Saturday, January 31, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
When you point one finger...
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's home district includes San Francisco.
Star-Kist Tuna's headquarters are in San Francisco , Pelosi's home district.
Star-Kist is owned by Del Monte Foods and is a major contributor to Pelosi.
Star-Kist is the major employer in American Samoa employing 75% of the Samoan work force.
Paul Pelosi, Nancy 's husband, owns $17 million dollars in Star-Kist stock.
In January, 2007 when the minimum wage was increased from $5.15 to $7.25, Pelosi had American Samoa exempted from the increase so Del Monte would not have to pay the higher wage. This would make Del Monte products less expensive than their competition's.
Last week when the huge bailout bill was passed, Pelosi added an earmark to the final bill adding $33 million dollars for an 'economic development credit in American Samoa.'
Pelosi has called the Bush Administration "CORRUPT" ? How do you spell "HYPOCRISY" ?
Star-Kist Tuna's headquarters are in San Francisco , Pelosi's home district.
Star-Kist is owned by Del Monte Foods and is a major contributor to Pelosi.
Star-Kist is the major employer in American Samoa employing 75% of the Samoan work force.
Paul Pelosi, Nancy 's husband, owns $17 million dollars in Star-Kist stock.
In January, 2007 when the minimum wage was increased from $5.15 to $7.25, Pelosi had American Samoa exempted from the increase so Del Monte would not have to pay the higher wage. This would make Del Monte products less expensive than their competition's.
Last week when the huge bailout bill was passed, Pelosi added an earmark to the final bill adding $33 million dollars for an 'economic development credit in American Samoa.'
Pelosi has called the Bush Administration "CORRUPT" ? How do you spell "HYPOCRISY" ?
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Excuses for Not Praying
Excerpt from A Call to Spiritual Reformation: Priorities from Paul and His Prayers by D.A. Carson
I Am Too Busy
Lillian Guild tells an amusing story of an occasion when she and her husband were driving along and happened to notice a late-model Cadillac with its hood up, parked at the side of the road. Its driver appeared somewhat perplexed and agitated. Mrs. Guild and her husband pulled over to see if they could offer assistance. The stranded driver hastily and somewhat sheepishly explained that he had known when he left home that he was rather low on fuel, but he had been in a great hurry to get to an important business meeting so he had not taken time to full up his tank. The Cadillac needed nothing more than refueling. The Guilds happened to have a spare gallon of fuel with them, so they emptied it into the thirsty Cadillac, and told the other driver of a service station a few miles down the road. Thanking them profusely, he sped off.
Twelve miles or so later, they saw the same car. Hood up, stranded at the side of the road. The same driver, no les bemused than the first time, and even more agitated, was pathetically grateful when they pulled over again. You guessed it: he was in such a hurry for his business meeting that he had decided to skip the service station and press on in the dim hope that the gallon he had received would take him to his destination.
It is hard to believe anyone would be so stupid, until we remember that that is exactly how many of us go about the business of Christian living. We are so busy pressing on to the next item on the agenda that we choose not to pause for fuel. Sadly, Christian leaders may be among the worst offenders. Faced with constant and urgent demands, they find it easy to neglect their calling to the ministry of the Word and prayer because they are so busy. Indeed, they are tempted to invest all of their activity with transcendental significance, so that although their relative prayerlessness quietly gnaws away at the back of their awareness, the noise and pain can be swamped by the sheer importance of all the tings they are busily doing.
I Feel Too Dry Spiritually To Pray
Hidden behind this excuse are two presuppositions that are really quite monstrous. The first is that the acceptability of my approach to God in prayer out to be tied to how I feel. But is God especially impressed with us when we feel joyful or carefree or well rested or pious? Is not the basis of any Christian’s approach to the heavenly Father the sufficiency of Christ’s mediating work on our behalf? Is not this a part of what we mean when we pray “in Jesus’ name”? Are we not casting a terrible slur on the cross when we act as if the usefulness or acceptability of our prayers turns on whether we feel full or dry? True, when we feel empty and dispirited we may have to remind ourselves a little more forcefully that the sole reason why God accepts us is the grace that he ha bestowed upon us in the person and work of his Son. But that is surely better than giving the impression that we are somehow more fit to pray when we feel good.
The second unacceptable presupposition behind this attitude is that my obligation to pray is somehow diminished when I do not feel like praying. This is to assign to my mood or my feelings the right to determine what I ought to do. And that, of course, is unbearably self-centered. It means that I, and I alone, determine what is my duty, my obligation. In short, it means that I am y own god. It is to act as if the Bible never says, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” (Rom. 12:12, emphasis added).
I Feel No Need To Pray
This excuse is a trifle trickier than the first two. Few of us are so crass that we self-consciously reason, “I am too important to pray. I am too self-confident to pray. I am too independent to pray.” Instead, what happens is this: Although abstractly I may affirm the importance of prayer, in reality I may treat prayer as important only in the lives of other people, especially those whom I judge to be weaker in character, more needy, less competent, less productive. Thus, while affirming the importance of prayer, I my not feel deep need for prayer in my own life. I may be getting along so well without much praying that my self-confidence is constantly being reinforced. That breeds yet another round of prayerlessness.
What is God’s response? If Christians who shelter beneath such self-assurance do not learn better ways by listening to the Scriptures, God may address them in the terrible language of tragedy. We serve a God who delights to disclose himself to the contrite, to the lowly of heart, to the meek. When God finds us so puffed up that we do not feel our need for him, it is an act of kindness on his part to take us down a peg or two; it would be an act of judgment to leave us in our vaulting self-esteem.
I Am Too Bitter To Pray
We cannot live long in this world without coming across injustice, chronic lack of fairness. Many of us accept such sin with reasonable equanimity, reasoning that it is, after all, a fallen world. But when the injustice or unfairness is directed against us, our reaction may be much less philosophical. Then we may nurture a spirit of revenge, or at least of bitterness, malice, and gossip. Such sins in turn assure that our prayers are never more than formulaic; eventually such sin may lead to chronic prayerlessness. “How can I be expected to pray when I have suffered so much?” “Don’t talk to me about praying for my enemies: I know who has kept me from being promoted.”
Life itself is consumed by the petty assessment of how well you are perceived by those around you. In this morass of self-pity and resentment, real prayer is squeezed out. In other words, many of us do not want to pray because we know that disciplined, biblical prayer would force us to eliminate sin that we rather cherish. It is very hard to pray with compassion and zeal for someone we much prefer to resent.
I Am Too Ashamed To Pray
Shame encourages us to hide from the presence of God; shame squirrels behind a masking foliage of pleasantries while refusing to be honest; shame foster flight and escapism; shame engenders prayerlessness.
We cannot successfully hide from God anyway, “for a man’s ways are in full view of the LORD, and he examines all his paths” (Prov. 5:21). “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Heb. 4:13). But if it is futile to run from God, our sense of shame can scarcely be an adequate ground to excuse our prayerlessness. Rather, it ought to be a goad that drives us back to the only one who can forgive us and grant us utter absolution, back to the freedom of conscience and the boldness in prayer that follow in the wake of the joyful knowledge that we have been accepted by a holy God because of his grace.
I Am Content With Mediocrity
Some Christians want enough of Christ to be identified with him but not enough to be seriously inconvenienced; they genuinely cling to basic Christian orthodoxy but do not want to engage in serious Bible study; they value moral probity, especially of the public sort, but do not engage in war against inner corruptions; they fret over the quality of the preachers sermon but do not worry much over the quality of their own prayer life. Such Christians are content with mediocrity.
I Am Too Busy
Lillian Guild tells an amusing story of an occasion when she and her husband were driving along and happened to notice a late-model Cadillac with its hood up, parked at the side of the road. Its driver appeared somewhat perplexed and agitated. Mrs. Guild and her husband pulled over to see if they could offer assistance. The stranded driver hastily and somewhat sheepishly explained that he had known when he left home that he was rather low on fuel, but he had been in a great hurry to get to an important business meeting so he had not taken time to full up his tank. The Cadillac needed nothing more than refueling. The Guilds happened to have a spare gallon of fuel with them, so they emptied it into the thirsty Cadillac, and told the other driver of a service station a few miles down the road. Thanking them profusely, he sped off.
Twelve miles or so later, they saw the same car. Hood up, stranded at the side of the road. The same driver, no les bemused than the first time, and even more agitated, was pathetically grateful when they pulled over again. You guessed it: he was in such a hurry for his business meeting that he had decided to skip the service station and press on in the dim hope that the gallon he had received would take him to his destination.
