He Is Light!

Theology 101

2012-01-21T22:20:00.029-05:00

A Theological Test

by Matt Slick

This test was taken from the Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry web site (CRM) and I thought it would be good (and fun) to repost it and make it my next blog. Thanks to CRM and Matt Slick. For more information about CRM, visit their web site by clicking HERE.

Do you know your doctrine? If you are interested, you can take a little theological test. Following are 20 basic Christian Doctrine questions. All you need to do is write down the answers to the questions, and when you are done, continue scrolling until you come to the answers. Of course, there are a lot more questions that could be asked, but these will serve as a sample.

1. How many Gods are there in the universe?

One

Two

Three

Many

2. The Trinity is . . .

Three separate Gods

One God who took 3 consecutive forms

One God in three persons

A completely false doctrine

3. Jesus is . . .

God in flesh

An angel who became a man

A good man

A great prophet

4. How many natures does Jesus have?

One

Two

Three

5. The Holy Spirit is . . .

An invisible force like radar

A divine spark in all of us

Third person in the Trinity

A god

6. Sin is . . .

There is no sin

A misinterpretation of reality

A state of mind

Breaking God's Law

7. Human nature is basically. . .

Good

Sinful

Neutral

Divine

8. In what manner did Jesus rise from the dead?

As a spirit

In the same body he died in

He did not rise from the dead

The disciples made up the resurrection story

9. Hell is . . .

Right here on earth

A state of mind

A place of eternal fire and torment

There is no hell

10. Heaven is . . .

Right here on earth

A state of mind

A place of eternal joy and peace with God

There is no heaven

11. Salvation is . . .

A condition of mental awareness

Within our own essence

Universal resurrection

Deliverance from the eternal consequence of sin: damnation

12. Salvation is attained by . . .

Grace through faith after all you can do

Grace through faith

A state of your mind

Obeying all of God's laws

13. The Devil is . . .

An equal and opposing force to God

Not real

A figment of people's minds

An angel who rebelled against God

14. The Bible is . . .

The inspired word of God

A nice history book

Full of contradictions and errors

A story book of metaphors

15. The Rapture is . . .

A serious head rush

A New Age meditation philosophy

The catching up of God's people into the sky at Jesus' return.

An Old Testament Jewish feast

16. Adam and Eve . . .

Were the first man and woman created by God

We're evolutionary representatives of homo sapiens

Are mythological figures

Never existed

17. How many ways are there to God?

Just one. Through Jesus

Many ways

As many ways as there are people

It depends on the religion

18. When you die . . .

You go to purgatory

You go to heaven or hell

You don't exist anymore

You are reincarnated

19. Evolution . . .

Is how we got here

Is not a viable option for Christians

God used evolution to bring man into existence

Proves there is no God

20. Why did God create us? . . .

As an experiment

He was bored

To save us, love us, and have us love Him

For pawns in his cosmic game

(answers below)
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*I created a bonus question for question #14 (see below). Get this right and you'll win an all expenses paid trip to............hold on, the phone is ringing
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Answers to the Theological Test

1. How many gods are there in the universe?	A. One
The Bible clearly teaches that there is only one God in existence, anywhere, any time, any place.
Isaiah 44:6 and 8 say, "Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. . . 8Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any." See also, Isaiah 45:6; 14, 18, 21, 22.

2. The Trinity is . . .	C. One God in three persons
God is a trinity. God is three simultaneous persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Though there is no single verse that establishes the trinity, it is derived from many.
There is only one God. Yet, the Father is called God (Phil. 1:2); Jesus is called God (John 1:1, 14; 8:58; Heb. 1:8); and the Holy Spirit is called God (Acts 5:3-4).

3. Jesus is. . .	A. God in flesh
Jesus is the second person of the Trinity. He became a man in order to die on the cross.
Col. 2:9, "For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. John 1:1, 14, "In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. . . And the word became flesh and dwelt among us. . ." See also, Heb. 1:8; Phil. 2:5-8; John 8:58 with Exodus 3:14; Zech. 12:10.

4. How many natures does Jesus have?	B. Two
Jesus has two natures. He is both God and man.
Col. 2:9 "For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. See also Phil. 2:5-8; John 8:58 with Exodus 3:14; Heb. 1:8

5. The Holy Spirit is . . .	C. The third person in the Trinity
The Holy Spirit is a person like the Father and the Son. He is not like a force or invisible like radar. He is not merely an energy presence. He is, like the Father and the Son, God.
Acts 5:3-4"But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? 4 While it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God."

6. Sin is . . .	D. Breaking God's law
God has revealed His character and will in the Law. To sin is to offend God; it is to break His law.
1 John 3:4, Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. See also Rom. 3:20; 4:15; 7:7-13; James 2:9; 1 John 5:17

7. Human nature is basically . . .	B. Sinful
The Bible reveals that we are sinners. Because Adam fell, we fell with him. We inherited his sinful nature. All of what we are, body, soul, spirit, mind, emotions, etc. is touched by sin.
According to God's word, the sinner (the unsaved), cannot understand spiritual things (1 Cor. 2:14); is full of evil (Mark 7:21-23); does not seek for God (Rom. 3:11); is lawless, rebellious, unholy, and profane (1 Tim. 1:9)

8. In what manner did Jesus rise from the dead?	B. In the same body he died in.
Jesus rose from the dead in the same body that he died in. It retained His scars. Though His body was resurrected and glorified, it was the same body.
John 2:19-21, "Jesus answered them, 'Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.' 20 The Jews replied, 'It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?' 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body." Luke 24:39, "Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have."

9. Hell is . . .	C. A place of eternal fire and torment
Many think hell is a state of mind, right here on earth, or that it simply doesn't exist. It does. The Bible tells us about it.
Mark 9:43 "If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out." · Rev. 14:11 "And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name." · See also, Luke 16:19-31; 2 Pet. 2:4; Matt. 22:13; Jude 6, 23; Rev. 21:8

10. Heaven is . . .	C. A place of eternal joy and peace with God.
Heaven is the dwelling place of God and of those who are saved through Jesus.
Psalm 20:6, "Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed; he answers him from his holy heaven with the saving power of his right hand." John 14:2, "In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. " See also Psalm 102:19; 123:1; Matt. 5:34; 2 Cor. 12:3,4

11. Salvation is . . .	D. Deliverance from the eternal consequence of sin: Damnation
Salvation is the act where God, through the atonement of Jesus, forgives a person of his sins. He is justified before God and saved from damnation.
Rom. 5:1, "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Rom. 8:1, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, See also, Matt. 1:21; Heb. 2:14, 15; Rom. 5:9; John 3:17.

12. Salvation is attained by. . .	B. Grace through faith
Forgiveness of sins is not conditioned by anything that we do, but it is all a gift of God's grace through faith
Eph. 2:8, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God." Rom. 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." See also, John 3:14-18.

13. The Devil is . . .	D. An angel who rebelled against God
The devil, also called Satan, was an angel who lifted himself in pride and rebelled against God. He is evil, wicked, a deceiver, and powerful.
2 Cor. 11:14, ". . . Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light . . ." John 8:44, "You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies." See also, Isaiah 14:12-20; Ezekiel 28:14-19

14. The Bible is . . .	A. The inspired word of God.
The Bible is authored by God, through men. They were inspired. The original documents were without error. BONUS QUESTION : What is the word that is used to describe the fact that the Bible, in the original documents were without error??
2 Tim. 3:16, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. . . " See also, Rev. 22:19; Acts 17:11

15. The Rapture is . . .	C. The catching up of God's people into the sky.
It may sound odd. But the rapture is when Jesus returns to gather His people. Those who are alive when this happens will not see death, but will be changed.
1 Thess. 4:16-17, "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever." See also, 1 Cor. 15:51-53.

16. Adam and Eve . . .	A. Were the first man and woman created by God
They were created by God, lived in the Garden of Eden, are our ancient parents.
Gen. 2:21 - 22, "So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. 22Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man." See also, Gen. 1:26,27; Gen. 2:7; Rom. 5:12-14

17. How many ways are there to God?	A. Just one. Through Jesus
Unlike other men who have existed, Jesus was God in flesh. He said He was the only way to God. there are no other ways other than Jesus.
John 14:6, "Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" John 10:1, ""I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber." See also, Acts 4:12; Titus 3:5.

18. When you die . . .	B. You go to heaven or hell
Death brings us face to face with eternity. For those in Christ, heaven is the destiny. For those who reject Him, eternal damnation is the result.
Phil. 1:21-23, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far." 2 Cor. 5:8, "We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord." See also, Isaiah 59:2; 2 Thess. 1:9; Gen. 3:19; 1 Cor. 13:12

19. Evolution . . .	B. Is not a viable option for Christians
Evolution is not the fact it is told to be. It is not consistent with the Bible. God created man; man did not evolve.
Gen. 1:26, "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.'" Heb. 11:3, "By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible." See also, Col. 1:16,17; Psalm 104:30; Genesis 1:1

20. Why did God create us?	C. To save us, love us, and have us love Him.
God's creation and our salvation were not just so we could live with Him. God desires fellowship and intimacy in a loving relationship with His people.
1 John 1:3, "We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ." Rev. 21:3, "And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.'" See also, John 10:27-28; John 3:16; Phil. 2:1,2.

How did you do? Do you need to study more? Maybe you learned something here, or maybe even you disagree with something. If so, e-mail me and let me know.

Remember the words of Paul to Timothy: "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth" (2 Tim. 2:15).

Is Mormonism compatible with Christianity?

2012-01-14T11:53:00.010-05:00

As I was preparing to finish my school assignments for this week, I felt compelled to write about Mormonism. Mormonism has been at our door steps (literally) for many years and with the rise in popularity of Mitt Romney as the potential Republican nominee for President of the The United States, I thought it was a good time to help people understand what Mormonism is and how we need to guard ourselves against this heresy. By the way, this is not a "Mitt bashing" session and has nothing to do with politics. But no doubt as we get closer and closer to elections, more and more people will be wondering about this religion. As well, there is always confusion by some regarding Christianity and Mormonism - and they are NOT the same. No matter how much people would like you to think this, Mormonism is not the same as Christianity. In fact, it's 180 degrees opposite from traditional orthodoxy!

Mormonism was founded almost 200 years ago by Joseph Smith. He believed it was his mission to restore the church to, what he thought, was its genuine purpose and state. He claimed to have received a visit from God and Jesus Christ who told him that all other churches and their creeds were an abomination. As a result, the Mormon Church claims to be the only true church on earth.

The Book of Mormon is an interesting story in and of itself. Smith said he found golden plates on September 22, 1823 at a hill near his home in Manchester NY after being told where to look for them by the angel Moroni. These plates would be contained in a stone box and were written in "reformed Egyptian" which had to be translated via a "seer stone". As a result, in 1830, the Book of Mormon was published based on what was translated from these plates.

Whereas Christians have but one Book containing all of God's revelation to us, the Mormon's rely on four: 1) The Bible “as far as it is translated correctly.” Which verses are considered incorrectly translated is not always made clear. 2) The Book of Mormon, which was “translated” by Smith and published in 1830. Smith claimed it is the “most correct book” on earth and that a person can get closer to God by following its precepts “than by any other book.” 3) The Doctrine and Covenants, containing a collection of modern revelations regarding the “Church of Jesus Christ as it has been restored.” 4) The Pearl of the Great Price, which is considered by Mormons to “clarify” doctrines and teachings that were lost from the Bible and adds its own information about the earth's creation.

Mormons believe the following about God: He has not always been the Supreme Being of the universe, but attained that status through righteous living and persistent effort. They believe God the Father has a “body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s.” Though abandoned by modern Mormon leaders, Brigham Young taught that Adam actually was God and the father of Jesus Christ. In contrast, Christians know this about God: there is only one true God (Deut 6:4, Isa 43:10; 44:6-8) - He always has existed and always will exist (Deut 33:27; Psalm 90:2; 1 Tim 1:17), and He was not created but is the Creator (Genesis 1:1; Psalm 24:1; Isaiah 37:16). He is perfect, and no one else is equal to Him (Psalm 86:8; Isaiah 40:25). God the Father is not a man, nor was He ever (Numbers 23:19;1 Samuel 15:29; Hosea 11:9). He is Spirit (John 4:24), and Spirit is not made of flesh and bone (Luke 24:39).

In regards to Jesus, Mormon's do hold Him in high regard. But Mormonism teaches that Jesus is a god and that any human can become a god. Mormons also teach that Jesus' birth was the result of a physical relationship between Mary and God and while the word "Trinity" is not in the Bible, Mormons do not believe in the relationship between God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. (John 1:1, 14, Col 2:9, John 20:28, Heb 1:8)

In regards to the Holy Spirit; as with their belief about Jesus, the Holy Spirit is not God nor does the Holy Spirit share in the divine relationship or characteristics of God as we are clearly taught throughout Scripture. As an example, the Mormons do not believe that the Holy Spirit can be in more than one place/location at any one time which goes against the doctrine of Omnipresence.

While there is much more that can be discussed regarding the differences between Christianity and Mormonism it's important to understand the basic differences between the two religions. As Christians, we need to understand the TRUE Word of God so that when counterfeit religions come knocking on our door, we know how to recognize the false and be ready to share the Truth.

Go and make disciples

2011-10-29T20:55:00.000-04:00

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

Video credit: Kelly and Niki Tshibaka.

Inerrancy of the Scriptures

2011-09-03T21:30:00.005-04:00

In my Systematic Theology course, a question was asked of all the students. I got to thinking that this question might be a good question to ask everyone who considers themselves a Christian. It's a very important question so I wanted to share it with all of you.

By definition, inerrancy of Scripture means that Scripture in the original manuscripts does not affirm anything that is contrary to fact. In other words, inerrancy means that the Bible always tells the truth and that it always tells the truth concerning everything it talks about. This definition does not mean that the Bible tells us every fact there is to know about any one subject but it affirms that what it does say about any subject is true. Here is the question. (My answer follows):

Do you think belief in inerrancy should be a requirement for church membership? For teaching a Sunday school class? For holding a church office such as elder or deacon? For being ordained as a pastor? For teaching at a theological seminary? Why or why not?

My answer is "yes" to all the questions above. Here are my reasons why I believe this:

First off, when we talk about inerrancy, we are referring to the original manuscripts (Autographs) which were the documents written by the Bible authors through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. These documents represent the very breath of God (2 Timothy 3:16) and since God cannot life (Titus 1:2, Hebrews 6:18) it should lead one to understand that the Scriptures are inerrant. This is to say that God can not lie therefore the Scriptures are precise and without error regarding those things that God has revealed to us within Scripture.

As members of a church or any of the other positions listed above, a believer would have to adhere to the understanding that the Scriptures are inerrant. To do otherwise would be bringing into question the very truth and character of God, let alone His knowledge of everything revealed in Scripture.

If we are to reveal the true God, then we need to reveal everything about Him including His inerrant Word and explain why His Word is inerrant. Furthermore, if we do not believe that His Word is inerrant, do we then go on to say that "this is true, but this other part of the Bible is not?" This would lead us (and those who we would be teaching) down a slippery slope.

Another reason why I believe it is so important to understand God's Word as inerrant is because if the Bible weren't inerrant then the things it speaks about would have the potential to be corrected by another author/book. If this were the case, then the author of that other book would be superior to God; that person (creature) would be greater than his creator! That, in and of itself is an impossibility. Paul warned about this very thing in Romans 1:25 "who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen."

