February 22, 2010 @ 3:41 PM EST | Category: Just Bloggin'
Remember how your fathers, in times gone by, defended God's truth, and blush, ye cowards, who are afraid to maintain it!
Remember that our Bible is a blood-stained book; the blood of martyrs is on the Bible, the blood of translators and confessors. The pool of holy baptism, in which many of you have been baptized, is a blood-stained pool: full many have had to die for the vindication of that baptism which is "the answer of a good conscience toward God."
The doctrines which we preach to you are doctrines that have been baptized in blood,—swords have been drawn to slay the confessors of them; and there is not a truth which has not been sealed by them at the stake, or the block, or far away on the lofty mountains, where they have been slain by hundreds. It is but a little duty we have to discharge compared with theirs. They were called to maintain the truth when they had to die for it; you only have to maintain the truth when taunt and jeer, ignominious names and contemptuous epithets are all you have to endure for it.
What! do you expect easy lives? While some have led through seas of blood, and have fought to win the prize, are you wearied with a slight skirmish on dry land? What would you do if God should suffer persecuting days to overtake you? O craven spirits, ye would flee away, and disown your profession!
Be ye the pillar and ground of the truth. Let the blood of martyrs, let the voices of confessors, speak to you. Remember how they held fast the truth, how they preserved it, and handed it down to us from generation to generation; and by their noble example, I beseech you, be steadfast and faithful, tread valiantly and firmly in their steps, acquit yourselves like men,—like men of God, I implore you!
Shall we not have some champions, in these times, who will deal sternly with heresies for the love of the truth,—men who will stand like rocks in the center of the sea, so that, when all others shake, they stand invulnerable and invincible? Thou who art tossed about by every wind of doctrine, farewell; I own thee not till God shall give thee grace to stand firm for his truth, and not to be ashamed of him nor of his words in this evil generation.
--C.H. Spurgeon (An excerpt from "The Church of God and the Truth of God," a sermon preached at the New Park Street Chapel on Sunday morning 14 September 1856, when Spurgeon was barely 23 years old.)
February 14, 2010 @ 8:24 PM EST | Category: Gospel Theology
"Evangelism and theology for the most part go separate ways, and the result is great loss for both. When theology is not held on course by the demands of evangelistic communication, it grows abstract and speculative, wayward in method, theoretical in interest and irresponsible in stance. When evangelism is not fertilized, fed and controlled by theology, it becomes a stylized performance seeking its effect through manipulative skills rather than the power of vision and the force of truth. Both theology and evangelism are then, in one important sense, unreal, false to their own God-given nature; for all true theology has an evangelistic thrust, and all true evangelism is theology in action." -J.I. Packer
This past Saturday we were supposed to take the gospel to downtown Atlanta for the day. The weather, under God's sovereign guidance however, prevented us from doing so. So, Stephanie and I decided to take a drive to the local mall and browse around to kill some time that day. Of course, we took gospel tracts along with us to hand out as we walked around.
Our "mall" routine normally ends with a stop in Borders bookstore before heading out the door. I always like to look around at the new and interesting titles in there.
Well, our final stop turned out to be a good one. We decided to make a stop in the "Religious" section of Borders. You know, where they sell the Koran right next to Rob Bell, T.D. Jakes and the KJV (By the way, the only one I recommend out of those mentioned is the KJV). Overwhelming sometimes!
In that same section on the other side of the shelf was the "atheist" and "agnostic" section. Richard Dawkins and Dan Brown were all over the place. So, Stephanie and I decided to do some stealth evangelism.
We grabbed Dawkin's magnum opus "The God Delusion" and here is what we did!
Now, I am going to leave it to you to guess just how many books we actually did this to on this isle!
So, there you go. A really simple way to spread the gospel on a day when the weather keeps you in.
Pray for the poor souls that will find the tracts in these devious books.
OK, so lately I've been thinking about sharing some practical evangelism steps for people with busy lifestyles (that would include most of you right? and if you aren't busy then you should have plenty of time).
I often seem to overlook the fact that just because you know something doesn't mean that it might be "street wise" or "common sense" knowledge for others. I believe what God teaches a man in practical Godliness is meant to be communicated to others; hence, the reason for this blog.
So, as plainly as I can, in almost instruction manual form, I will lay out a very simple plan for you. The only thing that is left, on your part is a striving for unconditional love for God, conditional love for your neighbor, the help of the Holy Spirit (which by the way is a promise) and a willingness to be used by God. Think you got it? I think so!