It is hard to believe anyone would be so stupid, until we remember that that is exactly how many of us go about the business of Christian living. We are so busy pressing on to the next item on the agenda that we choose not to pause for fuel. Sadly, Christian leaders may be among the worst offenders. Faced with constant and urgent demands, they find it easy to neglect their calling to the ministry of the Word and prayer because they are so busy. Indeed, they are tempted to invest all of their activity with transcendental significance, so that although their relative prayerlessness quietly gnaws away at the back of their awareness, the noise and pain can be swamped by the sheer importance of all the tings they are busily doing.
I Feel Too Dry Spiritually To Pray
Hidden behind this excuse are two presuppositions that are really quite monstrous. The first is that the acceptability of my approach to God in prayer out to be tied to how I feel. But is God especially impressed with us when we feel joyful or carefree or well rested or pious? Is not the basis of any Christian’s approach to the heavenly Father the sufficiency of Christ’s mediating work on our behalf? Is not this a part of what we mean when we pray “in Jesus’ name”? Are we not casting a terrible slur on the cross when we act as if the usefulness or acceptability of our prayers turns on whether we feel full or dry? True, when we feel empty and dispirited we may have to remind ourselves a little more forcefully that the sole reason why God accepts us is the grace that he ha bestowed upon us in the person and work of his Son. But that is surely better than giving the impression that we are somehow more fit to pray when we feel good.
The second unacceptable presupposition behind this attitude is that my obligation to pray is somehow diminished when I do not feel like praying. This is to assign to my mood or my feelings the right to determine what I ought to do. And that, of course, is unbearably self-centered. It means that I, and I alone, determine what is my duty, my obligation. In short, it means that I am y own god. It is to act as if the Bible never says, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” (Rom. 12:12, emphasis added).
I Feel No Need To Pray
This excuse is a trifle trickier than the first two. Few of us are so crass that we self-consciously reason, “I am too important to pray. I am too self-confident to pray. I am too independent to pray.” Instead, what happens is this: Although abstractly I may affirm the importance of prayer, in reality I may treat prayer as important only in the lives of other people, especially those whom I judge to be weaker in character, more needy, less competent, less productive. Thus, while affirming the importance of prayer, I my not feel deep need for prayer in my own life. I may be getting along so well without much praying that my self-confidence is constantly being reinforced. That breeds yet another round of prayerlessness.
What is God’s response? If Christians who shelter beneath such self-assurance do not learn better ways by listening to the Scriptures, God may address them in the terrible language of tragedy. We serve a God who delights to disclose himself to the contrite, to the lowly of heart, to the meek. When God finds us so puffed up that we do not feel our need for him, it is an act of kindness on his part to take us down a peg or two; it would be an act of judgment to leave us in our vaulting self-esteem.
I Am Too Bitter To Pray
We cannot live long in this world without coming across injustice, chronic lack of fairness. Many of us accept such sin with reasonable equanimity, reasoning that it is, after all, a fallen world. But when the injustice or unfairness is directed against us, our reaction may be much less philosophical. Then we may nurture a spirit of revenge, or at least of bitterness, malice, and gossip. Such sins in turn assure that our prayers are never more than formulaic; eventually such sin may lead to chronic prayerlessness. “How can I be expected to pray when I have suffered so much?” “Don’t talk to me about praying for my enemies: I know who has kept me from being promoted.”
Life itself is consumed by the petty assessment of how well you are perceived by those around you. In this morass of self-pity and resentment, real prayer is squeezed out. In other words, many of us do not want to pray because we know that disciplined, biblical prayer would force us to eliminate sin that we rather cherish. It is very hard to pray with compassion and zeal for someone we much prefer to resent.
I Am Too Ashamed To Pray
Shame encourages us to hide from the presence of God; shame squirrels behind a masking foliage of pleasantries while refusing to be honest; shame foster flight and escapism; shame engenders prayerlessness.
We cannot successfully hide from God anyway, “for a man’s ways are in full view of the LORD, and he examines all his paths” (Prov. 5:21). “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Heb. 4:13). But if it is futile to run from God, our sense of shame can scarcely be an adequate ground to excuse our prayerlessness. Rather, it ought to be a goad that drives us back to the only one who can forgive us and grant us utter absolution, back to the freedom of conscience and the boldness in prayer that follow in the wake of the joyful knowledge that we have been accepted by a holy God because of his grace.
I Am Content With Mediocrity
Some Christians want enough of Christ to be identified with him but not enough to be seriously inconvenienced; they genuinely cling to basic Christian orthodoxy but do not want to engage in serious Bible study; they value moral probity, especially of the public sort, but do not engage in war against inner corruptions; they fret over the quality of the preachers sermon but do not worry much over the quality of their own prayer life. Such Christians are content with mediocrity.
Goat Herding 101
There is a new term for pastors that have abandoned gospel preaching in lieu of inspiring and motivating people coming into the building on Sunday. And this came from another pastor so the term is not original with me. This is simply called "goat herding" and it really doesn't have much or anything to do with the sheep. Instead of feeding the sheep within the congregation relevant messages are given to attract and feed the goats. Can we find this model within the New Testament? Is that what the apostle Paul says in Romans Chapter 1? Isn't the context of those at Rome who are the believers? And the apostle Paul is preaching the gospel to them! When is the last time the "Seeker-Friendly, Emerging, Emergent groups" preached the gospel to the sheep and fed them!
Below is the beginning of a preaching series from a local church pastor that has a mega-church (over 2000 people). He is extremely popular and the church is the fastest growing or second fasting growing church in America. Does that mean that this has God's blessing? In America we equate numbers with success right? Anyway this is a sermon review from Chris Rosebrough at Fighting for the Faith. As a former pastor I endorse this kind of review from those who sat under my preaching or for those now who sit under my Bible teaching. We need to be good Bereans and examine everything with the plumb line of God's word, Acts 17:11. However now-a-days in America most people are very Bible illiterate in terms of reading and understanding good solid doctrine. And therefore when they sit under a false gospel or no gospel it doesn't register on their spiritual radar screen at all. Charles Spurgeon once said that "discernment is not the ability to tell right from wrong, but right from almost right." It is sad when pastors leave the main message of Christ-crucified and have the main message of man glorified.
In this message review see if you hear more about Christ crucified or more about man and his tremendous potential. I pray that in these days God will give those in our city ears to hear the gospel. Recently I studied and taught Matthew 7:13-27. This is the section of Scripture where the Lord Jesus actually says "Depart from Me those who practice evil, I knew you not." This is in context of Jesus speaking of two roads that a person can be on, either the broad road that leads to destruction or the narrow road that leads to life. One of the factors that Jesus then expounds on are for those that have been waved onto the broad road by the false prophets. Do we understand that in the last days many false prophets will arise and mislead many? How do we classify pastors in which a partial gospel or no gospel at all is preached?
Here is a recent sermon review and would ask those who listen a couple of questions:
1. Is this sermon Christ centered or man centered?
2. Can you pick out where the gospel of Christ is clearly proclaimed for the sheep?
Listen carefully:
Christ centered or man centered - Rosebrough
Below is the beginning of a preaching series from a local church pastor that has a mega-church (over 2000 people). He is extremely popular and the church is the fastest growing or second fasting growing church in America. Does that mean that this has God's blessing? In America we equate numbers with success right? Anyway this is a sermon review from Chris Rosebrough at Fighting for the Faith. As a former pastor I endorse this kind of review from those who sat under my preaching or for those now who sit under my Bible teaching. We need to be good Bereans and examine everything with the plumb line of God's word, Acts 17:11. However now-a-days in America most people are very Bible illiterate in terms of reading and understanding good solid doctrine. And therefore when they sit under a false gospel or no gospel it doesn't register on their spiritual radar screen at all. Charles Spurgeon once said that "discernment is not the ability to tell right from wrong, but right from almost right." It is sad when pastors leave the main message of Christ-crucified and have the main message of man glorified.
In this message review see if you hear more about Christ crucified or more about man and his tremendous potential. I pray that in these days God will give those in our city ears to hear the gospel. Recently I studied and taught Matthew 7:13-27. This is the section of Scripture where the Lord Jesus actually says "Depart from Me those who practice evil, I knew you not." This is in context of Jesus speaking of two roads that a person can be on, either the broad road that leads to destruction or the narrow road that leads to life. One of the factors that Jesus then expounds on are for those that have been waved onto the broad road by the false prophets. Do we understand that in the last days many false prophets will arise and mislead many? How do we classify pastors in which a partial gospel or no gospel at all is preached?
