For The Cause Of Jesus Christ

A young African martyr wrote these words in his prison cell before he died:

"I'm part of the fellowship of the unashamed, the die has been cast, I have stepped over the line, the decision has been made--I'm a disciple of Jesus Christ--I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away or be still.

My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure--I'm finished and done with low living, sight walking, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, worldly talking, cheap giving and dwarfed goals.

My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few, my guide is reliable, my mission is clear. I won't give up, shut up, let up until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up for the cause of Jesus Christ.

I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till everyone knows, work till He stops me and when He comes for His own, He will have no trouble recognizing me because my banner will have been clear."

Some awesome, inspirational truth written by a man who was truly dedicated to Jesus Christ!

Source: Erwin Lutzer, Where Do we Go From Here? (Chicago: Moody Press), p. 47.

The Blacksmith's Shop

After reading just a few of the short articles in Max Lucado's first book, On the Anvil, I can certainly see why he has become one of the most read and beloved inspirational Christian authors over the past two decades!

The introduction of the book sets the stage for everything else that follows. His presentation is an awesome allegory that explains what harm sin has done to our souls and how our Master, Jesus Christ, calls us out of that "junk pile." Lucado demonstrates that Jesus uses certain tools to shape us towards our calling in life.

The Blacksmith's Shop

In the shop of a blacksmith, there are three types of tools.

Outdated,

Broken,

Dull,

Rusty.

They sit in the cobwebbed corner, useless to their master, oblivious to their calling.

There are tools on the anvil:

melted down,

molten hot,

moldable,

changeable.

They lie on the anvil, being shaped by their master, accepting their calling.

There are tools of usefulness:

sharpened,

primed,

defined,

mobile.

They lie ready in the blacksmith's tool chest, available to their master, fulfilling their calling.

Some people lie useless:

lives broken,

talents wasting,

fires quenched,

dreams dashed.

They are tossed in with the scrap iron, in desperate need of repair, with no notion of purpose.

Other lie on the anvil:

hearts open,

hungry to change,

wounds healing,

visions clearing.

They welcome the painful pounding of the blacksmith's hammer, longing to be rebuilt, begging to be called.

Others lie in their Master's hands:

well tuned,

uncompromising,

polished,

productive.

They respond to their Master's forearm, demanding nothing, surrendering all.

Wow! What a metaphor for describing one's journey towards salvation in Jesus Christ! Can you relate to this in your own life? I sure can!

I thought long and hard about where I am on that "tool" list. I think that I am halfway between still "lying on the anvil" and "lying in the Master's hands." The Holy Spirit's leading has helped me to be well tuned to God's Word, and uncompromising in it's application to life today. However, I need to confess and admit that the Lord is still working on me to be "polished" and "productive."

There are people whom I know who are definitely well tuned, uncompromising, polished, productive. People like John MacArthur, Dr. David Jeremiah, various Christian authors like Max Lucado, Pastor Miles McPherson...to name a few. I see them preach from the pulpit. I hear about their missionary work. I read their awesome books. Yes. They are polished and productive and able to reach out and encourage other Christians to do the same.

In Chapter One, Lucado shares what it is like to be in "the pile of broken tools."

To find me, look over in the corner of the shop,

over here,

behind the cobwebs,

beneath the dust,

in the darkness.

There are scores of us,

broken handles,

dulled blades,

cracked iron.

Some of us were useful once, and then...many of us never were.

But, listen, don't feel sorry for me.

Life ain't so bad here in the pile...

no work,

no anvils,

no pain,

no sharpening,

And yet, the days are very long.

Are you broken too?

Do you think God might be calling you "off the pile"? What would that require of you?

When I first read that, I though that Lucado was speaking about the unsaved. Then, I realized that he was speaking about Christians!!

"Some of us were useful once, and then...many of us never were."

Ouch!! Convicting words...Amen?? The rest of the article includes the portion that I had included in a previous post.

We are all somewhere in the blacksmith's shop.

We are either on the scrap pile,
IN THE MASTER'S HANDS ON THE ANVIL,
Or in the tool chest.

Some of us have been in all three.

In this classic collection of inspirational reading, best-selling author Max Lucado takes us on a tour of the blacksmith's shop - examining every tool and looking in every corner, from the shelves to the workbench, from the water to the fire...

And I'm sure that somewhere you'll see yourself.

Yes. I have seen myself as all three kinds of tools - useless, longing to be rebuilt and called, and responding to the Master's forearm.

Perhaps the "polished" and "productive" part is included in the process of sanctification? It is a lifetime journey...is it not?

I think that Christians can have their moments of being polished and productive. However, attaining true excellence in such an area is something to continually strive for. We don't want to rest upon any "laurels" now do we?

I used to feel guilty when I felt like I wasn't doing as much as I have witnessed my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ were doing for the Lord. I would think to myself, 'am I too lazy'? What else should I be doing? As Pastor Miles often says, "Do Something!"

Reading Lucado's next paragraph helped me.

We'll discover what Paul meant when he spoke of becoming "an instrument for noble purposes." And what a becoming it is! The rubbish pile of broken tools, the anvil of recasting, the hands of the Master--it's a simultaneously joyful and painful voyage.

I realized that to be an instrument of noble purposes requires constant "becoming." We have never "arrived," so to speak.

I have felt both the pain of Christian evangelism, as well as the simultaneous joyfulness along the way of this voyage. Of course, I am so blessed to live in the U.S. where pain and suffering is minimal compared to the persecution that Christians endure in much of the rest of the world. Therefore, to whom much is given, much is required.

For those who make the journey -- who leave the heap, enter the fire, and dare to be pounded on God's anvil--a grand privilege awaits: to be called one of God's chosen instruments.

SEE YOU IN THE SHOP

I'm willing...are you?

Be A Light Where God Asks You to Go

Weekend, October 13 & 14

Beyond the Gates: Surrender in Thailand

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:13

Recommended Reading

Exodus 3:1-4:17

Ash and Anji Barker, and their little daughter, Amy, moved from Melbourne, Australia, to the Klong Toey slum community in Bangkok, Thailand, in 2002. No strangers to the challenges of ministering to the urban poor, they were met with initial challenges in Bangkok that seemed overwhelming. Within six months, Ash contracted an illness the local doctors couldn't identify; and while taking care of him, Anji began suffering with the early stages of dengue fever. Two deathly ill parents watched their daughter entertain herself trying to understand Thai cartoons on the television. The words to the hymn "I Surrender All" kept ringing in Ash's ears: "All to thee my blessed Savior, I surrender all."

Ash reflected on the decision they had made to minister to Bangkok's urban poor. "Who am I to do such a task?" he had prayed. "I know I am lots of things, Lord, but I am no [Saint] Francis or [Saint] Patrick." And he seemed to hear the Lord say, "You don't have to be someone else. Just light the candles I give you to light."

When you consider going beyond your own gates for the sake of others, you're only responsible to be a light where God asks you to go.

The greatness of a man's power is the measure of his surrender.

William Booth

Read-Thru-the-Bible

Luke 19:1 - 20:47 ;

Luke 21:1 - 22:71

HT: Turning Point Online

Without Sound Doctrine, One Can Easily Be Deceived

In a former blogpost, I emphasized that sound doctrine is crucial in our Christian walk with Jesus. I re-posted that thread at my message board, and a member named Sothenes brought up this point:

What is missing here is an understanding as to why Sound Doctrine is important. There are a lot of good verses here but there are two overall points that I would like to make.

I know people who are constantly erring in the faith and they think they are more spiritual because they are charismatic and yet they will believe in things that are constantly unscriptural and when I object, they say something like,"Why aren't we Christian?"

If we make something other than God the object of our desires, the major themes will be idolatry. Dinonysus was the god of sex so even though we don't understand sex as a god, the ancients did have them as gods.

