"I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: 'The righteous will live by faith.'" - Romans 1:16-17
This week, as many around the world celebrate what is called the "Christian Holy Week," I wonder how many people could explain what Jesus did on the cross and the significance of His resurrection and ascension for all who believe. We use the word "gospel" a lot in the church. Jesus said, "This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come" (Matthew 24:14). But what IS the Gospel?
A quote from long ago says something like this: "Preach the gospel at all times, and if necessary, use words." That fits with today's definition of the gospel: that it is good news of the kingdom of God, the reign of God, and as such it invades our world and overcomes the effects of sin and evil. Doing good deeds in the name of Jesus, as the Holy Spirit guides and empowers those who are followers of Jesus, is what the "social gospel" is all about. The Bible talks about the importance of doing good deeds. Jesus said, "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and praise your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). But is THIS the Gospel? Can the Gospel, whatever it is, really be "preached" without speaking? What is this "gospel" that must be proclaimed as a testimony to all nations?
One need not look too far to find the answer. Jesus said, "God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). Following His resurrection from the dead, Jesus said, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in His name to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem" (Luke 24:46-47).
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not just ANY proclamation of God or of some spiritual kingdom. Those who declare that they preach the "full gospel," then point to speaking in tongues and miracles and healing as the "full gospel" misunderstand at best, and misrepresent at worst, what the GOSPEL really is. Does God do miracles? Yes! Do you have to "sow a financial seed to prove your faith" first? No! God hears His children when they pray and answers according to His will, in the way that will bring Him the most glory ... sometimes bringing healing through various means, sometimes giving strength to endure and to testify to His faithfulness to those in need. God may also, at times, give people a supernatural ability to speak another language in order to communicate the Gospel. But none of these IS the Gospel - certainly not the "full gospel." In fact, they may be and are oftentimes a distraction from the real Gospel of Jesus Christ.
In his letter to the Romans, the Apostle Paul wrote: "I am not ashamed of the Gospel ..." Why did he say that? If the Gospel is doing good deeds, or even doing a miracle, you certainly wouldn't be ashamed of that, so why did Paul, inspired by the Spirit of God, feel the need to say, "I am not ashamed of the Gospel?"
It was because the MESSAGE of the Gospel contradicted what Paul had been proclaiming as a Pharisee, as a religious teacher of the Jews. He had taught that the way to approach God was through a rigid obedience to the law. One could only be justified, declared righteous before God, be GOOD ENOUGH to earn eternal life, through good works. The Pharisees believed their own righteousness was a model for the people to follow and that they were righteous in the sight of God. This is why Jesus made them angry when He told them that their righteousness was not enough. "Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees and Teachers of the Law you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:20).
The message Paul preached, the true Gospel, was a new message, a different message - a message that stood opposed, contrary to the message of the Pharisees and of every religion known to mankind. As it turned out, the Pharisees had misunderstood the message of the Old Testament. The Law of God was never intended to produce a righteousness that could stand before God. Rather, through the law came the knowledge of sin and the need for a Savior. "Therefore, no one will be declared righteous in His sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin" (Romans 3:20). "The law was 'put in charge' to lead us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith" (Galatians 3:24).
The Gospel, then, has to do with righteousness. The good news is "first for the Jew and then for the Gentile" (Romans 1:16). Everyone needs the same thing: "In the Gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: 'The righteous will live by faith'" (Romans 1:17, Habakkuk 2:4).
How can this be? How do those who believe in Jesus become "righteous by faith"? Paul uses the example of Abraham in Romans 4:3-16, pointing back to Genesis 15:6: "Abraham believed, and it was credited to him as righteousness." The Gospel has to do with righteousness - a righteousness that can stand before the judgment seat of God! God provided a substitute for those who believe in Jesus Christ. Paul would say to the Corinthians, "I preached Christ and Him crucified" (I Corinthians 1:23, 2:2). He explained further in his second letter, "He became sin, who knew no sin, that in Him we might become the righteousness of God" (II Corinthians 5:21). And to the Galatians, "We ... know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Christ" (Galatians 2:16).
Paul said of his fellow Israelites: "I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to GOD's righteousness. CHRIST is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes" (Romans 10:2-4).
THIS is why Paul said, "I am not ashamed of the Gospel," and why he devoted his life to proclaiming this gospel to the whole world. By faith in Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross those who believe are righteous before God and heirs of eternal life! The perfect righteousness of Jesus is "credited" to those who believe. Amazing grace!! Believers are the "children of Abraham," grafted into the root, saved by grace through faith.
This, then, is the Gospel that must be proclaimed to the world. While the Holy Spirit produces good deeds in God's children through His Word and Spirit, these are a response to God's love and grace in Christ, not the way to earn a righteousness of our own that will stand before God. This Gospel is good news because it produces a sure and certain hope based on God's promise to save all who believe and to complete the work He has begun in them.
Do YOU believe THIS Gospel? Are you proclaiming it to the world, offering forgiveness and life to all who believe in Jesus? This week we thank God for the sacrifice of His Son in our place and we celebrate His resurrection and rejoice in His reign from His throne in heaven, even as we anticipate His return. I am not ashamed of the Gospel ... and I pray that you can say the same!!
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
"What IS 'FAITH'?"
"Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints." - Jude 3
When you or someone you know says, "Have faith; everything will work out!" what does that mean? What IS "faith?" Where do you GET "faith?" Is some "faith" better than other "faith?" I hear pastors and Christians and leaders of other religions all talking about "faith" and using the same word and I know that many people are totally confused as to what this word means! And because they are confused, many "lose their faith" and crumble when faced with trials and suffering. They are easy prey for false teachers who tell them that they can control their emotions by putting "faith" into action.
I want to remind you that Satan likes to deceive people. He even uses the same words the Bible uses - in fact, he is not opposed to quoting the Bible ... out of context, so long as it leads people AWAY from the truth that faith in Jesus Christ is the ONLY "faith" that is able to bring lasting and certain hope, peace and joy. There is a lot of "counterfeit faith" being dispensed today that ultimately leaves people questioning the "god" they have been led to believe in. Exercising "faith" is supposed to "work," it is supposed to get me out of the jam I'm in and get rid of my problems!!
But you see, the "faith" the Bible talks about is not the same "faith" that is being peddled by so many today. FAITH must have an object. You must have faith "IN" something or someone. Just having "faith" might just mean being an optimist. "I have faith that things will work out," someone might say. Good for you; now can you explain what you mean by "working out?" Would that be working out according to YOUR plan or some mysterious "bigger plan?" You see what I mean? People use these words and don't have a clue what they are saying most of the time! So when religious leaders or others talk about "faith," don't assume they are talking about biblical "faith."
According to the Bible, "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1). In other places "faith" is described as the instrument by which we are saved from the deceitfulness of sin and evil. As such, "faith" must be and is always based on TRUTH! Faith must have as its object, knowledge, and that knowledge must be absolute ... it must be unequivocally, totally, completely true at all times and for all people - whether they accept it or not. According to the Bible, "faith" begins with knowledge and ends with TRUST, thus leading to a sure and certain hope.
Too many people today base their hope on how they are FEELING. I might have hope and the assurance that God is with me today, but lose that "feeling" tomorrow because of the changing circumstances of my life and the world around me. But true "faith" does not waver because the knowledge it is based upon never changes. God's Word is truth and it tells me who God is, what He has done in Jesus Christ to pay the penalty for my sin and to reconcile me to Him, to give me eternal life in His presence and to give me strength and purpose for today. "True faith" knows these things, accepts these things, believes these things, embraces these things and therefore TRUSTS GOD ... no matter what!
This is the "faith" the early believers had and this is how they weathered the storms of trials, suffering and persecution. Read Hebrews 11. I love the verse of the old hymn, "Faith of Our Fathers," when it says, "Faith of our fathers, living still ... in spite of dungeon, fire and sword; o how our hearts beat high with joy, whene'er we hear Thy glorious Word" ... and "How sweet would be their children's fate, if we like them, should die for Thee!" Paul wrote to the Romans that "faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ" (Romans 10:17). There is no "faith," no certain knowledge and therefore nothing to trust in, without the Word of God.
A "code word" for those today who want to act "spiritual" and claim to be followers of Jesus is "mystery." They present what we believe in by faith as a mystery, something that cannot be understood, but which must be embraced and felt. They say that those of us who think that there is absolute truth upon which to base our "faith" are too "dogmatic," too narrow-minded, too "rigid" and so, too intolerant. Of course, what they don't realize is that they are being tolerant of everything BUT truth! To these, I say that their supposed "faith" is a farce ... in fact, that it is irrational. To say that there is no absolute truth is to claim that the only absolute truth is that there is no absolute truth. Therefore, by that definition, what you have just said, "There is no absolute truth," might be wrong. Do you see the absurdity of that statement??!!!
The "faith" that Jude told the believers, the "saints" (those declared to be holy in God's sight through FAITH in Jesus Christ - Hebrews 10:14), in Jude 3 to defend, to fight for, was and is the one true Gospel, the good news that Jesus Christ paid our debt on the cross and that all who confess Him as Savior and Lord, being born again by His Spirit, are forgiven and receive, as a gift, eternal life. If there is no true knowledge of who Jesus is and what He did on the cross, there is no true faith ... period.
