tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21417330707116997542024-03-13T02:58:07.978-05:00Guarding the Gate"I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence, and give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth."—Isaiah 62:6-7Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961748598430931759noreply@blogger.comBlogger62125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141733070711699754.post-4494762561845923742012-01-31T12:34:00.000-06:002012-01-31T12:34:41.282-06:00An Open Letter to Showbread<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">The following is an open-letter that is meant to be somewhat of a "response" to an open-letter written by Showbread to the Flaming Lips. Before going on, you may want to read Showbread's letter <a href="http://joshdies.com/2012/01/10/an-open-letter-to-the-flaming-lips/">here</a>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Dear Josh and Patrick and Garret and Drew,</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoJqZbZXlk-_xCinsXmHb_BvZEhI0JqGpZHsGtp0xH2rlW5zBbLNTTRyRi93Q9ohAntPft99_l7bnWFsC8TDy0oQiRbXhrX_9p0TVnq1Sud40BX8-c9LJ2e2OWNr8U_3rWUw7ljx-_GSc/s1600/showbread.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200px" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoJqZbZXlk-_xCinsXmHb_BvZEhI0JqGpZHsGtp0xH2rlW5zBbLNTTRyRi93Q9ohAntPft99_l7bnWFsC8TDy0oQiRbXhrX_9p0TVnq1Sud40BX8-c9LJ2e2OWNr8U_3rWUw7ljx-_GSc/s200/showbread.jpg" width="160px" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Let me introduce myself: my name is Richard, and I am a Christian. I’m a Christian who has been a fan of your music for the past 6 years. I bought my first Showbread album in 2004 and for quite awhile, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">No Sir Nihilism is Not Practical </i>was in my cd player for days on end. I loved the infusion of raw rock with the thoughtful and uncompromising lyrics. I felt like I discovered “Christian music” for the first time…it was a genre that I only knew from the likes of “family-friendly” radio stations and Showbread changed that perception for me.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">In fact, Showbread was a major influence when 2 friends and I played in a short-lived band for about 2 years. I even remember hanging with you guys at a show at Fat Cats in Houston. I was deeply impressed by the heart you all had for ministry. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.</span><br />
<br />
I read your <a href="http://joshdies.com/2012/01/10/an-open-letter-to-the-flaming-lips/">open letter to the Flaming Lips</a> and I can appreciate your earnest and bold attempt to reach out to a band that seems to have contempt for those who follow Christ.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
With that said, I felt compelled to write you all a letter with my thoughts.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">If you noticed in my first sentence, I’m not afraid to call myself a Christian. While I admit and agree with you that this label carries heavy baggage in the eyes of the culture, I prefer this title mainly because the Bible isn’t afraid to use it.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Acts 11:26b And in <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Antioch</place></city> the disciples were first called <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Christian</span>s.</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">1 Peter 4:16 Yet if anyone suffers as a <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Christian</span>, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoT3L5MIvvhizCVutqmHtFDPOMCyhV7KyNtPNES7QE1X4xaBW1Sa8YUKU8O2yIpTGnByfo5Qs10wq0VKVjKiRh_0OOdP_gq3iO-X7gRQVzFrgnI8ErlBUgpQsQ-pH6e30jKH3HVS-m3xE/s1600/Persecution_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195px" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoT3L5MIvvhizCVutqmHtFDPOMCyhV7KyNtPNES7QE1X4xaBW1Sa8YUKU8O2yIpTGnByfo5Qs10wq0VKVjKiRh_0OOdP_gq3iO-X7gRQVzFrgnI8ErlBUgpQsQ-pH6e30jKH3HVS-m3xE/s200/Persecution_01.jpg" width="200px" /></a></div><span style="font-size: 11pt;">More importantly, to be a Christian is to identify with Christ. If you notice in the verse above, Peter is exhorting those who are “followers of Christ Jesus” (Christians) to not be ashamed of the gospel even in the midst of a culture that hates and persecutes them (verbally or physically). It is precisely because we name the name of Christ that people will hate us. This is nothing new-<a href="http://www.ccel.org/f/foxe/martyrs/home.html">all throughout the history of our faith, men and women have been persecuted</a>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Luke 21:17 You will be hated by all for my name's sake. </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">In fact, Paul warns Timothy that all who desire to follow after Christ will suffer at the hands of unbelievers.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><strong>2 Timothy 3:12-13 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, <sup>13</sup> while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.</strong> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">God does not leave us just with the promise of persecution though. He also promises that He will be with us to give us the strength to endure for His name. He does not just leave His sheep to fend for themselves but promises grace so that although people may mock us and forsake us, God will be faithful to His children.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">1 Peter 4:14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Spirit</span> of glory and of God <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">rest</span>s upon you. </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">And you see, this is what matters most. We do not seek the applause and acceptance of men. The truth is that because Christ has lived the life we couldn’t live and died the death we deserve, we are accepted by the true and living God and now have fellowship with Christ. Finding the pearl of great price is of eternal value in comparison to being accepted by the culture. </span></strong></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">You also say, </span></strong></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“</span></strong><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Yes, I believe Jesus is God, I believe in a literal, corporeal resurrection of the dead, I believe a personal, loving God created the universe, etc. I sincerely believe in all these things, but I do not hold these beliefs over the heads of those who reject them.” <strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></strong></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">And then,</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">“Let me be clear, my letter’s intention is by no means converting any of you to my way of thinking”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Josh, let me ask you this-if you truly believe that Jesus is God and he was raised from the dead, thus making his words true and binding, should you not be shouting His message from the rooftops with the hopes of that sinners will be converted? You say that you do not believe that those who reject the message are idiots (well, maybe fools) or should be treated differently. I certainly agree with this statement but let me point this out-there is something worse waiting for those that reject the message of Christ.