Here is a recent sermon review and would ask those who listen a couple of questions:
1. Is this sermon Christ centered or man centered?
2. Can you pick out where the gospel of Christ is clearly proclaimed for the sheep?
Listen carefully:
Christ centered or man centered - Rosebrough
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Rex Quando Bible Study
This is a Bible study parody from Chris Rosebrough at Fighting for the Faith. It is a take off on the Rex Quando character in Napoleon Dynamite but has a thread of truth as to how we can approach Bible study in 21st Century America.
Rex Quando Bible Study System
Rex Quando Bible Study System
the cultural phrase "born again"
It becomes more and more interesting to me as a pastor how those who support President Obama use many Biblical references and phrases. In this itunes promo you will see the prominent word "BORN AGAIN." For those interested in the Biblical view of born again just click onto this LINK.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Quote for the day
Christianity today is in conflict; in conflict against the secular world; in conflict with world religions—which are hostile to us—in conflict against the Kingdom of the Cults—and the Occult; in conflict against corrupt theology in our theological seminaries—and oftentimes in our pulpits; in conflict against all forms of evil surrounding us on all sides. And it is a foolish person indeed, who does not recognize that the Church was born in conflict; lives in conflict, and will triumph in conflict. We have been called to be soldiers of the Cross.
And if we’re going to be soldiers of the Cross that means that we have to be attired to fight. That’s why Paul could say here in 2 Timothy, chapter 4 — I have fought the good fight [v. 7]. He did not say, “I have taken the long vacation.” I have fought the good fight, I finished the course, I kept the faith. But the problem we are facing today in Christianity—and one of the reasons why we are in crisis—is this: A large section of the Christian Chruch simply will not come into conflict with the world. And that, is one of our greatest drawbacks. - Walter Martin
Tragedy of being "Seeker-Friendly"
This is a church called "New Spring" that is located in Anderson, SC. The senior pastor is Perry Noble and this video gives you a good idea as to the philosophy and ministry. It is well made, entertaining and what many in our culture would call in good fun. But from a heavenly perspective it is a tragedy! The church in Greek is "ekklesia" which means those who are called out and separated. It seems to me that the one lone gentleman in this video may have gotten the message but hoped beyond all hope that others like him would want church in lieu of the Super Bowl. Listen carefully to the words of what is said in this video clip and it will give insight into the methodology of New Springs when it comes to their ministry goals and objectives.
"We at New Spring want to watch the Super Bowl, just like the rest of you (world), so we are going to." This is how we are being told to grow church and that is by becoming what people want us to be and doing what everyone else does. When they (unbelievers) see and understand that we watch the Super Bowl like everyone else then they will come and embrace Jesus just like we do - right? This is where we need good Bible doctrine teaching in order that there can be good Christian living. But "pastor" Perry doesn't think we need to feed the sheep, as a matter of fact if you don't like it then as he would say "go back to your old church."
Super Bowl Promo 2009 from NewSpring Media on Vimeo.
"We at New Spring want to watch the Super Bowl, just like the rest of you (world), so we are going to." This is how we are being told to grow church and that is by becoming what people want us to be and doing what everyone else does. When they (unbelievers) see and understand that we watch the Super Bowl like everyone else then they will come and embrace Jesus just like we do - right? This is where we need good Bible doctrine teaching in order that there can be good Christian living. But "pastor" Perry doesn't think we need to feed the sheep, as a matter of fact if you don't like it then as he would say "go back to your old church."
Super Bowl Promo 2009 from NewSpring Media on Vimeo.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Ask Jesus in your heart?
This is an article from Todd Friel with Way of the Master radio program.
There is much confusing language that flows through the evangelical church. And one of those confusing statements that we say to people is "have you asked Jesus in your heart."
So what is the problem with the language of "ask Jesus into your heart?"
1. It is not in the Bible. There is not a single verse that even hints we should say a prayer inviting Jesus into our hearts. Some use . To tell us that Jesus is standing at the door of our hearts begging to come in.
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock.” There are two reasons that interpretation is wrong.
The context tells us that the door Jesus is knocking on is the door of the church, not the human heart. Jesus is not knocking to enter someone’s heart but to have fellowship with His church.
Even if the context didn’t tell us this, we would be forcing a meaning into the text (eisegesis). How do we know it is our heart he is knocking at? Why not our car door? How do we know he isn’t knocking on our foot? To suggest that he is knocking on the door of our heart is superimposing a meaning on the text that simply does not exist.
The Bible does not instruct us to ask Jesus into our heart. This alone should resolve the issue, nevertheless, here are nine more reasons.
2. Asking Jesus into your heart is a saying that makes no sense. What does it mean to ask Jesus into your heart? If I say the right incantation will He somehow enter my heart? Is it literal? Does He reside in the upper or lower ventricle? Is this a metaphysical experience? Is it figurative? If it is, what exactly does it mean? While I am certain that most adults cannot articulate its meaning, I am certain that no child can explain it. Pastor Dennis Rokser reminds
us that little children think literally and can easily be confused (or frightened) at the prospect of asking Jesus into their heart.
3. In order to be saved, a man must repent (). Asking Jesus into your heart leaves out the requirement of repentance.
4. In order to be saved, a man must trust in Jesus Christ ().
Asking Jesus into your heart leaves out the requirement of faith.
5. The person who wrongly believes they are saved will have a false sense of security. Millions of people who sincerely, but wrongly, asked Jesus into their hearts think they are saved but struggle to feel secure. They live in doubt and fear because they do not have the Holy Spirit giving them assurance of salvation.
6. The person who asks Jesus into his heart will likely end up inoculated, bitter and backslidden. Because he did not get saved by reciting a formulaic prayer, he will grow disillusioned with Jesus, the Bible, church and fellow believers. His latter end will be worse than the first.
7. It presents God as a beggar just hoping you will let Him into your busy life. This presentation of God robs Him of His sovereignty.
8. The cause of Christ is ridiculed. Visit an atheist web-site and read the pagans who scoff, “How dare those Christians tell us how to live when they get divorced more than we do? Who are they to say homosexuals shouldn’t adopt kids when tens of thousands of orphans don’t get adopted by Christians?” Born again believers adopt kids and don’t get divorced.
People who ask Jesus into their hearts do. Jesus gets mocked when false converts give Him a bad name.
9. The cause of evangelism is hindered. While it is certainly easier to get church members by telling them to ask Jesus into their hearts, try pleading with someone to make today the day of their salvation. Get ready for a painful response. “Why should I become a Christian when I have seen so called Christians act worse than a pagan?” People who ask Jesus into their hearts give pagans an excuse for not repenting.
10. Here is the scary one. People who ask Jesus into their hearts are not saved and they will perish on the Day of Judgment. How tragic that millions of people think they are right with God when they are not. How many people who will cry out, “Lord, Lord” on judgment day will be “Christians” who asked Jesus into their hearts?
So, what must one do to be saved? Repent and trust. () The Bible makes it clear that all men must repent and place their trust in Jesus Christ. Every man does have a “God shaped hole in their hearts,” but that hole is not contentment, fulfillment and peace. Every man’s heart problem is righteousness. Instead of preaching that Jesus fulfills, we must preach that God judges and Jesus satisfies God’s judgment…if a man will repent and place his trust in Him.
There is much confusing language that flows through the evangelical church. And one of those confusing statements that we say to people is "have you asked Jesus in your heart."
So what is the problem with the language of "ask Jesus into your heart?"
1. It is not in the Bible. There is not a single verse that even hints we should say a prayer inviting Jesus into our hearts. Some use . To tell us that Jesus is standing at the door of our hearts begging to come in.
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock.” There are two reasons that interpretation is wrong.
The context tells us that the door Jesus is knocking on is the door of the church, not the human heart. Jesus is not knocking to enter someone’s heart but to have fellowship with His church.
Even if the context didn’t tell us this, we would be forcing a meaning into the text (eisegesis). How do we know it is our heart he is knocking at? Why not our car door? How do we know he isn’t knocking on our foot? To suggest that he is knocking on the door of our heart is superimposing a meaning on the text that simply does not exist.