Only the foundation of the Church (Apostles and Prophets) were given infallibility through inspiration and we can't claim that alone without scripture. We can make mistakes but scripture won't. People who try to build upon the foundation should be careful as to how they build because if it isn't scripture, it will just be a wind of doctrine that won't stand parallel to God's plumbline.

My reply:

Well put, Sothenes.

"Spirituality" does not always mean that a person is a true Christian. Jesus told us what is necessary. "You must be born again." It is only then that a person receives the Holy Spirit of God indwelling the soul. And, the work of the Holy Spirit is to lead them in understanding Scripture, as well as sanctifying them towards God's will in their lives.

The term "Christian" is misused all the time. When it is used to describe the true meaning of the label, it means "Christ in one." That only happens when the gospel message is heard, believed, and received through being born again in Christ. It cannot be faked. Perhaps some people will be fooled for a time, but God knows who is genuine. He will one day separate the "sheep from the goats" (meaning, true believers from false converts). Meanwhile, we will still evangelize, even with with the "goats" in our midst.

What you wrote here is so true:

"If we make something other than God the object of our desires, the major themes will be idolatry"

That object of idolatry can be anything. When people lift things, other people, or desires above their worship for God, it is then that they can easily decend into idolatry. Many are so self-deceived in this way, that the only hope for returning to God is to repent, confess, and ask for forgiveness for their sin. Those who love their idols don't want to do the very thing that can save them from deception. Giving up their pride of self and humbling themselves before the Lord is anathema to them.

God's Word even tells us how far their hardness of heart and refusal to repent and turn to the Lord will go; even during the Great Tribulation of the end times:

Rev 6:12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;


Rev 6:13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.


Rev 6:14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.


Rev 6:15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;


Rev 6:16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:


Rev 6:17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

How utterly foolish it is for people to think they can hide from God! How totally deceived and reprobate they will be to want to commit suicide rather than repent and be saved.

Where else in Scripture have we heard someone tell a believer to just "curse God and die?"

Job 2:9 Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.

Nowhere in Scripture will you find someone telling another to "curse God and live."

Why?

Because we all have the need, if not just the desire, to be reconciled with God and live. To know and love God, and be loved by Him, despite our foolish sinfulness, is the ultimate desire of our souls. Nothing else in this world can ever satisfy our need for God.

Oh yes. Sin may be "pleasurable for a time," but ultimately we find ourselves to be "utterly wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked" because sin leads to nothing but death. Allowing sin to consume us and keep us in darkness and deception is the ultimate goal of the enemy of our souls. What he offers us is absolutely nothing but evil, sin, deception and death.

When compared to the agape love, mercy, grace and eternal life with God through Christ's gospel message, we see how ridiculous it is to be fooled by the "blue pill" of Satan.

Rev 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

Jesus' own words in Revelation 3:18-22 describe the truth (can be similarly described as being like the "red pill" of reality in the movie, The Matrix):

Rev 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and [that] the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.


Rev 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.


Rev 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.


Rev 3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.


Rev 3:22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Mother Teresa's Crisis of Belief

Of all people, I never thought that I would read that Mother Teresa actually had a private life filled with personally written letters that revealed her to be involved with holding a highly disturbing, doubting-kind-of-crisis of belief.

Paul Edward's article: Mother Teresa's Dark Night reveals the importance of true faith verses the "works driven" kind of belief.

Excerpt:

"If anyone is in heaven, there is no question Mother Teresa is there," is a sentiment shared by millions of Americans, believers and non-believers alike. Yet her own words suggest it was a sentiment Mother Teresa struggled with and may well have not believed.

A new book just out from Doubleday, "Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light," reveals a previously unknown side of Mother Teresa through her private letters written over a period of 66 years. It should be noted that this book was not produced by her detractors, but rather by those seeking sainthood for the venerable nun. The letters sound what Time magazine calls "...a hodgepodge of desperate notes not intended for daylight." In the letters, written mostly to confessors, Teresa candidly—and at times with great anguish—expresses not only serious doubts about her faith, but seems resolved that she possesses no genuine faith at all.

Lots of really good comments there, too.

Some of my favorites:

tom writes: Thursday, September, 06, 2007 8:15 AM
Saving Faith
Is certainly the only "faith" that merits heaven according to scripture! What people miss is that we all stand guilty before God as we have broken His moral law. Our God-given conscience bears this out as we honestly look at the 10 commandments. Jesus took it even further and stated as far as murder, if you hate someone, you're guilty! He said if you look on a woman to lust after her, you've already commited adultery in your heart. You see it's not just the deeds, its a heart problem! It's just not what we do wrong, it's who we are! How do we escape on judgement day from a just Judge, who says in John 3:36, "he that beliveth not is CONDEMNED already! John 3:18 is the answer, believing in what Christ has done, he shed His blood to pay for every sin, to be saved, we put our faith in Him and turn or repent from our sin. That is the bottom line, then, because God has been so kind as to forgive, we love Him and do "good works" because of a heart change. We grow by getting in to the Word, and being part of a church that clearly puts this TRUTH first!

Another great comment expressing the fact that knowledge alone does not save; true saving faith involves repentance for one's sins through Jesus' sacrificial death at the cross. Faith is then evidenced by good works.

Deskjockey writes: Thursday, September, 06, 2007 9:51 AM
Ed writes: 06, 2007 7:24 AM

Here We Go Again

Although I agree with your views I would like to expand a couple points. The devil does not have faith that he is saved by the blood of Jesus, he merely has complete knowledge of God and Bible. So, knowledge alone does not save. Jas 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

It isn’t faith vs. works as you clearly point out, it is faith that manifests or is evidenced by works. So I would say a precise way to say it is that you are saved by faith, however, faith without works is dead and useless.

Therefore the criminal on the cross that merely stated he believed Jesus was who he said he was and then didn’t head off to Calcutta was never the less saved. Clearly some will confess such on their death bed without works. The works is merely a manifestation of the faith but is no requirement to being saved. Missing this distinction is what causes all the shouting.

With this understanding these following two concepts can coexist.

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Jas 2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

This comment brings up a good point that we cannot know (for certain) anyone's eternal fate (including Mother Teresa). Ultimately, only God and the individual knows for sure.

Jesus did say that "by their fruits ye shall know them." In Christopher Hitchen's case, we know that he is not a believer. In Mother Teresa's case? Who on earth could know for sure? We do have evidence of her life showing that she could have ended up in either eternal destination.

This is one reason why (IMHO) the Catholic Church's tradition of giving sainthood to servants of the church who have done good works may not be wise (or an accurate thing) to do.

stentorian writes: Thursday, September, 06, 2007 10:09 AM
Issues
"It seems, therefore, that all the things that made Mother Teresa famous—the endless hard toil, the bitter austerity, the ostentatious religious orthodoxy—were only part of an effort to still the misery within."

Somehow, the first thought that came to me here when Hitchens talks about hard toil and bitterness displayed in an "effort to still the misery within" reminded me of Hitchens himself.

Which of us is without inner struggle? Much ado about a common ailment. It gives me peace to know that even Mother Teresa struggled with life and living.

This commenter had a good point:

bjimmy5757 writes: Thursday, September, 06, 2007 11:46 AM
Faith and doubt are not antonyms
The notion that because Mother Teresa expressed doubts, therefore her faith is in question is absurd.
Think David never had doubts? - Try reading the Psalms!
Scripture (yes, the Catholic Bible, the Protestant Bible, and even the Hebrew Bible) are jam-packed with godly people who struggled with doubt. If faith were that easy, by definition it wouldn't be "faith" at all!

However, I would add the fact that David always came back to true faith in God after his bouts with doubt. It is one of the main reasons why David was called, "a man after God's own heart." Although David was guilty of many sins, rejecting God (and thus the Holy Spirit and the promise of the coming Messiah) was not ever on his radar.