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Romans 2:8 But for those who are self-seeking and who <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">reject</span> the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Does this concern you in the deepest part of your soul? The fact that a judgment day awaits the Flaming Lips should make the gospel proclamation a priority in your concerns for them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While it is important to clothe the naked and feed the poor, these things are trivial in light of eternity and judgment. We must be willing to confront the world that is lost, dying and without hope. In fact, if we are a “group of rescued lovers who are deeply loved and love others”, we would tell the full truth with the hope that God would grant them repentance and raise those who are dead in sin to life in Christ. Love, after all, does not rejoice in wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth.</span><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">So let me finish with this: it’s ok if they hate you; it’s ok if they call you stupid and mock and scorn you. As I stated above, we should expect it since the natural man loves darkness and hates the light. But let it not trouble you because Christ is worth it and He has made it well with our soul. He endured not only shame and contempt at the hands of guilty sinners but bore the full wrath of God so that we might be forgiven of all our sins. We, who were also once alienated and hostile in mind towards God, have now been reconciled and adopted as sons through the shed blood of Christ. We now have peace with God even when men are at war with us. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">So do not hate us all (even the “<span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="color: #cccccc;">hateful, highly politicized, right wing, republican, flag-waving, gun-toting, war-mongering </span><span style="color: #cccccc;">bigots”)</span><span style="color: #cccccc;">.</span></span> Why hate when you can show and proclaim to the entire world the love of Christ?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">In His service,</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Richard</div></div>Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961748598430931759noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141733070711699754.post-25856536673289605272011-11-24T17:17:00.001-06:002011-11-24T17:29:12.589-06:00Thankful in All Seasons<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Life is full of seasons (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8). <br />
<br />
The Bible says there is a time be born and a time to die. And in between there are seasons to laugh and dance but there are also seasons to mourn and weep. It's easy to be thankful when we're experiencing the joys of life but what about the seasons where there seems to be no reason to laugh or dance?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-gfzxweuMxN74oaVlL_Btnbvm_Ntm3OyCwyvCLUc4EL7tzNEaLK49K4ZZsOiP-7-eJzXWyk8-PtWID4Ja3zFkHBulCgUFmzrF1MLXs9H0luQmbKEwslrPLOTFDNt2Z_XaRYYLcKOwdg0/s1600/imagesCA2RBKPL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-gfzxweuMxN74oaVlL_Btnbvm_Ntm3OyCwyvCLUc4EL7tzNEaLK49K4ZZsOiP-7-eJzXWyk8-PtWID4Ja3zFkHBulCgUFmzrF1MLXs9H0luQmbKEwslrPLOTFDNt2Z_XaRYYLcKOwdg0/s200/imagesCA2RBKPL.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>What comforting about the word of God is that we are told that we will experience the sorrows of life and that it's ok to mourn. Why? Well James 1:1-3 says that we can count these seasons as a reason to be hopeful because this is where God refines our faith and proves it to be steadfast. While our feelings may tell us otherwise, we can look to the pure word of God to comfort and secure us.<br />
<br />
This year has been a season of mourning for me. I lost both my grandparents in a matter of 3 days and a month later, a dear friend of the family was gone. In fact, today is the 4th month anniversay of my beloved grandmother'spassing. Death came swiftly and soon my family's life was tossed around like a wave in a stormy sea. <br />
<br />
But as I reflect back on that season of trials and sorrow, I realize that in light of God's nature and His holy word, I have much to be thankful for. If we are in Christ, we dont have to blindly question why these things happen. We know that His purposes are always for our good and His glory. And if we know this, we should be thankful that he uses ALL things-the good, the bad and the ugly, to bring us closer to Him and to put His glory on display. All we have to do is look at the cross and realize that in the gospel, what seemed to be a reason to mourn and weep was actually a reason to rejoice. Christ had to endure great suffer and die so that we might be reconciled to Him. <br />
<br />
So if we are God's children, be thankful in all things and know that even in seasons of great difficulties, God's purposes are always good and He is always faithful.</div>Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961748598430931759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141733070711699754.post-39878550435655106292011-10-05T18:28:00.013-05:002011-10-11T14:13:27.172-05:00Beholding the Glory of Christ-2011 Fall Bible Conference<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Here is the info for Founders Baptist Church's 2011 Fall Bible Conference. Dr. Thomas Schreiner and Dr. Bruce Ware will be preaching through the book of Colossians concerning <span style="color: red;">The Glory of Christ as Eternal Word, Incarnate Son, and Risen King</span>. The conference is free and all are welcome.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHVUTU-ZMt4YL1oplBKSLES6n94MLTFRlZ5rpptHpvTiNkEngkqIyaNkz6kiEH-43YwKUZ-Ho68W7tsEUW7HcVe_90PwRJ5PxzKJtf-liflFfolmyvSODmkgqmDXlXeWvjrOIMXNA-z8g/s1600/IMG_20111005_171014+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHVUTU-ZMt4YL1oplBKSLES6n94MLTFRlZ5rpptHpvTiNkEngkqIyaNkz6kiEH-43YwKUZ-Ho68W7tsEUW7HcVe_90PwRJ5PxzKJtf-liflFfolmyvSODmkgqmDXlXeWvjrOIMXNA-z8g/s320/IMG_20111005_171014+%25282%2529.jpg" width="244px" /></a><br />
<b>Dr. Thomas Schreiner </b>- Professor of New Testament Interpretation-<i>Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville Kentucky</i><br />
<br />
<b>Dr. Bruce Ware </b>- Professor of Christian Theology- <i>Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville Kentucky</i><br />
<br />
Friday: October 21, 6:30 PM<br />
Saturday: October 22, 6:30 PM<br />
Sunday: October 23, 9:00 PM<br />
Sunday: October 23, 6:30 PM<br />