As I hear people talking about the "Catholic faith" or the "Reformed faith" or the "Lutheran faith," I cringe. What are they saying? Ephesians 4:5 says there is "one Lord, one faith, one baptism ..." We read in I Corinthians 12:13 that all believers "were baptized by one Spirit into one body." There is ONE "faith" that has once for all been entrusted to the saints to proclaim, and that is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. All who believe are "saints," ... "holy ones" ... in God's sight. We are "a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that 'we' may declare the praises of Him who called 'us' out of darkness into His wonderful light" (I Peter 2:9).
To the Corinthians Paul wrote, "Even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ" (II Corinthians 4:3-6).
Do not let anyone deceive you because they use the word "faith" and encourage you to believe "something" ... "anything" ... "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved" (Acts 16:31). To you who believe, contend earnestly for THIS Gospel, because it is being perverted and attacked by many even within the visible church today who in the name of "tolerance" and "unity" proclaim a different gospel, that is really no gospel at all (Galatians 1:6-8). With the Apostle Paul, declare that you are "not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes!" (Romans 1:16).
When you or someone you know says, "Have faith; everything will work out!" what does that mean? What IS "faith?" Where do you GET "faith?" Is some "faith" better than other "faith?" I hear pastors and Christians and leaders of other religions all talking about "faith" and using the same word and I know that many people are totally confused as to what this word means! And because they are confused, many "lose their faith" and crumble when faced with trials and suffering. They are easy prey for false teachers who tell them that they can control their emotions by putting "faith" into action.
I want to remind you that Satan likes to deceive people. He even uses the same words the Bible uses - in fact, he is not opposed to quoting the Bible ... out of context, so long as it leads people AWAY from the truth that faith in Jesus Christ is the ONLY "faith" that is able to bring lasting and certain hope, peace and joy. There is a lot of "counterfeit faith" being dispensed today that ultimately leaves people questioning the "god" they have been led to believe in. Exercising "faith" is supposed to "work," it is supposed to get me out of the jam I'm in and get rid of my problems!!
But you see, the "faith" the Bible talks about is not the same "faith" that is being peddled by so many today. FAITH must have an object. You must have faith "IN" something or someone. Just having "faith" might just mean being an optimist. "I have faith that things will work out," someone might say. Good for you; now can you explain what you mean by "working out?" Would that be working out according to YOUR plan or some mysterious "bigger plan?" You see what I mean? People use these words and don't have a clue what they are saying most of the time! So when religious leaders or others talk about "faith," don't assume they are talking about biblical "faith."
According to the Bible, "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1). In other places "faith" is described as the instrument by which we are saved from the deceitfulness of sin and evil. As such, "faith" must be and is always based on TRUTH! Faith must have as its object, knowledge, and that knowledge must be absolute ... it must be unequivocally, totally, completely true at all times and for all people - whether they accept it or not. According to the Bible, "faith" begins with knowledge and ends with TRUST, thus leading to a sure and certain hope.
Too many people today base their hope on how they are FEELING. I might have hope and the assurance that God is with me today, but lose that "feeling" tomorrow because of the changing circumstances of my life and the world around me. But true "faith" does not waver because the knowledge it is based upon never changes. God's Word is truth and it tells me who God is, what He has done in Jesus Christ to pay the penalty for my sin and to reconcile me to Him, to give me eternal life in His presence and to give me strength and purpose for today. "True faith" knows these things, accepts these things, believes these things, embraces these things and therefore TRUSTS GOD ... no matter what!
This is the "faith" the early believers had and this is how they weathered the storms of trials, suffering and persecution. Read Hebrews 11. I love the verse of the old hymn, "Faith of Our Fathers," when it says, "Faith of our fathers, living still ... in spite of dungeon, fire and sword; o how our hearts beat high with joy, whene'er we hear Thy glorious Word" ... and "How sweet would be their children's fate, if we like them, should die for Thee!" Paul wrote to the Romans that "faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ" (Romans 10:17). There is no "faith," no certain knowledge and therefore nothing to trust in, without the Word of God.
A "code word" for those today who want to act "spiritual" and claim to be followers of Jesus is "mystery." They present what we believe in by faith as a mystery, something that cannot be understood, but which must be embraced and felt. They say that those of us who think that there is absolute truth upon which to base our "faith" are too "dogmatic," too narrow-minded, too "rigid" and so, too intolerant. Of course, what they don't realize is that they are being tolerant of everything BUT truth! To these, I say that their supposed "faith" is a farce ... in fact, that it is irrational. To say that there is no absolute truth is to claim that the only absolute truth is that there is no absolute truth. Therefore, by that definition, what you have just said, "There is no absolute truth," might be wrong. Do you see the absurdity of that statement??!!!
The "faith" that Jude told the believers, the "saints" (those declared to be holy in God's sight through FAITH in Jesus Christ - Hebrews 10:14), in Jude 3 to defend, to fight for, was and is the one true Gospel, the good news that Jesus Christ paid our debt on the cross and that all who confess Him as Savior and Lord, being born again by His Spirit, are forgiven and receive, as a gift, eternal life. If there is no true knowledge of who Jesus is and what He did on the cross, there is no true faith ... period.
As I hear people talking about the "Catholic faith" or the "Reformed faith" or the "Lutheran faith," I cringe. What are they saying? Ephesians 4:5 says there is "one Lord, one faith, one baptism ..." We read in I Corinthians 12:13 that all believers "were baptized by one Spirit into one body." There is ONE "faith" that has once for all been entrusted to the saints to proclaim, and that is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. All who believe are "saints," ... "holy ones" ... in God's sight. We are "a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that 'we' may declare the praises of Him who called 'us' out of darkness into His wonderful light" (I Peter 2:9).
To the Corinthians Paul wrote, "Even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ" (II Corinthians 4:3-6).
Do not let anyone deceive you because they use the word "faith" and encourage you to believe "something" ... "anything" ... "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved" (Acts 16:31). To you who believe, contend earnestly for THIS Gospel, because it is being perverted and attacked by many even within the visible church today who in the name of "tolerance" and "unity" proclaim a different gospel, that is really no gospel at all (Galatians 1:6-8). With the Apostle Paul, declare that you are "not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes!" (Romans 1:16).
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
"BEWARE!! False Teachers and False Teaching Have Consequences!"
"Be shepherds of the church of God, which He bought with His own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard!"
- Acts 2:28-31
"There were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them - bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute." - II Peter 2:1-2
"For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths." - II Timothy 4:3-4
So Rob Bell is back in Grand Rapids, the Cardinals are electing a new Pope to head the Church of Rome and the 1.2 billion Catholics around the world, pastors like Joel Osteen and others are teaching people that all is well and that God wants to give you everything you want because He is on your side, and the United Nations and the World Council of Religions, including many "Christian" leaders around the world, are seeking to unite all religions together under one head, who will be the "False Prophet" of Revelation, who works alongside the Antichrist to build the kingdom of man rather than the Kingdom of God.
And while all of that is happening, most of the rest of the visible church goes on about their business, ignoring God's warnings of false teachers and the consequences of following them! All of the references in the above passages that point to these things happening in the FUTURE point to TODAY. We are living in the time of the fulfillment of these prophecies. Teachers within the visible church ARE distorting the truth, and many are listening, rejecting sound doctrine and gathering teachers who will tell them what they want to hear - that everyone is basically good and that eventually everyone will get to "heaven."
Listen to the latest ramblings of Rob Bell, whose previous book, "Love Wins," declared that God's love for mankind (for ALL people - for EVERY person) demands that everyone be saved in the end. In talking about his latest book (which I am not recommending!), "What We Talk ABout When We Talk About God," Bell says, "The truth is there are millions and millions of people who simply can't connect with religion in its current forms and expressions. ... I was never interested in having a street fight with very, very dogmatic Christians. I find many of those discussions mind-numbingly boring."
Bell and others often speak of "religion" as the straw man that they are trying to knock down with their supposed wisdom about deep insights into "truth," which is really NOT truth because they declare that no one really knows what is true for someone else. (I know - THAT is mind-numbing!) Listen to this description of Bell's latest book: "This is a book for people who can't buy the traditional concept of a judgmental, thumbs-up-or-down God, or the new atheism that says the world you see is all there is. It's for people who want to believe in a God they can believe in."
What does that even mean? Bell goes on to say, "We have a growing number of people in our world who have a sense that there's something more going on here. But the God they generally encounter is behind, angry, not any sort of being they can connect with." The good news according to Bell: God is not angry. He's on YOUR side - and everyone else's. "I believe God is for every single one of us, regardless of our beliefs or perspectives or failures or mistakes." All of this is false teaching with no foundation in the Bible. This is Rob Bell's gospel, or Oprah Winfrey's gospel ... and it is a false gospel.
One more quote from Mr. Bell, "For a lot of people, any talk of God in our culture comes back to doctrine and dogmas and you have to believe the right thing. Jesus talked about seeing that which has been right in front of you the whole time." Perhaps he is more right than he imagines. Listen to one of the inspired writers of Scripture, the Apostle Paul, as he writes God's Word to the early Church in Rome: "The wrath of God (must be the "judgmental God" that Bell and others reject) is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - His eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse" (Romans 1:18-20).