66 Books and no more. Really?

2011-08-29T11:03:00.019-04:00

Really. I'll explain....

As you know, there are 66 books that complete the canon of Scripture; 39 books that make up the Old Testament (or Tanach - The Hebrew Bible) and 27 books that comprise the New Testament. We hold these sacred writings to be inerrant in the original autographs as well as infallible. Inerrant meaning they are without mistake or error and infallible in that they contain all truth. The Bible, after all, is authored by God Himself using human writers through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

There are questions from folks that wonder why there are more books in the Roman Catholic Bible versus the Protestant Bible. The biggest difference between the two are the 15 books that make up what is called "The Apocrypha". Apocrypha means "hidden" in Greek. These books are included in the Roman Catholic Bible whereas they are not in the Protestant Bible. These books are generally placed in the Old Testament however, interestingly enough, the original Hebrew Bible - from where we get our Old Testament - does not include them. But why don't we include them? It's a question many people have and I'll try to explain as briefly as I can.

First, in order to determine what should be considered as part of the Canon of Scripture, several criteria were involved:

1. Is the writing Apostolic? (written by the Apostles or those who were witness to the Apostles in the case of the N.T.)
2. Is the writing Orthodox? (proper and unchanged)
3. Is the writing universal? (widely accepted)
4. Has the writing had influence over the Church over time?
(adapted from Zondervans Handbook to the Bible)

The primary reason for rejecting the Apocrypha as Scripture is that there is no claim within the books that they are inspired by God. This is in contrast to the canonical Scriptures which claim to record the revelation of God. Though the New Testament cites directly or alludes to almost every book of the Old Testament as Scripture, it never cites the Apocrypha as being God's Word. If the Apocrypha were considered Scripture by the people living in the first century, we would certainly expect them to refer to it in some way. In fact, Jesus as well as the New Testament authors quote Old Testament Scripture 295 times but not the Apocrypha.

The other reasons why the Protestant Bible doesn't include the Apocrypha is because of the doctrinal and historical inconsistencies with a number of these books. E.J. Young (a renowned Old Testament scholar and theologian) notes:

There are no marks in these books which would attest a divine origin.....both Judith and Tobith contain historical, chronological and geographical erros. The books justify falsehood and deception and make salvation to depend upon works of merit. Ecclesiasticus and the Wisdom of Solomon teach a morality based upon expediency. Wisdom (another Apocryphal book) teaches creation of the world out of pre-existing matter. Ecclesisticus teaches that the giving of alms makes atonement for sin. In Baruch it is said that God hears the prayers of the dead and in 1 Maccabees, there are historical and geographical errors.

Because of what was discussed above, the writings of the Apocrypha were not regarded as part of Scripture by the early church and thus were never included in the Protestant Bible. If the Word of God is from God Himself and God is perfect in every way and is without contradiction, then it would be impossible that these other books were truly inspired by the Holy Spirit.

As Grudem states in his book Systematic Theology; "The Apocrypha does have value for historical research and they contain a number of helpful stories about the courage and faith of many Jews during the period after the Old Testament ends, but they have never been part of the Old Testament canon and they should not be thought of as part of the Bible."

His Grace to you always.

The Trinity

2011-08-17T14:12:00.023-04:00

The Trinity is one topic that, if you're like me, makes your head hurt trying to comprehend how the Godhead can be three distinct persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit, being of one substance, power and eternity. But then again, we're talking about Jehovah God - the true God! Not only do I get a headache trying to understand the Trinity, my mind gets tired just trying to come up with adjectives to describe this most marvelous King of kings and Lord of lords!

While volumes can be written about the Trinity and while I try my best to keep my blogs short (I can hear my wife saying "yeah right" at this very moment!), I wanted to bring up a portion of this topic because of the confusion surrounding it. On a web site from one of the largest church's in America it states that God is

"one God, Creator of all things, infinitely perfect, and eternally existing in three manifestations: Father, Son and Holy Spirit." (emphasis mine)

While much of this statement is true, there is a HUGE error here. God does not manifest Himself into other identities but rather He exists as three separate persons - Father, Son, Holy Spirit. To deny this is to deny the deity of Christ! The thinking that God exists in three manifestations is a doctrinal error called Modalism. Basically, this doctrine claims that there is one person who appears to us in three different forms (or modes). At various times people have taught that God is not really three distinct persons but only one person who appears to people in different "modes" at different times. The United Pentecostal Church holds to this modalistic doctrinal position.

Here is one of the best quotes as to why we MUST get this doctrine right:

While there are many shortcomings of modalism, its ultimate danger is that it loses the heart of the doctrine of atonement - that is, the idea that God sent his Son as a substitutionary sacrifice and that the Son bore the wrath of God in our place, and that the Father, representing the interests of the Trinity, saw the suffering of Christ and was satisfied (Isaiah 53:11)

(Systematic Theology, 1994, Wayne Grudem)

There are three statements that summarize the Biblical teaching on this topic:

1. God is three persons
2. Each person is fully God
3. There is one God

The Father is not the Son; they are distinct persons. It also means that the Father is not the Holy Spirit, but that they are distinct persons. And it means that the Son is not the Holy Spirit. These distinctions are seen in a number of passages in the Old Testament as well as in the New Testament. And while all three persons are distinct, each person is fully God!(time for some Excedrine?)

What does this all mean and why is it so important to get it correct? Answer: It means that our God is an amazing God and that no other god throughout the history of the world is like our God! The Trinity is one of the great distinctions among all the other world religions (Salvation by Grace alone is also unique to Christianity). And while the word "Trinity" is not found in Scripture, God made sure to reveal to us through His Word that this truth exists. It doesn't mean we must understand the Trinity completely - I dare say no human has been able to fully grasp this attribute of God. However, it is important for us to know that God doesn't manifest Himself into different beings, but rather He reveals Himself in three persons - The Father, The Son & The Holy Spirit. This is Scriptural and that's why it's so important.

The Missing Books

2011-07-22T12:26:00.003-04:00

This is such a wonderful and concise reference to the question "what about the lost books of the Bible" that I wanted to post it to my blog and share it with you. Nothing that God intends or intended, was or happens by chance. He is the creator of the universe and everything in it (Acts 17:24) and as such, He creates with the utmost deliberate intention. As I have studied (at a high level) the Apocrypha and Pseudapigraphal books it is clear to me that these books, while useful and informative to some degree could never be part of the infallible and inerrant Word of God since there are some faleshoods and inconsistencies within these texts. The following article provides some good information that you can equip yourself with when someone asks you "what about the missing books of the Bible".

There are no “lost books” of the Bible, or books that were taken out of the Bible, or books missing from the Bible. Every book that God intended and inspired to be in the Bible is in the Bible. There are many legends and rumors of lost books, but there is no truth whatsoever to these stories. There are literally hundreds of religious books that were written in the same time period as the books of the Bible. Some of these books contain true accounts of things that actually occurred (1 Maccabees, for example). Some contain good spiritual teaching (the Wisdom of Solomon, for example). However, these books are not inspired by God. If we read any of these books, the Apocrypha as an example, we have to treat them as fallible historical books, not as the inspired, inerrant Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

The gospel of Thomas, for example, was a forgery written in the 3rd or 4th century A.D., claiming to have been written by the apostle Thomas. It was not written by Thomas. The early church fathers almost universally rejected the gospel of Thomas as heretical. It contains many false and heretical things that Jesus supposedly said and did. None of it (or at best very little of it) is true. The epistle of Barnabas was not written by the biblical Barnabas, but by an imposter. The same can be said of the gospel of Philip, the apocalypse of Peter, etc.

There is one God. The Bible has one Creator. It is one book. It has one plan of grace, recorded from initiation, through execution, to consummation. From predestination to glorification, the Bible is the story of God redeeming His chosen people for the praise of His glory. As God’s redemptive purposes and plan unfold in Scripture, the recurring themes constantly emphasized are the character of God, the judgment for sin and disobedience, the blessing for faith and obedience, the Lord Savior and sacrifice for sin, and the coming kingdom and glory. It is God’s intention that we know and understand these five themes because our lives and eternal destinies depend upon them. It is therefore unthinkable that God would allow some of this vital information to be “lost” in any way. The Bible is complete, in order that we who read and understand it might also be “complete, and equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

(source:www.gotquestions.org)

The Last Word on Bell's Book

2011-07-08T11:21:00.010-04:00

This is my last post about Rob Bell's "Love Wins". Martin Bashir (former Muslim and now Christian) does a brilliant job interviewing Bell. The point of this video as well as my previous posts about Bells book is NOT to cast stones at Bell but rather illustrate the importance of correct exegesis and how Bell seems to twist the Scriptures. As Bashir states, it seems that Bell wants it both ways; Accept Christ now in this life but if you don't, no worries, you'll still be saved afterwards when you die even if you rejected Christ when you were alive.

Nothing could be further from the truth! As Christians (laymen and Christian leaders alike) we must stand up to this heresy and proclaim the absolute truth that Gods' Word provides within the pages of His love story to us. We must never water-down the Scriptures to make God into something we want. We need to commit to being the people that God has called us to be and to never compromise the truth of His Word.

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Rob Bell - Love Wins - Pt.4 (conclusion)

2011-06-08T11:35:00.007-04:00

Before I conclude my thoughts about Rob Bells' book "Love Wins", I wanted to share with you some FACTS straight from God's Word concerning eternality, hell and some Biblical terms that we all need to be aware of.

(1) Everyone will exist eternally either in heaven or hell (Daniel 12:2,3; Matthew 25:46; John 5:28; Revelation 20:14,15).

(2) Everyone has only one life in which to determine their destiny (Hebrews 9:27).

(3) Heaven or hell is determined by whether a person believes (puts their trust) in Christ alone to save them (John 3:16, 36, etc.).

Key Passages About Hell

(1) Hell was designed originally for Satan and his demons (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:10).

(2) Hell will also punish the sin of those who reject Christ (Matthew 13:41,50; Revelation 20:11-15; 21:8).

(3) Hell is conscious torment.

Matthew 13:50 “furnace of fire…weeping and gnashing of teeth”
Mark 9:48 “where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched”
Revelation 14:10 “he will be tormented with fire and brimstone”

(4) Hell is eternal and irreversible.

Revelation 14:11 “the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever and they have no rest day and night”
Revelation 20:14 “This is the second death, the lake of fire”
Revelation 20:15 “If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire”

Erroneous Views of Hell (Rob Bells' view seems to reflect #'s 1 & 2)

(1) The second chance view – After death there is still a way to escape hell.

Answer: “It is appointed unto men once to die and after that the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).

(2) Universalism – All are eternally saved.

Answer: It denies the truth of salvation through Christ which means that a person decides to either trust in Christ or else he/she rejects Christ and goes to hell (John 3:16;3:36).

(3) Annihilationism – Hell means a person dies and ceases to exist.

Answer: It denies the resurrection of the unsaved (John 5:28, etc. – see above). It denies conscious torment (see above).
Objections to the Biblical View of Hell

(1) A loving God would not send people to a horrible hell.

Response: God is just (Romans 2:11).

God has provided the way of salvation to all (John 3:16,17; 2 Corinthians 5:14,15; 1 Timothy 2:6; 4:10; Titus 2:11; 2 Peter 3:9).
Even those who haven’t heard of Christ are accountable for God’s revelation in nature (Romans 1:20). God will seek those who seek Him (Matthew 7:7; Luke 19:10).
Therefore God doesn’t send people to hell, they choose it (Romans 1:18,21,25).

(2) Hell is too severe a punishment for man’s sin.

Response: God is holy-perfect (1 Peter 1:14,15).

Sin is willful opposition to God our creator (Romans 1:18-32).
Our sin does merit hell (Romans 1:32; 2:2,5,6).
What is unfair and amazing is that Christ died for our sin and freely offers salvation to all (Romans 2:4; 3:22-24; 4:7,8; 5:8,9).

Biblical Terms Describing Where the Dead Are

Sheol - a Hebrew term simply describing “the grave” or “death” – Does not refer to “hell” specifically
Hades - A Greek term that usually refers to hell – a place of torment (Luke 10:15; 16:23, etc.)
Gehenna - A Greek term (borrowed from a literal burning dump near Jerusalem) that always refers to hell – a place of torment (Matthew 5:30; 23:33)
“Lake of fire”- the final abode of unbelievers after they are resurrected (Revelation 20:14,15)
“Abraham’s bosom” - (Luke 16:22) a place of eternal comfort
“Paradise” - (Luke 23:43) a place of eternal comfort
“With the Lord” - a key phrase describes where church age believers are after death (Philippians 1:23; 1 Thessalonians 4:17; 2 Corinthians 5:8)
“New heavens and earth” – where believers will be after they are resurrected (Revelation 20:4-6; 21:1-4)

What is abundantly clear is what Scripture teaches about hell. As I've said before, either God is correct or Rob Bell (and others like him) have a better understanding of what hell is - and this means a better understanding even of that of Jesus.

I guess what bothers me the most about this book is that it is similar to other books I've read where it takes the Word of God and waters it down to something easier for all of us to swallow and interprets the Word of God in a way that will make us feel the best and most comfortable. True, there is more which provides comfort and hope that is contained in the Word of God than all other books ever written combined! However we also need to understand that God, in his amazing love, gives us choices. We can either choose to bend our knee at the cross and accept Him as our Lord and Savior or turn our backs to Him and choose to live our lives apart from Him. Either way, we get to make that choice.

But in each case, the Bible is very clear that our souls will continue to exist well after our physical bodies have died (see point #1 at the top) and where we end up for all eternity is based on the decision we make while still here on earth. Does it make sense that a Sovereign God who became flesh and dwelt among us to ultimately die on a cross so that we could have eternal life, would all of a sudden accept someone after they die, when while they were alive rejected Him? Because that is the essence of Bells book to which I say "then why the cross"?

(resources from Bible.Org)

Rob Bell - Love Wins - Pt.3 (is eternal really eternal?)

2011-05-26T16:35:00.013-04:00

On page 51-52, Bell discusses Matthew 25 where Jesus talks about The Sheep and The Goats. In the next paragraph, he introduces Matthew 7 (verse 23 specifically) where Christ says "Depart from Me, you law-breakers"(literally: you who work lawlessness). But Bell doesn't continue with a very important part of Matthew 25 which includes verses 41 and 46. It's as if he almost avoids these verses because it will deal a death-blow to his argument about there being no hell or that hell is not eternal.

DISCLAIMER: I know I've said that I will try to keep my posts short but I just couldn't with this one. I tried....

(Matthew 25:31-46) The story is about when the Son of Man (Christ) comes in His glory. Christ will be sitting on His throne and all the nations will be before Him. He will then separate them as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; sheep on His right and goats on His left. It's a beautiful story that teaches us that when we show love and generosity and compassion to the least of our brothers and sisters, we are doing this as if for Christ Himself. Just think about that for a moment! You volunteer, donate, console, basically get out of our comfort zones so that someone else can be comforted. As a Christian, we are not only doing it for that person or group of people, but we are also doing it for our King!