<br />
A map to Founders Baptist Church can be found <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=founders+baptist+church&fb=1&gl=us&hq=founders+baptist+church&hnear=0x8640b8b4488d8501:0xca0d02def365053b,Houston,+TX&cid=0,0,13175787443123393796&ei=4NiMTu7RMOGHsgLm34ypBA&sa=X&oi=local_result&ct=image&ved=0CAQQ_BI"><strong><u>here</u></strong></a>. Bring some cash as there will be a book table with great selections from Ware and Schreiner, along with other authors.<br />
<br />
<br />
On a side note, <a href="http://womanthouartloosed.eventbrite.com/"><strong><u>T.D. Jakes will be in town on the same weekend at Lakewood Church</u></strong></a>. I think there's an <a href="http://www.theelephantroom.com/"><u><strong><span style="color: #666666;">elephant</span></strong></u></a> in Houston.</div>Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961748598430931759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141733070711699754.post-91729422173160424962011-09-27T15:26:00.002-05:002011-10-14T08:08:02.685-05:00Big/Small Church = Big God<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">I'm a nostalgic kind of guy. This is especially true when it comes to old cheesy movies, particularly from the 80s and 90s. Home Alone is one of those movies that I can watch over and over.<br />
<br />
There is a particular scene that really stands out to me. To put it in context, Kevin is trying to defend his house from two thieve and being alone on Christmas Eve, he's feeling a bit sad and scared. It's at this point where he walks in on a choir singing in church.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/lFynECEfw5w?rel=0" width="510"></iframe><br />
<br />
I love the way the camera captures his "smallness" in comparison to the church's "bigness". There's little Kevin looking up in awe at the architecture and design of the church, with the choir beautifully singing "O' Holy Night" in the background.<br />
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This is what I want to experience when I walk into a church. I want to forget about myself. I want the church to remind me of how big and great and powerful our Creator is, especially when compared to a weak and feeble little creature like myself. I'm not suggesting that only a big church can point us to God. What I am saying is that our hunger to glorify God should come out in everything from the furniture to the music to the preaching should point us away from ourselves and to our glorious God. Nowadays. This is what Sunday morning is all about!</div>Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961748598430931759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141733070711699754.post-67355239248692263722011-06-24T11:09:00.001-05:002011-06-24T14:12:09.344-05:00Fresh Spring Baptist-Anniversary Event<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Fresh Spring Baptist Church is celebrating their anniversary and are graciously taking up an offering for <a href="http://www.peasantsaints.com/">Peasant Saints</a>. Pastor David Catoe has been very supportive of our ministry and we have been deeply encouraged by his example as a pastor who leads his flock with an evangelistic zeal. Feel free to stop by!<br />
<br />
Friday, 7pm<br />
Pastor Travis Cardwell<br />
Fellowship to follow: ice cold watermelon<br />
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Saturday, 7pm<br />
Pastor Bill Streger<br />
Fellowship to follow: Homemade Ice Cream<br />
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Sunday, 11am<br />
Pastor David Catoe<br />
<br />
Sunday, 6pm<br />
Bro Cody Trevino<br />
BBQ and water slide (slide will be up early at 5pm)<br />
<br />
SPECIAL OFFERING: Peasant Saints<br />
FSBC will be presenting the Peasant Saints w/ a love offering to purchase <br />
a video camera and to purchase Bibles and tracts with a goal of $350+.<br />
<br />
CONTACT<br />
David Catoe<br />
Pastor<br />
Fresh Spring Baptist Church<br />
Angleton, TX<br />
www.thecyberspring.com</div>Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961748598430931759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141733070711699754.post-37019813235414544222011-06-10T11:58:00.012-05:002011-06-11T14:55:21.472-05:00Ten Things to Look for in a Gospel Tract<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd4j896cCFnkmHpasyVJdAs-9_y399Hh1BFkU76fZ-qZ6sp-kR-YvM1WRpSR_2oX2B1N8wZDP6Ozaj28y_jIgrKt3zRYzz4Vn4c9FhXaGJijYdjgegm6dP4AcNNzaYkVWMMEVQEUIF3zE/s1600/jack-chick-tracts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd4j896cCFnkmHpasyVJdAs-9_y399Hh1BFkU76fZ-qZ6sp-kR-YvM1WRpSR_2oX2B1N8wZDP6Ozaj28y_jIgrKt3zRYzz4Vn4c9FhXaGJijYdjgegm6dP4AcNNzaYkVWMMEVQEUIF3zE/s320/jack-chick-tracts.jpg" t8="true" width="232" /></a></div>Tracts can serve many purposes in our evangelistic endeavors by getting the gospel in the hands of numerous people in a short amount of time. Some tracts assist us with opening up a conversation while others are great to leave with someone after you already shared the gospel with them. Tracts also give you the opportunity to share it with someone whom you may never verbally speak with.<br />
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With the rise of many parachurch ministries who desire to equip the church and evangelize the lost, the sale of tracts on the internet has increased greatly. You can find many different styles, designs, and messages all crafted for a specific event or circumstance. Consequently, there are plenty of tracts that do shame to the gospel message. So whether you decide to purchase a tract or design your own, it would do us well to use wisdom. <br />
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I’ve come up with a top ten list of what to look for regarding the design and content of a tract in hopes of helping you make your decision. If you must decide between the two, content should always be the primary concern but I have also included some pointers regarding design. I’ve seen some pretty wacky tracts out there that reflect poorly upon the gospel. If we are to share the gospel with the lost through a tract, we must consider all things. <br />
<br />
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: x-large;"><u>Design</u></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">1. The artwork is up to par</span><br />
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Poorly drawn cartoon characters and geometrical shapes seem to fall short of creatively displaying the gospel to a world ready to mock Christians (see God has a Wonderful Plan or any Chick tract). If you’re not the best at design, you can check out <a href="http://www.customtractsource.com/"><span style="color: #999999;">this website</span></a> and they can help you with the artwork.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">2. Make sure the font is readable</span><br />
