If ur gay, it's a sin. If ur bisexual, ur confused. If ur skinny, ur on drugs. If ur fat, ur a slob. If ur dressed up, ur conceited. If u speak ur mind, ur a bitch. If u don't say anything, u must be miserable. If u cry, ur a drama queen. If u have male friends, ur a whore. If u defend urself, ur a troublemaker. U can't do anything without being criticized. If ur proud of who u are copy and paste this. Love me or hate me, but u will never change me!
And the above comments are seen all over the place on Facebook by people who profess to be Christians. They make comments for the whole world to see and yet they mock the very words of God by the way they live their lives.
You will find pictures posted for the world to see by people who claim to be Christians. And what are they doing in those pictures? They are pictures of girls laying in bed with a guy that is not their husband. Showing them kissing and making comments about how they like to cuddle together. Showing off pictures of their latest tattoo's and talking about their latest experience with prophets at their church. Watch the following clip about one such prophet and you will begin to see how dangerous Facebook can be in bringing other people into a false knowledge of Christ.
Now let's take it a step further.
Many people on Facebook have over 500 friends listed. What does that have to do with anything? Take the start of this post as an example. You have 500 people who are your "friends" and they are all reading what you, a supposed Christian are posting. They are seeing that you, that supposed Christian, are saying it is okay to be gay, or bi, or on drugs, or anything at all. Why? Because all you have to do is be proud of who you are.
The Bible speaks of someone in the Bible that had over 700 wives and concubines. Solomon. The son of David. So what is the danger here? Besides the very obvious, the danger comes from trying to please each one. Solomon tried to please his wives to the point that he fell away from God. He erected tall places in honor of the gods of the women he was married to. He place a one such piece in Moab in honor of their god that they worshipped.
So what we have here on Facebook is the desire to please the friends. It no longer is about standing up for God and His HOLY WORD, no, it is all about saying things that will be popular to the masses. Show pictures of how you love to live in your sin with a man or a woman. Post comments about false prophecies because it makes you look spiritual to the world. Post pictures of a false document that says you are ordained of God by of all places, a universalist site ( for those of you that don't know, a universalist is a person that believes ALL people go to heaven. There is no hell. That means that an atheist, a mormon, an agnostic, a satan worshipper, a witch, call all get ordained to preach whatever they want to preach).
Facebook is also a place where you can see indecent, immoral pictures of people who name the name of Christ. Pictures of skimpy outfits that come within a half inch of showing something that ought not to be seen publicly. Girls kissing each other and promoting homosexual activities. Guys saying don't judge homosexuals, that is God's place. All the while forgetting that we as Christians are told to judge those within the church.
Facebook has become a place where anything goes, anything can be said, anything can be shown, anything can be presented as truth to the whole world. It is a place where the "world" resides. We as christians are not to be of the world, we are to be separated from the world. We still live in the world, but our lifestyle should exemplify Christ living within us. Sadly, too many professing Christians have failed miserably in their quest to live out a godly life for the world to see. Lord have mercy on them that do such abominable things.
From a pastor who took 6 months to speak to a dying lost man about Christ, to the same man who plays soft music behind his preaching so as to create an "effect" of emotions in the service, to the young person who follows all kinds of false teachings and displays them for the world to see, to the person who gets every kind of tattoo because they want to "glorify" God, to the ones who tell vulgar jokes and use vulgar language for the world to see, to the ones who want you to be like the world by embracing the you that is in you, and not the Christ that should be living within you, to the person who openly mocks God with his satanic worship, to the person who is more worried about having 1000 friends on Facebook that they will do and say anything to get them to be their friends. to the person who denies God, to the people who say in church, "This is not the time nor the place for Scripture," to the person who hates people for standing up for Christ, to the person who takes advantage of little girls and yet calls himself a Christian, to the person who cheats on his wife, to the old man sleeping with a young girl, to the people who support gay rights, abortions and still believes it is okay to claim Jesus as their Lord and Savior, to the person who leads a major denomination and will stand up for hypocrisy instead of God's Word, and to all the people who spend more time on Facebook than they do getting into God's Word...
You have been removed from my friends list on Facebook. I am so sick and tired of supposed Christians behaving in a way that does not glorify God. I want to see people truly desiring to please God. It is my desire to see God glorified in all things. I am hated, despised and ridiculed for being a faithful follower of Christ. Praise God because I know they hated Him first, even though they claim to know Jesus. A day will come when He will say to them, Depart from Me you worker of iniquity, I never knew you.
It is one thing to sin. We all do that.
It is quite another thing to sin and post it for the whole world to see.
It is quite another thing to embrace the sin and be proud of it.
It is quite another thing to share your sin with others in hopes of influencing them to follow the same god you do (not the God of the bible).
Which preacher would you rather listen to?
Joel Osteen or Paul Washer?
Now the question is this...
Who do you listen to? Jesus or man? Facebook or the Bible?
Matthew 6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also
Has Facebook distracted you from what is really important? How many hours a day do you spend on Facebook? How many minutes a day do you spend in God's Word? Anything that takes you away from God is an idol. The sin of Facebook is the fact that it breaks the first and the second commandments!
And when you top it off by promoting things of the devil, you expose yourself for whose you really are. You are either a child of God or a child of the devil.
Everything has its place. But how you use those things will determine where your heart lies. Repent of your Facebook sins and clean up your life and walk in obedience to the One who laid down His life for you. God is not to be mocked and millions of people EVERYDAY mock Him by the way they parade themselves around as Christians all the while, living for the devil.
I pray that God will open your eyes today and that you will live a life pleasing to the Lord of Hosts and King of Kings. Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior and He is also Judge. Who will you face when you die?
Showing posts with label false converts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label false converts. Show all posts
Friday, August 19, 2011
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Due to bad weather (theology)...
When I got off work yesterday afternoon, my boss told me to call into work this morning by 4am to see if we would be working today. You see, there was a huge ice storm heading our way. By the time I went to sleep it still wasn't raining. I woke up around 2:30am to see it raining pretty hard. I called the "time and temperature" lady and she said it was 35 degree's outside. Too warm for ice but it was supposed to get colder throughout the day I called into work at 4am like I was told to and a recording came on saying, "due to bad weather, all offices and all classes have been cancelled."
So, I get a day off! I was already scheduled to be off this coming thursday, friday, saturday and sunday (I had to use up my personal time off or else I would lose it). So now, I just have to work on wednesday and then will have four more days off! Pretty nice. I am really looking forward to being off. Good day to stay inside and do nothing.
The title of my blog is Time 2 Change Churches. Why? Well, let me tell you...
Due to bad theology!
Due to bad theology all need for repentance has been cancelled...
Due to bad theology all calls for obedience have come in a form of a recorded message saying "obedience has been cancelled"...
Due to bad theology you have been given a much needed day off from serving the Lord and Savior...
Due to bad theology you know there is a storm coming but it hasn't hit yet, so go back to sleep...
Due to bad theology you only have to work once this week (sunday), maybe twice if you go to Bible study on Wednesdays...
Due to bad theology we have people who have signed a pact with the Devil! Here they are...
The following names have links associated with them. I am so disappointed in them for signing this pact, I think that we as true Christians need to hold them accountable for their bad theology. They are leading thousands if not millions of people astray because of their bad theology and because of their denying Christ by signing this pact. They might tell you that they are not denying Christ, because "see, we mention Jesus Christ many times." But what they are doing is putting Jesus on the same level as the prophet Muhammad of the muslem religion. And then when they ask for forgiveness in the name of the All-Merciful One. (by their very own quote they say, "in the muslem tradition, God, the lord of the worlds, is the Infinitely Good and All-Merciful One.") This is a long list, contact as many of them or their schools to show your disgust (do so in a loving manner but hold them accountable biblically)! Not all are listed here but here are some prominent ones...
Since the paper was drawn up by Yale, here is their email address. ycfcinfo@yale.edu
(here is the Presidents office at Fuller - pres-asst@dept.fuller.edu
Leith Anderson is the President of the National Association of Evangelicals (here is his email address, president@nae.net
Dr. Don Argue former President of NAE. He now works for Northwest University recpt@northwestu.edu I see Joseph Castleberry the President of Northwest also signed the pact.
Dr. Ray Bakke is convening chair of EMEU contact@emeu.net
J.D. Bindenagel Vice President Depaul University,
contact President at president@depaul.edu
Curtiss Paul DeYoung Professor at Bethel University hurd@bethel.edu
Mark U. Edwards Jr. Senior Advisor to the dean at Harvard Divinity School kerry_maloney@harvard.edu
BILL HYBELS WILLOW CREEK CHURCH info@willowcreek.org
Dr. Stanton L. Jones Provost and Professor of Psychology, Wheaton College bgcadm@wheaton.edu (in case you don't know, BGC is Billy Graham Center) and yes, Duane Litfin the president of Wheaton College signed it too.
Tony Jones Emergent Village (never mind, that is a whole different issue!!)
Greg Livingstone (check out where I found his name listed) mail@desiringgod.org
Rev Dr. Robert Schuller (don't you love it when they sign their names with "extra's Rev and Dr)? Hour of Power contact page
and drum roll please,
last but not least (gee, that won't even qualify for him in heaven, you got to get there to qualify for that!)
RICK WARREN OF SADDLEBACK CHURCH AND PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE AND PURPOSE DRIVEN CHURCH AND PURPOSE DRIVEN APOSTACY (okay, I made that last one up!) info@pastors.com or info@saddleback.com
Three and a half hours later it is still raining and as the temperature plummets, it will all turn to ice. Most likely, there will be many accidents out in the streets. Do you have a guarantee of being alive by the end of today? No. Neither do any of the people who signed the pact. Please contact either them or their schools to ask them to repent and to see the errors of their judgments before it is too late. As Christians, we need to not be ashamed of Jesus. He is not just "another" prophet like Muhammad, He is our Lord and Savior and no man comes to the Father but through Him!
Friday, December 7, 2007
Mitt Romney on his faith
By MATT STUART (from ABC News) (blue print = my comments about red print)
Dec. 6, 2007
"If I am fortunate to become your president, I will serve no one religion, no one group, no one cause and no one interest. A president must serve only the common cause of the people of the United States," Romney said a crowd of 400 to 500 people at the George H.W. Bush Library at Texas A&M University.
Do you suppose that King David would have said that? Why not serve your beliefs? If a person is going to go contrary to his beliefs, then his beliefs are worthless.
'I Believe in My Mormon Faith'
With some voters suggesting they have qualms about a Mormon president, Romney said he shares "moral convictions" with Americans of all faiths.
If he believes in his Mormon faith, then why would he share moral convictions with all faiths? The Mormon church teaches that all religions are wrong! That they were all apostate. That was supposedly the reason why Joseph Smith was told to begin the new church.
Demystifying the Mormon Faith"I believe in my Mormon faith and I endeavor to live by it," Romney said. "My faith is the faith of my fathers. I will be true to them and to my beliefs."
and yet, one of the first comments he makes is "I will serve no one religion." If he is really going to be true to his fathers and to his beliefs, then by definition, he MUST serve his religion.
