wr6uvUNJLww&feature=related

Feel free to comment or ask questions!

Manufactured miracles

"The single greatest cause of atheism today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, then walk out the door and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable." -Brennan Manning

This is a very familiar and used quote. I got it from the intro to 'What if I stumble' by DC Talk. It is a simple and very evident truth to everyone but Christians apparently. Though much could be said about the dual lifestyle that many "Christians" live, I don't want to talk about the good and the evil that is there. I want to talk about the good and the good that isn't there. 

Let me start with this:  I 100% believe the Bible and all the miracles there-in. I absolutely believe in Jesus and all that He did and have no qualms in my spirit. I believe in everything Jesus did. It makes sense to me. But when I look around at the Christians today trying to be like Jesus it just looks like a joke. When Jesus launched His ministry, and ever as far back as when He was twelve years old, everyone knew there was something different about the way He lived and taught. They said He taught as one with authority. Everyone is familiar with this concept. If a 6ft. 6in. 250lb man stepped into a crowd, drew a line, and told no one to cross it there wouldn't be a lot of takers on that challenge because he has the obvious authority to back up his implied threat. If a 5ft. 6in 140lb man did the same he would have to jump up and down screaming at the top of his lungs, red faces, drool running down his chin, blood shot eyes with a general look of crazy mixed in there to get even a remotely similar reaction as the larger man. Many in the Church are the second man. Jesus is the first. 

The word for all this is hype. To over do everything to make people believe you've got more going on than is the case. When I first moved to Arkansas eight years ago I attended an Apostolic Pentecostal chruch. They believed that speaking in tongues was a sign of salvation and then reverse interprited that to mean that if you didn't speak in tongues you weren't saved. They 'took authority' over demons and diseases. They prayed blessings over people affairs and travels all to no avail. The poor youth of this chuch were so desperate to not go to hell they would shout out nonsense and play all the games the Church taught them just to prove they had Jesus. And if you asked them I'm sure they would have swarn that the Holy Spirit made them do it but you could see a look of guilt and fear in all of their eyes.

Why pray for everyone to be healed, rich, and popular? It may not be what God wants and you give people a false sense of hope and who and what God is by doing so. There is harm in it. I was at IHOP(International House of Prayer) this last Sunday and was getting over a sinus infection that had caused me to lose my voice. The people sitting next to us took it upon themselves to pray that God heal me and restore my voice. I didn't have the heart to turn them down, maybe I should have. God very well could have been the one to cause me to lose my voice. I am rather outspoken and have stepped out of line on occation. Maybe God just wanted me to be silent for a weekend. Maybe it was just a bug, who knows? But this I do know: I trust God to take care of me and lead me where I should go because no matter what I do I am not strong enough or wise enough to even know what is good for me, much less what His will is. So anything that happens to me, good or bad, is His will. 

Jesus said you know a tree by it's fruit. An obvious sign of true believers throughout history and the Bible is miracles and answered prayer. We all want to believe that God hears us and that we are approved in His eyes. But we are so prideful and full of self-love that we can't see the obvious conclusion that our lives present: We are not what God wants. We are not only signing our own condemnation by sitting in willful blindness, but are destroying the faith of the non and new believers around us. When we preach messages on prosperity, protection, security, and peace we are pledging something we cannot deliever and making fools of ourselves in the process.

First of all, God not only will allow you to suffer, He means for you to. Dispite what psycologists of our day would say, children need physical, painful punishments. It is how God has always dealt with His people. It wasn't because of first covenate, second covenate business. The blood of Christ has nothing to do with God trying to get your attnetion because of your on-going sins. God has struck people with disease, disaster, ruin and death in response to their actions all the way back to Adam and Eve. Suffering builds character. Say, just as Job did, "The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord." 

Second, it comes with a reward, Earthly and Heavenly.  God knows everyday before it begins. He has planned this all out from the beginning. If you trust in Him, be thankful for all that comes your way. You have no idea where it could lead and what good will become of it in the end. The trials and fire of life bring purity. It is only though intense and sustained heat that gold can be melted so that the dross with rise to the surface and can be removed. If you are a going through a trial, it might be because of something you did. But, it might not. For all we can tell Job didn't do anything wrong to deserve what he got. Actually, God said he was the best of the best, no one else like him. So why did God do that to him? Because all though Job wasn't defunkt, he was incomplete. The Lord used it to build something in Job. 

I am so sick of hearing testamonials about how God took away people's ingrown toe nails. "We prayed over it and BOOM. Two weeks later it was all better. Amazing!" I can't tell you how many prayers or 'healing' services I have witnessed with people praying over every kind of affliction and sorrow with zero results. The miracle isn't in how God micromanages our lives. The miracle is in how He will erradicate evil in and around us without erradicating us. 

Please, Please! Stop pretending like you have a direct link to the Holy Spirit's stock pile of power. You don't. Trust in God. All things come from His hand. Petition the Lord with your cares and concerns. But when He gives, be thankful. And when He doesn't, be thankful. Stop spiritually jumping up in down in the chruches trying to convince everyone you are powerful just so that you can stroke your own ego.

Feel free to comment or ask questions! 