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Don’t compromise the font for the design itself. I’ve seen beautifully designed tracts try to squeeze a 2 pt font simply because they wanted to preserve the blueprint. People won’t even bother reading it if they have a hard time seeing the message. This is one of the biggest complaints I've heard about the million dollar bill tract.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">3. Folded, post card, and money tracts</span><br />
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Depending on the occasion, either of these sizes will do. <a href="http://www.customtractsource.com/Folded-Tracts_c_48.html"><span style="color: #999999;">Folded tracts</span></a> are usually ideal to leave with someone after you shared the gospel with him. <a href="http://www.customtractsource.com/Money-Tracts_c_32.html"><span style="color: #999999;">Money tracts</span></a> tend to do well if you’re looking to grab someone’s attention or break the ice (they usually laugh). <a href="http://www.customtractsource.com/Post-Cards_c_47.html"><span style="color: #999999;">Post cards</span></a> can be effective if you’re passing out tracts near bars or clubs<br />
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<u><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-size: x-large;">Content</span></u><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">1. No cheesy references to secular culture</span><br />
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Jesus and Wal-Mart do not go together on a tract. Jesus saves souls, Wal-mart saves you money…big difference<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">2. Make sure sin and judgment are defined/explained and, if possible, examples of sin are given</span><br />
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Most tracts, if they even mention sin, will give an obscure reference to Romans 3:24 and then run quickly to the cross. Remember, you have one chance to hand this person a tract so you’ll want them to understand what sin is and what it looks like. Using Romans 3:24 out of context will not do that. My suggestion is look for tracts that go through the law or give specific examples of sin.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">3. “Christ crucified” is not the only reference to the gospel</span><br />
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After ambiguous references to sin, many tracts will then run to John 3:16 or Romans 3:24 without every mentioning Christ’s life and resurrection. Paul says that we preach Christ AND Him crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2) and that He was obedient to the point of death (Philippians 2:8)…his death/crucifixion was the climax of the gospel. Before His death, he lived 33 years in obedience and suffering and after His death, God raised Him from the dead. I see many tracts devote most of the content to law and judgment with only a few short catch-phrases about Christ.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">4. Repentance and faith follow the gospel presentation</span><br />
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I’m sure you’ve experienced this scenario: you excitedly read a thorough and clear gospel presentation only to come to the last page of the tract and your heart sinks as you read, “Now say this prayer…” Stick to the biblical command of repentance towards God and faith in Christ.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">5. Scripture references are littered throughout the tract</span><br />
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More than likely, this person will not read the tract immediately after you give it to them. With references to Scripture, you can pray that as they take it home and read it, they will go directly to the Bible and God’s word will convict their hearts.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">6. The tract is Christ-centered</span><br />
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Most importantly, if it’s one thing you want the person to remember after they have read the tract it is this: Christ and His atoning work in light of their own personal sin. If you think of a great springboard to open up the tract, then by all means use it but don’t overdo it by allowing your creative theme to dominate the message. All the while the gospel, which is the power of God for salvation, is neglected and gets pushed to last place.<br />
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John Newton said, “My memory is nearly gone but I remember two things: that I am a great sinner and that Christ is a great Saviour.” It’d be good for our tracts to drive home the same message.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">7. Contact information is available</span><br />
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We know the Lord is sovereign and we know the gospel alone is what saves the sinner and we rest in that knowledge as we share that message. We also know that as the Lord convicts that person of sin, rightesouness and judgment, many questions may arise. We should make ourselves available, even after we walk away, to steer that person in the right direction. Make sure the tract has a website or email available and if it doesn’t, print up some stickers or make a stamp and include your own contact information (email, number, church, etc).<br />
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I hope this information truly sheds some light on tracts as you step out into the world and share the gospel. If you don't know where to begin, we highly recommend <a href="http://www.gbibooks.com/Details.aspx?ID=STOP-25"><span style="color: #999999;">John MacArthur’s</span></a> and <a href="http://edlacyministries.org/"><span style="color: #999999;">Ed Lacy’s</span></a> tract. Although a bit pricey, it is worth the extra cash. Both give thorough and biblical presentations of the gospel. <a href="http://www.livingwaters.com/"><span style="color: #999999;">Living Waters</span></a> also has some good tracts for all sorts of occasions. Peasant Saints is also working on a few new tracts so look for those soon!<br />
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Does anyone else have suggestions or favorites tracts that they use? I'd like to hear from you!</div>Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961748598430931759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141733070711699754.post-77071089594130791082011-04-06T07:54:00.003-05:002011-04-07T22:19:29.458-05:00The Esteeming of Social Justice and the Abandonment of Gospel Proclamation<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg5VJ3b5Ai9ft1QlTrG7EWRat-kLAKqe5xfyu7Xcc4ptlhyphenhyphenZs1Swz0SCbxD62bPQNwfL5vSO5SHQjGI627iusbotWQGCGgqFC3NdVM5wA7x-dODmAHcboOTjr7YXEWMXf9-hF0_ZGS_6Y/s1600/637BA-stepladder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg5VJ3b5Ai9ft1QlTrG7EWRat-kLAKqe5xfyu7Xcc4ptlhyphenhyphenZs1Swz0SCbxD62bPQNwfL5vSO5SHQjGI627iusbotWQGCGgqFC3NdVM5wA7x-dODmAHcboOTjr7YXEWMXf9-hF0_ZGS_6Y/s1600/637BA-stepladder.jpg" /></a></div>If you pay attention to the news media, you'll realize that the world holds the Bono's and the Oprah's of this world in high regard. What I mean is, if you dedicate your life to giving to the poor, you'll gain the attention of the world and most people will like you. Everyone loves generous people.<br />
