The Gospel
John 1:11-14
[11] He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. [12] But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, [13] who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
[14] And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
This text states that Jesus was not received by His own people, but those that did receive Him, He gave the right to be one of God’s children. They were not born into God’s family, in the natural way, nor by their own will, but they were birthed into God’s family by God’s will, alone.
Jesus was full, completely full of grace and truth. Grace has been defined as God’s un-merited or un-earned favor toward man. Another very good definition is that it is God’s one way love to man. It is one way because it is rooted and based in God’s love for us, and not based on any thing we do.
American Christianity is familiar with Jesus being full of grace. Obviously, He has always been correctly portrayed as our Savior, as our substitute on the Cross, the Cross we deserved. Many American Christians know that God and His Son Jesus planned for this grace, this one way love performed by Jesus, since before Creation. And many American Christians know He was the Teacher of truth. Unfortunately though, most Americans do not know of God’s one way love to us before time. And obviously our culture is saturated with moral relativism as it main belief system. This moral relativism leaves most of us believing that there is no objective truth, or absolute right and wrong. And what is the worst sin of all in our culture? It is that we think we individually are sovereign in our own lives, and fail miserably at recognizing that our maker, the eternally self-existent God, is completely sovereign over us, and in fact over every part of this universe, both seen and unseen. But, I tell you, Jesus is THE Truth. He is very God with God. Jesus has always existed as God with God. Jesus, with His Father and the Holy Spirit in full agreement, chose to willingly become a man. He willingly humbled Himself, fully, and became part of His own Creation. He, Jesus, who was very God, became very man also.
So, Jesus was the Truth made flesh. I want you to know that Jesus did talk of love and forgiveness, righteous living, and on the importance of knowing Father God, but there is one other important thing that Jesus taught on, and that is on the coming judgment and on the wrath of God. In fact Jesus spoke of hell more than any other person in the New Testament. Let me read Luke 12: 4-5 to you: Jesus was teaching His disciples, in this text and this is what is states: [4] “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. [5] But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! Ladies and gentlemen, I solemnly tell you with every assurance from years of study and reading God’s Word, only God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit have the authority to cast a soul into an eternity in hell.
So when you think of grace and truth, Jesus not only forgives, heals, and saves souls, but He, as God, judges, and executes God’s wrath on unrepentant sinners by casting them into the Lake of Fire for eternity.
Here is truth that is found in Romans 3: 9-20: What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged all, both Jew and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written: None is righteous, no not one; no one understands; no one seeks God. All have turned aside, together they have become worthless, no one does good, not even one. Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive. The venom of asps is under their lips. Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes.
Let me repeat a few key words in this text: all are under sin, none is righteous, not one, no one understands, no one seeks God, all have turned aside, together they all have become worthless, no one does good, not even one. They all use their tongues to deceive, their words are like poisonous snake venom, they are swift to shed blood, ruin and misery is their normal activity, and the way of peace they do not know. They do not have any fear of God! And their state for eternity will be hell, unless God intervenes.
This text universally convicts mankind of being basically evil….
So I ask, Do we have any hope… any chance for forgiveness and redemption, and ultimate restoration to God and His Son Jesus: YES…..YES…. and again I say YES!
Let’s look at a text in Ephesians 2: 1 – 10 to see why:
And you were dead in trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience…among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body, and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God…being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ, by grace you have been saved---and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before hand, that we should walk in them.
This is Jesus’ grace, it is freely given to us. Remember God’s grace is His unmerited favor. It is God’s one way love poured out in a sweeping flood upon our souls. We do not have to work for it, in fact we can not. God outrageously and with over the top grace, floods us with His love and forgiveness and redemption through His Son, and restores us fully to Him.
In our culture there is a big lie that is believed by a majority of people. That lie is that God helps those who help themselves. That is not in the Bible…ladies and gentlemen. Benjamin Franklin spoke that. It is not true. The truth is that we were dead sinners, completely enslaved by our sin, our lusts, and our flesh’s unholy cravings. We were completely helpless to help ourselves, and what is much worse, we are not willing to help ourselves, separate and apart from God’s one way love making us alive spiritually, from the dead. We do not want or desire God in this dead and sin filled state. We love our sin. Sin is our nature. But God… because of His great love with which He loves us, can and will outrageously grace us with grace and make us alive in His Son Christ Jesus.