Nonetheless, he said his faith doesn't define his candidacy.
"A person should not be elected because of his faith, nor should he be rejected because of his faith." Romney said.
I can agree that a person should not be elected just because of his faith. There are many self-proclaiming Christians out there who cannot be trusted. But as far as being rejected "because" of his faith, sure, we have the right to do that. He is in a cult. Would we want David Koresh (sp?) if he were still alive to run for president. No way! We have to realize that little children look up to the President of the United States, and to have a Mormon in the White House would give validation to his religion (validation that the Mormon religion so desperately wants!). As Christians, we have a responsibility to watch out to make sure that people are not being led astray.
"Let me assure you that no authorities of my church, or of any other church for that matter, will ever exert influence on presidential decisions. Their authority is theirs, within the province of church affairs, and it ends where the affairs of the nation begin," Romney said.
As a Christian, you will not have a chance to influence Mitt on decisions regarding abortion (which he has flip-flopped on)
I don't know about you, but "my" God is sovereign! And as far as the affairs of the nation is concerned (no, I am not talking about the Bill Clinton affair!) God should be the ruling force. Now, more than ever before, our nation is in need of God leading the way! (oh, wait, Mitt thinks he is going to be a god someday! uh oh!)
Romney Invokes Founding Fathers
He decried those who would remove from public life "any acknowledgment of God," and he said that "during the holiday season, nativity scenes and menorahs should be welcome in our public places."
Wait a minute, didn't he say that his religion would play no part in government?
Romney took a hard line on questions about the doctrines of his religion, stating, "There are some who would have a presidential candidate describe and explain his church's distinctive doctrines. To do so would enable the very religious test the founders prohibited in the Constitution."
For the Romney-friendly audience, the most enthusiastic response came when Romney praised the founding fathers: "And so together they prayed, and together they fought, and together, by the grace of God they founded this great nation."
The difference is this...
Jesus is the Son of God and Jesus IS God. Jesus is not a brother of Lucifer as Mormons teach!
Romney: 'No Candidate Should Become a Spokesman for His Faith'
While Romney had underscored that he's "not gonna be giving a JFK speech," some of the speech seemed to echo the sentiment laid down by President Kennedy, and Presidents Lincoln and Jefferson before him.
But we should stand up for what we believe in. Our lives should be a living testimony of Jesus living within us. Again, it is not the brother of Lucifer living within us. It is God!
"When I place my hand on the Bible and take the oath of office, that oath becomes my highest promise to God," Romney said.
Hey Mitt, is that only if the Bible is interpreted correctly (which Mormons would teach that they are the only ones able to properly interpret it!)
As he has done many times before on the stump, Romney reiterated that "no candidate should become a spokesman for his faith. For if he becomes president he will need the prayers of the people of all faiths."
This just goes to show you that he does not know the Bible at all. Because God does not hear the prayers of the unrighteous and the unbelievers!
Notably, Romney stated today that his "church's beliefs about Christ may not all be the same as those of other faiths."
MAY not be the same. He knows better than to say that. According to his own religion, all religions are apostate. The Jesus of the Bible is not a created being. He was not born by an angel having actual intercourse with Mary. He knows that HIS church teaches that Jesus and Lucifer were brothers. Mitt is lying or is not at all familiar with his own church teachings. Since he was a Bishop in the church, I would have to conclude that he is most likely lying! We do not need that in the White House leading our country!
While not contradictory, Romney has previously focused on his claim that religions in American flow from the same "Judeo-Christian" tradition, rather than cite the differences of his church.
Again, NO! This is not from the same Judeo-Christian tradition. It is not even close.
Some criticized Romney for trying to tie his Mormon religion too closely to that of evangelicals and other Christians.
Of course, he wants to be elected President of the United States. without the support of Christians he will not be able to do it.
Romney also sought to emphasize the "nation's symphony of faith," and assured "any believer in religious freedom, any person who has knelt in prayer to the Almighty, has a friend and ally in me."
Any person who has knelt in prayer to the Almighty (Muslims??) Or is he trying to be like Bill Hybels, Rick Warren and many others who have signed the contract with the Muslims apologizing to them.
Romney's campaign has claimed for months that if he was going to give a speech, he likely wouldn't do so until after the primaries should he gain the nomination.
While the campaign vehemently denies there is any connection, the most significant change in the Republican field in the last two weeks is certainly the rise of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee in Iowa, where a recent ABC News poll showed Huckabee tied for first with Romney.
Huckabee, a Baptist minister, also recently released a new television ad in Iowa touting himself as a "Christian leader," putting the issue of religion front and center in the earliest of the early states.
In a subtle jab, Romney said Monday that, "I think that a candidate or a president that tried to make his religion a defining a feature of his campaign or of his term in office would tend to divide the nation rather than bring us together."
The nation would become divided if the President turns out to be something other than what he portrayed himself to be during the primaries. As Mitt worries about his faith being "against" him, he is upset that Huckabee is BOLD in proclaiming his faith!
Whether related or not, the speech certainly comes at the moment Romney has clearly lost momentum in Iowa, failing to capture supporters after Sen. Sam Brownback's departure from the race and draw those conservative voters disappointed in former Sen. Fred Thompson's campaign.
Faith on the '08 Trail
Much has been made of Romney's Mormon religion throughout the campaign. While reporters covered the topic extensively, his faith was also frequently questioned on the campaign trail.
Before his presidential campaign even officially began, Romney told ABC News' Terry Moran in January that he thought "the American people respect individuals of faith," and that "when you take the oath of office, your highest responsibility is to follow the Constitution and the rule of law."
People do have respect for any person who truly believes in something with a passion. But when push comes to shove, a (true-Bible-believing) Christian will not support a cult member.
Soon after, a February ABC News/Washington Post poll found that a third of Americans were less likely to vote for a candidate who was Mormon.
When Romney surprised the Republican field by posting a whopping $20.1 million in first-quarter fundraising, many noted that Romney's second-highest fundraising state was Mormon-dominated Utah.
Does this surprise you?
It's also been reported that Romney's top fundraising zip code is 84604 — Provo, Utah, the home of the most notable Mormon school, Brigham Young University.
Does this surprise you? And he tells you that his religion will have no influence on America?? You can bet his own church/religion has other ideas about that!
Despite Romney's rising to lead in the Iowa polls by early August, the question of "the speech" remained. Romney told The Associated Press in July that it was "more likely than not" that he would give a speech at some point.
He's got the flip-flopping down to a science!
On Nov. 10, Romney was speaking at a house party in Holderness, N.H., when he admitted that he "liked the idea" of giving a "special speech" on his religion, but that "the political advisers tell me, 'No, no, no, its not a good idea — draws too much attention to that issue alone.' But I sorta like the idea anyway, and will probably do it at some point."
Romney tried to downplay his comments, even going so far as to say, "there's no news on this," but speculation continued.
Wouldn't it be interesting to see how many of his advisers are Mormons??
Though his faith remains a serious topic for Romney, and a serious issue for some Republican voters, Romney has also made a point of making light of the prejudice against the Mormon faith throughout his campaign.
While speaking at the Republican Jewish Coalition in Washington in October, Romney asked why the Mormon religion "scares people so badly." Romney quipped, "I'm probably the wrong guy to ask. But my neighbors might know."
One of the stigmas attached to the Mormon religion is the practice of polygamy, which the church forbade in 1890. At a campaign stop in Laconia, N.H., last month, Romney was speaking on the importance of his family when he said, "I love my wife and my five sons and their five wives."
Romney stopped, and smirking, added, "Wait a second. Let me clarify that. They each have one."
Yeah, that's a funny one. But what about the fact that Joseph Smith and Brigham Young both had many wives and some of them were little girls??? Is that funny?
You want more information on Mormonism? go to: http://time2changechurches.blogspot.com/2007/11/33-facts-mormons-wont-tell-you-when.html
and also go to:
http://time2changechurches.blogspot.com/2007/11/mormo-and-mormons.html
I am not trying to tell people who to vote for. In America, we have the freedom to vote for whomever we want. I am just wanting to inform people who do not know about Mormonism. I didn't know a thing about it until I actually got into Mormonism. After three years, I got out. I am very well learned on the teachings of Joseph Smith Jr, Brigham Young and the apostles. I am very familiar with the Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price, The Book of Mormon, and the Ensign. I am very familiar with the teachings of the Apostles (so I do not take things "out of context") but the most important thing that I am familiar with is this...
The Bible -- The Word of God -- The innerancy of Scripture
Below is a copy of a comment that a mormon sent me on one of my other posts:
You are such a bigot that it simply amazes me in this day and age...why? Because you seem to single out and attack only one church. Why? Because you're afraid...and because you're ignorant. You live inside the four walls of your glass cathedral and lap up every lie you're told with hardly ever giving an honest moment of individual thought to any of it. You're so busy attacking the beliefs of others that you gloss over or outright ignore the gaping holes in your own. In spite of all this, the LDS church continues to grow. And THAT is what frightens you the most! The LDS is growing so fast, that it is literally taking away funds from your own pocket. That is what it truly is about. I'm here to say that the majority of those who have been to your blog never come back. Why? Because you truly are a bigot, and we can all see right through you. I know that I will never be back. But I will pray for you.
Here is my reply --
You are such a bigot that it simply amazes me in this day and age...why? Definition of a bigot is one who is intolerant of another persons beliefs.
Okay, maybe so. But as a Christian, I do not have to tolerate a religion that is not a Christian but CLAIMS to be. I do not want people to go to hell.
Because you seem to single out and attack only one church. Why?
Actually, if you read all of my posts, you will see that I pick on Christian churches as well as mormons. I am against ANY church that claims to be Christian but does not follow biblical guidelines.
Because you're afraid...and because you're ignorant.
Afraid? Not afraid of anything since I have Christ in my life.
You live inside the four walls of your glass cathedral and lap up every lie you're told with hardly ever giving an honest moment of individual thought to any of it.
No one told me any lies other than the actual church that I mention in this post. I was a member of the LDS church and I do know EXACTLY what they teach. I can back up every comment with Mormon doctrine. Plus, I am not in a four wall, glass cathedral.
You're so busy attacking the beliefs of others that you gloss over or outright ignore the gaping holes in your own.
And yet, you provide no Scripture to back up what you are saying. I would be happy to dialogue with you on the false teachings of mormonism. I will also be happy to share with you biblical Scripture to back it all up.
In spite of all this, the LDS church continues to grow. And THAT is what frightens you the most!
Numbers do not validate anything other than many people are being led astray. Jesus said that few will enter the gates of heaven.
The LDS is growing so fast, that it is literally taking away funds from your own pocket. That is what it truly is about.
They are not taking a single cent out of my pocket. I am an evangelist and not behind the pulpit of a church. My goal is to reach the lost the way Jesus did.
I'm here to say that the majority of those who have been to your blog never come back.
Wrong!! I am able to keep track of who is visiting my blog. And you have no idea of the response I get. All Christians have been very supportive and I have Mormon friends who read the blog to and are investigating the claims I am making. That is all I ask you to do. Investigate the claims and see for yourself if they are true. I do not want you to go to hell.