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Don't get me wrong, giving to the needy is a good thing. In fact, Christians should be the most generous people on the face of the earth and the world should know us by our good works (Matthew 5:16). I'm afraid though that while the church may be anxious to gain the attention of the world for the sake of a good reputation, the ministry of proclaiming the gospel is being neglected due to the fact that it is seen as <a href="http://contendearnestly.blogspot.com/2009/04/is-open-air-preaching-effective-for.html">foolish and weird</a>.<br />
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The "bullhorn guy" on the ladder is ridiculed, not only by hecklers, but by Christians also. They say that we simply need to be "the hands and feet of Jesus" by giving with our hands and not preaching with our mouths. Afterall, the saying goes, "Preach the gospel always, and if necessary, use words." This has become the modern church's great commission. It's a commission that is void of persecution...the world will welcome those who will keep quiet but give good gifts, even if that person is a Christian.<br />
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Let me offer some encouragement to my fellow laborers who are seen as fools in the eyes of the world and the church because of their diligence to obey God and proclaim the Gospel. I know you're worn out...I know it's easy to become discouraged thinking it's all in vain...I know how your ministry can go completely undetected within the walls of your local church and spat upon outside those four walls. <br />
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But remember your Savior. Remember WHO it is that stirred your heart that first time you stepped out and opened your mouth to preach that glorious Gospel message. With our eyes fixed on Jesus, our faith, love and zeal will continue to fuel us to faithfully proclaim His message. And remember that you have been entrusted with this message, seeking not to please men but to please God (1 Thessalonians 2:4). We know for certain that men will continue to view you as foolish and out of your mind; afterall, this is how they viewed and treated our precious Savior.<br />
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So continue to wear yourself out. Get up on that ladder and preach bodly; step out into the crowds and hand-out your gospel tracts...<span style="color: red;"><strong>Christ is worth it</strong></span>. In fact, He is worth more than we can and ever will offer. And in the meantime, pray that through your gospel witness, God would continue to stir up laborers just like yourself within the church so that they may take that first step that you once took and open their mouths to proclaim the Good News!</div>Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961748598430931759noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141733070711699754.post-73014857312006582702011-02-25T13:10:00.000-06:002011-02-25T13:10:25.670-06:00The God Sin-Shaped Hole in Our Hearts<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> Ephesians 2: <span style="font-size: x-small;"><sup class="versenum" id="en-ESV-29214"><strong>1 </strong></sup></span>And you were dead in the trespasses and sins <span style="font-size: x-small;"><sup class="versenum" id="en-ESV-29215"><strong>2</strong></sup></span> in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— <sup class="versenum" id="en-ESV-29216"><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">3</span></strong></sup>among whom we all once lived in<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></sup>the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></sup>children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.<br />
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In light of this verse, I have a question for Christians who tell sinners that they have a "God-shaped hole in their heart that only Jesus can fill". And only until they fill this hole by "accepting Jesus", they will never be satisfied.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuIrrps80Fg9J_r7Ph1r24eVn7UvaCrSxUZEVXoB7NmD9OPcaKRHGnKIR1yukFcU7AiO29xREKeZJ8CEnbloY9WQARR3LLfYzZp_0mQzfdAq2LoKZNLDQ4bTZJ1EJsUvWCfYVK3QZE9jc/s1600/teen_with_hole_in_the_heart_214121321.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuIrrps80Fg9J_r7Ph1r24eVn7UvaCrSxUZEVXoB7NmD9OPcaKRHGnKIR1yukFcU7AiO29xREKeZJ8CEnbloY9WQARR3LLfYzZp_0mQzfdAq2LoKZNLDQ4bTZJ1EJsUvWCfYVK3QZE9jc/s200/teen_with_hole_in_the_heart_214121321.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
Doesn't this verse say otherwise? Paul says that prior to conversion, we were actually satisfied because we filled that "hole in our heart' with what we truly loved and desired...sin. Before God changed our hearts, we were fine without Jesus...we had ourselves and all the desires of our flesh to please.<br />
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I'm just not sure if we're being completely honest when we tell unregenerate people that the Bible says we are sinful by nature and in love with our sin then turnaround and say that Jesus is the only one that can really satisfy us. <br />
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I'm just sayin'...</div>Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961748598430931759noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141733070711699754.post-10115408411594292152011-02-23T13:30:00.007-06:002011-03-11T08:04:55.529-06:00Testimonial Evangelism and Postmodernism<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2VrrB4jD_t7zOBo3jKELmBcWAmzUzIJmYByb2-Z8-cjTh5t6PkU1gnrx44W-iBsHBgH_MXJx5eK7IJHNDCRSAcCfrDejUiXdlaRAQYEaPWvm85wSbov2gKT9ezG-NJI6dwzV0rKR6zQw/s1600/whatever-floats-your-boat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2VrrB4jD_t7zOBo3jKELmBcWAmzUzIJmYByb2-Z8-cjTh5t6PkU1gnrx44W-iBsHBgH_MXJx5eK7IJHNDCRSAcCfrDejUiXdlaRAQYEaPWvm85wSbov2gKT9ezG-NJI6dwzV0rKR6zQw/s320/whatever-floats-your-boat.jpg" width="295" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">If you're like me, you've heard the term postmodernism thrown around a lot but haven't been able to grasp what exactly it means. In a nutshell, postmodernism defines truth as being a construction of one's own thoughts and ideas as it pertains to their own personal experience. Consequently, this worldview leads to the truth that there are many truths, no matter how contradictory they may be since each individual is the determining factor of what is true.</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>We see postmodernism's affects on art, literature, and architecture to name a few examples. What I am more concerned with is how this worldview is affecting Christianity in how we read the Bible, evangelize, do church, and judge right and wrong. Rather than confronting a culture of half-truths and no-truths with absolute truth, the church has retreated and married herself to the postmodern culture by adopting the belief that we shouldn't judge falsehood but treat all opinions, beliefs, etc. as equal, regardless of substance. Each individual's personal standards is exalted above the standard of God's word.<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">So what does all this have to do with evangelism and your personal testimony?</span></strong><br />