Verse 41, as well as verse 46, is where I want you to pay particular attention to. As I mentioned, Bell tries to convince us, or at the very least, make us think about the fact that there is no hell and God would never separate us, allowing some to inherit the kingdom and others to not. But Christ is explicitly clear when He says to those on His left:

Verse 41: "Depart from Me, you who are cursed into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels!" (Notice the exclamation mark - I'd say Jesus was pretty serious here).

Verse 42: "For I was hungry and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger and you didn't take Me in; I was naked and you didn't clothe Me, sick and in prison and you didn't take care of Me."

Verse 46: "And they will go away into eternal punishment..."

Notice the the phrases "eternal fire" & "eternal punishment". The word "eternal" in both cases is from the Greek word αιονιοσ (pronounced ahee-o'-nee-os). This word means without beginning and end, that which always has been and always will be without beginning and without end, never to cease, everlasting, perpetual. Can it be any clearer than that? Let's take it a step further and read how other translations state verse 46:

NET 25:46 "And these will depart into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
NIV 25:46 "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
NASB 25:46 "These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
ESV 25:46 "And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
NLT 25:46 “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.”
MSG 25:46 "Then those 'goats' will be herded to their eternal doom, but the 'sheep' to their eternal reward."
NKJV 25:46 "And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
NRSV 25:46 "And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
KJV 25:46 "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal."

Are there any questions?

Rob Bell - Love Wins - Pt. 2

2011-05-20T10:38:00.001-04:00

"God loves us. God offers us everlasting life by grace, freely, through no merit on our part. Unless you do not respond the right way. Then God will torture you forever in hell." Huh?

This is a quote from Bells new book "Love Wins" and not only that, it's the quote that is used on the back of the jacket cover of the book. What bothers me the most is how he says that if you do not respond in the right way, God will torture you forever in hell. My question is: Where in the Bible does it say that God will torture you?? Talk about twisting the scriptures! This is the exact thing that could give new believers as well as those who have been saved for years, the wrong impression of God.

Let's look at (2 Peter 3:9) to see that it is Gods' desire that no one perish. God created us for a relationship with him - He loves us! It is WE that turn away from Him. It is WE that exercise our freewill to choose to repent and confess our sins and ask God to forgive us, or to turn our back on God and do things our way. Bell is correct, however that God does offer us everlasting life BY GRACE, through no merit on our part. He does repeat this fact many times throughout his book and doesn't allow any gray areas to creep in when it comes to this foundational Christian belief.

Still, on page 2, he states "If there are only a select few who go to heaven, which is more terrifying to fathom: the billions who burn forever or the few who escape this fate? How does a person end up being one of the few? Chance? Luck? Random selection.....?" ANSWER: (Romans 10:9-13) The answer couldn't be more simple or black and white. That's the great thing about God. He's made it very simple for us to understand. As He has made it abundantly clear about the eternality of heaven, He has also made it just as clear about the eternality of hell.

As John MacArthur has stated: "So, how could someone who claims to be faithful to Scripture ridicule the idea of eternal punishment? What is at the heart of their rejection of a never-ending hell? It’s simple, really—they minimize the seriousness of human sin and guilt, and they distort the perfection of divine justice. That’s the crime of Protestant Liberalism and every false religion."

Stay tuned....

Rob Bell's New Book - Love Wins

2011-05-17T08:48:00.014-04:00

I had read a lot of reviews about Rob Bells' new book "Love Wins" and decided that I needed to read this book for myself. I've always been of the belief that if you are going to challenge someone, you need to do so not on the basis of hearsay but on the basis of fact and that can only come from understanding the source and not other opinions about that person. This is not a personal attack on Rob Bell but rather my honest overview of his book and his view on Hell.

Why write a blog about this topic? Because Hell is real! Hell was discussed by Christ 15 times in the New Testament. And if it was that important that our Lord and Savior discussed and warned us about it, then it must be important enough to study Hell and understand that it is a very real place and people who die without Jesus, really do go there.

Rob Bell has a HUGE following of believers. His church is one of the largest in the country. Millions read his books, blogs and Tweets and Time Magazine even dubbed him "a singular rock star in the church world". While I have always thought of Bell as a breath of fresh air in terms of his sermon style, it was only after I began to peel away the layers that I began to question his Orthodoxy. After reading his book, my biggest concern is that many of his readers and church attenders will take to heart what Bell has to say about Hell and then all of a sudden take a deep breath, exhale and say "phew! I was so glad that after all I've heard and read, Hell won't really happen to me" - or worse yet....."I'm so glad that the Bible and theologians past had it all wrong and I'm glad Bell explained it in a way that I can understand it and accept it all".

Since I try to keep my blog's short (many times failing miserably at this), I'll be breaking up these blogs into segments over the course of several weeks. In the meantime, here is one of the quotes from his book that raised the hair on the back of my neck: ".....this love compels us to question some of the dominant stories that are being told as the Jesus story. A staggering number of people have been taught that a select few Christians will spend forever in a peaceful, joyous place called heaven, while the rest of humanity spends forever in torment and punishment in hell with no chance for anything better"....."This is misguided and toxic and ultimately subverts the contagious spread of Jesus' message of love, peace, forgiveness and joy that our world desperately needs to hear". (Love Wins, P.viii)

These passages aren't even from chapter one - they're part of the Preface of the book. To use a word that Bell used, this is the kind of toxic message that is peppered throughout the entire book and while I don't question whether Bell is a Christian or not - this is not the purpose of my blog - That is between God and him. It is my purpose to raise awareness of the major contradictions between Bell and Gods' Word when it comes to Hell. But when I read this, the first thing that came to mind was (Matthew 7:13-14). Someone has to be right; either Bell or Christ. And no, it's not the Council of Trent who decided that there was a Purgatory so don't even go there! Stay tuned.

Honor and Shame by Roland Muller

2011-05-10T18:53:00.005-04:00

Reflection of Honor and Shame

This is a book that I was required to read for one of my classes. Just reading the introduction made it hard for me to put it down and as a result, read the entire book well before my class even began. I have since gone back and re-read it to not only refresh my memory but also to gain even more insight in to the mind and culture of Middle Eastern people.

I honestly had no idea of the vast differences between the Western mindset and the mindset of Muslims. I knew there were differences, but much of my knowledge came from news or magazines or from other Western media outlets. Shame on me for gaining my “education” from these sources - I should know better. But reading this book has made me realize that though Westerners tend to base most things on right and wrong, other societies are run based on honor and shame. And while right and wrong are strong influences in our society, honor and shame are just as powerful if not more so in Muslim cultures.

In reading this book, I’m also now aware that shame and honor is part of the cultures within the 10/40 window, and not based solely in the Middle East. For more info on the 10/40 window, go here: 10/40 Window When I think about this, it helps me to understand that we’re not just talking about a few million people but millions upon millions of people who live in societies where shame and honor exist and govern the actions of its people. It speaks to the immense undertaking that’s before us to present the Gospel in a way that is relevant to these people. It tells me that we have to understand these different cultures so that we don’t offend and turn people off but rather understand how to communicate the Gospel message to them while being sensitive to their way of social interaction. Does this mean we must “water-down” the Gospel message? Absolutely not however if we are to reach these people, we need to understand how they operate in their social strata. Even simple hand gestures can make the difference between someone accepting us or becoming offended and turn away from us.

I intend to read Mullers’ other books including “The Man from Gadara” and “Tools for Muslim Evangelism”. With 1.2 billion Muslims in the world and growing, it’s more important now than ever to understand this people group and become educated about how they view their culture and what’s important to them. One of my favorite lines in the book is when Muller says that he’s traveled all around North America and has tried to concentrate his preaching around the fact that God not only offers forgiveness of sins but He also offers freedom of fear and a lifting from shame. What a wonderful message for a Muslim to hear! He goes on to say that “Cross-cultural contextualization of the Gospel is simply knowing how to start the Gospel message from a place of common understanding.” Until we get to this place, we will have a very difficult time sharing the Gospel message. We all need to understand this more than ever now and by becoming more aware of different cultures and attitudes, we'll have a better chance to be able to find that common ground to work from in order to share the message of Jesus Christ. I have to admit that reading some of the stories in the book are still hard for me to wrap my mind around but I am becoming more aware of the culture and its way of life.

This is not an option.....

2011-04-05T08:50:00.006-04:00

"Even as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace." (Philippians 1:7)

This testimony of the apostle Paul was followed by another: "I am set for the defense of the gospel" (Philippians 1:17). In both he is stressing the vital importance of defending the gospel. In the one he states his firm determination to defend the gospel; in the other, he reminds his fellow Christians that they also are participants in its defense.

These facts are sufficient to show that the gospel does need defending by those who embrace it. The word "defense" is the Greek apologia, from which we derive our word "apologetics." It is a courtroom term, referring to the formal, carefully structured defense presented on behalf of a defendant by an attorney. In context, it speaks of a careful, scientific presentation of arguments defending the gospel from its enemies.

The saving gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, encompassing His great works of creation, incarnation, atoning death, victorious resurrection, and coming kingdom, was under serious attack in Paul's day, as it is today. We urgently need to be prepared to give an effective apologetic wherever and whenever needed.

Peter also urged the importance of such preparedness: "Be ready always to give an answer |same word, apologia| to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear" (1 Peter 3:15). By the way, "fear" in the Greek does not mean to be afraid but rather gentleness.

This is a command, not an opinion! "Be ready always to give a logical |the Greek word here for 'reason' is logos, from which we derive 'logic'| apologetic for your Christian faith." It behooves us, therefore, to study and use Christian evidences diligently in our Christian witness.

(reprinted from ICR)

Love God with your mind......

2010-11-11T10:29:00.013-05:00

In the book of Luke the teachers of the law tried to test Jesus, as they usually tried to do and asked Him this question: “Of all of the commandments, which is the most important?” To which Jesus replied: “The most important one is this “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind. (Luke 10:27) Jesus also goes on but I will save that for another entry.

I think for the most part, we as Christians love God with our heart, soul and strength. But where we sometimes come up short is the part about our MIND... and for me, it could just be because I'm losing it - but I digress. But what does this really mean? What did Jesus actually mean when He said love God with all our mind? Is it simply just to read the Bible? (by the way, the Word of God is the most important book we could ever read and should be read every single day) Or perhaps it means listening closely during the sermons we hear at church.

The Greek word used for mind is Dianoia from dia and nous; deep thought, properly, the faculty (mind or its disposition), by implication, its exercise -- imagination, mind, understanding. Based on the actual definition in the Greek, loving God with our minds could be read "Love your God with a deep understanding of Him"

So how are we to do this? I believe we must strive to love God by going deep in His Word, taking maturity courses at your church, getting into a small group, investing in books on apologetics (Ravi Zacharias, Lee Strobel, John MacArthur, William Lane Craig, etc) and doing whatever we can to take bigger steps in our walk with God. In other words, we can't rely solely on our Pastors to feed us everything we need to know. He has a difficult job as it is to give us the insight necessary to get us on our way to a deeper understanding of God and to point us in the right direction. It is up to us to love God with our minds and to do so, not superficially but as the scripture reads, to do so with deep thought. Remember, loving God with our minds does not stop when the sermons finish. That's just the beginning!

HE is in control.......

2010-08-21T10:06:00.010-04:00

This blog entry might be a tad bit longer than normal so you'll have to forgive me (wife) . Many of us who call Granite United our home have felt like we've all been tossed into a washing machine and had the spin cycle button pushed. We all know that the town in which we rented out one of the schools for Sunday Worship no longer wants us there and we're being asked to leave.....okay, okay more like kicked out.

We've all seen the video of the school committee meeting and we've read the newspapers to a point where our blood begins to boil due to the false accusations and exaggerations. As humans, we feel hurt, angry, (insert expletive here if you feel like it) and wish voting day were tomorrow. In fact the very first emotion I felt was how Peter must have felt when the soldiers came to arrest Jesus. Peter was so angry and felt so compelled to protect His Master that his first reaction was - you'll have to look it up if you don't know it:(John 18:10) I think many of us felt the same way and though none of us would have done exactly what Peter did (okay, maybe a few of us would have...) we feel the same emotion that he did. It's the human side of us that wants to react this way - at least it's our initial reaction.

But here's the upside that we all need to really focus on; GOD is in control! Whatever is happening now is not due to some school committee decision conjured up by their own intelligence or wisdom. Not at all! I think most of us would say, that would be impossible anyway because in order to do this, you would have to have intelligence and wisdom. But I digress......

What we all have to realize is this: This is GOD's plan; not mans. This is what GOD has in mind as HE takes us to the next level in our faith and in our church. God has ordained all of this before He created the foundations of the universe and we should be thrilled to know that WE - Granite United - are part of His plan! God has blessed us with an amazing church family, generous resources and a Pastor and Pastoral team that shepherds our church in a way that brings honor and glory to God. We've also seen our church pull together with unselfish drive to make the physical changes necessary to allow our Salem campus to accommodate all of our church family.

So while we may all feel like doing what Peter did, just keep in mind that those people on the school committee didn't make the decision that they made on their own but rather it was all part of God's plan. As Jesus said to Pilate, "Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above."

See you Sunday!

What my dad would want you to know.....

2010-07-20T10:05:00.001-04:00

In the book of Mark the teachers of the law tried to test Jesus, as they usually tried to do and asked Him this question: “Of all of the commandments, which is the most important?” To which Jesus replied: “The most important one is this “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. Jesus didn’t stop there but rather He continued saying: “The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.” In fact in Matthew Jesus says that “All the law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

The reason why I thought about these verses when thinking about my dad is because he loved God with all his heart and would be in prayer and in the Word every day. And he loved his neighbors as himself - even more than himself. So often he’d put others before himself and make them feel like they were the most important person in the world. He had that ability to do that but it’s because he truly loved his neighbor.

Now he might have wanted me to take this time to tell you all about his life and how he hit over 400 on his high school baseball team (I’m not sure anyone has ever achieved that whether professional or in scholastic sports) or how he was the captain of his football team or how he served his country during WWII. I could even take this time to tell you about how he treated his family and how much he loved us and would do anything for us and how he would encourage us. Even though I’m 46 years old, he never ever stopped telling me how proud he was of me. I know he would express those same feelings towards my brother and sister. But my dad was never one to brag so he probably wouldn’t want me to concentrate on these things.

But what I am supremely confident about what he would like me to say is................................ don’t go another day without a relationship with Jesus Christ. If you don’t have a relationship with Jesus, I believe he would stand here and plead with you to consider becoming a Christ follower....meaning
- Confess your sin
- Change directions
- Surrender your life

Now that he is with Jesus, all things are made known to him. The things we’ve always wondered about, he now knows. And though he knew how important it was to have a relationship with Christ while he was here, he now realizes the importance even more and with greater understanding and now more than ever, he would want all of you to know as well.

Now for any of us to think that my dad is in front of us, I must inform you that he is not! Jesus said that God is the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob; He is not the God of the dead but of the living. There is no doubt that my dad is alive with Christ today; Actually he was with Christ at about 4:30 and 1 blink of an eye Sunday morning. In Philippians, Paul writes “I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far”. Paul also writes in 2 Corinthians “Yes, we are fully confident and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies for then we will be at home with the Lord.”

As many of you know, he loved being around his family and friends - nothing would make him happier in life. And I can stand before you and say that nothing would make him happier than to be able to see you all again one day. He would also say that through a relationship with Jesus, we can all look forward to that day.