The Bible does not instruct us to ask Jesus into our heart. This alone should resolve the issue, nevertheless, here are nine more reasons.
2. Asking Jesus into your heart is a saying that makes no sense. What does it mean to ask Jesus into your heart? If I say the right incantation will He somehow enter my heart? Is it literal? Does He reside in the upper or lower ventricle? Is this a metaphysical experience? Is it figurative? If it is, what exactly does it mean? While I am certain that most adults cannot articulate its meaning, I am certain that no child can explain it. Pastor Dennis Rokser reminds
us that little children think literally and can easily be confused (or frightened) at the prospect of asking Jesus into their heart.
3. In order to be saved, a man must repent (). Asking Jesus into your heart leaves out the requirement of repentance.
4. In order to be saved, a man must trust in Jesus Christ ().
Asking Jesus into your heart leaves out the requirement of faith.
5. The person who wrongly believes they are saved will have a false sense of security. Millions of people who sincerely, but wrongly, asked Jesus into their hearts think they are saved but struggle to feel secure. They live in doubt and fear because they do not have the Holy Spirit giving them assurance of salvation.
6. The person who asks Jesus into his heart will likely end up inoculated, bitter and backslidden. Because he did not get saved by reciting a formulaic prayer, he will grow disillusioned with Jesus, the Bible, church and fellow believers. His latter end will be worse than the first.
7. It presents God as a beggar just hoping you will let Him into your busy life. This presentation of God robs Him of His sovereignty.
8. The cause of Christ is ridiculed. Visit an atheist web-site and read the pagans who scoff, “How dare those Christians tell us how to live when they get divorced more than we do? Who are they to say homosexuals shouldn’t adopt kids when tens of thousands of orphans don’t get adopted by Christians?” Born again believers adopt kids and don’t get divorced.
People who ask Jesus into their hearts do. Jesus gets mocked when false converts give Him a bad name.
9. The cause of evangelism is hindered. While it is certainly easier to get church members by telling them to ask Jesus into their hearts, try pleading with someone to make today the day of their salvation. Get ready for a painful response. “Why should I become a Christian when I have seen so called Christians act worse than a pagan?” People who ask Jesus into their hearts give pagans an excuse for not repenting.
10. Here is the scary one. People who ask Jesus into their hearts are not saved and they will perish on the Day of Judgment. How tragic that millions of people think they are right with God when they are not. How many people who will cry out, “Lord, Lord” on judgment day will be “Christians” who asked Jesus into their hearts?
So, what must one do to be saved? Repent and trust. () The Bible makes it clear that all men must repent and place their trust in Jesus Christ. Every man does have a “God shaped hole in their hearts,” but that hole is not contentment, fulfillment and peace. Every man’s heart problem is righteousness. Instead of preaching that Jesus fulfills, we must preach that God judges and Jesus satisfies God’s judgment…if a man will repent and place his trust in Him.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Trained by Anna B.
In December 2007 we bought a digital camera to take on a trip to New York. Little did I know my daughter had been researching cameras and wanted to have the exact camera I bought. The camera in my mind was just fairly basic point and shoot and download the pictures to the computer. But after 1 hour of instruction by Anna B. I quickly found that it was far more valuable than I even imagined. Ever since then I have been taking all kind of photos. Here is one I captured in the back yard after the snow. It has been photo shopped but want to share online in honor of my camera mentor.
"pastor" Perry has an attitude
OK folks this is the new brand of 21st Century in your face preacher. If you don't like him, the church, the music or his face then "hit the road jack." Here is what you will notice about these particular young bucks in the pulpit. They don't mind being offensive to their congregations in talking down to them but they would never offend them with the cross of Christ. By the way for those who don't know it this the pastor that has most influenced and encouraged Steven Furtick, senior pastor of Elevation Church.
The President, Passengers and Patience of God
This is an article by Pastor John Piper from the Desiring God website.
Sometimes we are so overwhelmed at being treated better than we deserve that we must exult in the all-sovereign God—the God of birds' flight and Obama’s rise. When King David pondered how many were God’s “wondrous deeds,” he said, “I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told” (Psalm 40:5). That’s the way I feel watching God’s public mercies in the last few days.
Have you considered how unlikely was the crash of USAir flight 1549 in the Hudson River on January 15—not just the rescue but the crash itself? Picture this: The Airbus A320 is taking off at an angle—maybe 30 degrees. It’s not flying horizontal with the earth. Not only that, it is flying fast—not full speed yet, but perhaps four times as fast as your car would go at top highway speeds.
The geese are flying horizontally with the ground, more or less. They are not flying in a cloud like a swarm of bees. They fly level with the ground, often shaped like a V. In view of all that, what are the odds that, traveling at this speed and at this angle, this airplane would intersect with the flight of those geese at that very millisecond which would put a bird not just in one of those engines, but both of them?
Two laser-guided missiles would not have been as amazingly effective as were those geese. It is incredible, statistically speaking. If God governs nature down to the fall (and the flight) of every bird, as Jesus says (Matthew 10:29), then the crash of flight 1549 was designed by God.
Which leads to the landing in the Hudson River—which is just as unlikely. The airbus now has no thrust in either engine. The flight attendants said it was as quiet as a library in the plane without the sound of engines. The plane is now a 77-ton glider with its belly full of fuel. Captain Sullenberger decides to land in the river. Anywhere else would mean one big fireball.
He banks and misses the George Washington Bridge by 900 feet and glides the plane into a perfect belly landing. A few degrees tilt to the front or back or the right or left and the plane would have done cartwheels down the river and broken up. On the water, the flight attendant does not let passengers open the rear door. That would have flooded the cabin too fast. The emergency doors and front doors provide exits for everyone and the plane floats long enough for all of them to climb out. Ferry boats are there almost instantly. The captain walks the aisle twice to make sure everyone is off. Then he leaves. Later the plane sinks.
If God guides geese so precisely, he also guides the captain’s hands. God knew that when he took the plane down, he would also give a spectacular deliverance. So why would he do that? If he means for all to live, why not just skip the crash?
Because he meant to give our nation a parable of his power and mercy the week before a new President takes office. God can take down a plane any time he pleases—and if he does, he wrongs no one. Apart from Christ, none of us deserves anything from God but judgment. We have belittled him so consistently that he would be perfectly just to take any of us any time in any way he chooses.
But God is longsuffering. He is slow to anger. He withholds wrath every day. This is what we saw in the parable. The crash of Flight 1549 illustrates God’s right and power to judge. The landing of the plane represents God’s mercy. It was God’s call to all the passengers and all their families and all who heard the story to repent and turn to God’s Son, Jesus Christ, and receive forgiveness for sin.
I am writing these thoughts on the evening after the inauguration of Barack Obama, the first African-American President of the United States. I cried twice today. There were two points when I was overwhelmed by the magnitude of it all. Once was when I prayed with some brothers after Obama’s speech and was overcome with the sinfulness of my own racist background. The other was in trying to express my emotion to an African-American brother about what this must mean for him.
As much as I reject Obama’s stance on abortion, I am thankful to the bottom of my soul that an African-American can be President of United States. The enormousness of it all is unspeakable. This is God’s doing. The geese were God’s doing. The landing of Flight 1549 was God’s doing. And the Obama presidency is God’s doing. “He removes kings and sets up kings” (Daniel 2:21).
And I pray that President Obama has eyes to see. The “miracle on the Hudson” and the “miracle in the White House” are not unrelated. God has been merciful to us as a nation. Our racial sins deserved judgment a thousand times over. God does not owe America anything. We owe him everything. And instead of destruction, he has given us another soft landing. We are not dead at the bottom of the Hudson.
O that Barack Obama would see the mercies of God and look to the One whose blood bought everlasting life for all who trust him. The parables of God’s mercy are everywhere. The point of them is this: God is a just and patient Ruler, and Jesus Christ is a great Savior. Turn. Turn. Turn, O President of the United States and passengers of this planet.
Full of thanks for all God’s mercies,
Pastor Joh
Sometimes we are so overwhelmed at being treated better than we deserve that we must exult in the all-sovereign God—the God of birds' flight and Obama’s rise. When King David pondered how many were God’s “wondrous deeds,” he said, “I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told” (Psalm 40:5). That’s the way I feel watching God’s public mercies in the last few days.