Yes, there IS a true God - ONE true God, who has revealed Himself in His creation, in His Word and finally in His Son, Jesus Christ. "In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe" (Hebrews 1:1-2). JESUS said that whoever does not believe in Him stands condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son (John 3:18).
Which brings me to choosing a world-wide leader for what is said to be "Christ's" Church. There is ONE true Church, made up of everyone who has placed their faith in Jesus Christ, believing that He paid the penalty for their sin on the cross and overcame death by rising again. "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may KNOW that you have eternal life" (I John 5:13). In verses 11-12, John writes, "This is the testimony (which every true believer will have in their heart) ... God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life." That is the Gospel. Jesus is the one HEAD of the Church (Colossians 1:18); the Church needs no other head. Jesus is our Great High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-16). The Church needs no other priest to act as a "go-between" between God and man. "For there is one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (I Timothy 2:5).
As I wrote in my previous blog, there is ONE Church and it is not the Catholic Church or the Methodist Church or the Reformed Church or any other church, by whatever name. The ONE Church has ONE Gospel: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved" (Acts 16:31). To the Galatians Paul wrote, "Even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!" (Galatians 1:8). There is one gospel that is good news and there are many false teachers within the visible church today and on radio and television preaching a false gospel that has no power to save. It tells people they can save themselves, or that they are already saved, whether they believe or not, or that only through the rituals of a religious organization can they hope to get to heaven. The true Church proclaims the truth revealed in God's Word. The main reason to "go to church" is to be taught the Word of God and equipped to share that Word with others as you live out the life God offers to those who believe, as His Spirit works within you. Apart from that, it's just all a foolish game that leads to misery and eternal death, facing the judgment of the God people apparently don't want to believe in because He is too "judgmental."
There is MUCH more I could write, but I will stop for now. If you have questions, comments, concerns ... email me at pastorsteve@lighthouse-ministries.org. I spoke with a dear brother from Pakistan today, where people are being persecuted and their homes burned because they believe in Jesus Christ. And here in America people are rejecting the true Gospel because it is too hard to believe and they want something easier, something "nicer," something to "tickle their ears." That message leads to destruction, to eternal death. The true Gospel brings life because it brings dead people to Jesus Christ, the Giver of Life.
BEWARE! There are false teachers masquerading as angels of light. The consequences of listening to them are serious - eternal! Do not be "blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. INSTEAD, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Him who is the Head, that is, Christ" (Ephesians 4:14-15). May you be found loving the truth and following Christ and proclaiming HIM to the world - until He comes!!
- Acts 2:28-31
"There were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them - bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute." - II Peter 2:1-2
"For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths." - II Timothy 4:3-4
So Rob Bell is back in Grand Rapids, the Cardinals are electing a new Pope to head the Church of Rome and the 1.2 billion Catholics around the world, pastors like Joel Osteen and others are teaching people that all is well and that God wants to give you everything you want because He is on your side, and the United Nations and the World Council of Religions, including many "Christian" leaders around the world, are seeking to unite all religions together under one head, who will be the "False Prophet" of Revelation, who works alongside the Antichrist to build the kingdom of man rather than the Kingdom of God.
And while all of that is happening, most of the rest of the visible church goes on about their business, ignoring God's warnings of false teachers and the consequences of following them! All of the references in the above passages that point to these things happening in the FUTURE point to TODAY. We are living in the time of the fulfillment of these prophecies. Teachers within the visible church ARE distorting the truth, and many are listening, rejecting sound doctrine and gathering teachers who will tell them what they want to hear - that everyone is basically good and that eventually everyone will get to "heaven."
Listen to the latest ramblings of Rob Bell, whose previous book, "Love Wins," declared that God's love for mankind (for ALL people - for EVERY person) demands that everyone be saved in the end. In talking about his latest book (which I am not recommending!), "What We Talk ABout When We Talk About God," Bell says, "The truth is there are millions and millions of people who simply can't connect with religion in its current forms and expressions. ... I was never interested in having a street fight with very, very dogmatic Christians. I find many of those discussions mind-numbingly boring."
Bell and others often speak of "religion" as the straw man that they are trying to knock down with their supposed wisdom about deep insights into "truth," which is really NOT truth because they declare that no one really knows what is true for someone else. (I know - THAT is mind-numbing!) Listen to this description of Bell's latest book: "This is a book for people who can't buy the traditional concept of a judgmental, thumbs-up-or-down God, or the new atheism that says the world you see is all there is. It's for people who want to believe in a God they can believe in."
What does that even mean? Bell goes on to say, "We have a growing number of people in our world who have a sense that there's something more going on here. But the God they generally encounter is behind, angry, not any sort of being they can connect with." The good news according to Bell: God is not angry. He's on YOUR side - and everyone else's. "I believe God is for every single one of us, regardless of our beliefs or perspectives or failures or mistakes." All of this is false teaching with no foundation in the Bible. This is Rob Bell's gospel, or Oprah Winfrey's gospel ... and it is a false gospel.
One more quote from Mr. Bell, "For a lot of people, any talk of God in our culture comes back to doctrine and dogmas and you have to believe the right thing. Jesus talked about seeing that which has been right in front of you the whole time." Perhaps he is more right than he imagines. Listen to one of the inspired writers of Scripture, the Apostle Paul, as he writes God's Word to the early Church in Rome: "The wrath of God (must be the "judgmental God" that Bell and others reject) is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - His eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse" (Romans 1:18-20).
Yes, there IS a true God - ONE true God, who has revealed Himself in His creation, in His Word and finally in His Son, Jesus Christ. "In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe" (Hebrews 1:1-2). JESUS said that whoever does not believe in Him stands condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son (John 3:18).
Which brings me to choosing a world-wide leader for what is said to be "Christ's" Church. There is ONE true Church, made up of everyone who has placed their faith in Jesus Christ, believing that He paid the penalty for their sin on the cross and overcame death by rising again. "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may KNOW that you have eternal life" (I John 5:13). In verses 11-12, John writes, "This is the testimony (which every true believer will have in their heart) ... God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life." That is the Gospel. Jesus is the one HEAD of the Church (Colossians 1:18); the Church needs no other head. Jesus is our Great High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-16). The Church needs no other priest to act as a "go-between" between God and man. "For there is one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (I Timothy 2:5).
As I wrote in my previous blog, there is ONE Church and it is not the Catholic Church or the Methodist Church or the Reformed Church or any other church, by whatever name. The ONE Church has ONE Gospel: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved" (Acts 16:31). To the Galatians Paul wrote, "Even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!" (Galatians 1:8). There is one gospel that is good news and there are many false teachers within the visible church today and on radio and television preaching a false gospel that has no power to save. It tells people they can save themselves, or that they are already saved, whether they believe or not, or that only through the rituals of a religious organization can they hope to get to heaven. The true Church proclaims the truth revealed in God's Word. The main reason to "go to church" is to be taught the Word of God and equipped to share that Word with others as you live out the life God offers to those who believe, as His Spirit works within you. Apart from that, it's just all a foolish game that leads to misery and eternal death, facing the judgment of the God people apparently don't want to believe in because He is too "judgmental."
There is MUCH more I could write, but I will stop for now. If you have questions, comments, concerns ... email me at pastorsteve@lighthouse-ministries.org. I spoke with a dear brother from Pakistan today, where people are being persecuted and their homes burned because they believe in Jesus Christ. And here in America people are rejecting the true Gospel because it is too hard to believe and they want something easier, something "nicer," something to "tickle their ears." That message leads to destruction, to eternal death. The true Gospel brings life because it brings dead people to Jesus Christ, the Giver of Life.
BEWARE! There are false teachers masquerading as angels of light. The consequences of listening to them are serious - eternal! Do not be "blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. INSTEAD, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Him who is the Head, that is, Christ" (Ephesians 4:14-15). May you be found loving the truth and following Christ and proclaiming HIM to the world - until He comes!!
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
"It's time to get SERIOUS! What is your heritage?"
If you are a parent or grandparent, or even if you aren't, but you have people that you love and care about, what do you want for them - more than anything else? If you could give them ONE thing, what would it be? There are probably a lot of answers to that question, but there is only one right one!
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade - kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time." - I Peter 1:3-5
When Lighthouse Community Church left the denomination of which it had been a part for 95 years there was a lot of talk about our "heritage." Some thought we were leaving that heritage behind, that we had lost something by adopting a new name several years earlier, and that we were now turning our backs on our heritage. One person even told me that they would not be coming with us because they wanted to raise their children in that certain denomination. I bring this up now because in our community, as in most communities around our nation, as well as in other parts of the world, many people have been misled and deluded into thinking that the heritage they are called to pass on to their children is a denominational name or a particular style of worship or some other tradition, rather than our true heritage in Christ Jesus! Many find it more important to say they are Reformed, Catholic, Methodist, Lutheran, Baptist, Presbyterian, etc., than to be called a Christian, a follower of Jesus Christ.
In the midst of this, some are calling for "unity"... for those who have taken another name on them to declare their unity in Jesus Christ. While that sounds good, so long as brothers and sisters in Christ cannot or will not sit down with each other around God's Word and discuss their differences, whether in theology or customs or traditions, there is no true "unity," no biblical "oneness," which is what Jesus prayed for in John 17 (as you have heard me talk about many times before). The reason I say that it is "time to get SERIOUS" is because the signs pointing to the soon return of Jesus Christ are becoming clearer every day and God warns that in these days MANY will fall away and perish because they do not know or love the truth!