Thank you for celebrating our dads’ life. This is truly a celebration. We grieve because we won’t be able to see him for a while and we miss him beyond words but make no mistake about it; if there is a drum set in Heaven, he’s probably playing in one of the worship bands and having a blast!

......He’s doing just fine and by the Grace of God, my dad is with Jesus. How do I know? The Bible also says......... “to be absent from the body is to be...... (anyone know!?!) .......present with the Lord!”

Praise God - and Grace to you all.

My Dad

2010-07-11T21:01:00.003-04:00

Today was one of the hardest days of my life. Today I lost the man I've always aspired to be half of - knowing that if I could achieve just this much, I'd be a success in life. And while today was hard, it has also been one of the most blessed days I've ever experienced. It started with the love and support of my wife and family, continued through with an amazing Pastor and finished knowing that my church family and dear friends love me and are there through it all. I love you all more than you know. Thank you.

The answer to all of creation!

2010-07-01T21:21:00.004-04:00

Was just watching "Through the Wormhole" on Science HD. They were discussing the big bang and how that theory is being replaced by another theory called "Brane World". Yet even as I hear about this new idea, they STILL can not answer the question: "what caused everything to get going in the first place?" After a full hour, they are still relying on the equation: nothing x no one = everything. Does this make sense? Here's a hint: the answer to all of this can be found in Genesis 1:1. Class dismissed!

Shakespear vs. God

2010-06-14T09:09:00.002-04:00

Everyone believes that Shakespeare existed, yet there is not ONE original text in existence of any of his plays. Yet why, with over 25,000 texts in their original language of the Bible existing today is it so difficult to believe that God exists? If you say you have to see God to believe He exists, then why is it so easy to believe in Shakespeare? Have you seen him? Think about it.

What came first? The Sun or Light? Huh.....?

2010-04-15T08:32:00.004-04:00

"The day is thine, the night also is thine: thou hast prepared the light and the sun." (Psalm 74:16)

One of the traditional "discrepancies" attributed by the skeptics to the Genesis account of creation is the fact that there was "light" (Hebrew or) on the first day of creation week, whereas God did not create the "lights" (Hebrew ma-or) to rule the day and the night until the fourth day.

However, it is interesting that modern evolutionary cosmologists find no problem in having light before the sun. According to their speculative reconstruction of cosmic history, light energy was produced in the "Big Bang" 15 billion years ago, whereas the sun "evolved" only five billion years ago. Thus, even in their attempts to destroy the divine revelation of Genesis, they inadvertently find it necessary to return to its concepts. Light energy somehow had to be "prepared" before the sun and other stars could ever be set up to serve as future generators of light energy. The fact that light is an entity independent of the sun and other heavenly bodies is one of the remarkable scientific insights of the Bible. As the basic form of energy (even intrinsic in the very nature of matter, as expressed in the famous Einstein equation), it is significant that the first recorded word spoken by the Creator was: "Let there be light" (Genesis 1:3).

The attempts by some to discredit God for creating the universe, is actually proving Him to be the Creator of the universe. Just don't hold your breath that these "giants of science" will ever admit it. Pride will never let them.

(taken from the Institute for Creation Research - ICR.org)

Do Pets Go To Heaven?

2010-03-12T10:31:00.007-05:00

Last night, my wife and I had to make the painful decision to put one of our dogs to sleep. Her name is Missy and we miss her very much. She was old and like all of us when we get old, her hearing and sight weren't very good and she had some problems getting around. If you're a pet owner, you just know when it's time and though we don't like to face it, we must make the most humane and loving decision possible (albeit painful) - the decision to not let them suffer anymore. With that, we brought our little girl to the vet and was with her as she went to sleep.

Once again, having gone through this before, thoughts race through my mind wondering if we'll see her again when we go home to be with the Lord. I even had a little talk with our boys Joe Joe and Ricky (and even our cat "snow" who passed away some time ago) to make sure and keep Missy company and to take care of her; show her around and to have lots of fun running around together. Is this silly? Am I just being a little nuts? Perhaps, but in my heart I really do believe we'll see them again. I don't believe God brings pets into our lives to touch us and love us and bring us so much joy, only to let them slip away from us never to be seen again.

With that said, I found a great article that gave me a lot of comfort. So much so that I put it up on our store web site at www.woofitdownonline.com It's an article discussing whether pets really do go to heaven or not and is written from a Christian perspective. I hope you enjoy it and I welcome your feedback. And if you're a pet owner that has experienced the loss of your pet, I hope you gain some comfort from reading this.

Click HERE to read the article.

Obedience

2010-02-09T10:29:00.004-05:00

Lately, I've really been thinking about how I can best please God and do His will. Over and over again, one word keeps coming into my mind; OBEDIENCE. Trust me, it wasn't me who came up with this but rather it was God saying to me "if you really want to please me and do my will, you will be obedient to me". I found this article on a web site called Basicsteps. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. And if you were or are in a Small Group study called "Choices", I think you'll find this particulaly helpful. Grace to you!

Have you ever wondered what God's will is for your life? Have you needed to make a difficult decision and wondered what God wanted you to do in that situation?

We all struggle with questions about our future. Questions like: How can I know God's plan for my life? Which job should I take? Is this the person God wants me to marry? Is this a good investment to make? Should I share the gospel with my boss? You probably have questions you could add to that list.

The greatest discovery I have ever made concerning how to know the will of God involves the following:

Fully surrendering my life to the Lordship of Christ
Living a life of obedience in the power of the Holy Spirit
Maintaining my first love for our Lord

Many Christians are trying so hard to discover the will of God that they lose the joy of the Lord and leave their first love for Him.

But all we need to do is abide in Christ, maintain our first love for Him, and walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, and we will be in the will of God. So as you continue to walk in the Spirit, He will guide you in making the most important decisions of life. He will also guide you in the daily, moment-by-moment decisions and actions of your life.

Speaking of the Holy Spirit, Jesus says, "When he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth...and he will tell you what is yet to come" (John 16:13). So the key to knowing God's will is to be obedient to the guidance of the Holy Spirit of truth. If you are willing to trust and obey God and live a holy life, God will reveal Himself to you and direct your steps as a way of life.

Satan is the enemy of our soul. His mission is to keep us from being effective and fruitful in our witness. But although he wields great power, Satan can never defeat us if we are completely yielded and obedient to Christ

Some people are reluctant to trust God completely with their lives, fearing that He may want to make a change in their plans. Yes, He will change our plans. His plans are infinitely better than the very best we could ever conceive.

Is it not logical that the One who created us knows better than we the purpose for which we were created? And since He loves us enough to die for us, is it not logical to believe that His way is best (Romans 8:32)?

Obedience is the true test of our love for Christ and the secret to discovering God's will for our life.

(article reprinted from basicsteps.org a ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ)

Who was in the Manger?

2009-12-16T08:25:00.003-05:00

Bible verses that show Jesus is God

Jesus is God in flesh.

John 1:1 - "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

John 1:14 - "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth."

John 5:18 - "For this cause therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God."

John 8:24 - "I said therefore to you, that you shall die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you shall die in your sins."
Note: In the Greek, "He" is not there.

John 8:58 - "Jesus said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.'"

Exodus 3:14 - "And God said to Moses, 'I AM WHO I AM'; and He said, Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’"

John 10:30-33 - "I and the Father are one." 31The Jews took up stones again to stone Him. 32Jesus answered them, "I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?" 33The Jews answered Him, "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God."

John 20:28 - "Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!"

Col. 2:9 - "For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form."

Phil. 2:5-8 - "Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, 11and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Heb. 1:8 - "But of the Son He says, "Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom."

Quoted from Psalm 45:6, "Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Thy kingdom."

Jesus is worshipped - Jesus said to worship God only, yet He receives worship.

Matt. 4:10 - "Then Jesus *said to him, 'Begone, Satan! For it is written, "You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only."’"

Matt. 2:2 - "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east, and have come to worship Him."

Matt. 2:11 - "And they came into the house and saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell down and worshiped Him; and opening their treasures they presented to Him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh."

Matt. 14:33 - "And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, "You are certainly God’s Son!"

Matt. 28:9 - "And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him."

John 9:35-38 - "Jesus heard that they had put him out; and finding him, He said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" 36He answered and said, "And who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?" 37Jesus said to him, "You have both seen Him, and He is the one who is talking with you." 38 And he said, "Lord, I believe." And he worshiped Him."

Heb. 1:6 - "And when He again brings the first-born into the world, He says, 'And let all the angels of God worship Him.'"

Jesus is prayed to

Acts 7:55-60 - "But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; 56 and he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." 57But they cried out with a loud voice, and covered their ears, and they rushed upon him with one impulse. 58And when they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him, and the witnesses laid aside their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59And they went on stoning Stephen as he called upon the Lord and said, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!" 60And falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them!" And having said this, he fell asleep."

1 Cor. 1:1-2 - "Paul, called as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, 2to the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours." (The phrase, "to call upon the name of the Lord" is a phrase used to designate prayer.)

1 Kings 18:24 - "Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord, and the God who answers by fire, He is God." And all the people answered and said, "That is a good idea."

Zech. 13:9 - "And I will bring the third part through the fire, refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are My people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’"

Rom. 10:13-14 - "for 'whoever will call upon the name of the Lord' will be saved." 14 How then shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard?" (Paul is speaking of calling upon Jesus. (The phrase "Call upon the name of the Lord" is a quote from Joel 2:32).

Joel 2:32 - "And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call." (LORD here is YHWH, the name of God as revealed in Exodus 3:14. Therefore, this quote, dealing with God Himself is attributed to Jesus.)

First and Last

Isaiah 44:6 - "Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: ‘I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides Me."

Rev. 1:17 - "Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, 18and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades."

Is there any doubt who Jesus is? God's revelation has made it crystal clear and He loves us so much that He was willing to come to us so that we may have a way to come to Him.

-ja

What is your "Talent"?

2009-12-07T08:24:00.016-05:00

Don't get confused by the title of this latest blog entry. I'm not necessarily talking about "Talent" as in getting on stage and dancing or playing an instrument (though that could be part of it). Read Matthew 25:14-30 first before going any further....go ahead, I'll wait (fade in background music)
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Okay, now that you've read The Parable of the Talents, we see that in this case, Jesus was talking about a Master distributing Talents (in this case money) to three servants while he went away on a journey. And he distributed this money based on each ones' abilities. The first two servants took the money entrusted to them and "invested" or used it and doubled what was originally given to them. But the third servant went out, dug a hole and buried his money so that it couldn't be used to increase what was given to him.

While this talks about money, the word "talents" can be used for things like "gifts", or "abilities" or in my case, musical talent. The bottom line here is that each of us has been given gifts according to our abilities. This last word is very important because it shows that God isn't expecting us to do something for which we have no ability to do. In other words, God doesn't expect me to lead the Worship team at Granite United in vocals (I can see my wife nodding her head as she reads this!) But He did bless me with talent to drum so that is where He expects me to use the talent He has given me to "increase" His kingdom. We have a responsibility to use these "talents" that have been given and are expected to increase what we have been blessed with. In short, we are expected to use our talents to increase His church!

If you have been blessed to serve, then serve. If you have been entrusted with the "talent" to play a musical instrument or teach a class or to welcome a new guest to your church, or work in student or child ministry or volunteer at a cancer support group or school or prison or (fill in the blank) then use that "talent" that God has blessed you with and increase His kingdom! Don't do what the last servant did and bury your talent. By doing so, you will never increase Christ's church and never experience the rich blessings that our Lord and Savior has promised us. And though I have a long way to go in my service, I want to hear my great God and Savior Jesus Christ say to me: "Well done good and faithful servant". Don't you?

Instant Creation

2009-11-16T11:20:00.003-05:00

"Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together." (Isaiah 48:13)

This is one of many passages in Scripture which not only tells us that God is Creator of both heaven and earth, but also that He created them instantaneously. Creation is not a "process," but a miraculous event! God simply called them into being.

This is also the testimony of the incomparable account of creation in Genesis. "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). This primeval testimony does not say: "From the beginning, God has been creating heaven and earth" as theistic evolutionists would say. Creation of all things was an event completed in the past.

The divinely inspired psalmist agrees: "By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. . . . For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast" (Psalm 33:6, 9). "For he commanded, and they were created. He hath also stablished them for ever and ever" (Psalm 148:5-6).

Furthermore, according to our text, when God spoke into existence the heavens and the earth, they both proceeded to "stand up together!" He did not create the heavens 15 billion years ago, then the earth only about five billion years ago, as some creationists allege. They stood up together! "In six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is" (Exodus 20:11).

It is important to recognize the recent creation of all things, not only because God said so, but also because the multi-billion-year framework of cosmic evolution, pushing God as far away and long ago as possible, is merely the modern pseudoscientific way of getting rid of Him altogether! Christians should not compromise with such a system!

(copied from Institute for Creation Research - www.irc.org)

Just do it....

2009-11-10T07:49:00.011-05:00

We've all heard this saying and though Nike came out with this slogan many years ago, it still permeates our society even today. I always thought about this saying but even more so lately than ever before. And not because I'm a huge sports fan and have this insatiable desire to dunk a basketball (like that could ever happen at my height)....But rather, from the standpoint of inviting people to church. Lately, I've been feeling like "what will they think of me?" or "I don't want to make them feel uncomfortable" or "I don't want to seem like a fool to this person". I think of myself as being pretty bold when it comes to apologetics but sometimes inviting someone to church can be the most difficult thing to do. Or at least, I sometimes make it the most difficult thing to do. I think we've all had these feelings at one point or another when contemplating asking someone to church.

But then I've been thinking, what an amazing opportunity to plant a seed or to extend a heart to someone who could be hurting or just feels like God has given up on them. What a chance we have to be Jesus to someone! How could I pass this up? And yet there are times when I do. I bring my dad (a.k.a. my hero) to dialysis several times a week and there is this woman who comes in who looks so dejected. Trust me, going to dialysis is not the most exciting part of any one's day but I know that she is going through a difficult time in her life. So many times I've had the chance to invite her to church yet to this day I haven't. Why? I have no idea. But I feel like God has put me in this situation so that I do invite her. I truly believe that the Holy Spirit brings all of us into situations that gives us the opportunity to be Jesus to someone and extend His hand to them. Next time when I see her, I'll invite her, but people who the Holy Spirit leads us to or brings to us need not be hurting or feel rejected. It can be anyone and at any season of their life. We shouldn't wait for the most opportune time or the most convenient time or a time when we have a booklet or church brochure to give out. When God brings us people to witness to and invite to church, one phrase should come to mind.....
Just Do It.

UPDATE: I did ask the girl at my dads dialysis if she wanted to come to church and gave her a salvation tract with our church info on it. Her response: "I was just telling my mom that I wanted to find a church around here". People....You just never know, so Just Do It!

The "J" Bomb

2009-08-26T10:00:00.008-04:00

In the past I've had discussions with people, many of whom are Christians regarding how and when to drop the "J" bomb in our conversations with people. The "J" bomb stands for Jesus. I'm of the belief that when the Lord brings us people to speak with about The Good News, we shouldn't wait to bring up Jesus. We shouldn't hold out until the "perfect" time to bring up His name. We shouldn't worry about turning people off or upsetting people. If God brings us people or puts us in situations where we can talk about the Bible and The Good News, He will give that person an ear to listen and give us the words we need to say at that time. And if that person we speak with turns around and walks away, don't think for one minute that God can't do great things with that little mustard seed we were allowed to plant.