Let’s go back to Romans chapter 3, and read a few more verses that I intentionally wanted to read at this point of the sermon. The verses are Romans 3: 20 – 28:
But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law (our works), although the Law and the prophets bear witness to it---the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forth as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance, he had passed over former sins. It was to show His righteousness, at the present time, so that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.
Ladies and gentlemen, we can give everything we own to the poor, we can volunteer all of our extra time working in soup kitchens, we can constantly visit the sick in hospitals, we can defend the defenseless, we can fully take care of our widows and our orphans, we can feed the world’s hungry, but if we do these things without first recognizing that we can not earn God’s favor, that we can not purchase His love and forgiveness by our works, then we are hopelessly vain and lost in our pride. Because, good works do not save us. We, as spiritually dead sinners are in need of God’s regeneration of our dead souls to become living souls. Our new birth as living souls is His to work. It is not ours. We can not birth ourselves into His kingdom; no more than a baby can be born by it own choice. Only when we are born again, spiritually alive in Jesus Christ can we glorify Him. I say again, then and only then do the works that we do honor Him alone and not ourselves.
So, what are we to do? Simply respond… respond to God’s one way love to us. Repent of your old ways of sin and self-worship. Repent of the worldly wisdom that states that we can make it on our own. We can not. We absolutely must receive God’s free offer of grace. But people, I remind you that though it was freely offered to us, it was not free to God and His Son. Jesus, very God Himself, became a man. He walked and lived a sinless life. He was completely obedient to His father; He was spotless, pure, just, and righteous. What did we do with Him as a man, we crucified Him. His crucifixion was for helpless, dead sinners, like you and me. Again, I ask that you repent of dead works, and a life that is dead, that is lived for yourself, and that you receive Jesus and all that He freely gives us based on His work, His merit, and His righteousness. In Romans 10:13 it states that all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved. Will you, will you please, for your soul’s sake and for the sake of those that love you, call upon Jesus Christ to save you today. Please!!!
Thank you.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Father's Day
I have two fathers. The first one I met after my natural birth. My natural father appeared very big to me as I was growing up. The fact that he was strong and able to do wonders impossible for me to do, did not escape even my childhood mind. He could pick me up and carry me with one hand. He could reach high things without the assistance of chairs or step stools. He could throw a baseball a long ways. And he could drive our family's car. I could not ever imagine how he did such wonderful things.
My Heavenly Father, I met when I was 18 years old. I never dreamed just how big and great he was. And I later learned just how incredibly wonderful He is. I thought that I had found Him. Now, I know, he always was pursuing me. My whole childhood is covered with memories of God the Father loving me, in spite of me. He lovingly provided me with regular glimpses of Himself through my parents, friends, and later, through those He sent to witness to me. He never stopped loving me and pursuing me, even when my soul was at its ugliest. I know now, His choosing me and saving me, was for His purposes and glory, and not in any way based on my own personal worth and merit.
God, my father, has loved me unconditionally. My natural father does this to, to a certain extent. But, only the Heavenly Father knew the depths of depravity that my soul was in, and how much further it fell from there, into the darkness of consuming sin. And yet He still loved me and loves me unconditionally. Only God has the kind of love that can love the unloveable. Only God the Father can reach into the depths of the mire of sin and deliver the dead into new life. Only God, gives all to the undeserving. The all that He gives is the life of Jesus, His Son for the likes of me...and for you.
God, my father, I love you. Thank you for giving me your best treasure through your Son Jesus. Thank you for forgiving me, and justifying me, through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus the Christ. And I pray, that those that read this, that you love with that same unconditional love, that you loved me with, will receive it freely with joy.