Two good concluding comments:

JHS writes: Thursday, September, 06, 2007 11:51 AM
Faith and Works
Yes, both , but neither "earned" as is often imputed onto the Catholic argument. Faith increases faith and faith allows works which increase faith and if you fall short you repent which increases humility which decreases self which increases faith etc. Here are a few verses indicating that Faith alone will not cut it.

Luke 9,
23 Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.

...
58Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."

59He said to another man, "Follow me." But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."

60Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God."

61 Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family."

62Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."

*******

JHS writes: Thursday, September, 06, 2007 12:15 PM
Really, Does it Get Any Clearer
Matthew 25

31"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34"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. 35For 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, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

40"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.'

41"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

44"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

45"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

46"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

Let His Hands Fill Us Every Day

When a person is born again in Jesus Christ, he/she needs to take a back seat in the vehicle of life and allow Jesus to "take the wheel" (as the lyrics of that familiar song goes).

The following devotional shows how important such a step is.

Unfortunately, people often let their "selves" get in the way. The pride of life often leads to selfishness. Take any topic you can think of, and I'm sure you could think of people who only appear to exude selfishness in the midst of it.

It is difficult not to be selfish. It is much harder to give of oneself in honor of God for what He has done for us, as well as for the sake of others.

The following devotional stresses the secret to overcoming selfishness. It also points out our need for Jesus Christ and how filling ourselves with the leading of the Holy Spirit enables Jesus to work through us.

After all, it's not about me. It's not about you. It's all about Him!

Christine

*******


Tuesday, August 14
The Gloves Christ Wears

And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
Acts 13:52

Recommended Reading
Acts 2:1-4

Major Ian Thomas, the British evangelist, speaks of the powerlessness of a glove. If your glove is lying on the table, you can command it to do things all day, and it's helpless to obey. It just lies there uselessly. But when you fill the glove with your hand, that glove can do anything you can do. It can grasp a hammer, steer a car, shake a hand, or hold a Bible.

Christ doesn't want us to do something for Him; He wants to do something through us. To be effective in His service, we need to be filled with Him. The book of Acts repeatedly describes the early Christians as being filled with the Spirit. When the apostle Paul gave reports about his missionary activities, he always talked about what the Lord had done through Him.

When we labor in our own strength, we're just jousting with windmills. When we're filled with the Holy Spirit, it's as though Christ himself were ministering through us—which He is. We are His gloves, and we must let His hands fill us every day.

Godliness is not the consequence of your capacity to imitate God, but the consequence of His capacity to reproduce himself in you.
Major Ian Thomas

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Jeremiah 51:1 - 52:34

HT: Turning Point online

Netherlands: Weariness With Moral Squalor

It would seem that liberal licientiousness is not all that it's cracked up to be! Looks like the people of the Netherlands have come to the conclusion that they need to rethink that nation's anything-goes policies.

Article excerpt:

The effort to rein in the Netherlands' famed social liberties is not limited to the small, newly empowered Christian Union party, which holds two of the 16 ministries in the coalition government formed this year. Increasingly, politicians from the more center-left Labor Party are among the most outspoken proponents of closing some brothels and marijuana shops -- known here as "coffee shops."

"Has the Netherlands changed? Yes," said Frank de Wolf, a Labor Party member of the Amsterdam City Council. "There is not only a different mood among our people and politicians, but there are different problems now."

The Netherlands is going through the same racial, ethnic and religious metamorphosis as the rest of Western Europe: Large influxes of black, Arab and Muslim immigrants are changing the social complexion of an overwhelmingly white, Christian nation struggling with its loss of homogeneity.

But here those anxieties are exacerbated by alarm over the international crime organizations that have infiltrated the country's prostitution and drug trades, the increasing prevalence of trafficking in women and children across its borders, and dismay over the Netherlands' image as an international tourist destination for drugs and sexual debauchery.

"There is an uneasiness about globalization that the Dutch don't have control over their own country anymore," said James C. Kennedy, professor of contemporary history at the Free University of Amsterdam. "There is a more conservative mood in the country that is interested in setting limits and making sure things don't get out of hand."

It would seem that God had our best interests at heart right from the start! He knows what is best for us. The pitfalls of sin have devastating effects upon the mind, body, soul, and spirit. Obedience to God's Law helps us avoid the terrible consequences of unrepentant sin and is good for us.

Article excerpt:

"This toleration policy goes back 35 years," said Veling, snapping the lids off plastic boxes of pungent marijuana blends marked Neville's Haze and White Widow. "Now the word 'coffee shop' has become a symbol of something we don't like about society."

But historian Kennedy describes the attitude as a national "weariness with moral squalor -- the Dutch have grown tired of it and unwilling to put up with it."

He said the rise of the orthodox Christian Union party, many members of which shun television as part of their strict religious code, has coincided with the changing public attitude

Obviously, it is going to take a long time to turn things around. After 35 years of unrestricted sex, drugs, prostitution, abortion, same-sex marriage, organized crime networks, criminal gangs, marijuana "coffee shops," and several years of allowing euthanasia, no one can expect an immediate return to morality.

Article excerpt:

"They are chopping away at the edges so that people don't notice," Gomperts said, "resetting the norm of what is accepted practice."

Editor Kranendonk said his Christian Union party is realistic: "When you're a small party, you can't change everything in four years.

At least it's a start. This is good news.

*******

In further news, the battle for liberty and our religious freedoms continues. Note this email I received from the ACLJ:

Dear Christine,

Your life - your liberty - are in a battle ... on multiple fronts. From my vantage point - seeing firsthand what's happening from the courtroom to the congressional cloakroom - I can confirm:

The ACLU, Americans United, People For the American Way, N.O.W., NARAL, Planned Parenthood, the abortion lobby, and others are almost overwhelming in their intensity right now.

The heat is on - and not just because it's summertime. Yet wherever a threat exists, the ACLJ fights back. So your generous online gift today, which can be DOUBLED through our $350,000 BATTLE FOR LIBERTY Matching Challenge, will give the ACLJ strength in its battle against the anti-life, anti-freedom groups that are so determined to take those liberties away.

[Please visit the ACLJ website to donate today. ]

We will not see the American people stripped of their constitutional freedoms, their religious liberties, their time-tested traditional values.

We will not stand by and let extremists continue taking the lives of unborn babies as if they are worthless trash to be discarded.

As you read these words, we are in the midst of a ''Battle for Liberty'' of nationwide scope - unprecedented in its breadth. We're in court and in the halls of Congress reflecting your values and viewpoints in every case:

Summum v. Pleasant Grove - The latest attack on the public display of the Ten Commandments. A group is suing to display their own guidelines (the Seven ''Aphorisms''), and we're already preparing to go to the Supreme Court of the United States if necessary.

Trunk v. City of San Diego - Opponents of the Mt. Soledad war memorial cross refuse to give up. They're relentlessly fighting public expressions of the Christian faith, even after our court victories. We'll file an amicus brief in federal court soon.

McLean Bible Church v. McLane, et al. - We're in federal court because Fairfax County, Va., says a Bible church must become an official college or university in order to hold Bible studies or religious ministry classes in its facilities! It's an obvious, outrageous attempt to squelch churches' proclamation of the Gospel - and an attack on freedom of religion and speech.

We're preparing a federal case in defense of Teen Challenge, one of the world's most successful drug rehab programs. A local Tennessee planning commission has discriminated against this Christian organization by refusing them the use of property already zoned for rehab services!

We're working hard to turn back congressional efforts to pass a so-called ''Freedom of Choice Act,'' which would enshrine Roe v. Wade into law and open the floodgates for abortion.

We're also working on Capitol Hill to turn back attempts by liberals in Congress to advance the abortion lobby's agenda and restrict our religious liberties in other bills in Congress.

Thank you for whatever support God leads you to give today.