Why? Because you truly are a bigot, and we can all see right through you.
I am a concerned Christian that truly cares about my mormon friends. I want them to be saved.
I know that I will never be back. But I will pray for you.
That is fine. I will be praying for you too.
As anyone can see, attacks such as this one show a lack of reasoning. Mormons do not want to face the facts of Scripture. They turn to name calling in some cases. I pray that if there are other mormons reading this (and I know there are), that you will read all of the blogs. Read Mormo and the Mormons, 33 things a Mormon will not say to you, and Pastors beware and Mormonism Taught.
Dec. 6, 2007
"If I am fortunate to become your president, I will serve no one religion, no one group, no one cause and no one interest. A president must serve only the common cause of the people of the United States," Romney said a crowd of 400 to 500 people at the George H.W. Bush Library at Texas A&M University.
Do you suppose that King David would have said that? Why not serve your beliefs? If a person is going to go contrary to his beliefs, then his beliefs are worthless.
'I Believe in My Mormon Faith'
With some voters suggesting they have qualms about a Mormon president, Romney said he shares "moral convictions" with Americans of all faiths.
If he believes in his Mormon faith, then why would he share moral convictions with all faiths? The Mormon church teaches that all religions are wrong! That they were all apostate. That was supposedly the reason why Joseph Smith was told to begin the new church.
Demystifying the Mormon Faith"I believe in my Mormon faith and I endeavor to live by it," Romney said. "My faith is the faith of my fathers. I will be true to them and to my beliefs."
and yet, one of the first comments he makes is "I will serve no one religion." If he is really going to be true to his fathers and to his beliefs, then by definition, he MUST serve his religion.
Nonetheless, he said his faith doesn't define his candidacy.
"A person should not be elected because of his faith, nor should he be rejected because of his faith." Romney said.
I can agree that a person should not be elected just because of his faith. There are many self-proclaiming Christians out there who cannot be trusted. But as far as being rejected "because" of his faith, sure, we have the right to do that. He is in a cult. Would we want David Koresh (sp?) if he were still alive to run for president. No way! We have to realize that little children look up to the President of the United States, and to have a Mormon in the White House would give validation to his religion (validation that the Mormon religion so desperately wants!). As Christians, we have a responsibility to watch out to make sure that people are not being led astray.
"Let me assure you that no authorities of my church, or of any other church for that matter, will ever exert influence on presidential decisions. Their authority is theirs, within the province of church affairs, and it ends where the affairs of the nation begin," Romney said.
As a Christian, you will not have a chance to influence Mitt on decisions regarding abortion (which he has flip-flopped on)
I don't know about you, but "my" God is sovereign! And as far as the affairs of the nation is concerned (no, I am not talking about the Bill Clinton affair!) God should be the ruling force. Now, more than ever before, our nation is in need of God leading the way! (oh, wait, Mitt thinks he is going to be a god someday! uh oh!)
Romney Invokes Founding Fathers
He decried those who would remove from public life "any acknowledgment of God," and he said that "during the holiday season, nativity scenes and menorahs should be welcome in our public places."
Wait a minute, didn't he say that his religion would play no part in government?
Romney took a hard line on questions about the doctrines of his religion, stating, "There are some who would have a presidential candidate describe and explain his church's distinctive doctrines. To do so would enable the very religious test the founders prohibited in the Constitution."
For the Romney-friendly audience, the most enthusiastic response came when Romney praised the founding fathers: "And so together they prayed, and together they fought, and together, by the grace of God they founded this great nation."
The difference is this...
Jesus is the Son of God and Jesus IS God. Jesus is not a brother of Lucifer as Mormons teach!
Romney: 'No Candidate Should Become a Spokesman for His Faith'
While Romney had underscored that he's "not gonna be giving a JFK speech," some of the speech seemed to echo the sentiment laid down by President Kennedy, and Presidents Lincoln and Jefferson before him.
But we should stand up for what we believe in. Our lives should be a living testimony of Jesus living within us. Again, it is not the brother of Lucifer living within us. It is God!
"When I place my hand on the Bible and take the oath of office, that oath becomes my highest promise to God," Romney said.
Hey Mitt, is that only if the Bible is interpreted correctly (which Mormons would teach that they are the only ones able to properly interpret it!)
As he has done many times before on the stump, Romney reiterated that "no candidate should become a spokesman for his faith. For if he becomes president he will need the prayers of the people of all faiths."
This just goes to show you that he does not know the Bible at all. Because God does not hear the prayers of the unrighteous and the unbelievers!
Notably, Romney stated today that his "church's beliefs about Christ may not all be the same as those of other faiths."
MAY not be the same. He knows better than to say that. According to his own religion, all religions are apostate. The Jesus of the Bible is not a created being. He was not born by an angel having actual intercourse with Mary. He knows that HIS church teaches that Jesus and Lucifer were brothers. Mitt is lying or is not at all familiar with his own church teachings. Since he was a Bishop in the church, I would have to conclude that he is most likely lying! We do not need that in the White House leading our country!
While not contradictory, Romney has previously focused on his claim that religions in American flow from the same "Judeo-Christian" tradition, rather than cite the differences of his church.
Again, NO! This is not from the same Judeo-Christian tradition. It is not even close.
Some criticized Romney for trying to tie his Mormon religion too closely to that of evangelicals and other Christians.
Of course, he wants to be elected President of the United States. without the support of Christians he will not be able to do it.
Romney also sought to emphasize the "nation's symphony of faith," and assured "any believer in religious freedom, any person who has knelt in prayer to the Almighty, has a friend and ally in me."
Any person who has knelt in prayer to the Almighty (Muslims??) Or is he trying to be like Bill Hybels, Rick Warren and many others who have signed the contract with the Muslims apologizing to them.
Romney's campaign has claimed for months that if he was going to give a speech, he likely wouldn't do so until after the primaries should he gain the nomination.
While the campaign vehemently denies there is any connection, the most significant change in the Republican field in the last two weeks is certainly the rise of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee in Iowa, where a recent ABC News poll showed Huckabee tied for first with Romney.
Huckabee, a Baptist minister, also recently released a new television ad in Iowa touting himself as a "Christian leader," putting the issue of religion front and center in the earliest of the early states.
In a subtle jab, Romney said Monday that, "I think that a candidate or a president that tried to make his religion a defining a feature of his campaign or of his term in office would tend to divide the nation rather than bring us together."
The nation would become divided if the President turns out to be something other than what he portrayed himself to be during the primaries. As Mitt worries about his faith being "against" him, he is upset that Huckabee is BOLD in proclaiming his faith!
Whether related or not, the speech certainly comes at the moment Romney has clearly lost momentum in Iowa, failing to capture supporters after Sen. Sam Brownback's departure from the race and draw those conservative voters disappointed in former Sen. Fred Thompson's campaign.
Faith on the '08 Trail
Much has been made of Romney's Mormon religion throughout the campaign. While reporters covered the topic extensively, his faith was also frequently questioned on the campaign trail.
Before his presidential campaign even officially began, Romney told ABC News' Terry Moran in January that he thought "the American people respect individuals of faith," and that "when you take the oath of office, your highest responsibility is to follow the Constitution and the rule of law."
People do have respect for any person who truly believes in something with a passion. But when push comes to shove, a (true-Bible-believing) Christian will not support a cult member.
Soon after, a February ABC News/Washington Post poll found that a third of Americans were less likely to vote for a candidate who was Mormon.
When Romney surprised the Republican field by posting a whopping $20.1 million in first-quarter fundraising, many noted that Romney's second-highest fundraising state was Mormon-dominated Utah.
Does this surprise you?
It's also been reported that Romney's top fundraising zip code is 84604 — Provo, Utah, the home of the most notable Mormon school, Brigham Young University.
Does this surprise you? And he tells you that his religion will have no influence on America?? You can bet his own church/religion has other ideas about that!
Despite Romney's rising to lead in the Iowa polls by early August, the question of "the speech" remained. Romney told The Associated Press in July that it was "more likely than not" that he would give a speech at some point.
He's got the flip-flopping down to a science!
On Nov. 10, Romney was speaking at a house party in Holderness, N.H., when he admitted that he "liked the idea" of giving a "special speech" on his religion, but that "the political advisers tell me, 'No, no, no, its not a good idea — draws too much attention to that issue alone.' But I sorta like the idea anyway, and will probably do it at some point."
Romney tried to downplay his comments, even going so far as to say, "there's no news on this," but speculation continued.
Wouldn't it be interesting to see how many of his advisers are Mormons??
Though his faith remains a serious topic for Romney, and a serious issue for some Republican voters, Romney has also made a point of making light of the prejudice against the Mormon faith throughout his campaign.
While speaking at the Republican Jewish Coalition in Washington in October, Romney asked why the Mormon religion "scares people so badly." Romney quipped, "I'm probably the wrong guy to ask. But my neighbors might know."
One of the stigmas attached to the Mormon religion is the practice of polygamy, which the church forbade in 1890. At a campaign stop in Laconia, N.H., last month, Romney was speaking on the importance of his family when he said, "I love my wife and my five sons and their five wives."
Romney stopped, and smirking, added, "Wait a second. Let me clarify that. They each have one."
Yeah, that's a funny one. But what about the fact that Joseph Smith and Brigham Young both had many wives and some of them were little girls??? Is that funny?
You want more information on Mormonism? go to: http://time2changechurches.blogspot.com/2007/11/33-facts-mormons-wont-tell-you-when.html
and also go to:
http://time2changechurches.blogspot.com/2007/11/mormo-and-mormons.html
I am not trying to tell people who to vote for. In America, we have the freedom to vote for whomever we want. I am just wanting to inform people who do not know about Mormonism. I didn't know a thing about it until I actually got into Mormonism. After three years, I got out. I am very well learned on the teachings of Joseph Smith Jr, Brigham Young and the apostles. I am very familiar with the Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price, The Book of Mormon, and the Ensign. I am very familiar with the teachings of the Apostles (so I do not take things "out of context") but the most important thing that I am familiar with is this...
The Bible -- The Word of God -- The innerancy of Scripture
Below is a copy of a comment that a mormon sent me on one of my other posts:
You are such a bigot that it simply amazes me in this day and age...why? Because you seem to single out and attack only one church. Why? Because you're afraid...and because you're ignorant. You live inside the four walls of your glass cathedral and lap up every lie you're told with hardly ever giving an honest moment of individual thought to any of it. You're so busy attacking the beliefs of others that you gloss over or outright ignore the gaping holes in your own. In spite of all this, the LDS church continues to grow. And THAT is what frightens you the most! The LDS is growing so fast, that it is literally taking away funds from your own pocket. That is what it truly is about. I'm here to say that the majority of those who have been to your blog never come back. Why? Because you truly are a bigot, and we can all see right through you. I know that I will never be back. But I will pray for you.
Here is my reply --
You are such a bigot that it simply amazes me in this day and age...why? Definition of a bigot is one who is intolerant of another persons beliefs.