Romans 5:8: ...but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (ESV online)
Christ the Wisdom and Power of God
1 Corinthians 18-31
18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”
20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, [1] not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being [2] might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him [3] you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” (ESV online)
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
King James Version from Biblegateway.com
My Heavenly Father, I met when I was 18 years old. I never dreamed just how big and great he was. And I later learned just how incredibly wonderful He is. I thought that I had found Him. Now, I know, he always was pursuing me. My whole childhood is covered with memories of God the Father loving me, in spite of me. He lovingly provided me with regular glimpses of Himself through my parents, friends, and later, through those He sent to witness to me. He never stopped loving me and pursuing me, even when my soul was at its ugliest. I know now, His choosing me and saving me, was for His purposes and glory, and not in any way based on my own personal worth and merit.
God, my father, has loved me unconditionally. My natural father does this to, to a certain extent. But, only the Heavenly Father knew the depths of depravity that my soul was in, and how much further it fell from there, into the darkness of consuming sin. And yet He still loved me and loves me unconditionally. Only God has the kind of love that can love the unloveable. Only God the Father can reach into the depths of the mire of sin and deliver the dead into new life. Only God, gives all to the undeserving. The all that He gives is the life of Jesus, His Son for the likes of me...and for you.
God, my father, I love you. Thank you for giving me your best treasure through your Son Jesus. Thank you for forgiving me, and justifying me, through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus the Christ. And I pray, that those that read this, that you love with that same unconditional love, that you loved me with, will receive it freely with joy.
Romans 5:8: ...but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (ESV online)
Christ the Wisdom and Power of God
1 Corinthians 18-31
18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”
20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, [1] not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being [2] might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him [3] you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” (ESV online)
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
King James Version from Biblegateway.com
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Cyber Fellowship?
I have been a part of a closed group page on Facebook for many months. When I first joined this FB group, it seemed to provide a much needed arena for fellowhip for me with other believers. Many of those who were a part of the group had the same experiences that I have had in the WOF/Prosperity movement. As I have written in previous blogs, I spent a total of 22 plus years in a church that would be best described as being fully aligned with the errors taught within the WOF/Prosperity movement. So, when I was first invited to join a group with others who had been through the physical and emotional turmoil of having been a member of a heretical system, I was very excited. I have dialogued with other individuals that have left this false gospel and benefited greatly. I knew that being able to interact with others on a daily basis that had the same pain from having been deceived would be comforting and would possibly bring some healing for me.
And that is exactly what the group provided for me for several months. Unfortunately the tone and demeaner of the group has turned very sour and vicious in the last few weeks. There are those in the group who seem to be far more hurt than the rest of us. And the way that they deal with the pain is to attack practically everything that moves that identifies itself as christianity, if it does not happen to fit in their little box that they have created for their faith.
Two days ago, one of the members posted a question about a very famous and successful pastor. One of the other members of the group posted a very slanderous and libelous statement about this pastor. And then the person posted several more. When I confronted the individual concerning the obvious error of their statements, the person just replied with more slander and more libel about this pastor. This person had no proof or actual documentation for the statements that were made. The person just continued their untrue, unsubstantiated rhetoric and refused to stop. The group page's tenor, as a whole, seemed to be very accepting of the continued slander. There were a few who did agree with my concerns, but they were in the great minority in relation to the group as a whole.
I realized that the group had become a very unhealthy place for me to continue to spend time in "cyber-fellowship". I did not want to become like those who were dealing with their pain by continuing to question and tear down legitimate teachers and pastors. So, I removed myself from the group last night. The group page made sense to me at first, while it, for the most part, discussed the false teachers and preachers in the WOF/Prosperity movement. It seemed to be a way of assuring each other that we were free of of the lies and deceptions that we had all succumbed too. However, I do not believe that Jesus and His church as a whole should be attacked for the errors of the false teachers in the WOF/Prosperity movement. It is clear from one very famous scripture passage, where Saul, on his way to persecute christians in the city of Damascus, encountered the Lord Jesus himself, that it is not only the individual christian that you are persecuting when you attack, but you are also persecuting Jesus too. When Jesus confronted Saul, Jesus asked him "Saul, Saul, why dost thou persecute me?" Saul had never actually had physical contact with Jesus, but Saul was famous for his persecution of the church at Jerusalem. Obviously, Jesus takes it personal when you hurt His own.