We should all have boldness when we speak about our faith and in particular, about Jesus and what He did for us. Just think about this for a minute; YOU could be the very last person someone hears talking about Christ before they die. YOU could be the very last person who introduces them to Christ before they take their very last breath here. Now ask yourself this question: is it really worth keeping Jesus in the corner so as not to "offend" anyone?

Christ gives us boldness. We are the children of the Living God! But at the same time, we should always keep 1 Peter 3:15 in mind and in particular, paying close attention to the last two words. Boldness is NOT the same as jamming Christ down someones' throat or acting as though we were sinless. Rather we should be humble and loving as we proclaim Jesus Christ to the world.

Some words about boldness:
Luke 12:12
Acts 8:4-5
Acts 18:9-10
1 Cor 2:4
Eph 3:12

What Christ Was Made for Us

2009-08-20T11:36:00.007-04:00

I received this from the Institute for Creation Research. I get their newsletter each week and every once in a while, they really send a doozy! This is one of those and I wanted to share it with all of you.

We can never fully comprehend the condescension of the infinite Creator when He became man. He who was "very God of very God," as the Old Creeds expressed it, humbled Himself and was made many things for the sake of man's redemption. Note the following remarkable summation of what He "was made."

"The Word was God," and yet "the Word was made flesh" (John 1:1, 14). He had created human flesh for Adam, then finally for Himself--not sinful flesh, of course, but only "in the likeness of sinful flesh" (Romans 8:3).

He who had been in the very "form of God . . . took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men" (Philippians 2:6-7).

He was so completely human as to be "made of a woman" (Galatians 4:4), thus partaking of the complete human experience (apart from sin) from conception to death.

He also was "made under the law" (v. 4), though He, as the lawgiver, was above the law.

Although He completely fulfilled the law, He was "made |the| curse for us," in order to redeem "us from the curse of the law" (3:13).

Then, on the cross, God even "hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin" (2 Corinthians 5:21), thus bearing the guilt and punishment for the sins of all the world.

Finally, as our text reminds us, He "became |same word in the Greek as 'was made'| obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."

And because He was made all these things for us, we can "be made the righteousness of God in him" (5:21).

How can we trust the Bible?

2009-07-23T07:42:00.008-04:00

Dramatically, when the Bible manuscripts are compared to other ancient writings, they stand alone as the best-preserved literary works of all antiquity. Remarkably, there are thousands of existing Old Testament manuscripts and fragments copied throughout the Middle East, Mediterranean and European regions that agree phenomenally with each other. In addition, these texts substantially agree with the Septuagint version of the Old Testament, which was translated from Hebrew to Greek some time during the 3rd century BC. The Dead Sea Scrolls, discovered in Israel in the 1940's and 50's, also provide astounding evidence for the reliability of the ancient transmission of the Jewish Scriptures (Old Testament) in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd centuries BC.

The manuscript evidence for the "New Testament" is also dramatic, with nearly 25,000 ancient manuscripts discovered and archived so far, at least 5,600 of which are copies and fragments in the original Greek. Some manuscript texts date to the early second and third centuries, with the time between the original autographs and our earliest existing fragment being a remarkably short 40-60 years!!

Interestingly, this manuscript evidence far surpasses the manuscript reliability of other ancient writings that we trust as authentic every day. Look at these comparisons: Julius Caesar's The Gallic Wars (10 manuscripts remain, with the earliest one dating to 1,000 years after the original autograph); Pliny the Younger's Natural History (7 manuscripts; 750 years elapsed); Thucydides' History (8 manuscripts; 1,300 years elapsed); Herodotus' History (8 manuscripts; 1,350 years elapsed); Plato (7 manuscripts; 1,300 years); and Tacitus' Annals (20 manuscripts; 1,000 years).

Homer's Iliad, the most renowned book of ancient Greece, is the second best-preserved literary work of all antiquity, with 643 copies of manuscript support discovered to date. (compare this to the 25,000 ancient manuscripts of the Bible!) In those copies, there are 764 disputed lines of text, as compared to 40 lines in all the New Testament manuscripts. In fact, many people are unaware that there are no surviving manuscripts of any of William Shakespeare's 37 plays (written in the 1600's), and scholars have been forced to fill some gaps in his works. This pales in textual comparison with the over 5,600 copies and fragments of the New Testament in the original Greek that, together, assure us that nothing's been lost. In fact, all of the New Testament except eleven minor verses can be reconstructed outside the Bible from the writings of the early church leaders in the second and third centuries AD.

In real terms, the New Testament is easily the best attested ancient writing in terms of the sheer number of documents, the time span between the events and the document, and the variety of documents available to sustain or contradict it. There is nothing in ancient manuscript evidence to match such textual availability and integrity.

The academic discipline of "textual criticism" assures us that the Bible translations we have today are essentially the same as the ancient Bible manuscripts, with the exception of a few inconsequential discrepancies that have been introduced over time through copyist error. We must remember that the Bible was hand-copied for hundreds of years before the invention of the first printing press. Nevertheless, the text is exceedingly well preserved. Think about this: with approximately 20,000 lines that make up the entire New Testament, only 40 lines are in question. These 40 lines represent one quarter of one percent of the entire text and do not in any way affect the teaching and doctrine of the New Testament. Again compared this with Homer's Iliad. Of the approximately 15,600 lines that make up Homer's classic, 764 lines are in question. These 764 lines represent over 5% of the entire text, and yet nobody seems to question the general integrity of that ancient work!

When someone says "the Bible can't be trusted" or "the Bible isn't accurate" the fact still remains that it is better preserved, by far, than any other ancient works such as Homer, Plato and Aristotle. Yet despite this, non-Christians (and sadly, even some Christians)consider these manuscripts to be more accurate and closer to the original texts, yet discount the accuracy and historicity of the Bible.
Go figure!

Are you a slave?

2009-07-11T14:28:00.018-04:00

I just started reading a book by one of my favorite authors and Pastors; John MacArthur. The book is entitled The Gospel According to Jesus. The crux of the book is an in-depth view of what it means to follow Jesus but explained from Jesus' point of view; from His teaching and what it really means to be a Christian.

It is one thing to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior but what does "Lord" really mean? I mean, explaining what Savior really means is pretty deep in and of itself however what does Lord mean? Well, considering that the Bible uses the words Kurios (Lord) and despotes (Master) to describe Christ and considering that these words are used in association with a slave owner, in actuality, Christians are to be considered "slaves" (doulos) of Christ! Paul even describes this about himself. And while the word "slave" conjures up thoughts of despicable acts committed against Africans as well as other ethnicities, being a slave of Christ is part of being a Christian and is pretty awesome when you understand what this really means. Being a slave to Christ is what is demanded of us by Christ Himself. It is clearly not enough to say that Christ is our Savior without bowing down before Him and serving Him as a slave serves his master. What good is it calling Jesus our Savior yet continuing to act in our sinful nature without any regard to what our Master has called us to do and be?

Jesus never called people to be His friend just so that they can hang around with Him to watch Him perform miracles. Rather, He told people that if they want to follow Him, they are to take up their cross daily. MacArthur goes on to say that Christ wasn't seeking admirers; He was calling followers - not casual followers but slaves. That explains why He demanded his disciples' implicit obedience and when He encountered people who were unwilling to obey unconditionally, He discouraged them from following Him at all.

Murray Harris is quoted as saying: It should be observed that although Jesus calls His obedient disciples His friends, they are not thereby authorized to call Him their friend. In the Old Testament, Abraham is called God's friend. But this leads James to say in James 2:23 God was not called the friend of Abraham but that Abraham was called the friend of God. Not that Jesus or God is unfriendly but each remains Lord to be obeyed, not a colleague to be befriend. The bottom line is that as Christians, we are not to simply say, I have accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior, but we are to give up our rights (i.e. our sinful desires and our selfish ways) and serve Christ obediently as a slave serves and obeys his master.

Here is something to remember: Among the original twelve disciples, only one wanted to be seen as Jesus' friend without ever really bowing to His authority as Lord and Master - and that was Judas.

What must I do to be saved?

2009-05-29T16:34:00.012-04:00

If you're a Christian, chances are good you already know the answer to this question. For those who are unsure, it's a question that's been asked or wondered about. At the very least, many have asked "what does being saved" mean?

In short, being Saved means that you have confessed Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior; confessed that you are a sinner and repented of your sins and have chosen to make Jesus the focus of your life. All it takes is a conversation between God and yourself and all that's needed is a sincere heart. No church or preacher or priest or Rabbi or anyone else can save you. Only God can and it's only through the blood of His Son that we are able to be brought into the presence of God.

There are not magic tricks and there's nothing you can do to save yourself. Eph 2:8 says that we are saved by Grace and not of any good work. It is only by bowing to the Cross of Christ.

So what's in it for you? My friend, I can assure you that by asking Jesus to come into your life, you will experience a hope and a refreshed heart that you never thought possible. But does this mean you will never experience pain or problems or issues ever again? Far from it. Because we live in this world, we will always experience these things. But Jesus made a way for us to get through these particular times in our life. Jesus said He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5)

You may also ask yourself "how can God love me? How can He forgive me? I've been such a bad person, there is no way He will accept me." The promise of God says He will blot out our sins if we come to the cross. (Acts 3:19-20, John 1:29, Isaiah 43:25) The Hebrew word for "blot" is Maw-khaw....This literally means to erase, abolish, wipe. This is from the word of God and God can not lie.

In short, when you become a Christian this is what happens: When God looks at the cross, He sees us; When He looks at us, He sees Jesus. You are made right with God through the blood of Christ and the Righteousness of Christ covers us that we may be acceptable to God.

If you are sincerely ready to invite Jesus into your life, just say a simple prayer like this: Dear Jesus, I know that I need you in my life and I invite you to be my Lord and Savior. I have sinned against you and repent of my sin. Help me to follow you and to do your will and though there is much to learn, help me to grow closer to you and to keep you the focus of my life. In Jesus' name I pray - Amen.

At this point, I'll say what my Pastor says: "Welcome to the family of God!!!"
That's it - you did it!! And at this very minute, there is a celebration in Heaven taking place because of what just happened. (Luke 15:7)

If you want to talk about what to do next, just leave a comment and we can discuss some next steps. But the biggest step and the most important decision you'll ever make was just made by coming to Jesus Christ. The course of your life for all eternity has just changed and Praise Jesus for that!

Men, how are we suppose to love our wives?

2009-05-19T10:11:00.003-04:00

Eph 5:25-33
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church—for we are members of his body. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Look at verse 25: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” Did Jesus come demanding blind obedience just because He said so? Not at all! He did not come demanding to be served. Rather, He came to serve and to love. (Matthew 20:26-28; Matthew 23:11; Mark 9:35; Mark 10:35-45; Philippians 2:7) If your wife is submitting to you but you are not submitting to Christ as His servant, then your wife is being obedient to Him but you are not. You were never meant to be your wife’s master. You were meant to be her spiritual leader. And if she is obeying Christ by following you but you are not obeying Him by following Him, you will leave your wife bitter and resentful toward you and toward God.

What rights does a servant have? None at all. A servant who obeys his master is simply doing his job (Luke 17:10). And if you’re not doing your job in submitting first to Christ, brother you’re missing the point all together! The purpose of your marriage has much less to do with you and your spouse than it does with how your marriage glorifies Christ. If you are not submitting to Christ and if in the process you are not loving your wife as Christ loves the church, then you’re not obeying Him. The point is not your wife. The point is Christ. If your relationship with Christ is not right, then your relationship with your wife will not be where He wants it either. And if your relationship with Him isn’t right, you’d better do what it takes as soon as possible to get right with Him and to let Him take you where He wants you. The longer it takes you to do it, the longer you’re robbing the woman He gave you in marriage to love as Christ loves us.

What’s it going to take for you to get where He wants you to be? And how long will it be before you start heading that way?

Earning our way to Heaven

2009-05-17T12:56:00.005-04:00

This is one of the most widely debated topics in and out of Christianity today. If we do good things, we'll be able to "earn" our ticket to Heaven. If we help enough people or if we give enough of ourselves or of our money, there's no way we're not getting into Heaven, right? I mean c'mon...I've been a good person! I've done all the right things, said all the right words, thought all the right thoughts. I've done it all. What I have done should allow me through the pearly gates! Isn't this right?

Not so fast. The first thing is this; it's not about us (me), it's about Jesus. "I" can not do anything that "He" hasn't already done. The reality is, is that no matter what we do or think or give or say, none of it matters unless you confess Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you repent of your sins and ask Jesus to come into your life. We do read in James 2:20 that Faith without works is dead. However we need to take a look at what comes first here; FAITH! Without faith that Jesus died for our sins and rose again to give us life our works don't mean a hill of beans.

Christianity is unique in many ways verses other religions. Think of any other religion (Hinduism, Islam, Jehovah's Witness, Mormonism, even Roman Catholicism). All of these religions require their believers "do" something to earn their way into Heaven. On the other hand, Christianity tells us that we can do NOTHING to earn our way into Heaven. There is only one way to the Father and that is through His Son Jesus Christ. Read John 14:6 for proof of this. Nothing nor no one can get you into Heaven. There is just one way and one way only. If we could do it on our own, then what Jesus did on the cross was in vain and didn't need to be done. But He alone made a way for us. Once we become Christians and put our faith in Jesus, then we need to put that faith into gear by doing those "works" that show the world we are believers in Christ and are doing these things out of love for Him and for each other.

Lastly, isn't it awesome to know that once we are Saved, we have the assurance that we will be with Him when He calls us home! If it were left up to us, how would we know for sure that what we do would be good enough? What score on the "test" is high enough for a passing grade? We would always be left wondering "I hope I make it". Read Romans 10:9 - God doesn't leave us wondering for one minute! God loves us so much that He made it crystal clear.

Today, If you aren't a Christian, then take a moment to ask Jesus into your life. There aren't any tricks or magic potions. Just in the quietness of where you are and with a sincere heart, ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins and to come in to your life. And in that very instant, your eternity will be forever secure in Him.

Why does God allow sickness?

2009-05-01T12:26:00.005-04:00

The issue of sickness is always a difficult one to deal with. The key is remembering that God's ways are higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:9). When we are suffering with a sickness, disease, or injury, we usually focus solely on our own suffering. In the midst of a trial of sickness, it is very difficult to focus on what good God might bring about as a result. Romans 8:28 reminds us that God can bring about good from any situation. Many people look back on times of sickness as times when they grew closer to God, learned to trust Him more, and/or learned how to truly value life. This is the perspective God has because He is sovereign and knows the end result.

This does not mean sickness is always from God or that God always inflicts us with sickness to teach us a spiritual lesson. In a world tainted by sin, sickness, disease, and death will always be with us. We are fallen beings, with physical bodies prone to disease and illness. Some sickness is simply a result of the natural course of things in this world. Sickness can also be the result of a demonic attack. The Bible describes several instances when physical suffering was caused by Satan and his demons (Matthew 17:14-18; Luke 13:10-16). So, some sickness is not from God, but from Satan. Even in these instances, God is still in control. God sometimes allows sin and/or Satan to cause physical suffering. Even when sickness is not directly from God, He will still use it according to His perfect will.