Jesus came to build ONE Church, and it is NOT the Reformed Church, the Catholic Church, the Methodist Church, the Lutheran Church or any other Church ... it is HIS Church! When people consider it more important to be called Catholic or Lutheran or Baptist or Reformed or Presbyterian or Orthodox or Pentecostal than it is to be called a disciple of Jesus Christ, you know something is wrong! When people don't know that the Mormons (including the Latter Day Saints version) and Jehovah's Witnesses do not proclaim Jesus Christ as the eternal Son of God, we have a problem. When even those who are "Christian Reformed" can't get together with those who are "Reformed," we have a problem.
It's not that all denominations should get together, as some would like to do, or that all the denominations should get back together with the Roman Catholic Church, which some are trying to do ... none of this lets the world know that Jesus came to establish ONE Church and that the heritage of this one Church is what Peter describes: "In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade - kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time." This is the Gospel! ANY other heritage is based upon man's desire to be or do what WE want, rather than what GOD wants.
When the early Church in Jerusalem was being persecuted the people were scattered and they went about proclaiming the word wherever they went. What was the "word?" It was the Gospel! They went about talking about Jesus; about His death and resurrection, and about repentance and forgiveness through faith in Jesus. What divides the one Church in communities like ours is denominations - names and labels that describe a certain "kind" of Christianity. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesians: "Make every effort to KEEP the unity of the SPIRIT through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit - just as you were called to one hope when you were called - one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all (believers)" (Ephesians 4:3-6).
As the Catholic Church begins the process of choosing a new Pope, and a commercial, aired during the new series on the Bible on the History channel, claims more than one billion "Catholics" around the world, what is left out is the message of the Gospel. Jesus did NOT found His Church upon Peter, but rather upon his confession that "Jesus is the Christ!" Jesus is the promised Messiah, the Savior of all who believe in Him. Today the leaders of various denominations, including the Pope, ignore the heart of the Gospel - the cross! The Gospel message is that there is forgiveness to those who are born again by the Spirit of God, the evidence of which is repentance and faith in Jesus Christ alone. The true Church proclaims this message without compromise. The true Church holds no other title than "CHURCH!" And those who believe hold no other label than "Christian." The problem is that both of these words have come to mean nothing because of the abuse of those who claim to be Christians because they believe in "God" and who claim to be part of the Church because they go to a building called a church.
It's time to get serious! Our heritage is not a denominational title, be it any of those listed above. If it is more important to you to be Reformed or Catholic or Lutheran or Baptist or Presbyterian or Pentecostal or Orthodox or any other such title than to be numbered among those who are zealous followers of Jesus Christ, then you may not yet know Jesus Christ and you may be numbered among those who on that day when you stand before Jesus, He says, "Depart from Me, I never knew you!" (Matthew 7:23). What are you passing on to your children and grandchildren, to those you know and love? What message are you proclaiming to those around you who know nothing of the true Church, or who know nothing of who Jesus is and what He accomplished on the cross?
Our vision/mission statement says, "We exist to proclaim the reign of Jesus Christ over all things; glorifying and enjoying God, now and forever!" What else is there? What other heritage really matters?? After Peter states that we have "a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead," and "an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade - kept in heaven" ... he goes on to say, "In THIS you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith - of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire - may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls" (I Peter 1:6-9).
Does that describe YOU?! I pray that it does. It's time to get serious because we need each other. The time has come when many have gathered for themselves teachers to tell them what they want to hear ... that God will give them whatever they want and do for them whatever they want Him to do for them. These teachers talk about a god that is unknown to the Scriptures and to the early believers, for he is a generic god who accepts whatever half-hearted devotion people may want to offer. This god doesn't exist. He is the figment of man's vain imagination. There is ONE true God and He is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. There is ONE true "faith," and that is the faith that is the gift of God through His Word and Spirit that moves men and women, boys and girls, to trust in Jesus Christ alone for forgiveness and life and to serve Him with love and zeal until we go to be with Him or He comes to reign upon this earth. Any other "faith" is a false faith, a counterfeit faith, a religious faith, a DEAD faith - no matter how good or holy or precious it may appear to be or feel.
It's time to get serious and to follow Jesus Christ - even to death if necessary. With Paul we can say, "To live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21). May you be encouraged today as a disciple of Jesus if this describes you; but if it doesn't, I urge you to lay down any other labels or titles, and to claim this one alone: "Christian - follower of Christ." THIS is the heritage of those who know the true God. As parents and grandparents, if we give our children THIS, they have ALL they need, for this world, and for the next!!
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade - kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time." - I Peter 1:3-5
When Lighthouse Community Church left the denomination of which it had been a part for 95 years there was a lot of talk about our "heritage." Some thought we were leaving that heritage behind, that we had lost something by adopting a new name several years earlier, and that we were now turning our backs on our heritage. One person even told me that they would not be coming with us because they wanted to raise their children in that certain denomination. I bring this up now because in our community, as in most communities around our nation, as well as in other parts of the world, many people have been misled and deluded into thinking that the heritage they are called to pass on to their children is a denominational name or a particular style of worship or some other tradition, rather than our true heritage in Christ Jesus! Many find it more important to say they are Reformed, Catholic, Methodist, Lutheran, Baptist, Presbyterian, etc., than to be called a Christian, a follower of Jesus Christ.
In the midst of this, some are calling for "unity"... for those who have taken another name on them to declare their unity in Jesus Christ. While that sounds good, so long as brothers and sisters in Christ cannot or will not sit down with each other around God's Word and discuss their differences, whether in theology or customs or traditions, there is no true "unity," no biblical "oneness," which is what Jesus prayed for in John 17 (as you have heard me talk about many times before). The reason I say that it is "time to get SERIOUS" is because the signs pointing to the soon return of Jesus Christ are becoming clearer every day and God warns that in these days MANY will fall away and perish because they do not know or love the truth!
Jesus came to build ONE Church, and it is NOT the Reformed Church, the Catholic Church, the Methodist Church, the Lutheran Church or any other Church ... it is HIS Church! When people consider it more important to be called Catholic or Lutheran or Baptist or Reformed or Presbyterian or Orthodox or Pentecostal than it is to be called a disciple of Jesus Christ, you know something is wrong! When people don't know that the Mormons (including the Latter Day Saints version) and Jehovah's Witnesses do not proclaim Jesus Christ as the eternal Son of God, we have a problem. When even those who are "Christian Reformed" can't get together with those who are "Reformed," we have a problem.
It's not that all denominations should get together, as some would like to do, or that all the denominations should get back together with the Roman Catholic Church, which some are trying to do ... none of this lets the world know that Jesus came to establish ONE Church and that the heritage of this one Church is what Peter describes: "In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade - kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time." This is the Gospel! ANY other heritage is based upon man's desire to be or do what WE want, rather than what GOD wants.
When the early Church in Jerusalem was being persecuted the people were scattered and they went about proclaiming the word wherever they went. What was the "word?" It was the Gospel! They went about talking about Jesus; about His death and resurrection, and about repentance and forgiveness through faith in Jesus. What divides the one Church in communities like ours is denominations - names and labels that describe a certain "kind" of Christianity. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesians: "Make every effort to KEEP the unity of the SPIRIT through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit - just as you were called to one hope when you were called - one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all (believers)" (Ephesians 4:3-6).
As the Catholic Church begins the process of choosing a new Pope, and a commercial, aired during the new series on the Bible on the History channel, claims more than one billion "Catholics" around the world, what is left out is the message of the Gospel. Jesus did NOT found His Church upon Peter, but rather upon his confession that "Jesus is the Christ!" Jesus is the promised Messiah, the Savior of all who believe in Him. Today the leaders of various denominations, including the Pope, ignore the heart of the Gospel - the cross! The Gospel message is that there is forgiveness to those who are born again by the Spirit of God, the evidence of which is repentance and faith in Jesus Christ alone. The true Church proclaims this message without compromise. The true Church holds no other title than "CHURCH!" And those who believe hold no other label than "Christian." The problem is that both of these words have come to mean nothing because of the abuse of those who claim to be Christians because they believe in "God" and who claim to be part of the Church because they go to a building called a church.
It's time to get serious! Our heritage is not a denominational title, be it any of those listed above. If it is more important to you to be Reformed or Catholic or Lutheran or Baptist or Presbyterian or Pentecostal or Orthodox or any other such title than to be numbered among those who are zealous followers of Jesus Christ, then you may not yet know Jesus Christ and you may be numbered among those who on that day when you stand before Jesus, He says, "Depart from Me, I never knew you!" (Matthew 7:23). What are you passing on to your children and grandchildren, to those you know and love? What message are you proclaiming to those around you who know nothing of the true Church, or who know nothing of who Jesus is and what He accomplished on the cross?
Our vision/mission statement says, "We exist to proclaim the reign of Jesus Christ over all things; glorifying and enjoying God, now and forever!" What else is there? What other heritage really matters?? After Peter states that we have "a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead," and "an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade - kept in heaven" ... he goes on to say, "In THIS you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith - of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire - may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls" (I Peter 1:6-9).