So, what did I learn from all this. First, I now realize that the pain that I feel is shared by others. I also learned that some in the group were hurt so bad, that they had actually descended into anger toward God. And I learned that groups, unguided by personal accountability to the scriptures, can get off in a ditch quickly.
So if any one is reading this, pray that I find and maintain healthy, and whole friendships. Pray also, that I find other believers who desire to encourage and exhort those that they are in relationship with, to grow in the honoring and glorifying of Jesus Christ. Christian friends should behave "christianally" toward each other and toward our culture in general, and not like savage inquisitors,
And that is exactly what the group provided for me for several months. Unfortunately the tone and demeaner of the group has turned very sour and vicious in the last few weeks. There are those in the group who seem to be far more hurt than the rest of us. And the way that they deal with the pain is to attack practically everything that moves that identifies itself as christianity, if it does not happen to fit in their little box that they have created for their faith.
Two days ago, one of the members posted a question about a very famous and successful pastor. One of the other members of the group posted a very slanderous and libelous statement about this pastor. And then the person posted several more. When I confronted the individual concerning the obvious error of their statements, the person just replied with more slander and more libel about this pastor. This person had no proof or actual documentation for the statements that were made. The person just continued their untrue, unsubstantiated rhetoric and refused to stop. The group page's tenor, as a whole, seemed to be very accepting of the continued slander. There were a few who did agree with my concerns, but they were in the great minority in relation to the group as a whole.
I realized that the group had become a very unhealthy place for me to continue to spend time in "cyber-fellowship". I did not want to become like those who were dealing with their pain by continuing to question and tear down legitimate teachers and pastors. So, I removed myself from the group last night. The group page made sense to me at first, while it, for the most part, discussed the false teachers and preachers in the WOF/Prosperity movement. It seemed to be a way of assuring each other that we were free of of the lies and deceptions that we had all succumbed too. However, I do not believe that Jesus and His church as a whole should be attacked for the errors of the false teachers in the WOF/Prosperity movement. It is clear from one very famous scripture passage, where Saul, on his way to persecute christians in the city of Damascus, encountered the Lord Jesus himself, that it is not only the individual christian that you are persecuting when you attack, but you are also persecuting Jesus too. When Jesus confronted Saul, Jesus asked him "Saul, Saul, why dost thou persecute me?" Saul had never actually had physical contact with Jesus, but Saul was famous for his persecution of the church at Jerusalem. Obviously, Jesus takes it personal when you hurt His own.
So, what did I learn from all this. First, I now realize that the pain that I feel is shared by others. I also learned that some in the group were hurt so bad, that they had actually descended into anger toward God. And I learned that groups, unguided by personal accountability to the scriptures, can get off in a ditch quickly.
So if any one is reading this, pray that I find and maintain healthy, and whole friendships. Pray also, that I find other believers who desire to encourage and exhort those that they are in relationship with, to grow in the honoring and glorifying of Jesus Christ. Christian friends should behave "christianally" toward each other and toward our culture in general, and not like savage inquisitors,
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Reflections on the Sovereignty of God and Word of Faith Theology
Paradigm--3: a philosophical and theoretical framework of a scientific school or discipline within which theories, laws, and generalizations and the experiments performed in support of them are formulated; broadly : a philosophical or theoretical framework of any kind
1: example, pattern; especially : an outstandingly clear or typical example or archetype
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary on-line
I am continually confronted with how far my belief system as a Christian was removed from the truth that is revealed in scripture. Yes, I believe that though my theology was not perfect as a younger man, that God still saved me in spite of my imperfect understanding of His Word. For years, I attended a WOF church. The theology and foundational beliefs of the WOF movement are unbelievably "SCREWED-UP".