American Center for Law and Justice is a d/b/a for Christian Advocates Serving Evangelism, Inc., a tax-exempt, not-for-profit, religious corporation as defined under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, specifically dedicated to the ideal that religious freedom and freedom of speech are inalienable, God-given rights. The Center's purpose is to educate, promulgate, conciliate, and where necessary, litigate, to ensure that those rights are protected under the law. The organization has participated in numerous cases before the Supreme Court, Federal Court of Appeals, Federal District Courts, and various state courts regarding freedom of religion and freedom of speech. Your gift is very much appreciated and fully deductible as a charitable contribution. A copy of our latest financial report may be obtained by writing to us at P.O. Box 450349, Atlanta, GA 31145-0349.

As always, let us know of threats to freedom in your area by calling (757) 226-2489. And tune in to our daily radio program, "Jay Sekulow Live!"

We can see, in hindsight, what happens when a country such as the Netherlands just lets the moral squalor reign in their midst. Therefore, it is truly a worthy cause to donate to organizations like the ACLJ which work hard in court cases to avoid the downward spiral of licientiousness where the liberal left loonies in this country want to send us. Any readers here who are in a position to give to this important organization, I would encourage you to do just that!

Thanks!
Christine

Recognizing Spiritual Delusion

When it comes to studying and understanding the "shadow of coming events" predicted and prophesied in the Bible, no one does a better, more accurate job of communicating exactly what Scripture reveals than Dr. Ed Hindson. If you go to that website and read his impressive resume', you will, without a doubt, see how knowledgeable he is regarding end times events, Scriptural truth, and biblical prophecy.

One chapter, in Dr. Hindson's book Antichrist Rising, has stood out in my mind over the past few days. It is the chapter called, "Rise of False Prophets." The Bible informs us that false prophets and teachers have always been with us. Knowing God's Word is essential to being able to spot them. We are warned, however, that as the end times draw closer and closer, there will be a rise of false prophets in the world. So, how do we recognize them and most importantly, avoid being caught up in their deception?

According to the Old Testament (OT), we are told that true prophets of God must do three things in order to be considered genuine:

1. must speak in the name of the Lord, not some other god.

2. must have a message that is in accord with God's revealed truth in Scripture.

3. must give predictions of future events that come true exactly as stated.

Ed Hindson writes:

One of the most scathing denunciations of false prophets in all of Scripture is delivered by the prophet Jeremiah. In his time, Jeremiah had to deal constantly with false prophets who opposed his ministry, contradicted his message, and even conspired to have him killed. They kept telling the leaders of Jerusalem that the people had nothing to fear from the Babylonian invaders, but Jeremiah knew differently. Jerusalem was on the verge of destruction, and the people were about to be taken into captivity for 70 years.

"My heart is broken within me," Jeremiah confesses in his agony over these false prophets who "...follow an evil course and use their power unjustly" (Jeremiah 23:9,10). "Both prophet and priest are godless," the Lord responds (23:11). Then He tells Jeremiah His opinion of these false prophets:

Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD (verse 16).

I did not send these prophets, yet they have run with their message; I did not speak to them, yet they have prophesied (verse 21).

I have heard what the prophets say who prophesy lies in my name. They say, "I had a dream! I had a dream!" How long will this continue in the hearts of these lying prophets, who prophesy the delusions of their own minds? (verse 25)

Yes...I am against the prophets who wag their own tongues....Indeed, I am against those who prophesy false dreams....Because every man's own word becomes his oracle and so you distort the words of the living God, the LORD Almighty, our God (verses 31, 32, 36).

Jeremiah could not make his complaint any clearer or his case any stronger. God is against those false prophets whose spiritual delusion causes them to invent their own message apart from God's truth. The Bible presents these people in seven categories...

Before I post those categories, I want to mention a few things that are crucial to this message.

In OT times, the Holy Spirit of God would "come, minister, and then depart from" the prophets of old. Any basic study of the Bible would bear this fact out. The fact that God is depicted as "being with a prophet or person," but then "leaving that prophet or person" shows this to be true. He is often called, "The Spirit of God" for "The Spirit of the LORD." For example:

Gen 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness [was] upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

Jdg 3:10 And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: and the LORD delivered Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushanrishathaim.

Today, the Holy Spirit works both outside, in the world to influence the unsaved towards repentance and acceptance of Christ as Lord and Savior; as well as inside each saved believer. When a person is born-again (see John 3) , the Holy Spirit resides within the hearts of those believers. According to the Bible, Jesus told us that on the day of Pentecost, He would send a Helper for the disciples (and for us today as well):

Luk 11:13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall [your] heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

Notice that Jesus mentions we must ask for the Holy Spirit to indwell us. After repentance of our sins, we ask Jesus Christ into our hearts and he resides there in the form of the Holy Spirit. Jesus refers to Him as "another Comforter."

Jhn 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;



Jhn 14:26 But the Comforter, [which is] the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.


Jhn 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, [even] the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:



Jhn 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

When Jesus was here, physically on earth during his 3 year ministry, he could only be present in one place at a time. After defeating evil, sin and death on the cross for the sins of the world, and His subsequent resurrection to life, he ascended to the Father and now resides at the right hand of the Father in heaven. The Comforter (Holy Spirit) can be in all places at all times and thus indwells each believer in Christ.
We are then promised that He will never leave nor forsake us.

Hbr 13:5 [Let your] conversation [be] without covetousness; [and be] content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

This is why, no matter what happens to us on this earth, we can have the peace that surpasses all understanding precisely because we belong to Jesus! We can have absolute faith in Him! He's such an awesome Savior and Lord!

Now, back to the topic of this post.

I left off just before sharing the seven categories that false prophets and teachers can fall into:

Hindson:

1. Self-deceived. Some false teachers may be sincere, but they are still wrong. They have deceived themselves into believing their messages are true. As Jeremiah points out, their messages come psychologically from within their own minds and are not from God.

This is why I have stressed the point that the Holy Spirit of God will not lead you into thinking that contradicts Scripture! The "messages" may come "psychologically" from within one's own mind, (or, even worse from demons), but they are not from God if it contradicts God's Word!

Hindson:

2. Liars. Some false prophets are deliberate liars who have no intention of telling the truth. The apostle John says, "Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the anti-christ - he denies the Father and the Son" (1 John 2:22).

Now, admittedly, deliberate liars are easier to spot. However, sometimes the lie is so subtle, that even Christians can be fooled if they don't have a firm foundation in the truth of the Bible. Notice in Ed Hindson's second definition of a true prophet, he states:

2. [A true prophet] must have a message that is in accord with God's revealed truth in Scripture.

God's revealed truth in Scripture is the operative phrase. Anyone can read, study and even teach from the Bible. But if their ideology does not match up with God's revealed truth in the Scriptures, then beware! You may be led astray from a false teacher!

Hindson:

3. Heretics. These are those who preach heresy (false doctrine) and divide the church. Of them John said, "They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us" (1 John 2:19). The apostle Peter said, "There will be false teachers among you. they will secretly introduce destructive heresies....These men blaspheme in matters they do not understand" (2 Peter 2:1, 12).

The phrase, "blaspheme in matters they do not understand" could refer to those under delusion and/or deception. We can all recall several examples of blatantly obvious heretical movements. The Jim Jones cult, the Heaven's Gate group, and David Koresh. However, there are more subtle groups that would qualify as being called "heretical."

Hindson:

4. Blasphemers. Those who speak evil of God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, the people of God, the kingdom of God, and the attributes of God are called blasphemers. Jude calls them godless men who "speak abusively against whatever they do not understand....They are clouds without rain...trees, without fruit....They are wild waves of the sea...wandering stars" (Jude 10,12,13).

We even have a recent example of these types of people! Look no further than This debate between the "Rational Response Squad" and two Christian evangelists.