Here we go:
Step 1.
Fishin' Lures - Make sure you at least have $10 bucks in your bank account. Go here and order a pack of these. Once they arrive at your house, rejoice and pray over them that God will use them and you to reach the lost.
Step 2.
The Tackle Box - The two major tackle boxes that we use to carry our lures are our car and our pockets. Stick 'em on your center console or in the passenger seat of your car. I'll explain some tips on why you do this later. The point is to have your lures ready at all times. Make it a habit to carry them with you like you do your wallet. Truth be told, they are more important than your wallet.
Step 3.
Let's Go Fishin' - Here is where the rubber meets the road, or the lure meets the water, or err...well, you get the point.
Just as a side note: Practical, disciplined, everyday Godliness is much much harder than just showing up on Sunday morning and being a cultural Christian. So, if this is tough or new as a routine or habit, stick with it and be encourage from 2 Timothy 2:4-13 which says,
"4 No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. 5 An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 6 It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. 7 Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.
8 Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, 9 for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound! 10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. 11 The saying is trustworthy, for:
If we have died with him, we will also live with him;
12 if we endure, we will also reign with him;
if we deny him, he also will deny us;
13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful—
for he cannot deny himself."
The good news is there are more ponds to fish in than you can imagine. Here are a few ideas for you. Pick one, or two, or all of them and get started.
The "Drive-Thru" Pond - When you go through the drive-thru have your fishin' lures handy and when the person at the window hands you your items, kindly exchange them with a tract. Then floor the gas pedal out of fear and get outta' there! Seriously, don't do that.
The "Grocery Store" Pond - When walking around the isles, place the tracts on or around popular items (beer, cereal, canned goods, etc.). Also, when you check out hand one to the cashier after they hand you the receipt and say something like, "This is for you. God bless." and then run for the door. Seriously, don't do that either.
The "Restaurant" Pond - Once you've paid for your meal and are ready to leave, take a tract and place it on the table with your receipt for the waiter. Easy enough.
The "Bank" Pond - If you make deposits, stick a tract in the deposit envelope.
The "Retail" Pond - When you got out for something make sure and have the tracts in your pocket and simply hand them to people as you walk in and out of the store. Don't forget to hand one to the cashier also.
OK, so there are some really easy ways to share the Gospel in written form with people on a regular basis while you are out and about with your busy lifestyle. Make spreading the Gospel the top priority in your life with this little paradigm shift:
"I am not going to the store to get some things and while I'm there share the Gospel.
I am going to the store to share the Gospel and while I'm there get some things."
I think this falls in line with Matthew 6:33, "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."
You will be suprised at the difference it makes once you truly understand that from the heart.
January 6, 2010 @ 11:40 PM EST | Category: Just Bloggin'
Most solid and very intelligent theologians would admit that figuring out end-time events is very difficult. It personally makes Jell-O Pudding (now imagine Bill Cosby saying "pudding" in that distinct voice) out of my brain.
Here is something though that is clearly understood: Jesus Christ is returning.
2 Thessalonians 1:5 "This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering— 6 since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels 8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might..."
I really think Christians are certain that Christ is returning. Notice that I didn't give a qualifier as to "when" Christ is returning. But if I had to stick an evangelistic urgency thermometer in the mouth of most Christians to gauge this matter I am afraid it would be ice cold. Why? You answer to God for that one.
We as Christians are called to live as if Christ would be returning at any moment. We are to live in expectance of it, at any time. This produces urgency in our lives to reach the lost, but for most I see this loose, lax, and lazy approach like we've gotten a phone call from Jesus saying that He would be back around 1:45 AM Tuesday November 4th 2025 and we've got plenty of time...why rush, eh?
If anything about end-time events in scripture is clear, the passage above is very clear.
So with that in mind, I would like to ask you a simple question.
If that "thermometer" were in your mouth, what temperature would it be?
"If you don't have anything good to say about someone, don't say it at all."
Would that be a Biblical statement? In other words, whether implicitly or explicitly could you, in context, back that phrase up with scripture?
Most of us at one point or another have either been on the giving end or receiving end of that statement. I recently heard one Christian instruct other Christians in this manner and wondered whether or not they had really thought this through.