It is undeniable, though, that God sometimes intentionally allows, or even causes sickness to accomplish His sovereign purposes. While sickness is not directly addressed in the passage, Hebrews 12:5-11 describes God disciplining us to "produce a harvest of righteousness" (verse 11). Sickness can be a means of God's loving discipline. It is difficult for us to comprehend why God would work in this manner. But, believing in the sovereignty of God, there is no other option than suffering being something God allows and/or causes.

The clearest example of this in Scripture is found is Psalm 119. Notice the progression through verses 67, 71, and 75 - "Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word...It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees...I know, O LORD, that your laws are righteous, and in faithfulness you have afflicted me." The author of Psalm 119 was looking at suffering from God's perspective. It was good for him to be afflicted. It was faithfulness that caused God to afflict him. The result of the affliction was so that he could learn God's decrees and obey His Word.

Again, sickness and suffering is never an easy thing to deal with. One thing is for sure, sickness should not cause us to lose faith in God. God is good, even when we are suffering. Even the ultimate of suffering—death—is an act of God's goodness. It is hard to imagine that anyone who is in Heaven as a result of sickness or suffering regrets what they went through in this life.

One final note—when people are suffering, it is our responsibility to minister to them, care for them, pray for them, and comfort them. When a person is suffering, it is not always appropriate to emphasize that God will bring good out of the suffering. Yes, that is the truth. However, in the midst of suffering, it is not always the best time to share that truth. Suffering people need our love and encouragement, not necessarily a reminder of sound biblical theology.
(Re-posted from Got Questions? www.gotquestions.org)

Only Christ was sinless

2009-04-25T14:10:00.001-04:00

"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." (1 John 1:8)

Here John is writing to Christians, and his epistle is full of exhortations to the Christian to purge sin from his life, with grave warnings to any who do not. Yet he also says that for a Christian to claim sinless perfection is self-deception. "If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us" (1 John 1:10).

Only by Jesus Christ Himself could such claims be truly made. The greatest theologian, Paul, said concerning Christ that He "knew no sin" (2 Corinthians 5:21). His closest friends, Peter and John, said that He "did no sin" (1 Peter 2:22) and that in Him is no sin (1 John 3:5). His betrayer, Judas, said, "I have betrayed the innocent blood" (Matthew 27:4); His condemning judge, Pilate, said, "I find in him no fault at all" (John 18:38); and His executioner said, "This was a righteous man" (Luke 23:47). Christ Himself claimed human perfection: "for I do always those things that please him" (John 8:29).

Jesus Christ alone was sinlessly perfect in His human life, and it was because of this that He could die for our sins. It is arrogant for one of us to claim a state of perfection, thus leading such a person into repeated assertions of boasting and self justification, trying to explain why apparently sinful behavior is not really sinful. Even Paul himself acknowledged: "Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect" (Philippians 3:12).

But between these two key verses in John's epistle, he gives us the moment-by-moment remedy for sin in a godly believer's life: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). "The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin" (1 John 1:7).
(from The Institute for Creation Research)

Question: "What happens to those who have never heard about Jesus?"

2009-03-09T09:42:00.003-04:00

All people are accountable to God whether they have “heard about Him” or not. The Bible tells us that God has clearly revealed Himself in nature (Romans 1:20) and in the hearts of people (Ecclesiastes 3:11). The problem is that the human race is sinful; we all reject this knowledge of God and rebel against Him (Romans 1:21-23). Apart from God's grace, God would give us over to the sinful desires of our hearts, allowing us to discover how useless and miserable life is apart from Him. This He does for those who reject Him (Romans 1:24-32).

In reality, it is not that some people have not heard about God. Rather, the problem is that they have rejected what they have heard and what is readily seen in nature. Deuteronomy 4:29 proclaims, “But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.” This verse teaches an important principle—everyone who truly seeks after God will find Him. If a person truly desires to know God, God will make Himself known.

The problem is, “there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God” (Romans 3:11). People reject the knowledge of God that is present in nature and in their own hearts, and instead decide to worship a “god” of their own creation. It is foolish to debate the fairness of God sending someone to hell who never had the opportunity to hear the Gospel of Christ. People are responsible to God for what God has already revealed to them. The Bible says that people reject this knowledge, and therefore God is just in condemning them to hell.

Instead of debating the fate of those who have never heard, we, as Christians, should be doing our best to make sure that they hear. We are called to spread the Gospel throughout the nations (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8). The fact that we know people reject the knowledge of God revealed in nature must motivate us to proclaim the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. Only through accepting the God’s grace through the Lord Jesus Christ can people be saved from their sins and rescued from an eternity apart from God in hell.

If we assume that those who never hear the Gospel are granted mercy from God, we will run into a terrible problem. If people who never hear the Gospel are saved, it is logical that we should make sure no one ever hears the Gospel. The worst thing we could do would be share the Gospel with a person and have him or her reject it. If that were to happen, he or she would be condemned. People who do not hear the Gospel must be condemned, or else there is no motive for evangelism. Why run the risk of people possibly rejecting the Gospel and condemning themselves when they were previously saved because they had never heard the Gospel?
(reprinted from Gotquestions.org)

Gentleness & Respect

2009-03-05T08:36:00.013-05:00

Well, it's been a while since I last updated my blog. A lot has been going on but all of it's good - including the recovery of my dad from surgery and his rehabilitation and presiding over the marriage ceremony of two of my best friends. It was a wonderful time and my wife and I are thrilled that they tied the knot!

I'm leading a Maturity Class at my church, Granite State Baptist Church (www.gsbc.net) called Apologetics 101. Apologetics is a passion of mine. The class has been great and I've enjoyed everyone very much. It's a 12 week course that is built around 1 Peter 3:15. As Christians, we should always be prepared to give the reason for the hope that we have but to do it with gentleness and respect. These last two words are very important and we shouldn't over look them.

As Christians, we're not only called to "defend" (Gr:Apologia) our faith but we are to do it with gentleness and respect. And make no mistake, Apologetics is NOT an apology for what we believe but rather the defense of what we believe. To do this requires a few things from us:

First, we need to understand why we believe what we believe and the best way to do this is to read the Bible! But also, read other books such as Lee Strobels "A Case for Faith" & "A Case for a Creator" (to name just a few). Also, visit web sites such as www.apologetics.com, www.equip.org or my favorite site and Apologist William Lane Craig (www.reasonablefaith.org) and read as much as you can to bolster your understanding as to why you believe what you believe. When someone asks "why do you believe there is a god?" or "why do you have faith"?, you'll have a better answer than just to say "because my preacher says so" or "because that's the way I was brought up". While these answers are fine, they are not enough to help the person asking the questions gain an understanding and become interested in knowing what you know. Read what it says in Matthew 22:36-40. Pay attention to the word "mind". It's not enough to have an emotional connection with God (your heart) but He also calls us to have a connection with our minds (intellect). It takes the whole body to Worship Him - this includes equipping ourselves with an understanding and knowledge of why we believe what we believe. This knowledge will ultimately bring you closer to God than you ever thought possible and will actually strengthen your faith.

Secondly, we need to understand that while we can defend our faith, not everyone will understand nor be willing to accept our reasons. Because of this, we need to witness with gentleness and respect, even though many times you will endure the hostility that sometimes comes from Atheists or other non-believers. Trust me, I have some experience with this and even to this day when I speak with my Atheist friends, many (not all) of them seem to have a chip on their shoulder the size of Mount Everest! You will have these same experiences. But here's a very important part of Apologetics and witnessing in general; Our responsibility is NOT to save people but rather provide reasons for our faith and convey the Good News of Jesus Christ. It is up to God to do the rest. But no matter the outcome, we are to defend our faith with gentleness and respect - just as Jesus did when He was sharing His Gospel - and look what some of those people did to Him! So don't feel so bad when someone calls you a name or doesn't respond the way you would have wanted. Just understand why you believe what you believe and be prepared to give the reason for your faith - without kicking the other person in the shins.

God is Comfort Pt. 2

2009-02-04T12:42:00.004-05:00

Just shorly after I hit the "publish" button on my blog creating my last topic, did I speak with my mom AND my dad! He is starting to remember! He not only was able to speak with me, but knew who I was! Though he's still a bit cloudy, he is world's ahead of where he was last night.

Now before some of you say that he probably would have gotten better without prayer and without leaning on God, let me just say two things:

1. No doctor who came in and saw his condition had an explanation as to why he was the way he was nor did they have any answers. Most left the room shaking their head saying "I haven't seen this before".

2. All scans and tests came back negative.

I can also say this, that without God, I would never have the faith and comfort of knowing that my God is a mighty God and a God who isn't so big and far away as to not hear the cry of one of his kids. It's when we are FAITHful to Him that He is faithful to us. We cannot please God without faith (Hebrews 11:6).

Thank you to all those who read my previous post and said a prayer for my dad. I'll provide an update again in a few days. I'm just so thankful to have my dad back.

"little veeze"

God is Comfort

2009-02-04T09:02:00.014-05:00

My dad is in the hospital. He had gallstones and had to have them removed and then had to have his gallbladder removed as well. He's 84 years old and apart from being on dialysis three days a week, he's in relatively good health. Much of that is due to the care my mom gives him - she's amazing.

He went into the hospital a week ago and it doesn't seem like he'll be leaving anytime soon. Though he did good going through two surgeries, he now can not remember anything. No names, people, places - nothing. It's tough to see him not be able to give an answer when you say "Dad, what's my name?" - "Do you know who I am?" Even harder is when my mom asks him these questions. He's had CT scans and MRI's and a stroke has been ruled out. At this point, the doctors don't know why he is like this. We have an idea that it could be from all the meds and anesthesia that might still be overwhelming his system. Only time will tell as these things run their course and leave his body. When I first saw him like this, I cried - we all did. But after a while, I came to realize that no sadness would do anything to help him. I came to the realization that I could do one of two things; I could continue to cry and feel bad or I could turn to my God for my comfort and strength. I choose the latter. Why? Because I know that God is in control and more than anything, I pray His will be done. My dad knows the Lord and that gives me great comfort. I have faith that he'll get better and that the Lord hears my prayers.

In times like these we, as Christians, need to turn to the Scriptures and lean on God realizing that He's our Father and when His kids hurt, He hurts. And when His kids call to Him, He is faithful to hear us - just like a child asking his earthly dad for something. If you're a dad or mom and your child asks you for something, do you turn a deaf ear or do you hear his/her voice? If you do this, how much more will your Heavenly Father hear and listen to your voice?! (Psalm 103:13)

We need to "cast all our cares upon Him for He cares for all of us (1Peter5:7) and we need to turn to the scriptures for guidence and understanding.

- It is a comfort that we can have God's power in our lives
- It is a comfort that we can have God's leadership day by day
- It is a comfort that we can have daily bread
- It is a comfort that one day, we will have a new body and be free from this one
- It is a comfort that we can have the peace of God in the midst of tribulation
- There is great comfort in the Scriptures!

Walk By Faith - by Jeremy Camp

Would I believe you when you would say
Your hand will guide my every way
Will I receive the words You say
Every moment of every day

Well I will walk by faith
Even when I cannot see it
Well because this broken road
Prepares Your will for me

Help me to win my endless fears
You've been so faithful for all my years
With the one breath You make me
Your grace covers all I do

Well I'm broken- but I still see Your face
Well You've spoken- pouring Your words of grace

Well hallelujah, hallelu
(I will walk by faith)
Well hallelujah, hallelu
(I will walk by faith)

I will walk by faith

Is the Bible still reliable and relevant today?

2009-01-22T08:56:00.005-05:00

In my discussions with my Atheist friend, he mentions time and time again that the Bible isn't relevant in today's society. The first thing that came to my mind was 2 Timothy 3:16. While I believe the Bible is just as relevant for us today as it was when it was written, I wanted to write something that really spoke to this point. I read an article on the International Bible Society's web site which I found very poignant and wanted to share some thoughts with you. Grace to you all

The French philosopher Voltaire said that in a hundred years from his day the Bible would have passed into the mists of history as people became more liberated and enlightened. And today a group of people known as the Jesus Seminar tell us that huge sections of the New Testament are not genuine but were concocted by writers who weaseled their own thoughts into the canon. Others have attacked the names and dates and events and numbers in the Bible, and proclaim that the book is riddled with errors. People who accept human evolution out of some primordial soup ridicule the very idea of creation as a throwback to an age of barbarians and illiterates. And, of course, priests and preachers will keep their jobs as long as they can continue to make you believe in the Bible!

Such attacks on the reliability and relevance of the Bible can be very persuasive. Yet as far as reliability is concerned, it's only fair to note that the Bible contains the best documented text of any volume in human history. Perhaps the most amazing support comes from the Dead Sea scrolls which were discovered in 1947 after lying in the Qumran caves for nearly 2000 years. Here were literally thousands of pieces from the Old Testament, and some were nearly a thousand years older than anything we had before. And yet there is a 98% similarity to the texts that are in common use. Both Christians and Jews were confirmed in their faith in the trustworthiness of the text handed down through the centuries. The attempts to tamper with the text have basically failed, and our treasure of God's revelation has come down to us intact.

But is the ancient book really relevant to the issues of our frenetic, post-modern world of microscopes and satellites? This is a question asked by those who are racing through life with little time for reflection on their destiny or why they are here. But for those who are unexpectedly slammed onto a hospital bed, life takes on a much different quality! Suddenly in the long, agonizing hours punctuated only by the clicking of a heart monitor, there is time to reflect on a new set of questions, timeless questions which have not changed much through the centuries. Does anyone really love me? How did those stars a billion miles away get there? Is there any hope for me? How do I get in touch with God right now?

It is then that these questions about the relevance of the Bible tend to fade away. The comfort and the hope embodied in the Bible suddenly become totally relevant. Its diversity touches every age, every situation. There are wonderful stories for children, deeply emotional psalms and confessions, discourses to engage the deepest philosophical questions, and the sayings of Jesus confronting the issues of life and death and the eternity ahead.

For some, there is a terrifying sense of guilt gnawing at the bone. It's time to deal with it, to recognize how you have slapped God in the face and hurt others. But the Bible does not just leave you there, sitting in your remorse! The very heart of the Bible is that there is a way out. God does not, however, just wink at your failures and let justice slide. In fact (and this is what the coming of Jesus Christ is all about), he did stand in our place to take the punishment due to us. He did suffer in our stead, he did hang on that cross at the center of history on our behalf, and finally he did die our death. Then on that first Easter he stood up from the grave as God gave that divine stamp of approval on all that he had done.

Christians do find that relevant! For us, life is not simply an empty journey, a trip to acquire more toys until eventually it's all over. From the pages of the Bible we read about our role in God's design and kingdom, and how our lives are touched with purpose and meaning. And at the end there is more than a gloomy extinction at the conclusion of a hectic life, but a great reunion where we plan to meet Jesus face to face.

By the way, Voltaire is dead now, but the book he derided is today more widely read and pondered than ever. The house in which Voltaire lived later became a distribution center - for Bibles.

Where does morality come from?

2009-01-08T16:41:00.009-05:00

Seems like a simple question, right?
Some might say it comes from their parents.
(but where did they get it)
Some might say they get it from society
(but how did society get it)
Some might say that "it's" just in them
(but where did "it" come from)

How do we know what's right and what's wrong?
Sure, we might have "learned" these things but like all things, morality has got to come from somewhere. It just didn't happen nor are we programmed at birth to know what morality is.