Does that describe YOU?! I pray that it does. It's time to get serious because we need each other. The time has come when many have gathered for themselves teachers to tell them what they want to hear ... that God will give them whatever they want and do for them whatever they want Him to do for them. These teachers talk about a god that is unknown to the Scriptures and to the early believers, for he is a generic god who accepts whatever half-hearted devotion people may want to offer. This god doesn't exist. He is the figment of man's vain imagination. There is ONE true God and He is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. There is ONE true "faith," and that is the faith that is the gift of God through His Word and Spirit that moves men and women, boys and girls, to trust in Jesus Christ alone for forgiveness and life and to serve Him with love and zeal until we go to be with Him or He comes to reign upon this earth. Any other "faith" is a false faith, a counterfeit faith, a religious faith, a DEAD faith - no matter how good or holy or precious it may appear to be or feel.
It's time to get serious and to follow Jesus Christ - even to death if necessary. With Paul we can say, "To live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21). May you be encouraged today as a disciple of Jesus if this describes you; but if it doesn't, I urge you to lay down any other labels or titles, and to claim this one alone: "Christian - follower of Christ." THIS is the heritage of those who know the true God. As parents and grandparents, if we give our children THIS, they have ALL they need, for this world, and for the next!!
Monday, February 25, 2013
"Is 'Revelation' really a mystery?"
"And He made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment - to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ." - Ephesians 1:9-10
We are now eight weeks into our study of "the end." As we continue to explore God's Word to discover all that He has revealed concerning the events surrounding the return of Jesus Christ, the Spirit of God continues to show us that John's "Revelation" is not the mystery many thought it was. When Revelation is studied alongside other Scriptures, both in the Old Testament and the New Testament, God's timetable, the signs of Jesus' soon return, and the events directly associated with it become clear. Those things that we do not yet understand, God will reveal in the future, as we continue to ask for wisdom and as we believe all that He has revealed thus far.
The verses quoted above were part of message number eight, that looked at Chapters 10-14 of Revelation. This is what I have called the "interlude" in John's visions of the end. When comparing Matthew 24:1-31 with Revelation 6-7, it is clear that these are parallel passages and that Revelation 6-7, and the following two chapters, 8-9, are chronological. The events flow from Revelation 6 through Revelation 9 without a break.
Chapter 9 ends with the sounding of the sixth trumpet, which is the second "woe" (Revelation 8:13). Chapter 10 and the first part of Chapter 11 (verses 1-13), are separate visions, then Chapter 11:14-19 continues the timeline with the sounding of the seventh trumpet: "The second woe (the sixth trumpet) has passed; the third woe (the seventh trumpet) is coming soon. ... The seventh angel sounded his trumpet ..." John's interlude includes Chapters 12-14. Then follows Chapters 15-16, the seven bowls of God's wrath. This takes place following the sounding of the seventh trumpet.
I share this here to help you see that the God who revealed these things through His Son Jesus Christ and His Spirit wants us to understand them! These things were not written to be unintelligible to those who believe. Remember, "ALL Scripture is profitable!" (II Timothy 3:16), and Revelation is part of Scripture. In the tenth chapter of Revelation, verse 7, we read, "In the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as He announced to His servants the prophets."
A "mystery" is something that is or has been hidden. "Revelation" means, literally, "uncovering or revealing." So what was it that God revealed to the prophets, but that has been a mystery to most people to this very day and continues to be? The Apostle Paul was a Pharisee before he met Jesus on the road to Damascus and was born again by the Spirit of God. His eyes were opened and the Scriptures of the Old Testament that he had studied all his life became clear: God had a plan and that plan was being fulfilled through His Son, Jesus Christ!!
What was the plan? Are you ready for this?! To bring the kingdom of God to a new earth!! "To bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ!" (Ephesians 1:10). This is what is revealed throughout the New Testament and finally in the book of Revelation. How few people understand this today - even in the visible church? We may be the last generation on this planet, yet few seem to be proclaiming the truth about what lies ahead! Jesus Christ is returning to earth, and He will gather His Church, He will bring salvation to Israel, He will pour out God's wrath on unbelievers and He will establish His kingdom on this earth for 1,000 years, ruling over the nations with a rod of iron, and finally, will cast Satan and all his demons and all who reject His reign into the eternal fire of hell. Then God will create a new heaven and a new earth and will live with those who have believed in Jesus Christ forever in a new world!!
The is the "mystery" that the prophets spoke about and that Jesus is fulfilling now in the lives of those who are truly His - who have been born again by His Spirit and who confess Him as Savior and Lord - and that He will fulfill completely when He returns. This is the future that God has planned for His people. So why is the only thing people look forward to "heaven?" It's not that heaven is not enough; it would be, if that is all that God has promised us. But there is so much more!
Paul writes to the Corinthians, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him ..." (I Corinthians 2:9). That is a quote from Isaiah 64:4, and in the context of those comments Isaiah speaks about God's creation of a new heaven and a new earth!! (Isaiah 65:17). Paul goes on to say to the believers in Corinth, " - but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit!" (I Corinthians 2:10). Yes, God has revealed to those who believe and who study His Word that the establishment of His kingdom in a new heaven and a new earth is the final goal of all that is happening in the world today. And it is in John's Revelation that God's plan comes to its final conclusion!!
It is vital that the Church understand these things and that those who know Christ become engaged in proclaiming His reign - now from heaven, and soon on the earth! People need to know the true God who has revealed Himself and His will in His Word. These things are important for families and communities and nations to grasp. The wrath of God is coming on this world and there is ONE escape: faith in Jesus Christ, the only Savior, the eternal Son of God, the King of kings and Lord of lords!
Are you one of HIS? Have you come to the Father through faith in His Son Jesus Christ, believing He suffered God's wrath against YOUR sins on the cross and that your sins are forgiven? Have you been born again by His Holy Spirit so that your desire now is to honor and glorify Him and to tell others the truth of the one true God revealed in the Bible, His Word? Difficult days lie ahead for planet earth and all who live upon it. In John's Revelation, as well as the rest of the Bible, God makes known His plan and His purposes to all who will believe. The mystery has been revealed!! God's kingdom is coming to earth! Will you face His judgment and wrath or will you rest in His love and grace, living with Him in a new world FOREVER?!
I pray earnestly for you, as you read these words, and urge you to read God's Word, to study it, to meditate on it and to find in it the one and only Savior who is able to bring you out of darkness to behold His marvelous light - Jesus Christ! If you know Him and your heart's desire is to serve Him, then spread His Word, for "how beautiful on the mountaintops are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace (REAL peace - with God!), who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, 'Your God reigns!'" (Isaiah 52:7).
We are now eight weeks into our study of "the end." As we continue to explore God's Word to discover all that He has revealed concerning the events surrounding the return of Jesus Christ, the Spirit of God continues to show us that John's "Revelation" is not the mystery many thought it was. When Revelation is studied alongside other Scriptures, both in the Old Testament and the New Testament, God's timetable, the signs of Jesus' soon return, and the events directly associated with it become clear. Those things that we do not yet understand, God will reveal in the future, as we continue to ask for wisdom and as we believe all that He has revealed thus far.
The verses quoted above were part of message number eight, that looked at Chapters 10-14 of Revelation. This is what I have called the "interlude" in John's visions of the end. When comparing Matthew 24:1-31 with Revelation 6-7, it is clear that these are parallel passages and that Revelation 6-7, and the following two chapters, 8-9, are chronological. The events flow from Revelation 6 through Revelation 9 without a break.
Chapter 9 ends with the sounding of the sixth trumpet, which is the second "woe" (Revelation 8:13). Chapter 10 and the first part of Chapter 11 (verses 1-13), are separate visions, then Chapter 11:14-19 continues the timeline with the sounding of the seventh trumpet: "The second woe (the sixth trumpet) has passed; the third woe (the seventh trumpet) is coming soon. ... The seventh angel sounded his trumpet ..." John's interlude includes Chapters 12-14. Then follows Chapters 15-16, the seven bowls of God's wrath. This takes place following the sounding of the seventh trumpet.
I share this here to help you see that the God who revealed these things through His Son Jesus Christ and His Spirit wants us to understand them! These things were not written to be unintelligible to those who believe. Remember, "ALL Scripture is profitable!" (II Timothy 3:16), and Revelation is part of Scripture. In the tenth chapter of Revelation, verse 7, we read, "In the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as He announced to His servants the prophets."
A "mystery" is something that is or has been hidden. "Revelation" means, literally, "uncovering or revealing." So what was it that God revealed to the prophets, but that has been a mystery to most people to this very day and continues to be? The Apostle Paul was a Pharisee before he met Jesus on the road to Damascus and was born again by the Spirit of God. His eyes were opened and the Scriptures of the Old Testament that he had studied all his life became clear: God had a plan and that plan was being fulfilled through His Son, Jesus Christ!!
What was the plan? Are you ready for this?! To bring the kingdom of God to a new earth!! "To bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ!" (Ephesians 1:10). This is what is revealed throughout the New Testament and finally in the book of Revelation. How few people understand this today - even in the visible church? We may be the last generation on this planet, yet few seem to be proclaiming the truth about what lies ahead! Jesus Christ is returning to earth, and He will gather His Church, He will bring salvation to Israel, He will pour out God's wrath on unbelievers and He will establish His kingdom on this earth for 1,000 years, ruling over the nations with a rod of iron, and finally, will cast Satan and all his demons and all who reject His reign into the eternal fire of hell. Then God will create a new heaven and a new earth and will live with those who have believed in Jesus Christ forever in a new world!!