Okay, maybe so. But as a Christian, I do not have to tolerate a religion that is not a Christian but CLAIMS to be. I do not want people to go to hell.
Because you seem to single out and attack only one church. Why?
Actually, if you read all of my posts, you will see that I pick on Christian churches as well as mormons. I am against ANY church that claims to be Christian but does not follow biblical guidelines.
Because you're afraid...and because you're ignorant.
Afraid? Not afraid of anything since I have Christ in my life.
You live inside the four walls of your glass cathedral and lap up every lie you're told with hardly ever giving an honest moment of individual thought to any of it.
No one told me any lies other than the actual church that I mention in this post. I was a member of the LDS church and I do know EXACTLY what they teach. I can back up every comment with Mormon doctrine. Plus, I am not in a four wall, glass cathedral.
You're so busy attacking the beliefs of others that you gloss over or outright ignore the gaping holes in your own.
And yet, you provide no Scripture to back up what you are saying. I would be happy to dialogue with you on the false teachings of mormonism. I will also be happy to share with you biblical Scripture to back it all up.
In spite of all this, the LDS church continues to grow. And THAT is what frightens you the most!
Numbers do not validate anything other than many people are being led astray. Jesus said that few will enter the gates of heaven.
The LDS is growing so fast, that it is literally taking away funds from your own pocket. That is what it truly is about.
They are not taking a single cent out of my pocket. I am an evangelist and not behind the pulpit of a church. My goal is to reach the lost the way Jesus did.
I'm here to say that the majority of those who have been to your blog never come back.
Wrong!! I am able to keep track of who is visiting my blog. And you have no idea of the response I get. All Christians have been very supportive and I have Mormon friends who read the blog to and are investigating the claims I am making. That is all I ask you to do. Investigate the claims and see for yourself if they are true. I do not want you to go to hell.
Why? Because you truly are a bigot, and we can all see right through you.
I am a concerned Christian that truly cares about my mormon friends. I want them to be saved.
I know that I will never be back. But I will pray for you.
That is fine. I will be praying for you too.
As anyone can see, attacks such as this one show a lack of reasoning. Mormons do not want to face the facts of Scripture. They turn to name calling in some cases. I pray that if there are other mormons reading this (and I know there are), that you will read all of the blogs. Read Mormo and the Mormons, 33 things a Mormon will not say to you, and Pastors beware and Mormonism Taught.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
When you've been hurt by the church!
You go to church thinking all is well. You picked this particular church because either you knew someone who attended there, it was close to where you live, it was the denomination you grew up in, or you have heard great things about the pastor and the youth program. You are excited to be a part of such a loving family of believers. You eat up everything they offer to you. You go to all of the sunday school classes, you volunteer your time with the youth, you go to every Bible study they have and you sit in church drinking your coffee while the pastor gives his sermon and you feel as though you are on top of the world. You feel good when you leave church. Everyone tells you to have a nice day and they will see you next week.
That was me! And it quite possibly is you too. Sounds good, doesn't it? The only problem is, you have this inner sense of not being fulfilled. Something is missing. You don't feel any different than you did before you came to church. You hear Scripture being read. You hear great stories that "really relate" to your life. You hear the story of the "pig with the wooden leg" and you know that it just has to go with the Scripture that is being read. And you are right. The sermon title is: "Are you walking around with a "wooden leg?"
You go home that day from church and you can completely remember the joke about the pig with the wooden leg. But what was the sermon about? What was that Scripture that was read this morning? It had something to do with being persecuted as a Christian. From all of the people I have talked to in my church (pastor included), none of them had ever really been persecuted as a Christian. Is that just because we live in America (the land of the free?). I would rather think it has more to do with the fact that we as Christians are not doing anything that bothers Satan. We have become so comfortable in church. Let's take our lawn chairs, some pepsi and potato chips and let's listen to what the pastor has to say today. When the sermon is over, let's pack everything up and go home and watch tv. See you next week Pastor!
How long have you gone to church like this? I went for years. Hey, I ever was a pastor and held services like this for 5 years! You know, it has to do with entertaining the people, (just like I learned from watching Willow Creek Church services!), it had to do with telling stories so that people would see they needed to have a purpose in their life (just like Saddleback Church). I wanted to have a church service like everyone else was having. After all, that is what the people wanted at this particular church. As far as the last church I attended, that is what they want there too.
But something happens. You come across something that totally changes your life. For me, it was coming across Way of the Master. It changed my life. No longer do I just "go" to church, but I truly want to hear God's Word being taught "word by word." I want to not only say WWJD? But rather, I want to know what "did" Jesus do?! The first one wwjd, has to do with trying to interpret what you think Jesus would do in a given situation. The second one, wdjd, is something you can validate by reading God's Word. You can open the bible up and see exactly what Jesus did do! That is a much better way of doing things, it takes all error out of the equation. Anyway, as a newly saved person, I flooded myself with God's Word. The difference this time is this ---
I WAS OBEDIENT!
I had never been taught that I had to be obedient to God's Word. I heard a lot of feel good stories, I heard a lot of jokes (I can still remember many many of them!!) but I never was told that I had to repent of my lustful thoughts, of my lying, thieving ways. I always just figured all I had to do was just say, "sorry God, please forgive me." And I would go on my merry way. Off to commit the very same sins day in and day out!
You will be amazed by this but when a Christian decides to become obedient to God's Word, you can bet that he or she will finally see persecution. Unfortunately it will come from the least likely source. Many times it comes straight from your church family. They start to look down at you like, "who do you think you are to become so self-righteous?" I myself, had not become self-righteous, I became humbled by my total depravity. I finally "got it!" Jesus died on the cross for me. Not just because I was a "sinner," but because I was a totally depraved man so deep into sin, a breaker of all of God's Commands, and definitely not worthy to enter into heaven based on anything that I could do myself.
I REPENTED
See, when you become obedient to God's Word, you realize that you need to truly repent of your sins. You can't just go through the motions of being a Christian. You have to actually die to self and pick up your cross and follow Jesus. Where will He lead you (many people will say we don't know but we will follow anyway). I tell you I know where He will lead you -- STRAIGHT TO HEAVEN! He will guide you along that narrow road that few will find.
PERSECUTION -- WHAT NOW?
So what do you do when the church brands you as "one of those 'super' Christians?" Someone who feels they have attained such a high level of godliness that no one can relate to them. Here is your answer...
You do what God's Word tells you to do. Be loving, display the fruits of the Spirit, thanksgiving, repentance, love, long-suffering, patiences, etc. You do what the Word tells you to do...
You get out and reach the lost for Christ. You evangelize to people. 150,000 people are dying each and every day, the time is now! Get out of your chair. How many of you reading this right now, spend more than an hour at the computer and don't spend a single minute out trying to reach the lost the way Jesus did? How many of you spend hours watching TV, but don't spend a second, being a Good Samaritan to someone by pointing them to the cross? I have personally witnessed to over 300 people this year and that just seems like such a small number to me. And that was after going YEARS without witnessing to a single person! I am not talking about inviting people to church, no, it is presenting God's Law to them then following it up with the wonderful grace of God! Just one person per day (not one person per month as some pastors goals would indicate!), and it is not enough. I do not want anyone, regardless of who they are to go to hell.
So, what do you do when the church has hurt you? Do what Jesus did...
Honor thy Father in heaven! Go into all the world preaching the gospel to every creature. Can you do just one person per day? Try it! Once you get in the habit of doing it daily, you will want to increase the number. Will evangelizing the lost get you saved? No! Will it make God smile?
Yes! Give Him the glory in everything you do. Praise His wonderful name. We are here to glorify Him and for His good pleasure. Let's bring people to Christ, regardless of what members of your own church are saying about you. Be faithful and don't give up! And if you want to hear the pig joke, just send me an email!!
Monday, December 3, 2007
Way of the Master FAQ's
1.) I have just read The Way of the Master -- and I am scared that I'm not saved.
It is healthy to examine yourself and see if you are in the faith. Once you have repented of all sin (see Psalm 51, 1John 1:9), don't doubt God's promises. Doubt produces fear. It is also a great insult to God--if I don't trust you, it means I think you are a liar.Here's a recipe for success:
Read your Bible every day . . . without fail. Every day.
Read your Bible every day . . . without fail. Every day.
Value the Word more important than your food (see Psalm One).
Obey what you read.
Develop a tender conscience.
Never doubt any of God's promises.
Obey the Great Commission by sharing your faith (see John 14:21).
2.) Why not tell a sinner of God's love rather than of His Judgment?
Obey what you read.
Develop a tender conscience.
Never doubt any of God's promises.
Obey the Great Commission by sharing your faith (see John 14:21).
2.) Why not tell a sinner of God's love rather than of His Judgment?
Here's a question: How do we know of God's love for the sinner? Only through the Cross. If you study the NT you will see that God's love is almost always in direct connection to the Cross. Herein is love, For God so loved, God commended His love, etc. Prosperity, blessings, etc., are not a sign of His love. If that is so, He loves the rich far more than He loves the poor. So, the Cross is what we should point to to express God's love to a sinner. How can we point to the Cross without making reference to sin? How can we refer to sin, without the Law?
The correct/biblical way to express God's love to a sinner, is to show him how much he has sinned, how wretched he is (to see himself in truth so he or she understands their desperate need of God’s forgiveness) . . . (the Law/God’s wrath/God’s judgment) . . . then give the grace of God. That will reveal the depth of God’s love for the sinner.
Second. When a criminal stands guilty--on trial--it would be a mistake to speak to him of how the judge loves him and how compassionate the judge is. Better for a criminal to see the frown of the judge, so that he will see the seriousness of his crime, and find a place of true sorrow and grief for what he has done. It is then that the mercy of the judge should be revealed, no sooner. This is very important/biblical and we hope this makes sense.
3.) I am struggling with feelings of being unsaved.
3.) I am struggling with feelings of being unsaved.
There is a wonderful little verse in First John. It says "Hereby we know that we know Him . . . if we keep His commandments." I don't "feel" God's presence. If I lived by feelings, I would conclude that God wasn't with me. This, then is how I know that I know Him--because there is something in me that wants to keep His Commandments. I have a new heart with new desires. Before I was saved, I couldn't care less about loving and obeying God.Do you believe that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved? Do you believe that if you confess your sins, He is faithful and just to forgive you and cleanse you from ALL unrighteousness? Do you believe that you are a saint (by the grace of God)?
If you don't believe His promises, then you are calling God a liar . . . and there is no greater insult to God than not to believe His promises. See First John.
4.) I have a lust problem.
4.) I have a lust problem.
The Bible says to "guard your heart with all diligence . . . " That means the area of your thought life. If we have a problem with lust, we should be quick to remember that we share that thought with God. That's scary. He is perfect, pure, holy . . . and just. If He considers lust to be adultery of the heart, we are in BIG trouble. That knowledge should send us back to the Cross, where we should confess and forsake our sins.We all have similar battles with unclean thoughts. Be careful what you look at, and what you think about. If you begin to lose the battle in your mind, go somewhere and pray. Confess your sins the moment you become aware of them, and don't let the enemy get a double victory by not sharing your faith or by allowing sin to keep you out of fellowship. Make sure you read the Word every day without fail. That old saying is true: "This Book will keep me from sin (and Hell), and sin will keep me from this Book." Also, be very careful of idolatry. It is easy to change our concept of God so that He conforms to our sins (a god who doesn't mind lust).