It's just a question that I've been thinking about and one that I wanted to put out to any of you who read my blog. For me, I believe that morality comes from God. But I believe this because I'm a Christian. I can't even imagine where else morality could come from. But because I'm always interested in the perspectives of others I'd like to know your ideas about where you think morality comes from; where you get your sense of right and wrong or what you should or shouldn't do. But before you answer, remember....morality has to come from somewhere.

Our mind vs. the mind of God...

2008-12-15T10:27:00.029-05:00

In recent months, I'd been speaking with some friends who are Atheists. That's really not so earth shattering. But what is, is that they had been Christians for many years. Nothing makes me more sad than to hear of a Christian that has turned away from God. While there are many points I could discuss here, I wanted to share just one.

In each case, a common thread is woven among my Atheist friends. They said that because of questions that came up or because of "inner instinct", they can not believe there is a God, much less a loving God who cares about us and what we're going through.

We have to remember that our human nature ("inner instinct") is to rebel. It's what happened when sin entered the world. Now I can hear all Atheists reading this saying "here we go with that sin thing again"....but that's the truth. It's that plain and it's that simple.

Now I'm not suggesting that we walk around like zombies, not thinking about what we read in the Bible or what we experience in our lives. But we will get into trouble when we try to "rationalize" God down to our own understanding. Because when we do that, our brain will explode!......okay, maybe not explode but read Proverbs 3:5 and Isaiah 55:6-11.

In my opinion, two of Satans biggest goals are having us believe that:
1. He(Satan)doesn't exist and then asking ourselves...
2. How could God exist

Here is what I have to say about that:
1. He(Satan)does exist and...
2. 1 John 4:4

And while people may say "okay, but there have been many gods and who can we believe is the real god?" Who can you believe in? I say to you the ONLY God - who hung on a cross and died so that we can live. The only One that people witnessed raised from the grave. What other god was able to do that or was willing to do that for you and me?

Did God create sin?

2008-12-08T12:15:00.007-05:00

No, God did not create sin. God is holy and He would not create that which is contrary to His nature. Sinfulness is the opposite of holiness. It is lawlessness
(1 John 3:4). God is the author of the Law which is a reflection of His holy character. Therefore, God cannot create that which is in direct violation of the Law any more than a person can wish himself to be bigger than the sun. It just isn’t possible. But, if God didn’t create sin, then where did it come from? This is a question that has been debated by theologians and philosophers for many years.

God created the conditions where free will creatures would be able to make a choice between obedience and disobedience to God. This condition existed when God created an angel called Lucifer who was without sin yet, apparently, had free will. Lucifer chose to rebel against God and sin (Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezek. 28:13-15). Likewise, Adam and Eve, having been made by God without sin, listened to the devil and chose to sin against God.

But God did not cause them to sin (James 1:13). In the freedom of their wills, each decided to rebel against God and sin entered the world (Rom. 5:12). God simply allowed the condition to exist where sin was possible. Likewise, God has created the condition in the world where the ability to rebel against Him is possible.

So if we have freewill and our nature is to sin, how can we overcome this sin so that we can be acceptable in the eyes of God? To find the answer, take a closer look at the photo above and then read John 14:6

Things that make you go "Hmmmmm"

2008-12-05T09:03:00.005-05:00

In studying the book of Genesis I came across a very interesting fact that was expressed by John MacArthur from Grace to You (www.gty.org) for which stopped me dead in my tracks. Now think about this for just a moment: It is the rotation of the earth on its axis that determines a 24-hour day. It is the rotation of the moon's orbit around the earth that determines the month. And it is the earth's rotation around the sun that determines the year. Did you ever ask yourself...what determines a week? There is nothing in the celestial bodies that determines a week. And yet universally across the face of the earth mankind lives by weeks. Where do you think we got that? How many days did God take for His creation? (including when He rested)
Seven? How many days in a week? Are you making that "hmmmmm" sound yet?

Grace under pressure....

2008-11-20T08:48:00.021-05:00

Raise your hands if you've been affected by these crazy economic times. Go ahead, raise them. Not because I want to count hands, but because as Christians, this is what we should be doing! Raising our hands to Heaven! Grasp and take hold of God. Know that He is God and that He will bring us through whatever situation we are in.

Many people reading this blog may have lost their jobs or their savings or know people who have. But in raising our hands to God, does that mean He will give us whatever we want? No, but I can assure you He will give us everything we need.

In 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 the Apostle Paul asks God to remove a thorn in his flesh. He asked God three times! But read again how God responded to Paul. Folks this is all about God and not about us. When we ask God for something, we should be asking for those things that will glorify Him, not us. So before we start asking Him for anything, we must think about His will not ours; His desires not ours; His glory and not our pride. But when we do this - when we come before Him and ask for "His will to be done", He will bless us beyond our wildest dreams! In times when trouble knocks on our door, raise your hands and lift your eyes to God and remember what He promised in Deuteronomy 31:8

Bless God for what humbles you. Bless Him and praise Him; Sure, when times are good, but especially when times aren't going the way you would like them to go. He will pour out His Grace upon you over and over again Rom 5:17 & 2 Cor 9:8. It's really no secret at all. You don't have to take a positive mental attitude course or seminar or even have something in your pocket or around your finger to remind you of what you want in life. All that is required is the acceptance of Jesus in your life and a humble heart towards God.

Don't call us - We'll call you

2008-11-07T08:29:00.029-05:00

Sometimes that's the way I feel we think about God. It's sort of a "we'll call you when we need you" attitude. It's almost like our own personal "god in a bottle". Rub the bottle when you need something but keep the cap on it when all is going well. The fact is, is that God wants a relationship with us - not just to lift us out of a well when we fall, but to have an actual relationship with us where we can talk with Him just as we talk to our closest friend. This point is made in a most beautiful way in Genesis 3:8-9
God was walking in the garden and calling out to Adam and Eve. He wanted to communicate with them; to walk with them - just to hang out with them, if you will. And while I know that sounds crazy to think of it this way, I happen to think this is exactly what God wants - to hang with us. God created us so that we could have a relationship with Him. So that He could love us and we could love Him. Think of it this way; you're a dad or mom and you have a little son or daughter who you love with all your heart. You do everything you can to provide for and protect them. You've set up rules for them to follow and things for them to do, but let me ask you something - how do you feel when you're just hanging out with them outside or maybe on a couch watching a ball game or playing a video game together - just being with each other. No requests are being made, no fires need putting out, none of the usual daily stuff to get in the way. During those times, how do you feel? (Now come on - close your eyes and really think about this for a minute and see how it makes you feel). I tend to think that's the relationship God wants with us and how those times with your child makes you feel is how those times God has with us makes Him feel. He wants to be that person that we really love hanging out with just "because". I think we can all have that relationship with Him. It's just a matter of calling upon Him - not in times of need but any time. When you're driving to work, picking up groceries, taking the kids to school or lying in bed. Stop and just talk with Him. A while back, some good friends of ours gave us a plaque that reads

When you can't sleep, don't count sheep - talk with the Shepherd.

Before I end this let me ask you this question; how do you build earthly relationships? Communication, right? Just because God is Almighty and the Creator of everything, doesn't mean we can't talk with him and address Him as "Abba Father" (No, this does not have any reference to the Swedish super-pop band of the 70's and 80's and NO, I don't have any 8-track tapes of them......okay, maybe their greatest hits but let's not get off topic here!) When you translate the phrase "Abba Father", it literally means "Daddy". It's what Jesus called out when He was talking with God and it conveys a sense of closeness that you just can't compare with anything else other than your dad. He wants to be this close to us and He's walking around just calling out our name. It's up to us to get out from behind the bushes so that we can hang out together.

"Who do you think I am?"

2008-10-29T10:37:00.010-04:00

I found this resource on the Grace To You web site(www.gty.org).
It's by a Pastor named John MacArthur who I have followed for many years. He has provided me with insight into the scriptures through his books, tapes and weekly radio programs. He's a brilliant teacher (matched only by my own Pastor of course) who teaches directly from the scriptures. And while he throws in some anecdotes from time to time, the foundation of his teachings all originate from the Word of God. I hope this weeks blog gets you thinking about who Jesus really is.

"Who do you think that I am?"

With that brief question Jesus Christ confronted His followers with the most important issue they would ever face. He had spent much time with them and made some bold claims about His identity and authority. Now the time had come for them to either believe or deny His teachings.

Who do you say Jesus is? Your response to Him will determine not only your values and lifestyle, but your eternal destiny as well.

Consider what the Bible says about Him:

JESUS IS GOD

While Jesus was on earth there was much confusion about who He was. Some thought He was a wise man or a great prophet. Others thought He was a madman. Still others couldn't decide or didn't care. But Jesus said, "I and the Father are one" (John 10:30). That means He claimed to be nothing less than God in human flesh.

Many people today don't understand that Jesus claimed to be God. They're content to think of Him as little more than a great moral teacher. But even His enemies understood His claims to deity. That's why they tried to stone Him to death (John 5:18; 10:33) and eventually had Him crucified (John 19:7).

C.S. Lewis observed, "You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to" (Mere Christianity [Macmillan, 1952], pp. 40-41).

(One of my personal favorite passages that demonstrates clearly that Jesus and God are the same is John 1:1)

John 1:14 continues. Notice what the Word was and what it becomes!

JESUS IS HOLY

God is absolutely and perfectly holy (Isaiah 6:3), therefore He cannot commit or approve of evil (James 1:13).

As God, Jesus embodied every element of God's character. Colossians 2:9 says, "In Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form." He was perfectly holy (Hebrews 4:15). Even His enemies couldn't prove any accusation against Him (John 8:46)

God requires holiness of us as well. First Peter 1:16 says, "You shall be holy, for I am holy."

JESUS IS THE SAVIOR

Our failure to obey God--to be holy--places us in danger of eternal punishment (2 Thessalonians 1:9). The truth is, we cannot obey Him because we have neither the desire nor the ability to do so. We are by nature rebellious toward God (Ephesians 2:1-3). The Bible calls our rebellion "sin." According to Scripture, everyone is guilty of sin: "There is no man who does not sin" (1 Kings 8:46). "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). And we are incapable of changing our sinful condition. Jeremiah 13:23 says, "Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil."

That doesn't mean we're incapable of performing acts of human kindness. We might even be involved in various religious or humanitarian activities. But we're utterly incapable of understanding, loving, or pleasing God on our own. The Bible says, "There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; all have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one" (Romans 3:10-12).

God's holiness and justice demand that all sin be punished by death: "The soul who sins will die" (Ezekiel 18:4). That's hard for us to understand because we tend to evaluate sin on a relative scale, assuming some sins are less serious than others. However, the Bible teaches that all acts of sin are the result of sinful thinking and evil desires. That's why simply changing our patterns of behavior can't solve our sin problem or eliminate its consequences. We need to be changed inwardly so our thinking and desires are holy

Jesus is the only one who can forgive and transform us, thereby delivering us from the power and penalty of sin: "There is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

Even though God's justice demands death for sin, His love has provided a Savior, who paid the penalty and died for sinners: "Christ ... died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that He might bring us to God" (1 Peter 3:18). Christ's death satisfied the demands of God's justice, thereby enabling Him to forgive and save those who place their faith in Him (Romans 3:26). John 3:16 says, "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." He alone is "our great God and Savior" (Titus 2:13).

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright information for "Who Do You Think I Am?" (effective March 28, 2006):
Grace To You - www.gty.org

God said..... and there was. Talk about a big bang!

2008-10-23T12:52:00.032-04:00

So I've been listening to a series on Genesis - the creation of the heavens and the earth and all that is in them. I know we've all heard the description of how God created the heavens and the earth and all the animals and man and then rested on on the sixth day and so on..... But not until I really did a deep-dive into this story that it became clear to me as to how powerful God is. I mean, I know He's powerful and mighty but when you read Genesis and really absorb what you're reading (or in this case,listening to), it's not until then that you really come to understand just how powerful and mighty our Father is! And even then, we'll never be able to wrap our minds around just how amazing He really is. And while I can write pages and pages on this topic, here are just a few things you can think about:

- Big bang? Sure, you could say that. God said let there be....... and there was! I would say that it was probably a pretty big event.

- In Latin, the word used for created is "ex nihilo" meaning Out of Nothing.The term "creation ex nihilo" refers to God creating everything from nothing. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1). Prior to that moment there was nothing. God didn’t make the universe from preexisting building blocks. He started from scratch. Hebrews 11:3 says

By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible

Humans can be very creative, but we require materials from which to build something. God is not so constrained. This is difficult for us to comprehend because of a fundamental law of physics which we are all familiar with. Whether or not we know what it’s called, we’re all familiar with a very basic principle. The “first law of science” states that matter (the stuff the universe is made of) cannot be created or destroyed. Matter can be converted from solid to liquid to gas to plasma and back again; atoms can be combined into molecules and split into their component parts; but matter cannot be created from nothing or completely destroyed. And so this idea that God created everything from nothing is not natural to us. It’s not natural at all—it’s supernatural.

The term “creation ex nihilo” refers to the supernatural event which was the beginning of the universe. It was the moment that God created something from nothing.

- When God started to create, He did so in the most glorious and perfect order.

Day One
Watery, formless planet Earth suspended in the darkness and void of space (no stars, no sun, no moon, no planets - except for Earth). Light. Separation of light from the darkness - and the first indication that the planet is rotating (day and night cycle produced)

Day Two
Formation of Earth's atmosphere, separating the water into two parts:
(a) oceanic and subterranean water
(b) atmospheric water

Day Three
Dry land and oceans
System to water the entire land surface using subterranean waters (involving springs or mist, or both)
Vegetation, seed-bearing plants, trees that bear fruit.
Garden of Eden (probably)

Day Four
Sun
Moon - complete with established orbit so as to mark passage of time (months, seasons, and years).
Stars and other planets

Day Five
Water creatures of all kinds. (All that had “the breath of life” were vegetarian.)
Birds (all vegetarian)

Day Six
Land animals (all vegetarian): (a) creatures that move close to the ground (small animals), (b) large animals, and (c) animals of use to man as livestock.
Man
Woman (saving the best for last?!)

- But what's REALLY cool is that during all this, God says "let there be"...and there was. But when it came to making man He said, "let us create man in OUR own image and in OUR own likeness". When God created us, he did so after His own image. By the way, this is the first reference to the Trinity! Let US make man in OUR own likeness..... Pretty cool, huh? But I'll talk more about this at a later date. Psalm 139: 13-16 says

For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb.I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them.

There is so much more to say about this, but if I continue, my wife would tell me that a blog isn't suppose to be long. She's right. I'll leave it here. All I really wanted to do is challenge you to read this book and consider that all this talk about a "Big Bang" could have been caused by a Big God.

And if you're a big believer in eveloution and think the creation story is a bunch of hog wash, here's a chance for you to prove your theory: I'll give you a bunch of steel and rubber and wires and other material and put it in a big warehouse for you. With this stuff, I want to come back in a few billion years and see if we then have a 747 jumbo jet all completed and ready to fly. And I'm even giving you a head start! I'm supplying you with all the material! Because according to evelution, eveything started from a very simple beginning - from a blob of slime, as it were (according to Darwin) and developed into complexity and order and it did this by itself; by chance. By the way, so much for the Second Law of Thermodynamics! So if thats the case and eveloution was true, we should have a jumbo jet, right? And don't get me mad or I'll make you do this "ex nihilo!"