The is the "mystery" that the prophets spoke about and that Jesus is fulfilling now in the lives of those who are truly His - who have been born again by His Spirit and who confess Him as Savior and Lord - and that He will fulfill completely when He returns. This is the future that God has planned for His people. So why is the only thing people look forward to "heaven?" It's not that heaven is not enough; it would be, if that is all that God has promised us. But there is so much more!
Paul writes to the Corinthians, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him ..." (I Corinthians 2:9). That is a quote from Isaiah 64:4, and in the context of those comments Isaiah speaks about God's creation of a new heaven and a new earth!! (Isaiah 65:17). Paul goes on to say to the believers in Corinth, " - but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit!" (I Corinthians 2:10). Yes, God has revealed to those who believe and who study His Word that the establishment of His kingdom in a new heaven and a new earth is the final goal of all that is happening in the world today. And it is in John's Revelation that God's plan comes to its final conclusion!!
It is vital that the Church understand these things and that those who know Christ become engaged in proclaiming His reign - now from heaven, and soon on the earth! People need to know the true God who has revealed Himself and His will in His Word. These things are important for families and communities and nations to grasp. The wrath of God is coming on this world and there is ONE escape: faith in Jesus Christ, the only Savior, the eternal Son of God, the King of kings and Lord of lords!
Are you one of HIS? Have you come to the Father through faith in His Son Jesus Christ, believing He suffered God's wrath against YOUR sins on the cross and that your sins are forgiven? Have you been born again by His Holy Spirit so that your desire now is to honor and glorify Him and to tell others the truth of the one true God revealed in the Bible, His Word? Difficult days lie ahead for planet earth and all who live upon it. In John's Revelation, as well as the rest of the Bible, God makes known His plan and His purposes to all who will believe. The mystery has been revealed!! God's kingdom is coming to earth! Will you face His judgment and wrath or will you rest in His love and grace, living with Him in a new world FOREVER?!
I pray earnestly for you, as you read these words, and urge you to read God's Word, to study it, to meditate on it and to find in it the one and only Savior who is able to bring you out of darkness to behold His marvelous light - Jesus Christ! If you know Him and your heart's desire is to serve Him, then spread His Word, for "how beautiful on the mountaintops are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace (REAL peace - with God!), who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, 'Your God reigns!'" (Isaiah 52:7).
Monday, February 18, 2013
"Why aren't more people angry?"
"In the temple He (Jesus) found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. And making a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And He poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. And He told those who sold the pigeons, 'Take these things away; do not make my Father's house a house of trade.' His disciples remembered that it was written, 'Zeal for your house will consume me.'" (John 2:13-17).
Well, I'm still here! It has been a while since I last wrote. I was able to take my wife on a brief vacation last week, which required working ahead the week before and catching up now. It would have been a great trip, except she got sick the second day and is just now beginning to feel better. Being away from home and from the daily demands of ministry allows time to give thanks, to rejoice in God's gifts and to consider the importance of every day. We need to use our days wisely and time spent with those we love must have a high priority.
Having returned, I reflect on what I have seen and experienced, and seek to apply it in some way to how we live life in this country. Vacations are a privilege, not a necessity. This weekend was "mid-winter break" for many schools and the long weekend provided an opportunity for many to "get away." In another five or six weeks "spring break" will be here and many parents will feel the pressure to "do something special" with their families. It seems that we are a people who go from one "break" to another. We need something to look forward to in order to "endure" the drudgery of everyday life. This attitude shows itself in a thousand different ways as people invest their time, energy and resources in planning the next "thing." This certainly doesn't describe everyone, but it is a pattern that has become deeply entrenched into the hopes and dreams of many. Those who aren't yet able to "escape" everyday life clearly WANT to do so, while those who have been doing it for some time look for something NEW to satisfy the cravings of the flesh for MORE!
If it sounds like I am against taking vacations or breaks, as God allows and provides, I'm not. It's about balance; it's about priorities and goals. And ultimately, it's about Christ and His Church. In the passage I quoted above Jesus enters the temple only to find it being desecrated by those making exorbitant profits at the expense of those who came to the temple to worship and to offer sacrifices. They were cheating the people and using the need of those who came as an excuse to take advantage of the situation. In short, their minds and hearts were not on worship, not on God, but on money and earthly things.
Jesus was angry! I know some people can't imagine Jesus getting angry, but read those verses and tell me Jesus wasn't angry. He didn't have a "fit" of anger; He wasn't out-of-control, He didn't lose His temper, but He WAS angry that these men were not honoring God's house and therefore not honoring God! Furthermore, Jesus was angry at their hypocrisy, because they were there at the temple pretending to care about the needs of the people when they were only concerned about lining their pockets.
So, I'm wondering, why aren't more people angry today? Once in a while I tune into Christian television to see if I can find something encouraging from God's Word. God's Word is the "food" that satisfies the soul of those who desire to draw near to our Father in heaven. Through His Word His Spirit makes God known and directs and channels our thoughts where they need to be: on Him and His glory. But what I usually find on so-called "Christian" TV are people who are desperately trying to get people to "sow a seed," or "buy a miracle" or believe something that they are saying so they will buy their latest book or send a donation to their ministry. There are some exceptions, but they are few and very far between ... and it makes me angry!
Those words, "Zeal for your house will consume me," should not apply only to Jesus. They should be true of everyone who claims Christ as Savior and Lord. As the living temple of God today, the true Church is made up of every person who accepts the Bible as the very Word of God and the ONLY authority for faith and life, and who thus confesses that Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life and that no one comes to the Father except through Him - believing that He died for their sins, rose again, ascended into heaven and is returning to judge the living and the dead. This body, this "temple," is holy to the Lord and is to receive our full commitment and involvement. The true Church is not an organization, but rather, an organism - a living body in which Christ lives by His Spirit ... in each part, each person who is "one" with Christ, and so with the Father, by faith.
And when this "temple," this "HOUSE," is abused in any way, whether by hypocrisy or false teaching or even by apathy and "lukewarmness," those who are zealous for God's house should be angry! There is a difference between worldly anger and godly anger: The first is focused on self, while the second is focused on God. Worldly anger arises because someone offended or hurt you or me in some way. There is plenty of this kind of anger. But godly anger is concerned about the honor of God, of Christ and of His body, the Church.
Peter writes, "As you come to Him, the living Stone - rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to Him - you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" (I Peter 2:4-5). Later in the same chapter, verse 9, he writes, "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light." This is who we ARE as those who believe in Christ! It's not who we're trying to be or hoping to be, but who God MADE us to be. But there are false teachers and impostors in the house ... and it should make us angry!
"Zeal for God's house" must translate to zeal for Christ's Church ... the whole body ... that great multitude from every people, tribe, nation and tongue. It must mean that we stand as one upon the truth of God revealed in His Word that points to Jesus Christ. It must mean that we love people enough to call them to find their hope in Jesus Christ. Ministering to their physical, emotional, psychological needs is but a stepping stone to lead them to Christ, who is the Healer of their hearts, minds and souls. Pastors and teachers and others can and sometimes do say things that are encouraging and uplifting, but if it does not point to Christ, it is of man and it falls short of honoring the one true God who sent His Son to be our Savior and His Spirit to be our Teacher. "Zeal for God's house" must mean a zeal for the truth that is the foundation of Christ's kingdom. Jesus said that whoever hears His Word and does it builds his house upon the ROCK!
I fear for a "church" today that is not willing or able to discern truth from falsehood and lies. Cute sayings are a poor substitute for doctrine from God's Word. The prophets spoke, "Thus saith the Lord," and the true Church is built upon the unchanging Word of God. More people need to get angry when God's truth is not proclaimed, whether in your local congregation or on the many internet sites now claiming to "speak for God," or on TV or radio. Such false teaching must be exposed, not applauded; it must be driven out, not embraced; it must be rejected, not accepted.
The cost for doing so will be high. People will look at you like they looked at Jesus - like some radical who needs to be checked or controlled. The Jews demanded that Jesus show them by what authority He did what He did and said what He said. He said, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days." Of course, He was talking about Himself. HE was the true temple; and by the indwelling of His Spirit, believers are living stones being built into a spiritual house for God. Our authority and responsibility to speak comes from the Head of the Church, from Jesus Himself. We need to be zealous about the Church, the body of Christ, and to build her up and defend and protect her. That requires exposing and guarding people from false teachers.
But first, you need to get angry ... maybe even at yourself. Do I love the world more than I love Jesus? Have I made the body of Christ a priority, investing myself in doing my part to make her strong, or do I expend all my energy and resources on myself and other things? John writes, "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world - the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does - comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever" (I John 2:15-17).
"Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work" (Ephesians 4:15-16). Get angry! Then get to work doing YOUR part to build up the body, beginning with yourself. Get into God's Word - ready, study and memorize, listening for His Spirit and praying for wisdom. The result will be a strong and vibrant "stone" that helps to make God's house beautiful!!