The Word of Faith movement teaches a "minimalized" view of God's authority in the EARTH.They believe in a dualistic relationship between God and Satan, that God can only hope to have the upper hand in, if we, the offspring of Adam help Him to enforce, by the excercising of our faith and authority as believers. The Word of Faith teachers and preachers subscribe to the belief system that Adam ceded authority over man and this EARTH to Satan. There is even an elaborate "fabricated story" based on one of the parables, that God "leased" the Earth out to man for a period of time, and that now Satan holds that lease.
Hogwash!!!!
God is God. He is absolutely in charge of every detail of His creation. There is scripture, upon scripture, declaring the truth of this attribute of God. God has always had Plan A for His creation man. The Gospel is not Plan B. God decreed and superintends His will. His purposes will be fully accomplished. There is not one aspect of "His-story" that was out of His control. I will go further, Satan is submitted to God's authority. It is not because he wants or desires to be, but due to the fact that the level of God's omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, and every other descriptive word that describes His transcendence, so far surpasses Satan’s nature and being, that the difference between God and a single cell's level of being, would be a just measuring rod for demonstrating how much greater God's greatness is, compared to Satan’s being. God is self existent. He is the I am that I am. Satan is wholly a contingent being. Any existence that he has is fully at the discretion and command of God. And to emphasize Satan's submission and relationship to God even more, any act on Satan's part is an act that is allowed by God,and is an act that ultimately and gloriously fulfills God's perfect purpose.
The WOF teachers and preachers are either absolutely ignorant of God's true transcendence, or worse, intentionally deceiving their followers to serve dark purposes.
God is portrayed in scripture as totally sufficient in every way. He does not need us or our faith. He is fully complete in His excellence in every possible way. God lacks nothing.
I urge those of you still trapped by a false paradigm of God's identity, His transcendence, and His full sovereignty over the smallest details of His creation, to reread your Bibles. God is the chief author, producer, director, and writer of this play we call reality!!!
1: example, pattern; especially : an outstandingly clear or typical example or archetype
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary on-line
I am continually confronted with how far my belief system as a Christian was removed from the truth that is revealed in scripture. Yes, I believe that though my theology was not perfect as a younger man, that God still saved me in spite of my imperfect understanding of His Word. For years, I attended a WOF church. The theology and foundational beliefs of the WOF movement are unbelievably "SCREWED-UP".
The Word of Faith movement teaches a "minimalized" view of God's authority in the EARTH.They believe in a dualistic relationship between God and Satan, that God can only hope to have the upper hand in, if we, the offspring of Adam help Him to enforce, by the excercising of our faith and authority as believers. The Word of Faith teachers and preachers subscribe to the belief system that Adam ceded authority over man and this EARTH to Satan. There is even an elaborate "fabricated story" based on one of the parables, that God "leased" the Earth out to man for a period of time, and that now Satan holds that lease.
Hogwash!!!!
God is God. He is absolutely in charge of every detail of His creation. There is scripture, upon scripture, declaring the truth of this attribute of God. God has always had Plan A for His creation man. The Gospel is not Plan B. God decreed and superintends His will. His purposes will be fully accomplished. There is not one aspect of "His-story" that was out of His control. I will go further, Satan is submitted to God's authority. It is not because he wants or desires to be, but due to the fact that the level of God's omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, and every other descriptive word that describes His transcendence, so far surpasses Satan’s nature and being, that the difference between God and a single cell's level of being, would be a just measuring rod for demonstrating how much greater God's greatness is, compared to Satan’s being. God is self existent. He is the I am that I am. Satan is wholly a contingent being. Any existence that he has is fully at the discretion and command of God. And to emphasize Satan's submission and relationship to God even more, any act on Satan's part is an act that is allowed by God,and is an act that ultimately and gloriously fulfills God's perfect purpose.
The WOF teachers and preachers are either absolutely ignorant of God's true transcendence, or worse, intentionally deceiving their followers to serve dark purposes.
God is portrayed in scripture as totally sufficient in every way. He does not need us or our faith. He is fully complete in His excellence in every possible way. God lacks nothing.
I urge those of you still trapped by a false paradigm of God's identity, His transcendence, and His full sovereignty over the smallest details of His creation, to reread your Bibles. God is the chief author, producer, director, and writer of this play we call reality!!!
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