How are you doing with God?

2008-10-12T22:55:00.000-04:00

Well, that depends on a few things. Sure, you might say you have a good relationship with Him. You go to church, read your Bible, are a pretty decent person, don't lie, don't cheat, faithful to your wife/husband. But how are you really with God?

Jesus was asked, of all the commandments, which is the most important? Jesus replied,

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength

but then Jesus went on to say

The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these. Mark 12:28-31

Whats amazing to see here is that Jesus is saying that BOTH of these things are the most important. You can't have one without the other. In other words, you can't love God without loving your neighbor! This is amazing if you think about it. Jesus puts so much emphesis on loving your neighbor that He equals it in importance to loving God. WHOWA!

Another way to put it, God isn't interested in how you feel and act towards Him if you don't love your brother. If you're not right with your brother, guess what? You're not right with God. And God means business when it comes to this. We were put on this earth for several reasons - the two biggest reasons was to love God and to love each other. God desires a relationship with His kids. But He also wants His kids to have a relationship with each other. If you're thinking I'm full of bull and that all that really matters is how your are with Him, take a look at these few verses:

Matt 5:23-24

Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.

1John 2:9-11

Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.

John 13:34-35

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

God is saying you can't have it going on with me if you don't have it going on with your brother. So I ask again, how are you doing with God? Well, before you answer that, think about how you're doing with others.

Sheep and Goats

2008-09-25T08:41:00.000-04:00

So I was driving to work this morning and just before I reached my exit (it's a road that travels through a small rural town) I saw a scruffy looking guy standing next to a bicycle holding a sign that read "Will work for food". As I drove by him, I couldn't help but feel sympathy for this guy. True, I didn't know if he was just trying to make a buck and then take his earnings to the nearest package store. Or maybe he was an undercover FBI agent ready to make a big bust! (I can't help it, I watch CSI and Criminal Minds!) I didn't know anything about this guy. Never saw him before and chances are good I'll never see him again. But I couldn't help wonder what his situation was. I mean, with all the financial doom and gloom going on, thoughts started to dance in my mind about what his situation might be.

As I drove by him I thought maybe what I could do is drive down the street to McDonalds and buy him something to eat and a hot cup of coffee. Hey, they have Egg McMuffins 2 for 3 bucks so that and a cup of coffee would give me the chance to give him a nice warm breakfast. I was running a little late but I thought, what a way to show the love of Christ. Then again, I could do this and he could pull out a gun at which point, he'd show me Jesus, if you know what I mean!(as my Pastor puts it) But I did it anyway. I felt that it was a way of letting him know that someone cares about him.

So I bought the McMuffins and coffee, banged a U-turn and headed back to where he was. When I got there, he was still standing on the corner so I pulled to the side of the road, got out of my truck and walked over to him with food in hand. As I reached him, I said "here ya go brother. I can't offer you a job but how about some breakfast?" To which he replied "no man, I'm good". I asked him again but he insisted that he was okay. At that point, I bid him a good day, turned around and walked back to my truck. As I got in my truck and drove off, we nodded to each other and away I went.

One of the things that I thought about as I was driving away was the saying

“Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime”

Maybe he was thinking "great, another dope trying to give me a meal when what I really want is a job so that I can do my own grocery shopping". The other things I was thinking about was; I hope that what I did made God smile; I hope this guy felt a little love especially knowing that a stranger was trying to reach out to him; and lastly, what am I going to do with these McMuffins since I'm on this cotton-pickin' low carb diet and can't eat them!!! But then what really came over me was what Jesus taught in the book of Matthew.

In Matthew chapter 25 Jesus gave a parable of "The sheep and the goats". In it, he said

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

When we do something for someone in need, we're not just doing it for that person and we're not doing it because we feel it's the right thing to do. Rather, we're doing it as if we were doing it for Jesus himself. Just keep that in mind next time you see someone in need. I'm not saying we should drop a dime in the cup of every person we come across who might take it and buy a delicious jug of Boons Farm Apple Wine (do they still make that?). But what I am saying is that when we see someone who is in need and we have the ability to reach out to that person, we'll also be reaching out to Jesus himself, and that's a pretty cool thing.

By the way, I didn't eat the McMuffins. When I came into work, I gave them to a couple of my colleagues. This low carb thing is driving me nuts!

Salvation - Use it or lose it?

2008-09-22T08:38:00.000-04:00

While my friend Mike and I were leading a group of new church members of Granite State Baptist Church (www.gsbc.net) in a Next Steps class, a sigh of relief came from one of the attendees. When we were discussing that by the loving grace of God, we are saved forever once we confess our sins and accept Jesus in our lives - and that we can not lose our salvation, it was as if we lifted a ton of bricks off his shoulders.(actually that's exactly what he said) He, like many Christians, had heard and even been taught that just because you are "Saved" doesn't mean you can stay saved. He was told that you can actually lose your salvation. How awful is that?

I know that some of you reading may have heard this as well and it's such a terrible thing to be told or taught, that I felt compelled to address it. Before I provide you with some verses to read, remember this; the work on the cross is FOREVER. Once Jesus shed his blood on the cross for your sins and mine and once He died so that you and I could have eternal life, no one can "undo" this. Romans 10:9 says "That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."

Other verses included:

John 10:27-29: My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand.

John 3:16:"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life".

John 3:36"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him".

John 5:24:"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life".

John 6:47:I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life:.

These are just a few verses I wanted to share with you. And while the Bible is full of verses that prove we are saved once and for all, that does NOT give us the right to go out and participate in a "sin-a-palooza"! When we have the conviction of the Holy Spirit in us, we know what is right and what we should be avoiding. As well, just because we are saved, doesn't mean that's the end of our days as a sinner. It just means that we are accountable to Him and that what we do and how we live our lives should be a reflection of Christ. One of the first things we should do once we have accepted Jesus is to dive deeper into the Bible and begin feeding our minds and hearts with His word. But now the war really begins - because the main purpose of the devil is to always plant doubts in your mind to make you question whether or not you are really saved. He will try to make you doubt the work of the cross and the power of God. He will try and make you feel worthless and make you question "how could I be saved?" "How could God save me?" "How could God love me so much to forgive me"? But don't doubt. Instead, keep this in mind and understand that the God who created you and me and our entire universe is powerful enough to save all sinners, if we confess with our mouths and believe in our hearts that Jesus is Lord.
No matter what Satan or anyone throws at you, remember this:
1 John 4:4 "Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world" Praise God!

Faith Without Works

2008-09-16T09:21:00.000-04:00

In my latest small group discussions (a small group is a group of Christians from church that meets once a week for dinner and Bible discussions)We studied the book of James. It's a rather short book - only 5 chapters, but it's filled with amazing wisdom and instruction as to how we are to live our lives as Christians. What the book does NOT do is try to say that we are Saved through good works but rather if we are truly saved, we will be changed and want to demonstrate our faith by good works (i.e. love, serving others, witnessing, etc). We are saved by Grace and only by Grace. (Acts 15:11, Ephesians 2:5-8, 2 Timothy 1:9) But once we are saved, what do we do then? Now that we have the Hold Spirit in us, how do we show this and demonstrate that we are a new person in Christ?

In reading James, he talks about:

Trials & Temptations, Listening & Doing - Ch. 1
Favoritism, Faith & Deeds - Ch. 2
Taming the tongue & Wisdom - Ch. 3
Submitting yourselves to God & Boasting - Ch. 4
A warning to oppressors, Patience in suffering and faithful prayer - Ch. 5

If you haven't read this book, take a 1/2 hour and read it. That's all it'll take but I can promise you, you'll go back and re-read it over and over again. It is considered the Proverbs of the New Testament, just not as long! : - )

When you read it, come back here and post your thoughts. It's a great book to discuss and really helps the believer shape your walk with Christ as well as with each other.

In His name,
John

The Bible - Believe it or not!

2008-07-22T09:05:00.000-04:00

Is the Bible reliable and is it accurate? Speaking from experience, many of us (Christians) get bombarded with questions from skeptics and non-believers about the accuracy and reliability of the Bible. Is it really the true word of God? I'll be writing more about this in the coming weeks.

I could write pages and pages on this topic but for a great explanation on this, I've included a video from Lee Strobel. He was one of the most outspoken atheists in the country. In his endeavor to prove Christianity was fake, the opposite actually happened! He uncovered so much PROOF that the Bible is accurate and reliable that he invited Christ into his life as his personal Lord and Savior! PRAISE GOD! Check out this video and by watching it, it'll provide you with some answers to questions you may have had or have had asked of you. His website address is www.leestrobel.com

I'm too blessed to be stressed!

2008-07-21T08:50:00.000-04:00

My wife had sent this to me a short time ago and I have it up on my office wall. I wanted to share it with you because I know there are times when we feel so stressed, sad or discouraged, we're not sure what to do to make things better. Worse yet, there are those times when there just isn't anything we can do. And that tends to be the most frustrating of all because we want to be in control and we want to take things into our own hands. We think we know what needs to be done to fix a particular situation or cause a certain outcome to happen. But sometimes we need to let God be God and turn things over to Him. Not to bale on our responsibilities but to give things over to Him and allow him to be God. Maybe not with all of our earthly fathers but with our Heavenly Father the following statement never rings more true: Father Knows Best!
Anyway, here's the poem and I hope you're blessed by it:

I'm too blessed to be stressed and too anointed to be disappointed.

I refuse to be discouraged to be sad or to cry.

I refuse to be down hearted and here's the reason why:

I have a God who is almighty; who is sovereign and supreme.

I have a God who loves me -- and I am on His team.

He is all wise and powerful; Jesus is His name.

Though everything else is changeable, my God remains the same.

I refuse to be beaten or defeated.

My eyes are on my God.

He has promised to be with me, through this life I trod.

I am looking past my circumstances, to heaven's throne above.

My prayers have reached the heart of God and I am resting in His love.

I give thanks to Him in everything.

My eyes are on His face.

The battle is His; the victory is mine; He will help me win the race.

I repeat!

I'm too blessed to be stressed!

(author unknown)

When prayers falls on deaf ears......or do they?

2008-07-09T08:14:00.000-04:00

I admit it, being in sales, I tend to pray a little more during those times when I have deals out waiting to be signed; especially as I get closer to the end of the month. If you're in sales, you know what I mean! But this can be said whether it's a contract or whether it's about someone's health or particular situation. When we pray and our prayers seem to be "answered" (the deal is signed) we are pretty consistent when it comes to thanking God for answering our prayers. But what do we do when we pray and wait..............and nothing happens? Or the opposite of what we prayed for happens (i.e. the deal didn't come in)? It's easy to thank God for giving us what we prayed for but can we really get ourselves to thank Him and praise Him when things we prayed for don't turn out the way we hoped? It's probably the toughest part about prayer, at least for me it is.

But as soon as we feel depressed, upset or confused about the outcome of our prayers, we need to understand one basic thing, God loves us so much that He is willing to say "no" or "no yet" while risking the chance that we will feel let down or unloved by Him. But think of it this way - when you say "no" to your child (or someone you care about), even after they've asked over and over again for "that special something that will change their life forever and everyone else has it" and if you don't give it to them they will be the most uncool person in the world........you get my drift....... You aren't saying "no" because you don't love your child; quite the opposite. You're saying no because you have their best interest in mind and you love them enough to risk not being liked by them (at least for a little while until they want something else).

I guess what I'm saying is that when we ask God for something and it doesn't happen, it's not because He's a mean god or doesn't love us. It's because He's God and knows what is best for us. In those times when our prayers don't seem to be answered by Him, we have to take a step back and say, "I trust in you Lord and your ways aren't my ways and though I wish the outcome were different and I don't quite understand what you're trying to tell me, I know you love me and want the best for me."

When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before he was to be put to death, He prayed to God that if it could be, remove this cup from him (Luke 22:39-46). In other words, if there was a way to provide a path to salvation for his kids, please provide a different way. BUT, the most important part of His prayer was what Jesus said next, "Not my will but Thy will be done."

Rather than being upset when our prayers aren't answered, we need to praise God and know that though the outcome isn't what we hoped for, He still loves us and wants only the best for us. Sometimes we just need to stop and listen to what He's trying to say to us. Rather than raising our fists in anger towards him, we need to stop everything and listen to what He might be trying to tell us. Try it - you just might be surprised that He's actually answered your prayers after all.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4e87vIRpds

White knuckles on the monkey bars

2008-06-04T14:08:00.000-04:00

Are you holding on with white knuckles determined to do it on your own?

Our small group (a study group made up of people from church that meet each week) is studying a book called One Month to Live. It askes the question; "what would you do if you only had one month to live?" In other words, what would you do and how would you look at life if you knew all you had was one more month left on this earth.

Would you spend more time with your family? Go on that special vacation that you've been putting off for so long? Go skydiving? Or, how would you act? Would you ask for forgiveness from someone you wronged? Or would you give forgiveness to someone you've been holding out on?

The reason why I titled this "White knuckles on the monkey bars" is because the author (Kerry and Chris Shook) told a story in which one of their kids was hanging on a set of monkey bars and wouldn't let go to fall into the arms of his father. He wanted his father to carry him off the bars rather than trusting in him to catch him. Finally, after the boys' knuckles turned white, the child let go and his father caught him - just like he said he would. Are you trusting God to catch you? Or are your knuckles white from holding on so tight from doing things your way; trusting in your own strength.

So many times we hold on to things (stress, worries, problems, etc) when we should just let go and let God catch us. Just to trust God and His Word that He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5-6) The One Month to Live attitude gives us the chance to look inside ourselves and say "I'm going to live each day as if it were my last and to claim victory knowing that God is with me and He is in control", and to do those things we felt we couldn't do or decided to put off doing until "someday". To also say, "I'm going to let go and trust God will be there for me and with me."

It's something to think about and I challenge each of you to comment on what you would do in your life if you knew you only had one month to live. And then when you figure out what those things are, put a plan into place to do those things!! We know when we were born but we don't know what the date will be when we go home to be with our Father. On our headstone, we'll have a beginning date and an end date. There is also a little "dash" in the middle of the two dates. It's what we do with this dash that counts! What would you do?

More to follow........

Prayer Requests

2008-05-30T16:00:00.000-04:00

Post any prayer requests here! Or share your experiences with answered prayers.

Welcome to He Is Light!

2008-05-30T13:27:00.000-04:00

I wanted to develop a group from Linked In so that Christian business people from around the globe have a place to come, to share with one another and to encourage each other. Other things you can expect from this group are:

· Connect with other Christian business people from around the globe
· Share successes and challenges
· Submit prayer requests (imagine people all over the world praying for you!)
· Discussions about your walk with Christ
. Business leaders sharing advice and wisdom

I know in my church, Granite State Baptist Church (http://www.gsbc.net/) everyone feels like part of the family and each of us knows we can rely on one another. It's my desire for this group to have that same feeling. And though we may never meet one another, it's nice to know there are people from all over the world becoming part of this group to share joys, challenges, ideas, successes, advice and to exchange prayer requests.

So feel free to post and contribute to this blog. As Proverbs 27:17 says "Iron sharpens iron so one man sharpens another."

God bless,
John