However, some examples of "blasphemers" are not always as obvious as the atheists who participated in that debate. The ability to subtly "speak abusively against whatever they do not understand." can apply to false converts, as well. They are often referred to as "sheep in wolves clothing."

Hindson:

6. Seducers. Jesus warned that some false prophets will appear with miraculous signs and wonders to seduce or deceive the very elect, "if that were possible" (Mark 13:22). Our Lord's implication is that spiritual seduction is a very real threat even to believers. This would account for the fact that a few genuine but deceived believers may be found among the cults.

Did you catch that? It bears repeating:

A few genuine but deceived believers may be found among the cults!

Now, I am often accused by gay theology proponents of "being judgmental," or "displaying hate," or "not being willing to discuss our differences," or "not living in harmony with," or "not being willing to accept that which they are preaching," or "not being willing to compromise," etc. I could go on and on, (as one well-known blog is named).

But now, we have an example of someone in the gay christian movement who demonstrates, through his own words, his unwillingness to compromise. Besides, it is not written in the Bible anywhere that we should compromise on any issue regarding the Gospel of Christ!

Here's Mel White's "gospel":

“I will sit down with anyone who comes to the table with certain basic positive assumptions about us: that we are here, millions of us, and have the right to be; that our sexual orientation, too, is a gift from our Creator who is pleased when we accept the gift with gratitude and pride; that on average we live productive and responsible lives; that we are perfectly capable of loving, committed relationships and are as equipped as heterosexuals to have families of our own; that uncounted millions of us are people of faith who serve our faith communities with creativity and commitment and patriotic Americans who serve our nation with courage and with honor; that we don’t seek “special rights” just the rights and protections guaranteed all Americans by the Constitution. Our dignity, our integrity, our right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, our unqualified acceptance by our Creator are not up for debate.”

Gcmwatch quote:

Our bold. What is there to discuss, when he demands 100% concession from us?

Can you see, now, why groups like the "Equality Riders" cannot possibly reconcile with Bible-based Christian believers? Their leader unequivocally states that in order for us to do so, it would require 100% concession (a.k.a. compromise) to his ideology.

It ain't gonna happen...people.

Why? Because there will always be a remnant of the faithful who will never compromise God's Word! That's why!

Hindson:

7. Reprobates. This term means "disapproved," "depraved," or "rejected." Paul refers to those who have rejected the truth of God and turned to spiritual darkness. Consequently, God has given them over to a "reprobate mind" (Romans 1:28 KJV). They have so deliberately rejected God that they have become "filled with every kind of wickedness" (verse 29). As a result, they are "God-haters" (verse 30), whose behavior is "senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless" (verse 31). These people are so far gone spiritually that they know it and don't care. In Jesus' own prophetic message, the Olivette Discourse, He warned, "Watch out that no one deceives you....Many will turn away from the faith....And many false prophets will appear and deceive many people....For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles" (Matthew 24:4, 10, 11,24). Our Lord warned His disciples of the possibility of spiritual seduction by false prophets.

There are different levels of re probation going on out there. From the most severe kinds of re probation to the more subtle, and perceived "harmless" type like Mel White's Equality Riders.

Hindson writes:

The Bible describes Satan as the "father of lies" (John 8:44) and pictures him as the ultimate deceiver. His name means "accuser," and he is depicted as the accuser of God and His people (Revelation 12:10). he is opposed to God and seeks to alienate people from the truth. He misled the fallen angels (Revelation 12:3,4). He tempts men and women to sin against God's laws (Genesis 3:1-13; 1 Timothy 6:9). He denies and rejects the truth of God and deceives those who perish without God (2 Thessalonians 2:10). Ultimately, he inspires the false prophets and the very spirit of Antichrist (1 John 2:18-23).

The Bible clearly warns us that in the last days people will "abandon the faith and follow deceiving ['seducing,' KJV] spirits and things ['doctrine,' KJV] taught by demons" (1 Timothy 4:1). These false teachings will come through hypocritical liars whose minds have been captured by Satan's lies (1 Timothy 4:2). Thus, the process of spiritual deception is clearly outlined in Scripture:

1. Satan - Father of lies
2. Demons - Doctrines of Devils
3. False Teachers - Messengers of Deceit

The term angel (Greek angelos) means "messenger." God's angels are His divine messengers (Hebrews 1:14; Revelation 1:1), and His true prophets and preachers are called the angels of the churches (Revelation 2:1, 8, 12, 18; 3:1, 7, 14). By contrast, Satan is pictured as a fallen angel, the leader of other fallen angels, who deceives the world (Revelation 12:9). He is revealed as the ultimate power behind the Antichrist and the False Prophet who deceives mankind with false religion (Revelation 13:14, 15). Thus, the messengers (angels) of deceit are Satan-inspired false prophets and teachers whose messages are the very spirit of Antichrist.

A century ago, A.T. Pierson, the Bible teacher who often spoke for Charles Spurgeon at the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London, wrote,

"Evil spirits acquire their greatest power from their subtlety. They are masters of the art of deception, and aim to counterfeit that which is good rather than suggest what is obviously and wholly evil."

A learned and spiritually mature Christian friend of mine, Susan Smith, once said something that was quite simple, but extremely profound!

She wrote something like this (paraphrased):

"The greatest deception is not believing that we can be deceived."

So, as Christian believers, how can we be guaranteed not to fall into deception?

1. The first step, of course, is through repentance for all sin and accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior over our lives.

2. The second step is to read and study Scripture; but the most important point in this second step is what Dr. Hindson stated, "we must have a message that is in accord with God's revealed truth in Scripture."

3. This leads to the third step. It is knowing and recognizing, the seven categories (discussed above), and types of people that could lead one into spiritual deception and delusion.


Hindson shares why we must be spiritually discerning:

The lure of false doctrine is that it presents itself as the truth. It appears as a corrective measure to established doctrine. It is propagated by those who are certain they have discovered some new revelation of truth or a better interpretation of old, established truth. Either way, they are convinced they are right and everyone else is wrong.

This is Satan's oldest trick. He appeals to our self-conceit and leads us into self-deceit. When he first approached Eve, Satan questioned the integrity of God's command and appealed to her selfish desire to be like God - the same desire that led to his own fall. And there is something selfish enough in all of us to want to believe that we can know what no one else knows. C.S. Lewis said,

"What Satan put into the heads of our remote ancestors was the idea that they could "be like gods."...Out of that hopeless attempt has come nearly all that we can call human history...the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy."

Today, the seduction is even more subtle than Hindson states here (IMHO). We could take one line from above and add to it:

"Either way, they are convinced they are right and everyone else is "intolerant," or "hateful," or "uncompromising," or "out of harmony with," or, as Mel White stated above regarding his non-biblical view that 'that our sexual orientation, too, is a gift from our Creator who is pleased when we accept the gift with gratitude and pride,' and 'our unqualified acceptance by our Creator are not up for debate.' "

In the second post on this topic, I will cover warnings that once spiritual deception sets in, it leads, ultimately, to spiritual darkness.

Some thoughts to preview:

1. Pride and arrogance are the sins that lead a person to become spiritually deceived.
2. Satan tempts us with our own self-centeredness and lures us into spiritual darkness with the bait of our own pride. The Bible calls this the "pride of life" (1 John 2:16 KJV).
3. Having been hooked by our arrogance, we are reeled in by our ignorance.

I know. All of this is so devastating and heart-breaking to read. However, there is hope!! It is found in none other than Jesus Christ and His Word, the Bible. Anyone can come out of spiritual deception and darkness! It's happening every single day!!

I sincerely believe that some people just don't even realize that they are being deceived. Others, however, know it full well. But for those who may be currently studying under any number of 'sincere' preachers who have gotten off the theological track because they don't know enough theology to realize their errors, you can give them a "test" to see if they are worthy to be in the mission of preaching the Gospel message of Christ.