Well, I'm still here! It has been a while since I last wrote. I was able to take my wife on a brief vacation last week, which required working ahead the week before and catching up now. It would have been a great trip, except she got sick the second day and is just now beginning to feel better. Being away from home and from the daily demands of ministry allows time to give thanks, to rejoice in God's gifts and to consider the importance of every day. We need to use our days wisely and time spent with those we love must have a high priority.
Having returned, I reflect on what I have seen and experienced, and seek to apply it in some way to how we live life in this country. Vacations are a privilege, not a necessity. This weekend was "mid-winter break" for many schools and the long weekend provided an opportunity for many to "get away." In another five or six weeks "spring break" will be here and many parents will feel the pressure to "do something special" with their families. It seems that we are a people who go from one "break" to another. We need something to look forward to in order to "endure" the drudgery of everyday life. This attitude shows itself in a thousand different ways as people invest their time, energy and resources in planning the next "thing." This certainly doesn't describe everyone, but it is a pattern that has become deeply entrenched into the hopes and dreams of many. Those who aren't yet able to "escape" everyday life clearly WANT to do so, while those who have been doing it for some time look for something NEW to satisfy the cravings of the flesh for MORE!
If it sounds like I am against taking vacations or breaks, as God allows and provides, I'm not. It's about balance; it's about priorities and goals. And ultimately, it's about Christ and His Church. In the passage I quoted above Jesus enters the temple only to find it being desecrated by those making exorbitant profits at the expense of those who came to the temple to worship and to offer sacrifices. They were cheating the people and using the need of those who came as an excuse to take advantage of the situation. In short, their minds and hearts were not on worship, not on God, but on money and earthly things.
Jesus was angry! I know some people can't imagine Jesus getting angry, but read those verses and tell me Jesus wasn't angry. He didn't have a "fit" of anger; He wasn't out-of-control, He didn't lose His temper, but He WAS angry that these men were not honoring God's house and therefore not honoring God! Furthermore, Jesus was angry at their hypocrisy, because they were there at the temple pretending to care about the needs of the people when they were only concerned about lining their pockets.
So, I'm wondering, why aren't more people angry today? Once in a while I tune into Christian television to see if I can find something encouraging from God's Word. God's Word is the "food" that satisfies the soul of those who desire to draw near to our Father in heaven. Through His Word His Spirit makes God known and directs and channels our thoughts where they need to be: on Him and His glory. But what I usually find on so-called "Christian" TV are people who are desperately trying to get people to "sow a seed," or "buy a miracle" or believe something that they are saying so they will buy their latest book or send a donation to their ministry. There are some exceptions, but they are few and very far between ... and it makes me angry!
Those words, "Zeal for your house will consume me," should not apply only to Jesus. They should be true of everyone who claims Christ as Savior and Lord. As the living temple of God today, the true Church is made up of every person who accepts the Bible as the very Word of God and the ONLY authority for faith and life, and who thus confesses that Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life and that no one comes to the Father except through Him - believing that He died for their sins, rose again, ascended into heaven and is returning to judge the living and the dead. This body, this "temple," is holy to the Lord and is to receive our full commitment and involvement. The true Church is not an organization, but rather, an organism - a living body in which Christ lives by His Spirit ... in each part, each person who is "one" with Christ, and so with the Father, by faith.
And when this "temple," this "HOUSE," is abused in any way, whether by hypocrisy or false teaching or even by apathy and "lukewarmness," those who are zealous for God's house should be angry! There is a difference between worldly anger and godly anger: The first is focused on self, while the second is focused on God. Worldly anger arises because someone offended or hurt you or me in some way. There is plenty of this kind of anger. But godly anger is concerned about the honor of God, of Christ and of His body, the Church.
Peter writes, "As you come to Him, the living Stone - rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to Him - you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" (I Peter 2:4-5). Later in the same chapter, verse 9, he writes, "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light." This is who we ARE as those who believe in Christ! It's not who we're trying to be or hoping to be, but who God MADE us to be. But there are false teachers and impostors in the house ... and it should make us angry!
"Zeal for God's house" must translate to zeal for Christ's Church ... the whole body ... that great multitude from every people, tribe, nation and tongue. It must mean that we stand as one upon the truth of God revealed in His Word that points to Jesus Christ. It must mean that we love people enough to call them to find their hope in Jesus Christ. Ministering to their physical, emotional, psychological needs is but a stepping stone to lead them to Christ, who is the Healer of their hearts, minds and souls. Pastors and teachers and others can and sometimes do say things that are encouraging and uplifting, but if it does not point to Christ, it is of man and it falls short of honoring the one true God who sent His Son to be our Savior and His Spirit to be our Teacher. "Zeal for God's house" must mean a zeal for the truth that is the foundation of Christ's kingdom. Jesus said that whoever hears His Word and does it builds his house upon the ROCK!
I fear for a "church" today that is not willing or able to discern truth from falsehood and lies. Cute sayings are a poor substitute for doctrine from God's Word. The prophets spoke, "Thus saith the Lord," and the true Church is built upon the unchanging Word of God. More people need to get angry when God's truth is not proclaimed, whether in your local congregation or on the many internet sites now claiming to "speak for God," or on TV or radio. Such false teaching must be exposed, not applauded; it must be driven out, not embraced; it must be rejected, not accepted.
The cost for doing so will be high. People will look at you like they looked at Jesus - like some radical who needs to be checked or controlled. The Jews demanded that Jesus show them by what authority He did what He did and said what He said. He said, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days." Of course, He was talking about Himself. HE was the true temple; and by the indwelling of His Spirit, believers are living stones being built into a spiritual house for God. Our authority and responsibility to speak comes from the Head of the Church, from Jesus Himself. We need to be zealous about the Church, the body of Christ, and to build her up and defend and protect her. That requires exposing and guarding people from false teachers.
But first, you need to get angry ... maybe even at yourself. Do I love the world more than I love Jesus? Have I made the body of Christ a priority, investing myself in doing my part to make her strong, or do I expend all my energy and resources on myself and other things? John writes, "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world - the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does - comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever" (I John 2:15-17).
"Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work" (Ephesians 4:15-16). Get angry! Then get to work doing YOUR part to build up the body, beginning with yourself. Get into God's Word - ready, study and memorize, listening for His Spirit and praying for wisdom. The result will be a strong and vibrant "stone" that helps to make God's house beautiful!!
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
"Raising children for eternity ..."
What are we doing to our kids?! There are a lot of statistics thrown around about every generation and those who are older often look at the present generation and shake their heads, forgetting that THEIR generation had its own struggles. I grew up in the 60's so don't talk to me about a generation that rebels against authority or that is utterly and totally focused on self - that was my generation! But there IS something different about the present generation, and I fear for the NEXT generation ... if, indeed, there is one, as we watch current events unfolding in the world.
Why the concern about this generation? Because it seems that even those who claim to be Christians today are increasingly missing the God-given purpose for having children and raising children in this world: to know, love and follow Jesus Christ ... to find joy in worship and in service to God, our Creator ... and to engage in being part of Christ's body, the Church, as a community of people focused NOT on self but on loving God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and our neighbor as ourselves. It reminds me of another time in history when a group of people who claimed to know the true God lost their focus and forgot to tell their children who He was ... who He IS!
"After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the LORD nor what He had done for Israel" (Judges 2:10).
That has to be one of the most tragic verses in the Bible, and while it has been true in some ways throughout history, the problem has never been as widespread as it is today. Fewer and fewer young people are making a commitment to Jesus Christ, and even those who do often don't want anything to do with "organized religion" or what they see as "the church." Why not? I know - many things have been said about church structures and denominations, etc. I've said a lot myself. But while pointing out what's wrong, we have to talk about what's right ... what GOD says His Church is all about. It's the body of Christ, His bride!
Thinking about the words of Judges 2:10, the responsibility for teaching children about the One true God who has sent His Son Jesus Christ into the world to save sinners and to bring LIFE - eternal life - to those who believe ... the responsibility for teaching children lies with parents AND with the fellowship of believers. Someone once said, "It takes a village," but the reality is, it takes the Church! But herein lies the problem: too many even in the visible body called "the church," do not know the true God and are spending their time trying to raise children for THIS world rather than for eternity!!
Children need to grow up knowing GOD. They need to know that there is only ONE God, the God who has revealed Himself in creation and in His Word and in His Son Jesus Christ. The current smorgasbord of religions that is being offered to young people is a toxic potion that leads to eternal death. We live in a society that doesn't want to offend anyone, so parents and church leaders hesitate to say, "Thus says the LORD!" People forget that the true God is a "jealous God," who will not give His glory to another. Too many parents themselves do not believe that we have to take all of this so seriously. Let the children decide for themselves and make their own decisions.
Leaving children alone to deal with a sinful nature bent on evil is the worst form of child abuse imaginable. Children who don't know Jesus Christ will live a life without true hope, peace, love or joy and will then face the God they didn't know, finally passing into eternity to endure eternal death and judgment. That's a hard statement, but it is true. Jesus said, "Bring the children to ME!" Instead, parents often want to raise their children to be good students, to have friends, to be successful by the world's standards - to get a job, to make a living and to be happy. Is that all there is?