5.) What is the place of good works?
5.) What is the place of good works?
Remember that Jesus said that there was no one born of women greater than John the Baptist . . . "But he that is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he." In Christ, your works are pleasing to God. They can't and don't justify you, but you can now make God smile when you do good works, evangelize, love your husband/wife, etc . . . because you are in Christ. The motive for what you do as a Christian isn't tainted by guilt. Love and gratitude motivate your life of godliness. It's like a criminal trying to do something good for the judge before sentence is given. That's an attempt to bribe the judge and pervert justice. But if the judge pays the criminal's fine himself out of his own hard-earned money and the criminal is released on the basis of his fine being paid, he is free to show the judge how much he appreciates kindness. One is an attempt to pervert justice, the other is gratitude in action. One makes the judge frown with displeasure, the other makes him smile.
6.) I love your teaching about sin and repentance, but doesn’t this fail to exalt the cross?
6.) I love your teaching about sin and repentance, but doesn’t this fail to exalt the cross?
A man committed what he believed was a petty crime. He didn’t have any money to pay his fine, so the judge kindly paid it for him. Another man committed what he understood to be a very serious crime and didn’t have any money to pay his fine, so the judge kindly paid it for him. Which criminal do you suppose was more grateful to the judge--the one who thought that his crime was no big deal, or the one that saw how serious his crime was? It was more than likely the latter. So it is that those who think lightly of sin, think lightly of the Savior. That’s why it is most important to show sin in its true light—that it is “exceedingly sinful.” When a sinner understands that his sin is a very serious crime against God, His mercy in Christ is seen as an unspeakable act of kindness. The more he understands his sin, the more he appreciates the cross, and the way to make a sinner understand how sinful sin is, is to take him through the Moral Law (the Ten Commandments) because it’s the Law that makes the offence abound. That’s the meaning of Romans 5:10:20: “Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound . . . ”Every preacher should have one resolute eye on Calvary as he speaks of the serious nature of sin. He is the kindly doctor, talking with the patient about the seriousness of his disease. He must convince him of the terminal nature of the disease, so that he will appreciate and appropriate the cure. So he thoroughly speaks of the disease, with one eye on the cure he is about to reveal. The cure of the cross is the centrality of the preacher's message. He must exalt the love of God in Christ, and the way to do that is to do what Jesus did, to do what Paul did, what Spurgeon, Wesley and Whitefield did. He must thoroughly expose the blackness of sin so that the light of the glorious Gospel will shine in all its splendor. To fail to speak about sin in depth, is to demean the grace of God in Christ. It is to fail to exalt the cross.
7.) How can I witness to the unsaved when I am depressed?
7.) How can I witness to the unsaved when I am depressed?
I would witness anyway. Think of it this way. I have a cure to cancer. How can I give the cure to dying people, when I am feeling down myself? The answer is -- my feelings are secondary. If you have that attitude, I am sure your joy (the "joy of the Lord") will flood back. That joy will then be your strength and sustain you in your trials.
8.) Do you sin as a Christian?
8.) Do you sin as a Christian?
I have sinned since I became a Christian -- but it is against my will. I may take the largest piece of chocolate cake, or let a impure thought enter my mind, but I hate it. However, if I sin willfully, then I am a hypocrite and not a Christian at all. The first Epistle of John makes that very clear. When I am aware that I have done something wrong, I ask for God's forgiveness, and immediately turn from that behavior.
9.) What about those who haven't heard the gospel?
9.) What about those who haven't heard the gospel?
Those who have never heard the gospel will be given justice. People don't go to hell primarily "because they don't believe in Jesus" but rather because they have sinned against God. If they have lied, stolen, murdered, committed adultery, etc., God will punish them -- not because of their ignorance, but because they have sinned despite the light God gave them via their conscience. If you really care about those who haven’t heard about Jesus, take the Gospel to them and tell them how they may be forgiven and be saved from Hell.
10) I have my own thoughts on what god is like.
10) I have my own thoughts on what god is like.
This is transgression of the First and Second of the Ten Commandments: "I am the Lord your God, you shall have no other gods before Me . . . You shall not make to yourself a graven image of any likeness." You are creating a god in your mind that you are more comfortable with—a god to suit your sins. Man has always made gods to suit himself. My opinion doesn't matter when it comes to God's character. What matters is the truth--and He has revealed what He is like through the Bible.
11) I am afraid of witnessing because I have a fear of not being able to answer questions.
11) I am afraid of witnessing because I have a fear of not being able to answer questions.
If you learn to use the Moral Law (Ten Commandments) in evangelism, you will find that there won't be too many questions because you will be dealing with the conscience, rather than the intellect. By that I mean, if you get a man to admit that he is a liar, a thief, a blasphemer and an adulterer at heart, "hypocrites in the church," Darwin's theory-tale, etc., become non-issues. Study how Jesus dealt with questions in Luke 13. He didn't spend much time at all on them, but took the sinner back to the fact that he has to face God on Judgment Day. To learn how to use the Law in Evangelism, go to our free audio lessons page, where you can listen online to several of the messages out of the 16 message audio set (available on CDs). We have created The Evidence Bible specifically to answer this fear. The Evidence Bible has answers to over 100 of the most common questions and objections about Christianity. You can see these answers in our free online resource called "Answers to 100 Questions from the Evidence Bible” To build up your courage, you may also want to consider reading God Doesn't Believe in Atheists.
12) Do you believe in "Once saved always saved?
12) Do you believe in "Once saved always saved?
"Unfortuantely, when commenting on the subject of eternal security, many books and sermons from respectable men and women of God, seem to be evidently silent on the subject of true and false conversion. This is in spite the fact that it is incredibly relevant to the topic of eternal security. The New Testament deals with this in great depth. It tells of Judas' profession of faith (he was in truth a thief, and was referred to by Jesus as a "devil"), and relates the parables of Jesus about the true and false "believers" sitting alongside one another. It speaks of Demas, who forsook Paul because he "loved this present world." As such, he revealed himself to be an enemy of God--"Whoever is a friend of the world is an enemy of God.”In one book, the author referred to a pastor/friend who was found to be "romantically" involved with another woman. The pastor had made his mind up to divorce his wife and marry the woman. I presume he means that he had been committing adultery. Instead of challenging the man as to the validity of his faith, and therefore warning him that "adulterers will not inherit the kingdom of God," he spoke of the man's "loss of rewards." We do believe in eternal security for a true convert. He puts his hand to the plow and doesn't look back, because he is "fit" for the kingdom (Luke 9:62).Those who are fit for the Kingdom are not hypocrites as was Judas. The true convert is eternally secure in his faith, because his faith in Jesus is genuine rather than false.However, if a man steals, lies, kills, rapes, hates, lusts, covets, commits adultery, etc., and calls himself a Christian, he would be very wise to examine himself and see if he is "in the faith." The Bible makes it very clear that hypocrites will not inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. If a man has no understanding of true and false conversion (in his ignorance), he may make a calculated decision to forsake a few future eternal rewards and trade them for the immediate and temporary pleasures of sin. His confidence is in an interpretation of scripture that may have eternally tragic repercussions. We think that teaching on true and false conversion would clear the air when it comes to the contentions between two opinions that so often divide the Church. It would bring closer together those who say you can lose your salvation at the drop of a sinful hat, and others who think that Christians can get away with murder and still be assured that they are saved, because they once professed faith in the Savior. For more information, freely listen online to "True and False Conversion" from the 16 message audio set (available on CDs).
13) I was just wondering what the best way to witness to someone is who doesn't believe that the Bible is the Word of God.
13) I was just wondering what the best way to witness to someone is who doesn't believe that the Bible is the Word of God.
It really doesn't matter if someone says that he doesn't believe that the Bible is the Word of God (or that they don't believe in Hell or Judgment Day). If we have rightly used the Law (the Ten Commandments -- to bring "the knowledge of sin"), we merely say, "It doesn't matter that you don't believe the Bible. You still have to face God on Judgment Day, and you've admitted that you are a liar, a thief and that you have committed adultery in your heart." His conscience will afirm the truth of the Commandments, and the Word of God (regardless of his or her lack of belief in it) is faithful to bring conviction throught the power of the Holy Spirit.We then, gently (in love), explain to him that if he walked on a freeway, saying that he didn't believe in trucks, his unbelief wouldn't change reality.
© 2006 The Way of the Master. A Ministry of Living Waters Publications
Design by Snow Media Inc.
© 2006 The Way of the Master. A Ministry of Living Waters Publications
Design by Snow Media Inc.
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Non-Christians -- you are falling!
One minute for Christ!
LOCKED DOORS
OF THE AMERICAN CHURCH
Non-believers
Chapter 19
This book is for the person who does not believe in Jesus or has never been told about Him. I must apologize to you for our (Christians) lack of interest in saving you. As you can see from reading this book, we are all guilty of not doing a good job of sharing Christ with you. You are right when you say that “if we truly loved God” why are we not out in the streets proclaiming Him to everyone? To be honest with you, I am not sure I can answer that question. As Christians we feel compelled to pray for you and to be there if you need us. But for some reason we just do not get out of our churches to meet you. It is as though the doors are locked “after” we get “in” the church. Our Christianity is locked inside the church. We know that we are supposed to get out and make disciples for Christ but we always assume that someone else will do it for us (or for Christ!).
While we Christians shamefully keep our faith to ourselves: while the only place we truly serve Christ is within the doors of the church: we are losing ground. There are thousands upon thousands of “Christians” who have not repented of their sins. The Bible clearly states that no liar, adulterer, murderer, whoremonger, effeminate, fornicator will ever inherit the kingdom of God.
Does that mean that if you are guilty of one or more of these sins; you will go to Hell? Many people want to hear an answer of “no” of course not. They say that my God is a loving God and He would never send me to Hell because I believe in Him. He will forgive me of all my sins. Will He? What if you continue in the same sin day in and day out? What if you never repent of your sins and never try to change your ways?
If that is the case then you do not truly love God. The answer to the Hell question is – Yes. You will go to Hell. Because God is a just and loving God, He will and must judge each person. If you repent and confess your sins to God then you will be saved. It is when we put off the old self and put on the new self that God will change our hearts and our ultimate destiny.
Have you repented of your sins? Are you humble and truly sorry for not following Christ? There are people out there right now as you read this book that are doing a job that every Christian should be doing. They go out knocking on doors and talk to people about Jesus. Unfortunately, they are leading people to Hell because they are proclaiming a false gospel. They use Christian words and they read the Bible but Satan has confused their mind. They do not seek the truth and when it is spoken to them, they ignore the Truth. Earlier in the book I showed you what they believe about God and the Bible. The longer it takes you to get out of the church and out into the streets where the sinners/lost souls are, then the more people will be deceived and ultimately headed for Hell.