Just ask them if they are willing to be checked, according to the absolute truth of God's Word, on the accuracy of a certain doctrine, point, sermon or message that they have preached.

As my pastor has told us several times, he is only human and can make mistakes. That is why our "plumb line" to stay on track when it comes to sharing the gospel and God's Word, is to stay true to it (utilizing the proper apologetics tools of exegesis, hermeneutics, Sola Scriptura, and Scripture interprets Scripture), to the best of our ability.

If a preacher or leader says that they are not willing to do this, (and/or are also not willing to back up what they have said with Scripture) that could be a good indication that they may be in danger of being off of the proper theological track.

Bottom line? My faith has to be anchored in the truth if it is going to do me, and others, any good. The same is true for you!

In the next section, Hindson mentions that "once theological error falls into 'ecclesiastical cement' it is virtually impossible to eliminate it."

Once a false doctrine is accepted, it can be organized and perpetuated by a religious body, then perpetrated by a false defense (apologetic) which is based upon a false premise. It is then when we see such groups fall down that slippery slope as they accept false doctrine [no matter how much biblical Scriptural truth has been shown to them and has exposed their error(s)] as their "new truth." They can organize it, categorize it, debate it, systemize it, teach it, and/or demand it; but that doesn't make it true!!

When it comes to false teachers, the real problem is that the love of their own, skewed, erroneous teaching may drive them to the point where they will refuse to repent of it, even when their error is exposed!


The Bible says, "They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts" (Ephesians 4:18).

Quotations Source: Antichrist Rising by Ed Hindson Copyright 2003 Ed Hindson; Published by 21st Century Press, Springfield, Missouri U.S.A. pp. 40-48 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever or stored in any database or retrieval system without written permission except in the case of brief quotations used in critical articles and reviews.

*******
6/9/07 Update:

GCM watch July Monument Award goes to Darlene Osborne of The Christian Online Magazine . Darlene has written an excellent article called, Has God Changed His Mind About Homosexuality?

HT: Gcmwatch

Is Scripture Authoritative In Your Life?

2 Peter 2:1-22 contains a harsh, but necessary message. It serves as a warning to those who would lead others into heresies that are not the true gospel of Jesus Christ.

The current phenomenon of the "Gay" Christian Movement is only one of the myriad of heresies going on today. However, it appears to be one of the hardest strongholds for those involved to break free from. The so-called "ministers" of this movement can only be spotted, found out, and opposed by those who adhere to the true gospel of Christ and know God's Word. Thus, we can recognize the error(s) inherent in this current movement.

One of the best websites that I have found which counters this heretical movement is
Gay Christian Movement Watch. The testimonies, articles, commentary and comments there from those on both sides of this issue are exposing the fact that gay-behavior affirming churches are leading many astray through invoking their own kind of "doctrine" that is anathema to what the Bible actually teaches us concerning homosexual behavior.

Case in point. When you read the comments written by a self-identified lesbian minister, you will notice (as I had previously posted):

The lesbian minister did not cite one verse of Scripture!

The lesbian minister wrote nothing about the need for confession and repentance of sin.

The lesbian minister wrote nothing about Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross for the forgiveness of sin. In fact, she never even mentions Jesus the Christ!

So, we must ask the question, which “Jesus” does she truly worship?

Since yesterday's post, GCM Watch wrote a comment to the lesbian minister and asked:

Rev. Rawls how do you respond to what seems to be a very obvious “scriptural silence” trait of gay christian ministers? To clarify, we do not that one should be a “walking bible”, but in your defense of homosexuality here, you did not (as Christine mentioned) cite one, single verse of scripture. Should we take it that scripture does not hold a place of authority in your life or ministry?

Also you emphasized “ministering to all of God’s children irregardless of sexual orientation”. Are there any “sexual orientations” that you are aware of in which a person engaging in such expression would NOT be considered God’s child? Or are you simply using the term sexual orientation euphemistically for your own sexual expression?

Thirdly, you claim CBN has sought to make “people” ashamed of who they are. Can you cite a minimum of two specific examples where CBN has sought to make people ashamed of who they are and identify who those “people” are?

The site has the following verse at the top of the front page:

"But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false prophets among you, who shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that brought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction." II Peter 2:1

That is certainly some good Word that we all must soberly and accurately heed.

The entire chapter of 2 Peter prophetically addresses the current "blog battle" between "gay-behavior is not sin" Christian advocates (like Deb), and Biblically based Christian believers who bravely counter such heresy and refuse to compromise the truth.

I have read the testimonies of former lesbians and homosexual men who now admit that they were terribly deceived by such ministries. This is a serious issue because the salvation of the souls of hundreds, if not thousands, of homosexual people are at stake!

I will post the NKJV first, then follow up with the NLT (Deb's favorite version) in the hope that God's Word, not my own will speak to those who are caught up in the lies of deception that is inherent in the heresy of the "gay" Christian movement.
*******
NKJV

2Pe 2:1 BUT there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.

2Pe 2:2 And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.

2Pe 2:3 By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does[fn1] not slumber.

2Pe 2:4 For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment;

2Pe 2:5 and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly;

2Pe 2:6 and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly;

2Pe 2:7 and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked

2Pe 2:8 (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)--

2Pe 2:9 then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment,

2Pe 2:10 and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries,

2Pe 2:11 whereas angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a reviling accusation against them before the Lord.

2Pe 2:12 But these, like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption,

2Pe 2:13 and will receive the wages of unrighteousness, as those who count it pleasure to carouse in the daytime. They are spots and blemishes, carousing in their own deceptions while they feast with you,

2Pe 2:14 having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children.

2Pe 2:15 They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

2Pe 2:16 but he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man's voice restrained the madness of the prophet.

2Pe 2:17 These are wells without water, clouds[fn2] carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.[fn3]

2Pe 2:18 For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped[fn4] from those who live in error.

2Pe 2:19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage.

2Pe 2:20 For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning.

2Pe 2:21 For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.

2Pe 2:22 But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: "A dog returns to his own vomit,"[fn5] and, "a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire."


Footnotes:
2:3 M-Text reads will not.
2:17 NU-Text reads and mists.
2:17 NU-Text omits forever.
2:18 NU-Text reads are barely escaping.
2:22 Proverbs 26:11

*******

2Pe 2:1 But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach their destructive heresies about God and even turn against their Master who bought them. Theirs will be a swift and terrible end.

2Pe 2:2 Many will follow their evil teaching and shameful immorality. And because of them, Christ and his true way will be slandered.

2Pe 2:3 In their greed they will make up clever lies to get hold of your money. But God condemned them long ago, and their destruction is on the way.

2Pe 2:4 For God did not spare even the angels when they sinned; he threw them into hell,[fn1] in gloomy caves[fn2] and darkness until the judgment day.

2Pe 2:5 And God did not spare the ancient world-except for Noah and his family of seven. Noah warned the world of God's righteous judgment. Then God destroyed the whole world of ungodly people with a vast flood.

2Pe 2:6 Later, he turned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into heaps of ashes and swept them off the face of the earth. He made them an example of what will happen to ungodly people.

2Pe 2:7 But at the same time, God rescued Lot out of Sodom because he was a good man who was sick of all the immorality and wickedness around him.

2Pe 2:8 Yes, he was a righteous man who was distressed by the wickedness he saw and heard day after day.

2Pe 2:9 So you see, the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials, even while punishing the wicked right up until the day of judgment.

2Pe 2:10 He is especially hard on those who follow their own evil, lustful desires and who despise authority. These people are proud and arrogant, daring even to scoff at the glorious ones[fn3] without so much as trembling.

2Pe 2:11 But the angels, even though they are far greater in power and strength than these false teachers, never speak out disrespectfully against[fn4] the glorious ones.