The national conversation in politics often declares that we should desire above all things that our children have it "better" than we did. How's that working? We are told that with the rising debt and economic woes facing us, this is the first generation for whom that is not true - for whom things might not be "better" than the last generation. All the commentators are right - the "system" is broken! But they have no clue what is really needed: knowledge of the true God and of His Son Jesus Christ. What is needed is the inner transformation that can be produced only by the very Spirit of God - that changes a child or youth or adult from a self-centered "taker" to a Christ-centered "giver." Nothing else works ... NOTHING!
Yet, what is the solution being offered today? Get rid of religion, it only causes problems. Christianity, the one TRUE religion, gets lumped in with all the others and we are told that our children should be free to choose from the smorgasbord, or not to choose, whatever they please. Yes, the pathway to hell IS paved with good intentions. Failing to understand the powerful and destructive power of sin in the very nature of every child and every person, society ... and increasingly the church, offers children and young people nothing to combat the call of the world to the indulge the worst of our fallen nature, that is already turned away from God.
The real solution is found only in the Bible, the very Word of the living God, our Creator. The Bible is NOT all about rules, it is about a relationship that God offers to all, but that will be received only by some. In His grace and mercy God has made a way for children (and people of all ages) to find meaning and purpose in this life, as they look forward to eternity - eternal life with Him. Other religions offer an "eternal life" of sorts, but only Christianity offers a personal, vital, living relationship with the Creator of the universe. Parents need to stop trying to raise "good" children for this world and start raising children for eternity!
That requires talking about eternity. It means helping children understand who God is and why He sent Jesus to pay the penalty for our sins on the cross. Children need to know that there is a Savior, One who tasted death in their place and who rose from the dead and is now ruling in heaven until He returns and destroys sin, death and evil for His followers and establishes His kingdom on the earth. Children need to learn these things. THEN, they will understand WHY the Church is so important, and they will have an identity that is not affected by their peers or the world. They will know they are children of the King and nothing will be able to move them from faith in Jesus Christ and devotion to serving Him. They need to be taught that God's love must be received, not taken for granted, and that life is not for self, but for Him.
So many parents don't feel like they know enough to teach their children. Why not?! Because too many have never taken the time to learn themselves. Raising children is hard work. Life is busy. There are so many activities and family time is hard to find. I have heard all the reasons ... but stop for a moment and think about this: what if you have done everything for your child that you think you needed to do and you have given them all you could, but they go into eternity without knowing God and without Jesus Christ as their Savior? But on the other hand, what if they know Jesus and know they are loved by God and live to be servants of God by serving others ... and even if they should tragically lose their lives, you are at peace because they knew their Savior and you know they are living forever in His presence?!
Let it not be said of you and me that "another generation grew up, who knew neither the LORD nor what He had done for" His people - for us ... for THEM!
Peter writes, "The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness (His promise to bring an end to this world and to bring judgment on those who do not believe). He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. BUT the day of the Lord WILL come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare" (II Peter 3:9-10).
Children and young people today need to be brought face to face with God and taught the only way to draw near to Him, through faith in His Son Jesus Christ. They need to be given His Word, the "sword of the Spirit," to arm them against the forces of evil all around us. They need to know the love of God and love Him back, finding in a relationship with Him as "Abba, Father," their identity and the purpose for their lives - to glorify Him! Nothing is more important or more pressing - NOTHING!
My prayer today is for parents to take seriously their role in God's plan and not to waver or be overwhelmed. The Church, the body of Christ, is called and equipped to walk alongside parents in this task of raising children for eternity. It must occupy our minds and our hearts and we must give to this task our all. May God help us!
Why the concern about this generation? Because it seems that even those who claim to be Christians today are increasingly missing the God-given purpose for having children and raising children in this world: to know, love and follow Jesus Christ ... to find joy in worship and in service to God, our Creator ... and to engage in being part of Christ's body, the Church, as a community of people focused NOT on self but on loving God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and our neighbor as ourselves. It reminds me of another time in history when a group of people who claimed to know the true God lost their focus and forgot to tell their children who He was ... who He IS!
"After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the LORD nor what He had done for Israel" (Judges 2:10).
That has to be one of the most tragic verses in the Bible, and while it has been true in some ways throughout history, the problem has never been as widespread as it is today. Fewer and fewer young people are making a commitment to Jesus Christ, and even those who do often don't want anything to do with "organized religion" or what they see as "the church." Why not? I know - many things have been said about church structures and denominations, etc. I've said a lot myself. But while pointing out what's wrong, we have to talk about what's right ... what GOD says His Church is all about. It's the body of Christ, His bride!
Thinking about the words of Judges 2:10, the responsibility for teaching children about the One true God who has sent His Son Jesus Christ into the world to save sinners and to bring LIFE - eternal life - to those who believe ... the responsibility for teaching children lies with parents AND with the fellowship of believers. Someone once said, "It takes a village," but the reality is, it takes the Church! But herein lies the problem: too many even in the visible body called "the church," do not know the true God and are spending their time trying to raise children for THIS world rather than for eternity!!
Children need to grow up knowing GOD. They need to know that there is only ONE God, the God who has revealed Himself in creation and in His Word and in His Son Jesus Christ. The current smorgasbord of religions that is being offered to young people is a toxic potion that leads to eternal death. We live in a society that doesn't want to offend anyone, so parents and church leaders hesitate to say, "Thus says the LORD!" People forget that the true God is a "jealous God," who will not give His glory to another. Too many parents themselves do not believe that we have to take all of this so seriously. Let the children decide for themselves and make their own decisions.
Leaving children alone to deal with a sinful nature bent on evil is the worst form of child abuse imaginable. Children who don't know Jesus Christ will live a life without true hope, peace, love or joy and will then face the God they didn't know, finally passing into eternity to endure eternal death and judgment. That's a hard statement, but it is true. Jesus said, "Bring the children to ME!" Instead, parents often want to raise their children to be good students, to have friends, to be successful by the world's standards - to get a job, to make a living and to be happy. Is that all there is?
The national conversation in politics often declares that we should desire above all things that our children have it "better" than we did. How's that working? We are told that with the rising debt and economic woes facing us, this is the first generation for whom that is not true - for whom things might not be "better" than the last generation. All the commentators are right - the "system" is broken! But they have no clue what is really needed: knowledge of the true God and of His Son Jesus Christ. What is needed is the inner transformation that can be produced only by the very Spirit of God - that changes a child or youth or adult from a self-centered "taker" to a Christ-centered "giver." Nothing else works ... NOTHING!
Yet, what is the solution being offered today? Get rid of religion, it only causes problems. Christianity, the one TRUE religion, gets lumped in with all the others and we are told that our children should be free to choose from the smorgasbord, or not to choose, whatever they please. Yes, the pathway to hell IS paved with good intentions. Failing to understand the powerful and destructive power of sin in the very nature of every child and every person, society ... and increasingly the church, offers children and young people nothing to combat the call of the world to the indulge the worst of our fallen nature, that is already turned away from God.
The real solution is found only in the Bible, the very Word of the living God, our Creator. The Bible is NOT all about rules, it is about a relationship that God offers to all, but that will be received only by some. In His grace and mercy God has made a way for children (and people of all ages) to find meaning and purpose in this life, as they look forward to eternity - eternal life with Him. Other religions offer an "eternal life" of sorts, but only Christianity offers a personal, vital, living relationship with the Creator of the universe. Parents need to stop trying to raise "good" children for this world and start raising children for eternity!
That requires talking about eternity. It means helping children understand who God is and why He sent Jesus to pay the penalty for our sins on the cross. Children need to know that there is a Savior, One who tasted death in their place and who rose from the dead and is now ruling in heaven until He returns and destroys sin, death and evil for His followers and establishes His kingdom on the earth. Children need to learn these things. THEN, they will understand WHY the Church is so important, and they will have an identity that is not affected by their peers or the world. They will know they are children of the King and nothing will be able to move them from faith in Jesus Christ and devotion to serving Him. They need to be taught that God's love must be received, not taken for granted, and that life is not for self, but for Him.
So many parents don't feel like they know enough to teach their children. Why not?! Because too many have never taken the time to learn themselves. Raising children is hard work. Life is busy. There are so many activities and family time is hard to find. I have heard all the reasons ... but stop for a moment and think about this: what if you have done everything for your child that you think you needed to do and you have given them all you could, but they go into eternity without knowing God and without Jesus Christ as their Savior? But on the other hand, what if they know Jesus and know they are loved by God and live to be servants of God by serving others ... and even if they should tragically lose their lives, you are at peace because they knew their Savior and you know they are living forever in His presence?!
Let it not be said of you and me that "another generation grew up, who knew neither the LORD nor what He had done for" His people - for us ... for THEM!
Peter writes, "The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness (His promise to bring an end to this world and to bring judgment on those who do not believe). He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. BUT the day of the Lord WILL come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare" (II Peter 3:9-10).
Children and young people today need to be brought face to face with God and taught the only way to draw near to Him, through faith in His Son Jesus Christ. They need to be given His Word, the "sword of the Spirit," to arm them against the forces of evil all around us. They need to know the love of God and love Him back, finding in a relationship with Him as "Abba, Father," their identity and the purpose for their lives - to glorify Him! Nothing is more important or more pressing - NOTHING!
My prayer today is for parents to take seriously their role in God's plan and not to waver or be overwhelmed. The Church, the body of Christ, is called and equipped to walk alongside parents in this task of raising children for eternity. It must occupy our minds and our hearts and we must give to this task our all. May God help us!
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