Dan Arnold said, “the gospel has not been clearly preached if the hearer doesn’t know that not to make a decision is a decision.”
What decision have you made? Take a look at the Ten Commandments again and see if you are guilty before God.
Ten Commandments
1. You shall have no God before me.
2. You shall not make any graven image.
3. You shall not take the Lord’s name in vain.
4. You shall keep the Sabbath Day Holy.
5. You shall honor your father and your mother.
6. You shall not kill. (Hatred for brother)
7. You shall not commit adultery (lust)
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not lie.
10. You shall not covet.
Go back to the beginning of the book. Look at each one of these Commandments in depth. If God were to judge you for breaking His Commands, would you be innocent or guilty? Would you go to Heaven or Hell?
Are you willing to go to Hell just so you don’t have to give up your sinful ways? You know what sin is now so you have no excuse when you face God. (The same is true for all believers!)
Imagine if you will, you are on top of a tall mountain covered with snow (not you, the mountain!). You are going to attempt to ski down the mountain. You start out well enough but you gradually pick up speed and it is going too fast for you. You try to stop but you can’t. All of a sudden you lose your balance and you start to tumble down the mountain. You can’t keep yourself from doing somersaults and flipping over and over. You crash into some rocks and bang your head a few times. You break your leg and then your arm. The pain doesn’t hit you yet. It won’t really hit you until you hit the bottom of the mountain and come to a crashing stop. Death is certain and it will not be a painless death. Those that loved you will have the memory of watching you fall down that mountain and there was nothing they could do to save you. You do not die right away, you wish you could but the pain just stays and gets worse and worse through time.
Now suppose you are at the top of the snow covered mountain and you are going to attempt to go it alone. You begin downward and the speed starts to go faster and faster. It is faster than you can handle. You try to stop but you can’t. You lose your balance and start to tumble. You do several flips and are about to crash into the rocks, which will certainly break at least one of your arms. Right as you are about to hit the rocks an arm reaches out and is able to pull you to safety. It pulls you to a tightrope that leads back to the top of the mountain. You grab hold of the rope and hold on with all your strength. The person who saved you is right behind you to make sure you make it up the mountain safely. You are relieved that someone cared enough to reach out to save you. You are on your way to a safe haven. As you go back up the mountain you look out onto the mountain and see a loved one trying to go down the mountain alone. They run into the same problem you had and are starting to tumble.
What would you do? Would you ignore them? Or would you reach out your hand and bring them to safety too?
As a non-Christian, you are attempting to go down the mountain by yourself. You are confident in your own abilities but whether you feel the pain now or not does not matter. When life comes to an end you will feel pain. Not just a temporary pain: but an everlasting tormented pain!
God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9
If you are tumbling down the mountain right now and don’t know how to stop it, the thing to do is to acknowledge your sins to God and repent of them. Do it right now! As you do, you will receive the hand that will save you from your fall. Look up to God and give Him thanks. Praise His name over any other name on earth. Jesus died on the cross so that you will not have to suffer the pain of death (eternity in Hell). He loves you so much that He is not willing that any should perish. Won’t you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior today? Confess your sins and truly repent of those sins. No longer be a slave to your sins but take charge over your life with Jesus as your pilot (or the lifeguard on slopes of life)
OF THE AMERICAN CHURCH
Non-believers
Chapter 19
This book is for the person who does not believe in Jesus or has never been told about Him. I must apologize to you for our (Christians) lack of interest in saving you. As you can see from reading this book, we are all guilty of not doing a good job of sharing Christ with you. You are right when you say that “if we truly loved God” why are we not out in the streets proclaiming Him to everyone? To be honest with you, I am not sure I can answer that question. As Christians we feel compelled to pray for you and to be there if you need us. But for some reason we just do not get out of our churches to meet you. It is as though the doors are locked “after” we get “in” the church. Our Christianity is locked inside the church. We know that we are supposed to get out and make disciples for Christ but we always assume that someone else will do it for us (or for Christ!).
While we Christians shamefully keep our faith to ourselves: while the only place we truly serve Christ is within the doors of the church: we are losing ground. There are thousands upon thousands of “Christians” who have not repented of their sins. The Bible clearly states that no liar, adulterer, murderer, whoremonger, effeminate, fornicator will ever inherit the kingdom of God.
Does that mean that if you are guilty of one or more of these sins; you will go to Hell? Many people want to hear an answer of “no” of course not. They say that my God is a loving God and He would never send me to Hell because I believe in Him. He will forgive me of all my sins. Will He? What if you continue in the same sin day in and day out? What if you never repent of your sins and never try to change your ways?
If that is the case then you do not truly love God. The answer to the Hell question is – Yes. You will go to Hell. Because God is a just and loving God, He will and must judge each person. If you repent and confess your sins to God then you will be saved. It is when we put off the old self and put on the new self that God will change our hearts and our ultimate destiny.
Have you repented of your sins? Are you humble and truly sorry for not following Christ? There are people out there right now as you read this book that are doing a job that every Christian should be doing. They go out knocking on doors and talk to people about Jesus. Unfortunately, they are leading people to Hell because they are proclaiming a false gospel. They use Christian words and they read the Bible but Satan has confused their mind. They do not seek the truth and when it is spoken to them, they ignore the Truth. Earlier in the book I showed you what they believe about God and the Bible. The longer it takes you to get out of the church and out into the streets where the sinners/lost souls are, then the more people will be deceived and ultimately headed for Hell.
Dan Arnold said, “the gospel has not been clearly preached if the hearer doesn’t know that not to make a decision is a decision.”
What decision have you made? Take a look at the Ten Commandments again and see if you are guilty before God.
Ten Commandments
1. You shall have no God before me.
2. You shall not make any graven image.
3. You shall not take the Lord’s name in vain.
4. You shall keep the Sabbath Day Holy.
5. You shall honor your father and your mother.
6. You shall not kill. (Hatred for brother)
7. You shall not commit adultery (lust)
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not lie.
10. You shall not covet.
Go back to the beginning of the book. Look at each one of these Commandments in depth. If God were to judge you for breaking His Commands, would you be innocent or guilty? Would you go to Heaven or Hell?
Are you willing to go to Hell just so you don’t have to give up your sinful ways? You know what sin is now so you have no excuse when you face God. (The same is true for all believers!)
Imagine if you will, you are on top of a tall mountain covered with snow (not you, the mountain!). You are going to attempt to ski down the mountain. You start out well enough but you gradually pick up speed and it is going too fast for you. You try to stop but you can’t. All of a sudden you lose your balance and you start to tumble down the mountain. You can’t keep yourself from doing somersaults and flipping over and over. You crash into some rocks and bang your head a few times. You break your leg and then your arm. The pain doesn’t hit you yet. It won’t really hit you until you hit the bottom of the mountain and come to a crashing stop. Death is certain and it will not be a painless death. Those that loved you will have the memory of watching you fall down that mountain and there was nothing they could do to save you. You do not die right away, you wish you could but the pain just stays and gets worse and worse through time.
Now suppose you are at the top of the snow covered mountain and you are going to attempt to go it alone. You begin downward and the speed starts to go faster and faster. It is faster than you can handle. You try to stop but you can’t. You lose your balance and start to tumble. You do several flips and are about to crash into the rocks, which will certainly break at least one of your arms. Right as you are about to hit the rocks an arm reaches out and is able to pull you to safety. It pulls you to a tightrope that leads back to the top of the mountain. You grab hold of the rope and hold on with all your strength. The person who saved you is right behind you to make sure you make it up the mountain safely. You are relieved that someone cared enough to reach out to save you. You are on your way to a safe haven. As you go back up the mountain you look out onto the mountain and see a loved one trying to go down the mountain alone. They run into the same problem you had and are starting to tumble.
What would you do? Would you ignore them? Or would you reach out your hand and bring them to safety too?
As a non-Christian, you are attempting to go down the mountain by yourself. You are confident in your own abilities but whether you feel the pain now or not does not matter. When life comes to an end you will feel pain. Not just a temporary pain: but an everlasting tormented pain!
God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9
If you are tumbling down the mountain right now and don’t know how to stop it, the thing to do is to acknowledge your sins to God and repent of them. Do it right now! As you do, you will receive the hand that will save you from your fall. Look up to God and give Him thanks. Praise His name over any other name on earth. Jesus died on the cross so that you will not have to suffer the pain of death (eternity in Hell). He loves you so much that He is not willing that any should perish. Won’t you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior today? Confess your sins and truly repent of those sins. No longer be a slave to your sins but take charge over your life with Jesus as your pilot (or the lifeguard on slopes of life)
Friday, November 30, 2007
Church Members (Christians?)
LOCKED DOORS
OF THE AMERICAN CHURCH
Church Members
Chapter 17
Most every church member has heard the Ten Commandments at one time or another. But when was the last time you actually heard them preached in your church service? Has it been a few months? Today, it seems that pastors are more involved in preaching a “series” than preaching God’s Word on a weekly basis. Does this sound familiar? They might say, “today we are preaching the first of a three week series on stewardship” or “this is our final message of week seven of our core values at our church.” Theoretically it is possible that if a church has five core values that they could stretch that out to cover anywhere from five to eight months. A nonbeliever could walk into church for three weeks and hear nothing but messages on missions or stewardship. Don’t get me wrong, those are important messages but they would be better served in a Bible study or Sunday school class setting. For the church that has a lost soul in their midst it is extremely important that they hear the Word of God and His Commandments. Unless he understands why he needs a Savior, he will leave church more confused about why people go to church in the first place.
Now, seriously think about your church. There are people sitting in there who are not saved. They profess Jesus but they have no idea they need to repent of their sins. It is quite possible they do not even know what sin is. So what about your church? Do you go there because they preach the Word of God, not just Scriptural but preach judgment, repentance and God’s grace? If all you hear is grace filled sermons with no mention of Hell or repentance then go find a church that will help you to truly be a disciple of Christ. Sure they might offer a Disciple class 101, but unless you see them actually getting out in the real world reaching the lost then challenge them on it. Find out why they do not do what they preach. God hates hypocrites. Churches are full of them.
You shall have no other God’s before me.
You shall not make yourself any graven image.
You shall not take the Lord’s name in vain.
You shall remember to keep the Sabbath Day Holy.
You shall honor your father and your mother.
You shall not kill.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not lie.
You shall not covet.
There you have it, the Ten Commandments. Do you have them memorized yet? At the end of this book I will show you a great way to learn and memorize the Commandments.
It might or might not surprise you but some of the best churches in America are not the mega-churches. They are the churches way out in the middle of farmland. They are the old country churches where the pastor still preaches against sin. He preaches the Ten Commandments and then offers God’s grace to the fallen, repentant sinner. They are the pastors who have stayed true to God’s Word. No bells, no whistles, no drama presentations, no foot stomping bands blasting through high-tech stereo systems. They have no fear in preaching against sin. Does your church offer every possible kind of support group but does not preach against sin? Does your church cater to special interest groups in order to grow the membership rolls? If so, you have a couple of options. Demand that your pastor start preaching the Ten Commandments in church, or leave. If you are a true believer, you know that church is a time of worship. Not an hour of entertainment filled with popcorn!