2Pe 2:12 These false teachers are like unthinking animals, creatures of instinct, who are born to be caught and killed. They laugh at the terrifying powers they know so little about, and they will be destroyed along with them.

2Pe 2:13 Their destruction is their reward for the harm they have done. They love to indulge in evil pleasures in broad daylight. They are a disgrace and a stain among you. They revel in deceitfulness while they feast with you.

2Pe 2:14 They commit adultery with their eyes, and their lust is never satisfied. They make a game of luring unstable people into sin. They train themselves to be greedy; they are doomed and cursed.

2Pe 2:15 They have wandered off the right road and followed the way of Balaam son of Beor,[fn5] who loved to earn money by doing wrong.

2Pe 2:16 But Balaam was stopped from his mad course when his donkey rebuked him with a human voice.

2Pe 2:17 These people are as useless as dried-up springs of water or as clouds blown away by the wind-promising much and delivering nothing. They are doomed to blackest darkness.

2Pe 2:18 They brag about themselves with empty, foolish boasting. With lustful desire as their bait, they lure back into sin those who have just escaped from such wicked living.

2Pe 2:19 They promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves to sin and corruption. For you are a slave to whatever controls you.

2Pe 2:20 And when people escape from the wicked ways of the world by learning about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up with sin and become its slave again, they are worse off than before.

2Pe 2:21 It would be better if they had never known the right way to live than to know it and then reject the holy commandments that were given to them.

2Pe 2:22 They make these proverbs come true: "A dog returns to its vomit,"[fn6] and "A washed pig returns to the mud."


Footnotes:
2:4 Greek Tartaros.
2:4 Some manuscripts read chains of gloom.
2:10 The glorious ones are probably evil angels; also in 2:11.
2:11 Greek never bring blasphemous judgment from the Lord against.
2:15 Other manuscripts read Bosor.
2:22 Prov 26:11.

*******

Gal 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

Rom 6:18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

Rom 6:20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.

Rom 6:22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

Recognizing Truth from Error

It is always very interesting to me to find posts where people claim to recognize false teachers of the Gospel. (5)

Yes!

It's true that there are false teachers out there, but the question is how does one recognize truth (9) from error?

The Bible is filled with verses instructing us about this issue. And, it is the absolute truth of Scripture, which comes from God (1) himself (9), that gives us the ability to recognize truth from falsehood.

It can be difficult to summarize what a true, Bible-believing Christ centered (4) church should look like, act like, and work like. Denominational differences can come into play here. However, all churches should have the indisputable Gospel of Jesus Christ (5) as their focal point. (* See numbered items below for a summary that can help you recognize truth from error)

I have mentioned many times in the past that Christians must beware of the crossless gospel. The heresy going on within the Emergent Church movement (and their spin-offs) can usually be easily identified because they tend to ignore the need for repentance at the foot of the cross of Jesus Christ at Calvary (5), and express only the grace, mercy and love of Jesus Christ.

Of course, the grace, mercy, love and forgiveness of Christ are all important to the true gospel! (5) Go to the link above to recognize why "the crossless gospel" heresy is such a huge and prominent error today, and is one that was prophesied in the book of Jude to occur in a greater capacity the closer we get to the end times. (3)

Case in point.

Deb, who self-identifies as a lesbian Christian, has a post called "False Teaching" at her blog. She identifies certain Christians as being guilty of false teaching. My question is, on what does she base her personal opinion? (2)

She writes:

Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil people and impostors will flourish. They will go on deceiving others, and they themselves will be deceived. ~2 Timothy 3:12-13

You cannot tell a “Christian”, who believes in teaching harshly, that their beliefs are wrong. They claim it’s “truth”, when in fact, they themselves, are convinced that teaching with hatred and anger is the right thing to do. I’ve been experiencing this for years, and it’s time for me to step back and let them be, yet I still have many questions. I can’t convince anyone that my way is the true way. I can say, that my way is how I want to live and how I believe God wants me to live. I have peace with God, and I know that I’m right with God. How can anyone argue with what I believe?

And the peace of God, that transcends all understanding will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus. ~Php 4:7

My mind is at peace. My heart is at peace, because my relationship with God is mine. I own it. No one can tell me differently. If I get my messages from God, why should I believe other people?

First, notice that the verse she quoted discusses deception, not what is "right or wrong."

Deb could learn a lot from that verse. (9) Deception is often so subtle, that one could pass over it's influence and not even recognize or realize it!

So, how do we keep ourselves from falling into the trap of deception? The answer is to study God's Word and glean from what the Scripture writers said and meant at that time. (9)

The Holy Spirit of God (7) indwells the born-again believer and helps the reader to learn from the Bible. Know also, that there are certain passages that need to be taken literally, while others can be recognized as allegorical. How do we find this out? By using all the tools of proper scholarship, as well as spiritual gifts (8). What are these tools?
Exegesis.
Hermeneutics.
Sola Scriptura.
Scripture interprets Scripture.
New Testament Revelation.
The Law and the Prophets.

And, the fact that Jesus said:

Mat 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

The NLT version of the same verse:

Mat 5:18 (NLT) - I assure you, until heaven and earth disappear, even the smallest detail of God's law will remain until its purpose is achieved.

I have often heard those who are currently steeped in error claim that the "Law no longer applies" since Jesus Christ (4) was sacrificed for sin at the cross. The truth is, the punishment for breaking the Law (which all mankind has done) is no longer affecting the souls of believers because Jesus became the propitiation for our sins, when he died on the cross, and rose again to victory over evil, sin and death. (4) (5)

No one can snatch believers out of the hand of God, (1) no matter what happens on this earth. Jesus conquered the power of evil, sin, physical death and thus saved us from spiritual death (3) which is what we all would have experienced without the sacrificial death of our Lord and Savior, at the cross, for us!

Notice, also, that the verse in Matthew 5:18 begins with two qualifying statements:

1. "I assure you." (NLT) "For verily I say unto you." (KJV)

Whenever Jesus begins a statment with such verbiage, it's both an admonition to pay attention as well as a fact that it is true! (9)

2. "Until heaven and earth disappear." (NLT) "Till heaven and earth pass." (KJV)


We must ask ourselves, when will "heaven and earth disappear or pass?"

The Bible tells us!! (9)

Revelation 21:1 (KJV) And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

Revelation 21: 1 (NLT) Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone.

So, what was Jesus telling us in Matthew 5:18? He was telling us that the Law and the Prophets are still in effect until his second coming to earth!

It is so clear as day that no one should miss this!!

It is extremely important to keep in mind that the guidance of the Holy Spirit within the believer will NEVER go against what is written in Scripture! (7) (9)

Now, look at this next verse which reiterates what I have been telling Deb:

Mat 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

In James 2:8, we see that the commandments given by Jesus Christ are GIVEN TO US FOR THE PURPOSE OF BEING fulfilled by us, not abolished!

Jam 2:8 (KJV) If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:

James 2:8 (NLT) - Yes indeed, it is good when you truly obey our Lord's royal command found in the Scriptures: "Love your neighbor as yourself."

What is the best way to love our neighbor as ourselves? It is to tell them the truth of God's Word! (9) That is the best way.

Jesus gave us the Great Commission (4) (5):

Mar 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

What are we to do when we find a Christian brother or sister in error (3) while sharing the Gospel?

2Ti 3:16 All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

It is not "mean," "ugly," "intolerant," or "hateful" to tell someone the truth in God's Word. Those are deceptive devices that Satan uses to keep the unsuspecting in the bondage of sin!! (2)


In Deb's concluding paragraph from the excerpt above, Deb stated:

"My mind is at peace. My heart is at peace, because my relationship with God is mine. I own it. No one can tell me differently. If I get my messages from God, why should I believe other people?" (bold mine)

God (1) wants us to be completely submitted to Him and His Will for our lives. (2) In that order, everything works. Out of that order, we fall for deception.