Have you considered how unlikely was the crash of USAir flight 1549 in the Hudson River on January 15—not just the rescue but the crash itself? Picture this: The Airbus A320 is taking off at an angle—maybe 30 degrees. It’s not flying horizontal with the earth. Not only that, it is flying fast—not full speed yet, but perhaps four times as fast as your car would go at top highway speeds.
The geese are flying horizontally with the ground, more or less. They are not flying in a cloud like a swarm of bees. They fly level with the ground, often shaped like a V. In view of all that, what are the odds that, traveling at this speed and at this angle, this airplane would intersect with the flight of those geese at that very millisecond which would put a bird not just in one of those engines, but both of them?
Two laser-guided missiles would not have been as amazingly effective as were those geese. It is incredible, statistically speaking. If God governs nature down to the fall (and the flight) of every bird, as Jesus says (Matthew 10:29), then the crash of flight 1549 was designed by God.
Which leads to the landing in the Hudson River—which is just as unlikely. The airbus now has no thrust in either engine. The flight attendants said it was as quiet as a library in the plane without the sound of engines. The plane is now a 77-ton glider with its belly full of fuel. Captain Sullenberger decides to land in the river. Anywhere else would mean one big fireball.
He banks and misses the George Washington Bridge by 900 feet and glides the plane into a perfect belly landing. A few degrees tilt to the front or back or the right or left and the plane would have done cartwheels down the river and broken up. On the water, the flight attendant does not let passengers open the rear door. That would have flooded the cabin too fast. The emergency doors and front doors provide exits for everyone and the plane floats long enough for all of them to climb out. Ferry boats are there almost instantly. The captain walks the aisle twice to make sure everyone is off. Then he leaves. Later the plane sinks.
If God guides geese so precisely, he also guides the captain’s hands. God knew that when he took the plane down, he would also give a spectacular deliverance. So why would he do that? If he means for all to live, why not just skip the crash?
Because he meant to give our nation a parable of his power and mercy the week before a new President takes office. God can take down a plane any time he pleases—and if he does, he wrongs no one. Apart from Christ, none of us deserves anything from God but judgment. We have belittled him so consistently that he would be perfectly just to take any of us any time in any way he chooses.
But God is longsuffering. He is slow to anger. He withholds wrath every day. This is what we saw in the parable. The crash of Flight 1549 illustrates God’s right and power to judge. The landing of the plane represents God’s mercy. It was God’s call to all the passengers and all their families and all who heard the story to repent and turn to God’s Son, Jesus Christ, and receive forgiveness for sin.
I am writing these thoughts on the evening after the inauguration of Barack Obama, the first African-American President of the United States. I cried twice today. There were two points when I was overwhelmed by the magnitude of it all. Once was when I prayed with some brothers after Obama’s speech and was overcome with the sinfulness of my own racist background. The other was in trying to express my emotion to an African-American brother about what this must mean for him.
As much as I reject Obama’s stance on abortion, I am thankful to the bottom of my soul that an African-American can be President of United States. The enormousness of it all is unspeakable. This is God’s doing. The geese were God’s doing. The landing of Flight 1549 was God’s doing. And the Obama presidency is God’s doing. “He removes kings and sets up kings” (Daniel 2:21).
And I pray that President Obama has eyes to see. The “miracle on the Hudson” and the “miracle in the White House” are not unrelated. God has been merciful to us as a nation. Our racial sins deserved judgment a thousand times over. God does not owe America anything. We owe him everything. And instead of destruction, he has given us another soft landing. We are not dead at the bottom of the Hudson.
O that Barack Obama would see the mercies of God and look to the One whose blood bought everlasting life for all who trust him. The parables of God’s mercy are everywhere. The point of them is this: God is a just and patient Ruler, and Jesus Christ is a great Savior. Turn. Turn. Turn, O President of the United States and passengers of this planet.
Full of thanks for all God’s mercies,
Pastor Joh
Quote for the day
"I often tell my congregation that when it comes to battling sin in our lives, the difference between Christians and non-Christians is not that non-Christians sin whereas Christians don't. The difference is found in which side we take in the battle. Christians take God's side against sin, whereas non-Christians take sin's side against God. In other words, a Christian will sin, but then he will turn to God and his Word and say, 'Help me fight against sin.' A non-Christian, even if he recognizes his sin, effectively responds, 'I want my sin more than God.'" -Mark Dever
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
To serve or be served that is the question
Here is an excellent post from Chris at Extreme Theology:
Rick Warren believes and teaches that Christians who are unwilling to GIVE UP the benefits of a small church in order to ‘minister to more people’ are SELFISH and IMMATURE. Included in the list of things that must be ‘given up’ is the expectation that a Pastor will preach doctrinally rich sermons and personally disciple the sheep in his care. Warren has described his view as the difference between ‘Service’ and ‘Serve Us’.
Well, here is an interesting idea. American Evangelicals are committed to asking themselves WWJD (What Would Jesus Do). So let’s ask Jesus what He would do regarding this question. How would he come down between the two positions? Would he favor a Christian who was busy doing service or one who was literally sitting around and doing nothing but listening to His words?
Thankfully the scriptures tell us exactly what Jesus would do in this situation! Here is what God’s word says:
Luke 10:38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
Here it is. If Rick Warren is correct then Jesus is about to give Mary a ‘royal talking to’. If Rick Warren is right we are about to hear Jesus command Mary to get off her ‘Selfish’ and ‘Immature’ butt and get to work and Serve him.
Is that what Jesus does? Not even close!
Luke 10:41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
What!?!?! How can this be?! Mary is doing nothing but listening, nothing but receiving, nothing but believing Jesus’ words. Rather than Serving Jesus, Mary is being served by Jesus! Even worse, Jesus has made it clear that what Mary has chosen to do is BETTER than what Martha has chosen to do. In fact, Jesus makes it clear that He will NOT take that away from Mary.
To put it another way…
Jesus says in Luke 18:17 “I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”
Martha through her frantic works of service to JESUS was NOT receiving Him like a little child and Mary was. Children can only be given to. They simply trust. They love to receive gifts. Mary, like a child, was listening at Jesus feet and receiving the gift of His word. She wasn’t trying to impress Jesus through her works of service like Martha was. That is why Jesus kindly and lovingly corrected Martha and praised Mary.
Those churches and pastors that have bought into Rick Warren’s idea of “Service” vs. “Serve Us” are literally kicking out the Mary’s of the church, those who come to church and sit at the feet of Jesus to hear and receive His word. They are instead filling the church with a bunch of Martha’s and requiring their members to do works of Service rather than be served by their pastors.
Is that What Jesus Would Do?
Rick Warren believes and teaches that Christians who are unwilling to GIVE UP the benefits of a small church in order to ‘minister to more people’ are SELFISH and IMMATURE. Included in the list of things that must be ‘given up’ is the expectation that a Pastor will preach doctrinally rich sermons and personally disciple the sheep in his care. Warren has described his view as the difference between ‘Service’ and ‘Serve Us’.
Well, here is an interesting idea. American Evangelicals are committed to asking themselves WWJD (What Would Jesus Do). So let’s ask Jesus what He would do regarding this question. How would he come down between the two positions? Would he favor a Christian who was busy doing service or one who was literally sitting around and doing nothing but listening to His words?
Thankfully the scriptures tell us exactly what Jesus would do in this situation! Here is what God’s word says:
Luke 10:38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
Here it is. If Rick Warren is correct then Jesus is about to give Mary a ‘royal talking to’. If Rick Warren is right we are about to hear Jesus command Mary to get off her ‘Selfish’ and ‘Immature’ butt and get to work and Serve him.
Is that what Jesus does? Not even close!
Luke 10:41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
What!?!?! How can this be?! Mary is doing nothing but listening, nothing but receiving, nothing but believing Jesus’ words. Rather than Serving Jesus, Mary is being served by Jesus! Even worse, Jesus has made it clear that what Mary has chosen to do is BETTER than what Martha has chosen to do. In fact, Jesus makes it clear that He will NOT take that away from Mary.
To put it another way…
Jesus says in Luke 18:17 “I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”
Martha through her frantic works of service to JESUS was NOT receiving Him like a little child and Mary was. Children can only be given to. They simply trust. They love to receive gifts. Mary, like a child, was listening at Jesus feet and receiving the gift of His word. She wasn’t trying to impress Jesus through her works of service like Martha was. That is why Jesus kindly and lovingly corrected Martha and praised Mary.