As a church-going Christian what does it mean to be a follower of Christ? Do your neighbors know you are a Christian? Do you possess these qualities?
Compassionate
Loving
Forgiving
Servant
Patient
Kind
Sincere
Peaceful
If you truly love God, you will love your neighbors as yourself. You have already seen how you are a sinner and how you need a Savior. Have you shared that same information with your neighbor? If you truly love them you will not want them to perish. Talk to them. Share the Ten Commandments with them then share the grace of God.
What does being a Christian mean to you? Go to church on Sundays, read your Bible, be a good person? What do your weekdays look like? Do you follow Christ on Monday? Tuesday? Wednesday? Do you take Him with you throughout the rest of the week? Have you talked to anyone about Christ? Have you presented God’s Law and grace to an unbeliever this past week? It is not just the pastor who is called to reach the lost and make disciples for Christ. We are all called to go!
OF THE AMERICAN CHURCH
Church Members
Chapter 17
Most every church member has heard the Ten Commandments at one time or another. But when was the last time you actually heard them preached in your church service? Has it been a few months? Today, it seems that pastors are more involved in preaching a “series” than preaching God’s Word on a weekly basis. Does this sound familiar? They might say, “today we are preaching the first of a three week series on stewardship” or “this is our final message of week seven of our core values at our church.” Theoretically it is possible that if a church has five core values that they could stretch that out to cover anywhere from five to eight months. A nonbeliever could walk into church for three weeks and hear nothing but messages on missions or stewardship. Don’t get me wrong, those are important messages but they would be better served in a Bible study or Sunday school class setting. For the church that has a lost soul in their midst it is extremely important that they hear the Word of God and His Commandments. Unless he understands why he needs a Savior, he will leave church more confused about why people go to church in the first place.
Now, seriously think about your church. There are people sitting in there who are not saved. They profess Jesus but they have no idea they need to repent of their sins. It is quite possible they do not even know what sin is. So what about your church? Do you go there because they preach the Word of God, not just Scriptural but preach judgment, repentance and God’s grace? If all you hear is grace filled sermons with no mention of Hell or repentance then go find a church that will help you to truly be a disciple of Christ. Sure they might offer a Disciple class 101, but unless you see them actually getting out in the real world reaching the lost then challenge them on it. Find out why they do not do what they preach. God hates hypocrites. Churches are full of them.
You shall have no other God’s before me.
You shall not make yourself any graven image.
You shall not take the Lord’s name in vain.
You shall remember to keep the Sabbath Day Holy.
You shall honor your father and your mother.
You shall not kill.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not lie.
You shall not covet.
There you have it, the Ten Commandments. Do you have them memorized yet? At the end of this book I will show you a great way to learn and memorize the Commandments.
It might or might not surprise you but some of the best churches in America are not the mega-churches. They are the churches way out in the middle of farmland. They are the old country churches where the pastor still preaches against sin. He preaches the Ten Commandments and then offers God’s grace to the fallen, repentant sinner. They are the pastors who have stayed true to God’s Word. No bells, no whistles, no drama presentations, no foot stomping bands blasting through high-tech stereo systems. They have no fear in preaching against sin. Does your church offer every possible kind of support group but does not preach against sin? Does your church cater to special interest groups in order to grow the membership rolls? If so, you have a couple of options. Demand that your pastor start preaching the Ten Commandments in church, or leave. If you are a true believer, you know that church is a time of worship. Not an hour of entertainment filled with popcorn!
As a church-going Christian what does it mean to be a follower of Christ? Do your neighbors know you are a Christian? Do you possess these qualities?
Compassionate
Loving
Forgiving
Servant
Patient
Kind
Sincere
Peaceful
If you truly love God, you will love your neighbors as yourself. You have already seen how you are a sinner and how you need a Savior. Have you shared that same information with your neighbor? If you truly love them you will not want them to perish. Talk to them. Share the Ten Commandments with them then share the grace of God.
What does being a Christian mean to you? Go to church on Sundays, read your Bible, be a good person? What do your weekdays look like? Do you follow Christ on Monday? Tuesday? Wednesday? Do you take Him with you throughout the rest of the week? Have you talked to anyone about Christ? Have you presented God’s Law and grace to an unbeliever this past week? It is not just the pastor who is called to reach the lost and make disciples for Christ. We are all called to go!
The above was taken from my book, Locked Doors of the American Church. tomorrow the topic will discuss Christians who do not go to church.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Elders and Board Members!
LOCKED DOORS
OF THE AMERICAN CHURCH
Elders and Board Members
Chapter 16
To the Elders and board members of the church, please read the following chapter with a prayerful heart and see if your church has strayed from being a Biblical church.
Before getting into the preaching taking place in your church; I want to focus on your requirements for your pastor search team. What exactly do you look for in a pastor? After looking at this list would Moses be able to preach for you if all you had to look at was his resume? How about John, Peter, Timothy, Barnabas? How about Paul? I have gone to many websites with listings of open pastor positions. Up front, I will tell you that I am a single man (just like the Apostle Paul); I have a son (adopted and no longer school aged). As a pastor I have to ignore listings because of certain requirements set forth by search committees.
Here is a sample listing – is your church similar to this sample listing?
Church seeking Full-time pastor/preacher/minister/evangelist.
We are a loving congregation that is lucky to have a great youth group.
The pastor we desire must…
Be between the ages of 30-55 (Biblical?)
Be a talented speaker (like Moses?)
Be a leader who can help the church grow to its fullest potential (membership numbers or spiritual growth?)
Be married with a wife and children that are school aged (too bad for Paul! Too bad for guys with toddlers)
Have between 5-10 years experience (the early church grew from the message more than from the actual person)
Be able to sing or play a musical instrument (are you kidding? I am still looking in the Bible for this one!)
Have an Mdiv degree (already shown that a Seminary degree is not a true measure of a successful preacher)
Be able to get along well with people (nice, probably couldn’t think of anything else to say, huh?)
Be experienced with computer technology (again, it is God’s message that transforms lives)
Follow the leadership of the Elders (a pastor is “called” into his position by God. An Elder is someone who aspires to the position. Let the pastor follow the leadership of God. Work along side your pastor. Remember, Paul wrote letters to the churches encouraging them and admonishing them when they had fallen from their first love.)
Be willing to follow the leadership and work with the former gospel preacher (great, if he was truly a man of God who preached the Bible and preached against sin by using the Ten Commandments. But if the church members did not actually get out of the church to reach the lost, why follow him. Why not allow someone who is following God’s lead by making disciples for Christ? Sure he was probably a nice man but listen to God leading the way)
Do a Google search on pastor jobs and you will see that these requirements (or a variation of them) are expected by a very high percentage of churches.
Please understand that I have a lot of respect for Elders and for the Board members. It is their love for the church that they desire only the best for it. Unfortunately, many blindly do more harm than good for their churches.
Instead of allowing God to send the perfect man to your church, a man able to motivate and encourage and get people out of the pews into the streets doing real ministry for God, you have locked out potential leaders because of your unbiblical requirements.
A pastor does not have to be married. If he is married, he must be married to only one woman and not have been divorced. While I am at it, a marriage is between a man and a woman the way God created it to be. The Bible never ever says that it is a union between a man and a man or a woman and another woman. If a man is not married, just understand that the single man is able to devote his time wholly to the church (look at Paul). Maybe you worry that a single man is not able to minister to the married couples in the church. A single man that knows God and His Word can minister to any person regardless of the situation.
Too many churches are looking for the polished performance led pastor. He must be entertaining with a good sense of humor and able to relate the Bible to today’s society in a way we can understand.
Have you noticed though, that all of the pastors who relate story after story that the Bible is relevant for today, they fail in the one aspect that can bring about true change. They do not look you in the eye and tell you that adultery is a sin. They do not look you in the eye and tell you that looking at a member of the opposite sex with lust in your heart is a sin. They do not preach about Hell. More than entertainment, what this country needs most is a pastor who will speak for God. SIN IS SIN! Stop and repent now, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. We need a man of integrity in the pulpit.
OF THE AMERICAN CHURCH
Elders and Board Members
Chapter 16
To the Elders and board members of the church, please read the following chapter with a prayerful heart and see if your church has strayed from being a Biblical church.
Before getting into the preaching taking place in your church; I want to focus on your requirements for your pastor search team. What exactly do you look for in a pastor? After looking at this list would Moses be able to preach for you if all you had to look at was his resume? How about John, Peter, Timothy, Barnabas? How about Paul? I have gone to many websites with listings of open pastor positions. Up front, I will tell you that I am a single man (just like the Apostle Paul); I have a son (adopted and no longer school aged). As a pastor I have to ignore listings because of certain requirements set forth by search committees.
Here is a sample listing – is your church similar to this sample listing?
Church seeking Full-time pastor/preacher/minister/evangelist.
We are a loving congregation that is lucky to have a great youth group.
The pastor we desire must…
Be between the ages of 30-55 (Biblical?)
Be a talented speaker (like Moses?)
Be a leader who can help the church grow to its fullest potential (membership numbers or spiritual growth?)
Be married with a wife and children that are school aged (too bad for Paul! Too bad for guys with toddlers)
Have between 5-10 years experience (the early church grew from the message more than from the actual person)
Be able to sing or play a musical instrument (are you kidding? I am still looking in the Bible for this one!)
Have an Mdiv degree (already shown that a Seminary degree is not a true measure of a successful preacher)
Be able to get along well with people (nice, probably couldn’t think of anything else to say, huh?)
Be experienced with computer technology (again, it is God’s message that transforms lives)
Follow the leadership of the Elders (a pastor is “called” into his position by God. An Elder is someone who aspires to the position. Let the pastor follow the leadership of God. Work along side your pastor. Remember, Paul wrote letters to the churches encouraging them and admonishing them when they had fallen from their first love.)
Be willing to follow the leadership and work with the former gospel preacher (great, if he was truly a man of God who preached the Bible and preached against sin by using the Ten Commandments. But if the church members did not actually get out of the church to reach the lost, why follow him. Why not allow someone who is following God’s lead by making disciples for Christ? Sure he was probably a nice man but listen to God leading the way)
Do a Google search on pastor jobs and you will see that these requirements (or a variation of them) are expected by a very high percentage of churches.
Please understand that I have a lot of respect for Elders and for the Board members. It is their love for the church that they desire only the best for it. Unfortunately, many blindly do more harm than good for their churches.
Instead of allowing God to send the perfect man to your church, a man able to motivate and encourage and get people out of the pews into the streets doing real ministry for God, you have locked out potential leaders because of your unbiblical requirements.
A pastor does not have to be married. If he is married, he must be married to only one woman and not have been divorced. While I am at it, a marriage is between a man and a woman the way God created it to be. The Bible never ever says that it is a union between a man and a man or a woman and another woman. If a man is not married, just understand that the single man is able to devote his time wholly to the church (look at Paul). Maybe you worry that a single man is not able to minister to the married couples in the church. A single man that knows God and His Word can minister to any person regardless of the situation.