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I remember growing up and hearing a lot of "to each his own's" and "whatever floats your boat's". Looking back, I realize that this is the lingo of the postmodernist-the one who subjects truth to their own personal experience. And looking forward, I see why testimonial evangelism fails when it comes to sharing absolute truth with a world in love with subjective truth. We can tell people how Jesus has changed our life and greatly influenced us, with good and right intentions, but the postmodernist response is, "Whatever floats your boat." Ultimately, they hear about our PERSONAL experience, no matter how joyfully and sincerely we present it, and gleefully write it off as something that is good for you, the Christian, but not good for them.<br />
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At this point, you might say that sharing your personal testimony is less confrontational and opens up the door to have others listen to you. This is a genuine concern but at the end of the day, we should base our gospel ministry not on pragmatism or what gets the best results but on biblical authority.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">So what is the biblical evangelistic response to a postmodern culture?</span></b><br />
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In Acts 17, Paul was greatly distraught after noticing many idols in the city of Athens. He could've easily preached his own personal testimony about his own personal God, which I'm sure would've fit right in with the religion in Athens since the Greeks set-up many altars of worship to various gods. Instead, Paul went on to proclaim "Jesus and the resurrection" (Acts 17:18) and then preached one of the greatest evangelistic sermons in the Bible (Acts 17:22-31). He confronted the idolatry of Athens by boldly declaring the gospel! <br />
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And this is exactly how we should respond to the idolatry of postmodernism. which replaces the true God with the god of self. We need to replace our subjective and personal testimony with God's objective and universal testimony found only in the gospel! Rather than pointing others to our own inward experience, we should point sinners to God's outward demonstration of His love on the cross (Romans 5:8). Afterall, does the gospel not show us that this life is not about us and our story but about Christ and His glory. And we give Him glory by looking away from ourselves and setting our sights on our Savior, the author and finisher of our faith!<br />
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The culture we live in loves the idea of subjective truth. A worldview that puts the individual on the throne and allows them not only to construct their own perception of truth which makes them comfortable but it also gives them free reign to reject any truth that makes them uncomfortable. This is why personal testimony is so appealing to the postmodern culture...it's personal in respect to the one sharing it and it sets no demands on the hearer. In contrast, the demands of the gospel, to repent and trust in Christ, are universal. This is what God, through Paul, commanded all Greeks to do, regardless of the god they worshiped (Acts 17:30). And even today, God commands all men to repent and trust in Christ. And the gospel promises that anyone who comes to Christ in repentance and faith will by no means be turned away, regardless of their own personal experience. Although the postmodern culture doesn't like this idea, it is actually good news! God's love towards sinners has nothing to do with what we do but everything to do with what Christ has already done! If you ponder the depth of that good news, the focus in our proclamation will shift away from us and our own testimony and towards God's love and His testimony about His Son!</div>Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961748598430931759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141733070711699754.post-42971088133855494652010-12-31T15:37:00.003-06:002011-01-01T13:26:07.602-06:00A Lasting Resolution<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPH0gr8HV04V2Hb63VyDlFcTofEsuLSRe6jZjHCUcY-nbES4radq2O35a8yjejY7zNx6htZjCQ9DAI87qxiIHVxABg7aKplHYVbg3IUFPE1mb2Kyn3ttePwmLYkDPqkPNWAMfH9NQNqPk/s1600/untitled.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; height: 168px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; width: 156px;"><img border="0" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPH0gr8HV04V2Hb63VyDlFcTofEsuLSRe6jZjHCUcY-nbES4radq2O35a8yjejY7zNx6htZjCQ9DAI87qxiIHVxABg7aKplHYVbg3IUFPE1mb2Kyn3ttePwmLYkDPqkPNWAMfH9NQNqPk/s200/untitled.bmp" width="145" /></a>With another year coming to a close, many people are reflecting on 2010, whether it be the goals we reached throughout the year or those we quickly forgot after January 1st, 2010.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">So as many Americans who celebrated Christmas completely miss the point of the incarnation of Christ and the power of His gospel, we rush towards this year's New Year's Eve party getting out our fancy suits and champagne glasses while we gobble up our black-eyed peas and cabbage and for one night, feel like change is in the air.</div><br />
Unfortunately, the church can also miss the point of Christ's first coming and run to preach a "gospel of resolutions" that turns the gospel merely into a message that can bring positive changes in our lives.<br />
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Here's an example from an email that Joel Osteen of Lakewood Church sent out today.<br />
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"At the beginning of this year, God gave me Ephesians 3:20 as a promise for this new decade, and we have seen God do amazing things. I am expecting to see His supernatural power and provision exceed our expectations in these last few days of 2010, and I want to encourage you to be a part of what God is doing now and what He plans to do in 2011."<br />