Two of my favorite verses that emphasize avoiding deceptive philosophy and reiterate the need to be fully committed to Christ:


See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
Colossians 2:8

The eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth to show Himself strong to those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.
2 Chronicles 16:9

*******

*What We Believe...

(1) About God:
God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. He has eternally existed in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and are one God.

Genesis 1:26-27; Genesis 3:22; Psalms 90:2; Matthew 28:19; 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Corinthians 13:14

(2) About Humankind:

We are made in the spiritual image of God, to be like him in character. We are the supreme object of God's creation. Although humankind has tremendous potential for good, we are marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God, called "sin." This attitude separates us from God.

Genesis 1:27; Psalms 8:3-6; Isaiah 53:6; Romans 3:23; Isaiah 59:1,2

(3) About Eternity:

We all were created to exist forever. We will either exist eternally in union with God through forgiveness and salvation or separated from God by sin. Heaven is the place of eternal union and eternal life with God. The eternal separation from God is called Hell.

John 3:16; Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:15; (Hell)
Matthew 25:41; Revelation 21:27 (Heaven)

(4) About Jesus Christ:
Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is co-equal with the Father. Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all by dying on a cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heavens glory and will return again, to earth, to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Matthew 1:22-23; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-5; John 14:10-30; Hebrews 4:14, 15; 1 Corinthians 15:3,4; Romans 1:3,4; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Timothy 6:14,15; Titus 2:13

(5) About Salvation:
Salvation is a gift from God to mankind. We can never make up for our sin by self-improvement or good works. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ as God's offer of forgiveness can we be saved from sin's penalty. Eternal life begins the moment we receive Jesus Christ into our life by faith.

Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8,9; John 14:6; John 1:12; Titus 3:5; Galatians 3:26; Romans 5:1

(7) About The Holy Spirit:
The Holy Spirit is equal with the Father and the Son of God. He is present in the world to make mankind aware of our need for Jesus Christ. He also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation. He provides the Christian with power for living, understanding of spiritual gifts, and guidance in doing what is right. The Christian's responsibility is to seek and to live under His will daily.

2 Corinthians 3:17; John 16:7-13; John 14:16,17; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 3:16; Ephesians 1:13; Galatians 5:25; Ephesians 5:1

(8) About Spiritual Gifts:
The gifts of the Holy Spirit are available to each believer in Jesus Christ, allowing for greater intimacy with God and power for accomplishing His work in our world today. We believe that God, the giver of gifts, gives severally as he wills, and with emphasis on growing maturity in Jesus Christ. These gifts are revealed and then can be used for His purposes and powerfully influence and affect our world for Christ.
1Corinthians 12:4-7, 11, 17, 29, 30

(9) About The Bible:
The Bible is God's Word to all mankind. It was written by human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living. Because it is inspired by God, it is truth without any mixture of error.
2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20, 21; 2 Timothy 1:13; Psalms 12:6; 119:105, 160; Proverbs 30:5

Consequences Of A Hardened Heart

Over at my message board, a common question was once again raised regarding the portion of Scripture in the book of Exodus concerning the hardening of the heart of Pharaoh. A skeptic named GMpilot wrote:

Yet we still have that story of poor Pharaoh, who finally opened the door of his heart only to have the Israelite God slam it shut again.

I have read similar words from non-believers time and time again. It is a comical error that skeptics like to present as "meanness" on the part of the LORD God.

A fellow Christian member at my board named Sothenes had a great post that pointed out the error of the skeptic's thinking:

According to one of my pastors, the word "hardened" means to "twist or to wring out". So when God applied the Ten Plagues to Pharaoh, God was twisting or wringing out what was already there in Pharaoh's heart. Instead of three strikes and you're out, God was giving Pharaoh ten chances with the Ten Plagues.

When people look at the English word "hardened" we think of permanence or that Pharaoh couldn't believe or perform differently because God hardened Pharaoh's heart. I look at it as God enabling Pharaoh to choose, believe and repent but that Pharaoh was blind to what God was doing even though the God of the slaves (the Jewish people) beat the gods of the Pharaoh through the Ten Plagues: (Osiris, Heka, Geb, Beelzebub, Apis, Isis, Insect gods and Ra)

How do we apply this to Calvinism? We can't use the permanence of the word "hardened" to say that God predestined Pharaoh to choose which way Pharaoh was going to act but that God enabled Pharaoh to see that Jehovah (Yahweh) was better than Pharaoh's gods. In a sense, a Calvinist would use Pharaoh to say that Pharaoh was spiritually dead but the plagues helped Pharaoh see that God was the true God.

I've been working on getting people out of Calvinism which I may finish eventually, Lord willing. It requires a lot of research and a lot of time because all of Calvinism is not Biblical doctrine but I will finish Calvin off eventually.

I hope this helps but the current teaching of Pharaoh's heart being hardened is Calvinistic doctrine and is not Biblical doctrine.

It isn't my purpose here to "turn off" anyone who studies under Calvinistic doctrine. It appears that Sothenes disagrees with some, if not all, of Calvinistic doctrine. Any Calvinist out there that would like to respond, please do. But let's try to keep it civil!

My purpose here was to share Sothenes' comment and then include my response.

I added the following:

Good points Sothenes!

We can look at the NIV Bible verse in Exodus 7:22 and see that it was stubbornness, on the part of Pharaoh, that caused him to harden his heart:

Exodus 7:22 - But the Egyptian magicians did the same things by their secret arts, and Pharoah's heart became hard; he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said.

Back in verse 7:14, we see evidence of Pharaoh's stubbornness again:

Exodus 7:14a - Then the LORD said to Moses, "Pharaoh's heart is unyielding; he refuses to let the people go."

Pharaoh's heart was hardened against the LORD God, Moses, the Israelite slaves, and the suffering of his own people. He obviously hated the fact that the God of Abraham was superior to his pagan gods. Even though he had ten chances to come to this realization, his own stubbornness would not allow it. Pharaoh hardened his own heart (remember, in verse 14a the LORD said Pharaoh's heart was unyielding which means that he still had the opportunity to turn his heart towards the LORD if he wanted to).

It finally took the death of his own son (brought about by Pharaoh's own words!) for him to relent. But even then, he got on his horse and commanded his soldiers to follow the Israelites in order to get them back as slaves in Egypt. He followed them into the Red Sea and ended up drowning along with his soldiers. It was his own stubbornness that led to all the plagues, tragedies, suffering, and ultimately, the deaths of his son, many of his people, soldiers, and himself.

What does this historical biblical story tell us?

Pharaoh's stubborn disobedience brought suffering upon himself and his entire country. While persistence is good in certain circumstances, stubbornness is usually self-centered. Stubbornness towards God is always disobedience. This would logically include stubbornness towards God's Word, as well.

Stubbornness against God and His Word often, inevitably, leads to disobedience. We are to avoid disobedience because the consequences may spill onto others.

This story may be ancient, but it is as timely now as it was back then. The objects of stubbornness may be totally different from the desire to keep slaves in Egypt, but people are falling into their own kind of stubborn slavery to terrible sin right here, right now.

The awful realization that a pedophile ring could have 700 members operating via the internet is appalling! The good news is that 700 have been identified and busted in this despicable International Internet Child Porn Ring.

Only totally depraved, reprobate minds and hardened hearts could possibly subject children to such horrific sexual abuse. These men should be locked up for life. The immense physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual harm done to these children is often irreversible.

This serves as an example of how such stubbornness and disobedience towards God's Word leads depraved minds towards evil actions which inevitably cause huge negative consequences for the innocents that were horribly used by these disgusting predators. Those children were illegally taken and caught up in sexual abuse slavery at the hands of evil, abhorent sexual abusers. There ought to be a death penalty law for sexual predators who abuse children.

We need to pray for these children. We need to pray for their ultimate healing and redemption through Jesus Christ.