Those churches and pastors that have bought into Rick Warren’s idea of “Service” vs. “Serve Us” are literally kicking out the Mary’s of the church, those who come to church and sit at the feet of Jesus to hear and receive His word. They are instead filling the church with a bunch of Martha’s and requiring their members to do works of Service rather than be served by their pastors.
Is that What Jesus Would Do?
"Deeds instead of Creeds"
How can you tell those who don't believe in Christ from those who do? It is not feeding the homeless, or taking care of widows, it isn't visiting the nursing homes or cleaning litter from the streets. Today there is a huge appeal for "deeds instead of creeds." The distinctive between the non-believer and the believer is the church. When you go to the church on Sunday and partake in the ordinances of both baptism and the Lord's supper then you can actually see the difference. Those who believe do all to the glory of Christ but a man who isn't in Christ will take glory for himself.
Snow Day the Movie
Here is the movie sequel to the camera shots this morning. Notice the energy level of the dogs as they frolic in the snow.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Quote for the day
"I'm going to tell you this, on judgment day, I would rather be standing in the group of liberal politicians waiting to receive my judgment than I would be wanting to stand in the group with conservative pastors in the United States of America, and I mean that. - Paul Washer
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
The church - a body or a business
This article is from the Puritan Fellowship blog:
A Bible teacher gave a summary of Christian history’s movement in a class to beginning students:
A Bible teacher gave a summary of Christian history’s movement in a class to beginning students:
“Christianity started in Palestine as a fellowship; it moved to Greece and became a philosophy; it moved to Italy and became an institution; it moved to Europe and became a culture; it then came to America and became an enterprise; an enterprise–that’s a business.”
After a few moments a young lady, the youngest student in the class, raised her hand, asking a simple question, “A business? But isn’t it supposed to be a body?”
When the teacher said, “Yes,” the girl continued, “But when a body becomes a business, isn’t that a prostitute?”
The answer is yes; American professing Christendom is a prostitute, and any professing Christian, church, or organization that uses the message or the body for financial gain is guilty and will prove to be false.
But not the true church of Jesus Christ, who is continually becoming a holy bride, preparing for her Bridegroom. Don’t confuse the two- the true body of Jesus Christ is not Christendom.
Counsel that leads to destruction
I have a close friend who is going through some tremendous physical struggles. He and his wife went to dinner with another Christian couple and he shared some of his personal concerns. It was at that time that the wife of the couple started to tell him about a book that she had received concerning healing. And then some dialogue pursued in which there was discussion about how Jesus came to earth and all the healing that He performed.Of course not long after that the wife mentioned that she would suggest that he read this book because it was recommended to her by a spiritual mentor. First of all let me state plainly that I was not at the conversation and have no idea regarding the book on healing. However from personal pastoral experience, we as Bible believing evangelicals need to EXHORT our brothers and sisters in Christ back to the Bible and not a book. I know some people and theologies that are located within the large evangelical church that teach all sickness and suffering are direct results of sin. And therefore one simply needs to uncover the core sin, confess it and then have enough faith that God will heal the particular physical problem. Allow me to say that these are theologies from the pit of hell itself! There are other off shoots of these types of false doctrines which are dangerous and do match to sound Bible doctrine.
Shame on us as Christians when we have as our first recommendation, is a book, Oprah, Dr. Phil or some advice that we received from a friend in Seattle instead of the revealed word of God. It blows my mind how far off those within the church walls have gotten when it comes to the very things of God. They go to entertainment driven venues that can draw large crowds. They become engaged by dynamic speakers who rarely refer to the gospel, Christ, His blood, wrath of God or sin but instead tell great stories. And then before they even know it (self deception) they are traveling on the broad road that leads to destruction (Matthew 7:14). Do you know the conclusion of that story? This is where on that day these people will come to Him and say Lord, Lord did we not cast out demons, do miracles and speak prophecies in Your name. And Christ will look them in the eyes and say DEPART FROM ME EVIL DOERS FOR I KNEW YOU NOT!
The people of God, the truly saved are committed to an obedience under the very word of God. They are in the Bible constantly and continuously and the Bible is in them. The reading they do in other things should pale in comparison to the reading, understanding, embracing and living from God's word.
My prayer is that those who call themselves Christians would be drawn back to the basics of the Bible. It is in the Scriptures that God has ordained to allow Himself to be known. As we known Him, love Him and serve Him then the overflow of our lives will be in our obedience to Him and love for others. This means that love will be demonstrated in ways that honor and bring glory to Christ. I believe that God can use any means that He so desires to bring people to Himself. However it should be obvious to those who are of the faith that His word is primary in all the matters of faith and practice. Jesus Christ did not come to planet earth to heal people from diseases but came to save people from their sins.
So the next time you hear about a problem marriage, rebellious child, or physical problem how about a recommendation back to God's word which is inerrant, infallible and inspired! I rest my case.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Jack Bauer is in the house
This is an official warning to terrorist, gangsters, mobsters and overall bad guys; JACK IS BACK and he is not in a good frame of mind.
Falling asleep in church
Here are a few quick tips from the "Stuff Christians Like" blog site on what to do after you have fallen asleep in church.
What to do when you wake up after falling asleep in church:
1. Pretend that your head bob was just a deep, long nod of agreement.
The first thing you want to do after you wake up is try to recreate whatever weird shudder or spastic head nod you did that snapped you to attention. If you do one big jerky motion and then sit there like a bank robber that’s frozen against the wall in a spotlight, it’s going to be obvious that you were asleep. Instead, do a series of head nods that look like you were shaking your head in agreement with something poignant that the minister said. “Nothing to see here folks, just really feeling this sermon. Just brushing the dirt off my shoulder and nodding along to the message.”
2. Check to see if anyone saw you.
God did, and probably Jonah too because catching people asleep in church seems like the kind of thing he’d take great pleasure in, but make sure no one else did. Assess the immediate area around you. If you lock eyes and get a judgmental “I can’t believe you fell asleep” stare from anyone, rock their world and make the international “I’m drunk” symbol with your hand by putting your thumb to your mouth and sticking up your pinkie finger as if pantomiming a bottle. As a friend of mine who recently got unfairly kicked out of a small group said, “I have officially become one of those people some folks will be surprised to see in heaven.” Guess what? So have you my sleepy friend, so have you. Might as well go all out and make the surprise that much bigger and at the same time have some fun messing with someone that is ignoring the sermon by judging you.
3. Resist the urge to pretend you were praying.
Apparently, much like Val Kilmer’s character in the movie Tombstone, “my hypocrisy only goes so far.” Resist the urge to pretend that you were locked deep in holy commune with God. That’s hard though because as a kid, the best way to sleep in church was to lean over with an elbow on each knee and prop my head up with a hand on each side. On top of that, God tells us to rest. How can sleeping be sinful? Over and over again, God reminds us of the dire need to slow down and be still with Him. The Sabbath is actually one of the Ten Commandments. Whether or not God’s intention is that we execute that desire in the middle of a sermon is up for debate. My guess is no.
At some point maybe I’ll write a post about what to do if you catch audience members sleeping. It just hasn’t happened to me yet, so I don’t have any real experience to pull from. Falling asleep in church? That I can flow on all day. But know this, when I do catch my first audience member falling asleep, they are going to deeply regret that I travel with a backpack full of ferrets.
What to do when you wake up after falling asleep in church:
1. Pretend that your head bob was just a deep, long nod of agreement.
The first thing you want to do after you wake up is try to recreate whatever weird shudder or spastic head nod you did that snapped you to attention. If you do one big jerky motion and then sit there like a bank robber that’s frozen against the wall in a spotlight, it’s going to be obvious that you were asleep. Instead, do a series of head nods that look like you were shaking your head in agreement with something poignant that the minister said. “Nothing to see here folks, just really feeling this sermon. Just brushing the dirt off my shoulder and nodding along to the message.”
2. Check to see if anyone saw you.
God did, and probably Jonah too because catching people asleep in church seems like the kind of thing he’d take great pleasure in, but make sure no one else did. Assess the immediate area around you. If you lock eyes and get a judgmental “I can’t believe you fell asleep” stare from anyone, rock their world and make the international “I’m drunk” symbol with your hand by putting your thumb to your mouth and sticking up your pinkie finger as if pantomiming a bottle. As a friend of mine who recently got unfairly kicked out of a small group said, “I have officially become one of those people some folks will be surprised to see in heaven.” Guess what? So have you my sleepy friend, so have you. Might as well go all out and make the surprise that much bigger and at the same time have some fun messing with someone that is ignoring the sermon by judging you.