Too many churches are looking for the polished performance led pastor. He must be entertaining with a good sense of humor and able to relate the Bible to today’s society in a way we can understand.
Have you noticed though, that all of the pastors who relate story after story that the Bible is relevant for today, they fail in the one aspect that can bring about true change. They do not look you in the eye and tell you that adultery is a sin. They do not look you in the eye and tell you that looking at a member of the opposite sex with lust in your heart is a sin. They do not preach about Hell. More than entertainment, what this country needs most is a pastor who will speak for God. SIN IS SIN! Stop and repent now, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. We need a man of integrity in the pulpit.
(UPDATE) This post was taken out of my book, Locked Doors of the American Church. On Friday, Nov 30, I will post a message geared towards the church-going Christian. On Saturday, Dec 1, it will be a message for the non-church attending Christian and on Sunday, Dec 2, I will be talking about the non-Christian. Be sure to look for each article as I am sure you know someone is each category (including the previous post on Seminaries, Bishops and Pastors)
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Mandatory Prayer in Schools (Illinois)
Is that what we are coming to as Christians?I see some "christians" who do this!
There is a law that states that all schools "shall" have a moment of silence for a personal time of prayer in Illinois. Of course, there is an atheist who is against this and is planning to sue all of the school districts in Illinois to have it removed. You will hear the arguments of separation of religion and state. I have questions about the motive of the state mandating that there be a time of silence in schools so that people can pray "to their god."
I wonder if it is nothing more that an Illinois Democratic Government trying to appease the Christians by putting in a law requiring a moment of silence for prayer. And at the same time, promoting abortions, and other anti-christian movements.
I really have no problem with the atheist who wants it removed from the schools.
If a child does not know how to pray at home, he will most certainly not gain anything from a moment of silence at school.
We all cry about the fact that we used to have prayers in schools back in the 50's and even the 60's, be we didn't cry out when the churches stopped preaching about sin and repentance in church.
We didn't cry out when churches stopped preaching about God's Law, the Ten Commandments.
We didn't cry out when churches stopped expecting Christians to be obedient to God's Word.
We didn't cry out when we were no longer expected to strive towards righteousness.
We didn't cry out when reverence of God's Holy Word was no longer relevant.
We didn't cry out when joke telling became the "in" thing to do in church.
Why should we start crying out now, when an atheist wants the moment of silence removed from schools?
We cried out when the people said we could no longer say the pledge of allegiance in school, and yet, none of us teach the pledge of allegiance to our children at home. And we don't teach what it truly means to "pledge our allegiance" (be sure to watch this old clip)
We cried out when we were told to remove the Ten Commandments from governmental buildings. And yet we are silent about the Ten Commandments not being preached from the pulpits. Or better yet, we are angry about God's Law being brought up to us in church because we are offended by His Word because it makes us look guilty and besides, who does the church think it is to point a finger at us?? And one more thing about God's Law...
How many of you can name the Ten Commandments? From the people I have asked, I would venture to say that only about 5% of the people have been able to name all ten of the Ten Commandments! Pretty sad, huh? considering that Paul said he had not known what sin was "but" by the Law! The Law is to be used as a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. The Law is used to shut the mouth of the self-righteous person. The Law is perfect for converting the soul.
And only 5% of us can name all ten of the Ten Commandments!
It amazes me how much Christian's get "involved" in the political world and yet stay out of the business of discerning how their church is equipping the saints (or NOT equipping). If we would take care of our church and require all pastor's to get back to biblical preaching...
if we as individuals would get on-board and be obedient to God's Word...
if we as Christians would repent of our sins...
if we as Christians would love our neighbors enough to talk to them about heaven and HELL...
if we would not just follow WWJD (what would Jesus do?) but rather we would WDJD (what did Jesus do) we would be much better off. We need to follow the way of the master!
So, for the 95% of you who cannot name all Ten Commandments, don't you think it is time to get back into God's Word? Let's make sure our walk matches our talk!
1. You shall have no other god's before me. (God is NUMBER ONE!)
2. You shall not make for yourself any graven image (no false idols)
3. You shall not take the Lord's name in vain (blasphemy)
4. You shall remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy. (have we forgotten what "holy" is?)
5. You shall honor your father and your mother
6. You shall not kill (Jesus said you shall not hate either!)
7. You shall not commit adultery (Jesus said if you look with lust you are guilty of adultery)
8. You shall not steal (regardlss of the value)
9. You shall not lie (bear false witness)
10. You shall not covet
Let's get back to the basics. You have been in a church that has been feeding you potato chips (junk food) for a long time. How about having them feed you some real milk for a change?
There is a law that states that all schools "shall" have a moment of silence for a personal time of prayer in Illinois. Of course, there is an atheist who is against this and is planning to sue all of the school districts in Illinois to have it removed. You will hear the arguments of separation of religion and state. I have questions about the motive of the state mandating that there be a time of silence in schools so that people can pray "to their god."
I wonder if it is nothing more that an Illinois Democratic Government trying to appease the Christians by putting in a law requiring a moment of silence for prayer. And at the same time, promoting abortions, and other anti-christian movements.
I really have no problem with the atheist who wants it removed from the schools.
If a child does not know how to pray at home, he will most certainly not gain anything from a moment of silence at school.
We all cry about the fact that we used to have prayers in schools back in the 50's and even the 60's, be we didn't cry out when the churches stopped preaching about sin and repentance in church.
We didn't cry out when churches stopped preaching about God's Law, the Ten Commandments.
We didn't cry out when churches stopped expecting Christians to be obedient to God's Word.
We didn't cry out when we were no longer expected to strive towards righteousness.
We didn't cry out when reverence of God's Holy Word was no longer relevant.
We didn't cry out when joke telling became the "in" thing to do in church.
Why should we start crying out now, when an atheist wants the moment of silence removed from schools?
We cried out when the people said we could no longer say the pledge of allegiance in school, and yet, none of us teach the pledge of allegiance to our children at home. And we don't teach what it truly means to "pledge our allegiance" (be sure to watch this old clip)
We cried out when we were told to remove the Ten Commandments from governmental buildings. And yet we are silent about the Ten Commandments not being preached from the pulpits. Or better yet, we are angry about God's Law being brought up to us in church because we are offended by His Word because it makes us look guilty and besides, who does the church think it is to point a finger at us?? And one more thing about God's Law...
How many of you can name the Ten Commandments? From the people I have asked, I would venture to say that only about 5% of the people have been able to name all ten of the Ten Commandments! Pretty sad, huh? considering that Paul said he had not known what sin was "but" by the Law! The Law is to be used as a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. The Law is used to shut the mouth of the self-righteous person. The Law is perfect for converting the soul.
And only 5% of us can name all ten of the Ten Commandments!
It amazes me how much Christian's get "involved" in the political world and yet stay out of the business of discerning how their church is equipping the saints (or NOT equipping). If we would take care of our church and require all pastor's to get back to biblical preaching...
if we as individuals would get on-board and be obedient to God's Word...
if we as Christians would repent of our sins...
if we as Christians would love our neighbors enough to talk to them about heaven and HELL...
if we would not just follow WWJD (what would Jesus do?) but rather we would WDJD (what did Jesus do) we would be much better off. We need to follow the way of the master!
So, for the 95% of you who cannot name all Ten Commandments, don't you think it is time to get back into God's Word? Let's make sure our walk matches our talk!
1. You shall have no other god's before me. (God is NUMBER ONE!)
2. You shall not make for yourself any graven image (no false idols)
3. You shall not take the Lord's name in vain (blasphemy)
4. You shall remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy. (have we forgotten what "holy" is?)
5. You shall honor your father and your mother
6. You shall not kill (Jesus said you shall not hate either!)
7. You shall not commit adultery (Jesus said if you look with lust you are guilty of adultery)
8. You shall not steal (regardlss of the value)
9. You shall not lie (bear false witness)
10. You shall not covet
Let's get back to the basics. You have been in a church that has been feeding you potato chips (junk food) for a long time. How about having them feed you some real milk for a change?
Monday, October 29, 2007
Holy Special Edition Batman!
"Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which has called you is holy, so be holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be holy; for I am holy." 1 Peter 1:13-16If you are a baby-boomer, you undoubtedly remember the old (the best) batman shows. They would fight, but you would never actually see them hit someone. The words POW, ZAP, BONK would always show up on the tv screen. They never used bad language, no cussing, no vulgarity. The one thing that is bothersome though, would be their use of the word Holy. Robin would inevitably use the word "holy" every time something exciting happened. Holy Sardines, Batman! Holy Houdini, Batman! Holy showcase, it's bulletproof glass! Holy agility! Holy complications! Holy missing relatives! Holy sudden incapacitation! Holy one-track Bat computer mind! Holy luther burbank! Holy contributing to the deliquencies of minors! Robin: "what's black and white and full of fuzz?" Batman: "zebra?" Robin: "no, a squad car!" Okay, I could go on and on and on with Robin and his use of the word "holy." There is a reason why I went to the extremes with this one. There are too many churches out there that use the word "holy" and it has absolutely no meaning, just as Robin's use of the word. We are called to be holy just as He (GOD) is holy. We are called to be obedient to His Word. We are not to go after our old ways (flipping people off and thinking God is okay with that! Using foul language and thinking God has more important things to worry about than your use of certain words!) In everything we do, in everything we say, in everything we think, we are to be doing that which is "right" in God's sight. We are to be "set apart" from the world. There should be something different about us. We are to be the light in a dark world. We are to display the love that comes from God. We are to put aside pride and humble ourselves before our Lord and Savior. We should have repented of our sins so that we will no longer be slaves to sin. We should be totally putting our trust and faith in Jesus! So the next time you say, "Holy!" It will be in reference to the One that is deserving of it. We should have such reverence for God and we should not take lightly the Word of God. When we are told to obey His commands -- OBEY THEM!! When we are told to love our neighbor as ourselves -- LOVE THEM! When we are told to warn unrepentent people about the wrath of God-- WARN THEM! Go into all the world preaching the gospel to every creature. THIS IS GOD'S WAY OF TELLING YOU TO GET OUT OF YOUR HOUSE AND START TALKING TO PEOPLE ABOUT GOD. Jesus came to seek and to save the lost! Won't you start planting some seeds? Won't you get "right" with God right now? Put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone. Repent of your sins and do them no more. Be obedient to Gods Word. Love Him in a way that shows true love. He has told you to do some things. DO THEM! Be holy as God is holy! Want the world to see that there is something different about you? Start being obedient to God's Word and they will definitely know you are different -- they will hate you, because they first hated God! Rejoice in it! Demand that your church return to biblical preaching and teaching.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
What has happened to our churches?
What is wrong with today's contemporary church? Click on the link to hear my sermon that I gave recently at a local park in Galesburg, IL.I think my look says it all. "What in the world is going on with the churches in America today?" Why have they decided to go after other gods? Because that is what they are doing when they make a decision to promote a Jesus that does not have a problem with sin, does not expect you to repent of your sins, and does not care whether you are obedient to His Word or not!
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