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The fact of the matter is that God already "exceeded or expectations" by sending the long-awaited Messiah to this earth over 2,000 years ago. The God-man, Jesus Christ, displayed the supernatural power of God by living a perfect and obedient life under the law, being completely without sin (<span lang="EN">2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15; 1 Peter 2:22). While we exceedingly break God's commandments, Christ obeyed it perfectly by living a righteous life in thought, word, and deed. He then willingly went to the cross and suffered under the wrath of God. We, as sinners, deserved this but the precious Christ, who didn't deserve it, satisfied the justice of God and took our sin and punishment completely (<span lang="EN">Isaiah 53; Romans 3:24-26; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24, 3:18; 1 John 2:2)</span>. He then died and was buried then rose again from the grave proving that he was the son of God who sufficiently made the payment for our sins (Romans 1:4, 4:25).</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5yCX2CQ58B53HjIKLHUqFznYQFtJb5jnwxaZ8bbzWVfgy8yue1oPPEf9nD3GwKNcBEenfTqB254pl8S0CUoikvTh7Ii-KJjAUdAqJPO8S0bTHhDjn-dj5EzMcNARzzToxpC5rFBIfucs/s1600/good_news.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5yCX2CQ58B53HjIKLHUqFznYQFtJb5jnwxaZ8bbzWVfgy8yue1oPPEf9nD3GwKNcBEenfTqB254pl8S0CUoikvTh7Ii-KJjAUdAqJPO8S0bTHhDjn-dj5EzMcNARzzToxpC5rFBIfucs/s320/good_news.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><span lang="EN">This is the good news and in light of God's amazing love towards sinners, we must repent and trust in Christ for the forgiveness of sins (<span lang="EN">Proverbs 28:13; Luke 13:3; John 3:18). Upon putting our faith in Christ, God will justify us and forgive us of every single sin we have committed and will commit (<span lang="EN">Romans 3:28, 5:1; Galatians 3:11)</span>. We will receive the righteousness of Christ as our sins are nailed to the cross with Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21; Colossians 2:13-15).</span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN"><span lang="EN">This is the message the church has been entrusted with and this is the message the church should be proclaiming to the ends of the earth (2 Corinthians 5:18-20)! So while the world will continue to preach and embrace a message that can only bring about an empty change, the gospel is the power of God that can give life to sinners dead in their trespasses and sins and bring salvation and forgiveness to all who come in repentance and faith! And it is only in Christ that the old has passed away and we are made new creations (2 Corinthians 5:16, 17). So this new year, if you are a Christian, make it your priority to preach the good news to a lost and dying world. And if you have yet to believe this good news, repent of your sins and trust in Christ and God will give you life!</span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><u>Mark 10</u></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN"><span lang="EN"><strong><sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">23</span></sup></strong>And Jesus<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></sup>looked around and said to his disciples, <span class="woj"> "How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!"</span> <sup class="versenum" id="en-ESV-24606"><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">24</span></strong></sup>And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, <span class="woj"> "Children, how difficult it is<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></sup>to enter the kingdom of God!</span> <sup class="versenum" id="en-ESV-24607"><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">25</span></strong></sup><span class="woj">It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God."</span> <sup class="versenum" id="en-ESV-24608"><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">26</span></strong></sup>And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him,"Then who can be saved?" <sup class="versenum" id="en-ESV-24609"><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">27</span></strong></sup>Jesus looked at them and said, <span class="woj"> "With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God."</span></span></span>Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961748598430931759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141733070711699754.post-59657530725190590212010-12-21T18:00:00.000-06:002010-12-21T18:00:12.580-06:00O' Holy NightO' Holy Night sung by Philip Webb with the Grace Community Choir and Orchestra.<br />
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<object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/75R7X5JjwGY?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/75R7X5JjwGY?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961748598430931759noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141733070711699754.post-47148495987078012552010-09-11T14:31:00.003-05:002010-09-11T14:36:00.630-05:00Have You Forgotten?I found this video of the World Trade Center attacks on <a href="http://bibchr.blogspot.com/">Biblical Christianity</a>. <span style="color: #134f5c;"><strong>Watch with caution as there are many disturbing images.</strong></span><br />
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And then I picked this up on <a href="http://babyloniansquirrel.blogspot.com/2010/09/have-you-forgotten.html">A Squirrel in Babylon</a>.<br />
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I hope this reminds you of how it felt that day when Islam attacked all that America cherishes...in case you forgot.Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961748598430931759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141733070711699754.post-52763823342436455702010-08-09T13:59:00.000-05:002010-08-09T13:59:59.225-05:00Tolerance and Worldly PreachingI have to wonder sometimes if while entrenched in a culture that preaches tolerance, Christians let the world's greatest commandment-"thou shall not judge"-infiltrate our thinking without even knowing it. This idea that the church should not judge anyone on any matter lest we be accused of not being loving. Don't get me wrong, we do want to be loving in all that we do but love does not separate itself from discerning what is true and what is false (1 Corinthians 13:6), particularly when falsehood has crept into the church. I have seen this affect the way we deal with "preachers" who have dumb-downed the gospel and preaching. Many factors may contribute to this, including our low view of God's word and preaching, but I do think we have let tolerance take priority over the biblical command to stand firm on God's truth and oppose those who water it down by their methods and message. This must not be so...there is too much at stake (see Titus 1:9-16).<br />
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How would the preachers of old respond to what goes on in the church today? By comparison, we would probably look like cowards.<br />