Truthiness from movies

If you haven't seen the movie IRobot, you should. Aside from it being a great movie, there is a rock solid concept for Christians in it: The Three Laws. The three laws in the movie define the robots actions to keep them from going rogue. They are appearantly so perfect that they are the only three rules needed to guide their actions into flawless service of their masters. We as Christians have an equivalent: The Bible. 

So many people have so many ideas on truth it is nauseating. It is easy to point to many of their fundamental flaws, but others are not so easy. The greatest deceptions come packaged in 95% truth, as the Devil taught us in the garden. The solution is two fold:

1. Read and memorize the Bible. We have varing personal degrees of importance for this, but if you find the Bible valid at all consider Deuteronomy 11, specifically 18-20: Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. 

God wants us to be obsessed with His word, so much that we wear it on our bodies and write it all over our homes. There are so many theologies and ideas based on only certain parts of the Bible, but not the whole. God never contradicts Himself, neither should our theology. 

2. Live by it no matter how rediculous and crazy it may seem.Spock in the new Star Trek movie has a great quote: " Once you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth. "  First off, if you follow Jesus, the world will hate you, the Devil will be after you, and you are going to have trouble. So if you ever think that something can't be God's will because it is painful, unpleasant, or offensive you are starting off with the wrong mentality. His will will always be those things in this world and life. Second, If God said we have to make love to chickens to be saved, ya know what? I would be a chicken lover. God IS going to ask you to do things that put you in between a rock and a hard place for that very purpose. Just read the Old Testament! He was always backing the Israelites into corners so that when their deliverance came they couldn't claim any credit for it.

With this said, the Bible does not teach you everything you need to know for life. I know, I'll wait while you all gasp. But it does define the boundries such as the Three Laws do for the robots. Every heretical argument I have ever heard always begins with a ever so slightly skewed interpritation of a particular passage that under closed examination doesn't line up with the rest of the Word. But, in of itself it doesn't seem all that harmful or wrong. It is on that skewed foundation that concept after concept is built using part truth after part truth until the final product is brazenly in opposition to the Word of God, but the creators feel justified because they have built every step on some part of the Word.

Read books by every author you can get your hands on; any blog, essay, or sermon. But know the Word as the Berans did (Acts 17). And never develop a hard heart on things that are not clearly defined in scripture. I'm not saying be swayed by every wind that comes through, but keep in mind that, historically, every generation stands for something wrong, all the way back to the beginning. Even Paul had to rebuke Peter. Peter!!! Because he was discriminating against the Gentiles. The point of life is not to fit in, but to be an outcast. It is what our Lord was and is to this world and it is what we should accept and welcome even among our chruched breathern. Stephen Cobert coined a phrase that made it into the paper the other day. It is, "Truthiness". How true something can seem, though it be wrong. Beware of the truthiness of the world.

Feel free to comment or ask questions! 

Respond before the Devil steals your seeds

             The title of this blog reflects a passion of my heart: the proper response to the Lord, lest you lose what you have gained. I urge you, before you read on, read 2 Kings 22-23:27. The key verse in that passage is 23:25, "Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the Lord as he did-with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses." When Josiah heard the word of the Lord he tore his robes and immediately got to the business of bringing righteousness back to Judah no matter what the cost.

             Jesus tells a parable in Matthew 13:3-8 of the different types of soil that exist in the human heart. The one I want us to zero in on is the soil of the path. It is packed down with the everyday troddings of life. When a concept or idea is presented to us, if we let it linger, it is automatically imprinted in us with time. It is unavoidable. It is not a bad thing. If we were constantly questioning and changing our foundations nothing would ever be built. But how hard it is to change what you have built upon when it has existed for so long! The Devil understands this very well. Jesus says that when seed was thrown on the path the birds quickly snatched it up.

Jesus goes on later in the chapter to explain exactly what the parable meant. In verse 19 he says,

"When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path." We are presented with the truth everyday. How do you respond to it? Do you log it for meditation on a later date? Do you assume the seed will be thrown again for you to digest when you feel you have the time? Or do you immediately drive it deep into your soil though it be painful, traumatic, and disrupting as driving a seed in packed soil would be?

          
             There are so many false prophets and corrupt leaders all around us today. They are springing up like weeds in an untended field. They are also predators looking to steal your seed. Don't wait for the Devil to steal the truth from you. Don't wait for false prophets to rationalize and trick you into throwing it away yourself. The thing about seeds is that the first thing they do is take root. And the deeper the roots the stronger and heartier the plant is; and the more it can withstand attacks and droughts.

Be a Josiah, Paul, or Zacchaeus. God loves passion. He says in Revelations 3:15, "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth." Did you catch that? He wishes that you were not even a Christian than to be half-hearted! He can work with cold. But, if you are going to be a believer he requires total submission, total abandonment. Remember Luke 14:33, "In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple." There are no consolation prizes or participator awards at the end of this race. Either you do it or don't. If you don't want to do it I urge you to live your life fully for yourself and do everything you can to make yourself happy regardless of the consequences, because this is the only happiness you will get. If you are going for it, leave this world behind, when you hear the truth repent, respond, and mourn. Don't give the Devil a chance.

Feel free to comment or ask questions!