I believe that this kind of advice is just one more tell-tale sign of how worldly philosophy has crept into the church. Sticking close to the scriptures will prevent this. 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 says, "For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,"
For an example of how the above phrase is unbiblical here is 10,000 ft overview of Matthew 23:1-36. And this is without much digging. (Nevermind mentioning whole books of the OT prophets who constantly proclaimed dreadful things.)
In Matthew 23:1-6 Jesus pronounces woes and judgments on the Scribes and Pharisees. He calls the hypocrites, sons of Hell, blind guides, blind fools, greedy, self-indulgent, unclean, full of death, lawless, sons of murderers, serpents, brood of vipers, condemned to hell, and murderers themselves.
Now, if the above principle applies that we shouldn't say anything at all if it's not nice then Jesus is WAY out of line here.
But, as Christians we should be more concerned about speaking truth, in love, (Ephesians 4:15) rather than speaking only so-called "good" about someone. I would imagine Joel Osteen could market the above phrase to his congregation as bona-fide biblical truth. That phrase, to me, is borderline word-faith, Robert Schuller, positivism.
Furthermore, if the above phrase is true then you would literally have to trim the gospel down to nothing. You could not speak of sin, lawlessness, rebellion, hatred of God, judgment to come, eternal hell, etc. with a lost person AT ALL because, although those things are true, they are not in line with being "good." Your gospel would be so lop-sided that it would probably fall off the table.
...just a quick post to possibly wake you up to some worldly philosophy that you might still be held captive to and promoting rather than the truth of scripture....
November 30, 2009 @ 10:56 AM EST | Category: Gospel Theology
"The brilliance of the gospel light is dimmed by error. The clearness of the testimony is spoiled when doubtful voices are scattered among the people, and those who ought to preach the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, are telling out for doctrines the imaginations of men, and the inventions of the age.
Instead of revelation, we have philosophy, falsely so-called; instead of divine infallibility, we have surmises and larger hopes. The gospel of Jesus Christ, which is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever, is taught as the production of progress, a growth, a thing to be amended and corrected year by year. It is an ill day, both for the church and the world, when the trumpet does not give a certain sound; for who shall prepare himself for the battle?"
November 20, 2009 @ 10:50 AM EST | Category: Gospel Theology
Colossians 2:8 says, "See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ."
I have listed here, for anyone interested in the ministry, things you will never hear us say when sharing/preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.
I wrote that list because of the fact that I have heard so many people describe a "summary" of the gospel as asking Jesus to do things, or accepting Jesus into your heart (at this point I interject, "Well, why not into my liver?"), or giving Jesus something. All are concepts that stem from a lack of understanding of the true message and nature of the gospel. All are concepts that I will not use because it is clear from scripture, not from my feeble-brained reasoning, that those concepts, which use words and have theology behind them -although it may not be accurate theology- are unbiblical.
How you speak about something shows what you know about something. The words that you use are important. If someone uses unbiblical terminology when sharing the gospel then I would have to assume one of two things. One, the person really doesn't know the gospel intimately or two, they have something up their sleeve (producing numbers for church growth etc).
I once heard a great analogy of the difference between accurate gospel preaching and quick short-hand unbiblical preaching that try's to get it done in a succinct, quick way and "dumbs it down" (as mentioned above). This is a paraphrase, as much as I can remember, of that analogy.
There was once a parachute making factory. They made the best parachutes out there. Every time a soldier yanked the rip cord the parachute opened like a charm. They took their time with every fold of the parachute making sure the folds were precise and there was no slack. When they packed the parachute, they made sure that every part of the parachute went into the backpack nice and neat so that when the soldier pulled the cord there would be no snags or rips. There numbers were low, but so were the number of deaths from failed parachutes. That number was almost non-existent.
Well someone came in and demanded that the parachute factory pick up the pace of production because there were more parachutes needed and the factory on the west coast is making twice as many parachutes in a month as they are. So, the factory picked up the pace, sacrificing quality and reliability for volume and raw dollars. Each fold of the parachute was glazed over and packing it into the backpack was done in a sloppy manner. As the soldiers deployed the parachutes many were not opening correctly, hanging and ripping. Soldier's were falling to their death. Their parachute numbers were high, but so were the number of deaths associated with their lack of care for the job.
Their negligence lost them the war.
On that note, I wanted to share a message with you from the church Stephanie and I attend.
As you listen to the message, think to yourself about whether or not you have been taken captive by worldly philosophy and ask yourself exactly how are you packing the parachute?