3. Resist the urge to pretend you were praying.
Apparently, much like Val Kilmer’s character in the movie Tombstone, “my hypocrisy only goes so far.” Resist the urge to pretend that you were locked deep in holy commune with God. That’s hard though because as a kid, the best way to sleep in church was to lean over with an elbow on each knee and prop my head up with a hand on each side. On top of that, God tells us to rest. How can sleeping be sinful? Over and over again, God reminds us of the dire need to slow down and be still with Him. The Sabbath is actually one of the Ten Commandments. Whether or not God’s intention is that we execute that desire in the middle of a sermon is up for debate. My guess is no.
At some point maybe I’ll write a post about what to do if you catch audience members sleeping. It just hasn’t happened to me yet, so I don’t have any real experience to pull from. Falling asleep in church? That I can flow on all day. But know this, when I do catch my first audience member falling asleep, they are going to deeply regret that I travel with a backpack full of ferrets.
A Biblical view of worship
Michael Horton has some wise counsel for us in the area of worship:
"Often our services are attempts at entertainment rather than worship. When the preaching centers on our own happiness rather than the attributes and achievements of God, we attend church to passively enjoy and receive from the professionals---the preacher, the the choir, the soloist, the occasional drama troupe. But I believe this way of coming to public worship is indicative of a human-centered theological orientation. If Jesus Christ entered at the back of our church on Sunday morning, would we all clap our hands and dance and sing, 'Happy Days Are Here Again'? Would we show him our 'God is rad, he's my dad' sweatshirt? Or would the room be filled with awe-stricken silence? Of course, there are different styles of worship, and I am not for one moment suggesting a style better suited to a funeral than to a worship service. Nevertheless, what we believe about God and salvation ultimately determines the object, focus, fervor, and direction of our worship. If we really rediscovered this biblical portrait of God, we would not need entertainment gimmicks; enthusiasm would not be artificially generated. And because our minds would be connected to it all, there would be a lasting impact even when we were not surrounded by choirs, musicians, and a cast of players."
"Often our services are attempts at entertainment rather than worship. When the preaching centers on our own happiness rather than the attributes and achievements of God, we attend church to passively enjoy and receive from the professionals---the preacher, the the choir, the soloist, the occasional drama troupe. But I believe this way of coming to public worship is indicative of a human-centered theological orientation. If Jesus Christ entered at the back of our church on Sunday morning, would we all clap our hands and dance and sing, 'Happy Days Are Here Again'? Would we show him our 'God is rad, he's my dad' sweatshirt? Or would the room be filled with awe-stricken silence? Of course, there are different styles of worship, and I am not for one moment suggesting a style better suited to a funeral than to a worship service. Nevertheless, what we believe about God and salvation ultimately determines the object, focus, fervor, and direction of our worship. If we really rediscovered this biblical portrait of God, we would not need entertainment gimmicks; enthusiasm would not be artificially generated. And because our minds would be connected to it all, there would be a lasting impact even when we were not surrounded by choirs, musicians, and a cast of players."
Quote for the day
"True repentance is a change of direction. It involves turning away from sin and toward God---replacing sinful actions with righteous ones. Genuine repentance springs from heartfelt sorrow over sin because it is against God and then leads to real change in the way a person thinks and lives." - Joshua Harris
What is the "Emerging" Church?
From the Parchment and Pen blog site:
The “emerging church” is a representative designation for a growing ethos or way of thinking among many dissatisfied Christians (primarily those in Protestantism). While there is no primary leader or credal unity among those in the emerging church, there are certain characteristics that stand out among “emergers,” as they are called. These characteristics are not necessarily found in all emergers, but are representative of the emerging ethos.
The “emerging church” is a representative designation for a growing ethos or way of thinking among many dissatisfied Christians (primarily those in Protestantism). While there is no primary leader or credal unity among those in the emerging church, there are certain characteristics that stand out among “emergers,” as they are called. These characteristics are not necessarily found in all emergers, but are representative of the emerging ethos.
1. Epistemologically, they are less optimistic about our ability to come to know “the” truth, but find value in many perspectives.
2. Theologically, they are prone to questioning traditional theological dogma.
3. Politically, they call for change and social activism and often a disassociation with the Republican party.
4. Sociologically, they call on the church to reach out to those in need with love and compassion.
5. Missionally, they focus on “mission” as the everyday role of Christians that should permeate every aspect of their life.
Emerging leaders are varied and diverse. Among some of the most prominent are Dan Kimball, Brian McLaren, Scot McKnight, Doug Pagitt, and Tony Jones.
Read more about the emerging church here.
21st Century Christian Statistics
This is a small excerpt from Michael Horton's DVD series on "Christless Chrisitianity." In this audio segment he discusses the recent statistics that George Barna has put forth for Christians to consider. These stats are alarming and should cause many to test themselves to see if they really are of the faith.
Monday, January 12, 2009
And the church you belong to is...
Here is an article from CAMPONTHIS blog site. For the entire article click on this LINK.
· The Church of Networking—Make contacts to expand your business.
· The Church of the Significant Other—Find that special someone. Hey, it’s better than a singles bar.
· The Church of Social Service and Need Fulfillment—No need is too great or too small.
· The Church of Heavenly Investment with Earthly Dividends—For the amount of money I contribute, I expect a significant return.
· The Country Club Church—Gather to celebrate that you can gather together and that others can’t…at least, not with you. Caters to the right kind of people. Long-term members get the best tables and the best parking spots.
· The Church of Heavenly Fun and Sanctified Pleasure—Keep me and my kids occupied so they don’t get into trouble. If you can’t fill my nights and weekends with fun and excitement, then I’ll have to take my business/membership elsewhere.
· The Church of the Grand Stadium-Watch the gladiators of God do battle with the team of evil.
· The Church of the Self-service, Spiritual Garage—Gives a periodic oil change (or anointing).
· The Church of the Fast-food Restaurant—Get what you need, quick, easy, cheap. Just enough to sustain you for another week.
· The Church of the Celestial Savings and Loan—Stop by and make a few deposits, because you never know when you’ll need to make a withdrawal.
· The Church of the Diving Resort- Come here and be catered to. Others will do you bidding and pamper you.
· The Church of Hellfire—Turn or burn, shake or bake, deny or fry. Others are going to hell…and aren’t you glad?
· The Church of the Citadel—It is a fortress on a hill. Builds buildings, starts programs, and concentrates its efforts within its walls. If it doesn’t happen on this property, it must not be of God.
· The Church of the Mega Mall—Has what the other churches don’t—and, quite frankly, does it a whole lot better. Whatever you need, it has it, tailored and fit to your specifications. Bring the whole family—it’s you one-stop shopping center. If you can’t find it, the church will create if for you, since its job is to keep you happy in Jesus’ name. It won’t threaten you, guilt you, worry you, or overburden you. It wants your time here to be enjoyable, so that you’ll come back and do business again.
· The Church of Evangelistic Fervor—All activities during the week and on Sunday mornings lead up to one exciting moment; the altar call. Get ‘em to the front and get ‘em saved.
· The Church of Sanctified Information—Pours out a stream of biblical material. The people eagerly fill their notebooks; the one will the fullest notebook and the fullest head gets the title “Most Spiritual.”
· The Church of the Latest (and Largest) Program—Presents one extravaganza after another: musicians, preachers, concerts, dramas. The one with the newest, most expensive, and largest attendance wins.
· The Church of Holy Tradition—A museum of and for the saints. The people gather to dust off old relics and be touched by the sacrifices of the past. Nostalgia is everything. Worship amounts to warm feeling about God.
· The Church, Inc.—An organization run like a small business or large corporation, depending on its size. The CEO sets the direction and has little contact with the rank and file. Buy into the vision, baby!”
· The Church of Networking—Make contacts to expand your business.
· The Church of the Significant Other—Find that special someone. Hey, it’s better than a singles bar.
· The Church of Social Service and Need Fulfillment—No need is too great or too small.
· The Church of Heavenly Investment with Earthly Dividends—For the amount of money I contribute, I expect a significant return.
· The Country Club Church—Gather to celebrate that you can gather together and that others can’t…at least, not with you. Caters to the right kind of people. Long-term members get the best tables and the best parking spots.
· The Church of Heavenly Fun and Sanctified Pleasure—Keep me and my kids occupied so they don’t get into trouble. If you can’t fill my nights and weekends with fun and excitement, then I’ll have to take my business/membership elsewhere.
· The Church of the Grand Stadium-Watch the gladiators of God do battle with the team of evil.
· The Church of the Self-service, Spiritual Garage—Gives a periodic oil change (or anointing).
· The Church of the Fast-food Restaurant—Get what you need, quick, easy, cheap. Just enough to sustain you for another week.
· The Church of the Celestial Savings and Loan—Stop by and make a few deposits, because you never know when you’ll need to make a withdrawal.
· The Church of the Diving Resort- Come here and be catered to. Others will do you bidding and pamper you.
· The Church of Hellfire—Turn or burn, shake or bake, deny or fry. Others are going to hell…and aren’t you glad?
· The Church of the Citadel—It is a fortress on a hill. Builds buildings, starts programs, and concentrates its efforts within its walls. If it doesn’t happen on this property, it must not be of God.
· The Church of the Mega Mall—Has what the other churches don’t—and, quite frankly, does it a whole lot better. Whatever you need, it has it, tailored and fit to your specifications. Bring the whole family—it’s you one-stop shopping center. If you can’t find it, the church will create if for you, since its job is to keep you happy in Jesus’ name. It won’t threaten you, guilt you, worry you, or overburden you. It wants your time here to be enjoyable, so that you’ll come back and do business again.
· The Church of Evangelistic Fervor—All activities during the week and on Sunday mornings lead up to one exciting moment; the altar call. Get ‘em to the front and get ‘em saved.
· The Church of Sanctified Information—Pours out a stream of biblical material. The people eagerly fill their notebooks; the one will the fullest notebook and the fullest head gets the title “Most Spiritual.”
· The Church of the Latest (and Largest) Program—Presents one extravaganza after another: musicians, preachers, concerts, dramas. The one with the newest, most expensive, and largest attendance wins.
· The Church of Holy Tradition—A museum of and for the saints. The people gather to dust off old relics and be touched by the sacrifices of the past. Nostalgia is everything. Worship amounts to warm feeling about God.
· The Church, Inc.—An organization run like a small business or large corporation, depending on its size. The CEO sets the direction and has little contact with the rank and file. Buy into the vision, baby!”
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Quote for the day
"Doctrinal preaching certainly bores the hypocrites; but it is only doctrinal preaching that will save Christ’s sheep." - J.I. Packer
Appropriate dress for women in the church
Here is an excellent article from Ingrid Schlueter at the Hope Blog regarding how Christian women should dress.
I know that I may sound redundant here, as I have addressed this issue before in my writing. Having been freshly reminded of it, however, I have to write a few thoughts today.
I know that I may sound redundant here, as I have addressed this issue before in my writing. Having been freshly reminded of it, however, I have to write a few thoughts today.
A column in the Times newspaper (UK) recently talked about the sexualization of children, little girls in particular, that is going on in our culture. They pointed out the sale of faux high heels for baby girls as a case in point. Leopard skin heels on a 6-month-old female. Does it get any sicker than that? It’s all a big joke, right? Hilarious. Just hilarious. Americans and Westerners in general get their laughs out of perversion these days. There is something deeper going on with the whole idea of what femininity is. It’s been underway for some time, but has really worsened dramatically in the last 10 years or so.
It is ironic that after decades of hardcore feminism, females are viewed more as sex objects than ever before. It isn’t enough now to “bring home the bacon and fry it up in a pan,” as the old jingle went. Now you have to look like a porn star while you do it. It isn’t just grown women. It begins in babyhood and toddlerhood, where mothers, at stores like Sears, are buying infant and preschooler clothes emblazoned with the Cheetah Girls and other rock and roll sensations. There simply is no window of innocence allowed any longer. Girls at age 7 are expected to imitate the “hot” female stars, and if they don’t, they’re deemed babyish and out of style–social suicide for second graders.
Middle-aged women are expected to dress and look like 20-somethings. The elderly are not supposed to look elderly. Cosmetic surgery, Botox, and obsession with weight loss and fitness are now considered normal even for those in their 60’s and 70’s. You are what you look like, goes the thinking. You must be sexy no matter what age, stage of life, or health condition you are in. It makes me sick to my stomach.
Pregnant women are now expected to dress “sexy” as well. It is virtually impossible to locate anything resembling decent, modest jumpers and tops for mothers-to-be. These were widely available ten years ago. Forget dignity, forget the beauty of motherhood, we all must be hot, hot, hot. Yummy mummies, they call them. In this age of constant braying about diversity, there really is none for women. There is one look, and one look alone that society accepts. Those who want to look like a mother and not a prostitute while pregnant are out of luck if they don’t know how to sew.
I recently watched a program on EWTN, the Catholic TV channel. While I disagree on some things, their teachings on family and God’s plan for motherhood is beautiful and helpful, and is utterly absent in freak show evangelical television. The teacher talked about femininity according to God’s standards, not those of the culture around us. The beauty of motherhood as exhibited by the mother of Jesus was described. Submission to God’s will, a heart of servanthood, nurturing and graceful acceptance of our roles in our families and in church were all emphasized. The teacher explained how beautiful and full-orbed femininity is in God’s plan, and how the world perverts and distorts it. I would add that evangelicalism often does the same, because the world’s value system has pretty much taken over.
A woman is more than a sexual object. The world refuses to accept this , and that’s why the sexualization of children, the degrading of women through popular media and porn, and the breakdown in families worsens each year in this country. The fruits of this are seen everywhere today, especially in our little girls who are taught, early on, that they must flaunt their bodies and whatever sexual charms they have in order to be of any worth. It is a tragic perversion of God’s plan for girls and women.
If we are Christians, we need to run our lives counter to these values of the world. We need to dress and behave modestly in a way that adorns our Savior. It is an honor and a privilege to be female and to live out our femininity according to God’s plan. We should never ever settle for the world’s rhinestones of flesh and sensuality when we can have the spiritual jewels of godly femininity.
Friday, January 2, 2009
A litmus test for "preaching" pastors
This article from the Unashamed Workman blogsite
1) Did I grow in my own walk with God through my preaching and preparation? Was I personally impacted by what I preached? Am I therefore a more godly man entering 2009 than 2008 because of the texts I exposited? In what specific ways? If I have not grown: what sins have hindered my progress and require confession?
1) Did I grow in my own walk with God through my preaching and preparation? Was I personally impacted by what I preached? Am I therefore a more godly man entering 2009 than 2008 because of the texts I exposited? In what specific ways? If I have not grown: what sins have hindered my progress and require confession?
2) Did I provide my congregation with a balanced diet and at least some measure of ‘the whole counsel of God?’ Did I cover something from both Testaments? Were believers comforted and unbelievers challenged? Were the weak and strong, the immature and mature, given their share of milk and solid food? Was justification taught and sanctification?
3) Did I take the glory or give God the glory? Did I seek the limelight in any way this year? If so, in what specific ways did a desire to glorify ‘Self’ rear its ugly head during this year’s sermons? How can I best repent of this?
4) Did I preach the text, only the text, and nothing but the text? How often did I preach in general Scriptural terms yet not in terms of the specific Scripture I was expositing? Even if I preached numerous topical sermons, were these exposing the meanings of particular texts. Did I impose my agenda, rather than expose the meaning of God’s Word?
5) Did I constantly preach Christ and him crucified? Did I persistently preach the gospel, or lapse into talking in terms of religous self-effort and moralism? No matter what my passage, did I highlight its redemptive components? Even if the passage was wholly negative, did I trace the redemption of its sin and the bearing of its judgement to the Redeemer and Propitiator, Jesus Christ?
6) Humanly speaking, what one aspect of my sermons in general was the weakest component? Are my introductions invariably weak, my applications typically fuzzy or my conclusions often an anticlimax? How will I work on improving this area in 2009 for the glory of God and the good of His people?
7) Did I pray enough and depend on God for the results?
Quote for the day
"Certainty about the great issues of Christian faith and conduct is lacking all along the line. The outside observer sees us as staggering on from a gimmick to gimmick and stunt to stunt like so many drunks in a fog, not knowing at all where we are or which way we should be going. Preaching is hazy. Heads are muddled, hearts fret, doubts drain strength, uncertainty paralyzes action. Unlike the first-century Christians who in three centuries won the Roman world and those later Christians who pioneered the Reformation and the Puritan awakening and the evangelical revival and the great missionary movement of the last century, we lack certainty,"- J.I. Packer
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