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<object height="360" width="440"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/UgFiFVlpwvM&hl=en_US&fs=1?rel=0&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/UgFiFVlpwvM&hl=en_US&fs=1?rel=0&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="420" height="360"></embed></object>Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961748598430931759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141733070711699754.post-38530506653500120302010-07-30T13:42:00.002-05:002010-08-05T14:32:12.105-05:00Neglecting Such a Great Salvation<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzkItSDxUXHRdTaJDsx_RF8xFu6InePKShewWPisIn_RP83Wb6SwzVqrHM72I6B0B6VCKdB_HtRClwIHnSyTB_MJfVpeRe9cdcfZb3KDbzAjIhPRpHqcF4iZo6X5yePmrUnItuP8KEsDE/s1600/spam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzkItSDxUXHRdTaJDsx_RF8xFu6InePKShewWPisIn_RP83Wb6SwzVqrHM72I6B0B6VCKdB_HtRClwIHnSyTB_MJfVpeRe9cdcfZb3KDbzAjIhPRpHqcF4iZo6X5yePmrUnItuP8KEsDE/s200/spam.jpg" width="200" /></a>Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">(Hebrews 2:1-3a)</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">This passage in the book of Hebrews was written to the church to serve as a great warning in regards to the new covenant. In knowing the just retribution that came with neglecting the Mosaic law which was given by angels (see Leviticus 26:14-39; Numbers 15:30-31), the writer makes a lesser-to-greater argument by emphasizing the greater judgment that came with neglecting the salvation through Jesus Christ that was proclaimed by God Himself. The overarching principle is that the gospel that God has proclaimed through Christ is so important, that God will judge all men who neglect it.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">While it is a great tragedy when a person who is lost in their sins hears the gospel message only to neglect it and walk away indifferent, what is even a greater shame is when the church neglects this gospel message that has been entrusted to us by God. Instead, we turn to shameful and irreverent schemes that have nothing to do with the Christ. Whether it is during a Sunday morning worship service or at a youth conference, the church has perverted the gospel to appeal to carnal men. We claim to care about the souls of men but in reality our methods show that we only care about numbers and getting "decisions" for Christ. If we truly were concerned for the salvation of men, then we would be faithful to preach the God's word, which is the only medium that is sufficient to bring lost sinners to the knowledge of the truth (2 Timothy 3:15) and thus bring them to repentance and faith in Christ (2 Kings 22:11; Romans 10:17; 1 Peter 1:23; James 1:18) and guide them into all things that pertain to life and godliness (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:3).<br />
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I've seen this at it's worst this week in Houston, TX. <a href="http://www.spamarama.info/">A conference that prides itself on being "the most anticipated inner city multi church student conference in Houston, Texas</a>" is busy spreading its Christless and worldly Christianity to 1,000+ youth. As you walk through the website and watch some of the highlights, you will see that the preacher has been replaced by the comedian and the storyteller and the message has been replaced with silly illustrations and bad jokes. Even worse, rather than proclaiming the gospel and God's word, the "pastors" and "speakers" feel it necessary to hold sessions on how teens can be prepared for their "first time". And this is all done in the name of "love".<br />
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This is where parents and churches are sending their youth, and sadly, churches across the evangelical landscape have used these antics to replace the message that Paul said was "of most importance" ( 1 Corinthians 15:3). The only message that is the power of God to save, sanctify and glorify the sinner (Romans 1:16; 1 Corinthians 15:1-2). So rather than proclaiming this gospel message, the church turns to man-centered and man-made strategies that may produce results that look good on paper but in God's scheme of things, do nothing to profit the souls of men.<br />
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It's a sobering thing when we see those lost and dead in their trespasses and sins turn away from the only way to find reconciliation to a holy and righteous God but what's just as frightening (if not even more) is when pastors and teachers, those very men that are called to preach this message of reconciliation to the lost, ignore God's message and method and replace it with their own. I pray that God would awaken our hearts and unplug our ears to pay careful attention to this great salvation so that we use God's means to preach God's message for God's glory.</div>Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961748598430931759noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141733070711699754.post-13721269932144793672010-05-03T13:55:00.010-05:002010-05-03T14:05:14.145-05:00The Priority of Love<a href="http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?sermonID=52102116443">My pastor's exposition</a> of 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 on Sunday was very insightful and brought conviction upon me regarding how zealous I can become for sharing the love of Christ and at the same time not apply it to my life in a personal way. I think anyone who is involved in evangelism in a consistent manner can benefit from this message.<br />
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It reminded me of the following video from Desiring God. Although the video was based on James 3, it contained similar reminders of one who is involved in Christian activity while leading a loveless life.<br />
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<object width="420" height="360"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-oHm7IB8Uxc&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-oHm7IB8Uxc&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="420" height="360"></embed></object>Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961748598430931759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141733070711699754.post-43331028620305740702010-01-11T12:25:00.006-06:002010-01-27T10:59:15.610-06:00Peasant SaintsThe ministry I am involved with, <a href="http://www.peasantsaints.com/">Peasant Saints</a>, recently created a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/PeasantSaints">new YouTube channel </a>with two new videos. Here is one that features our "Origins into Schools" project on the main campus of University of Houston...enjoy.<br />
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<object height="285" width="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/xnF8m9kgrhA&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/xnF8m9kgrhA&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="340" height="285"></embed></object>Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961748598430931759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141733070711699754.post-19862766794111584142009-12-31T09:00:00.000-06:002010-01-04T08:37:41.816-06:00Should the Christian Pray for the Destruction of God's Enemies?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH_7WAJYELSSZoOOrCxzsjEWNtodd2UtkxDrYMgkNkQPCmOX3vJvsdoTpUUxj1BoXknRIIW33T5ouZE0PIbrMpxUYdp9wpltMCUOPpntoiQsgPhdFaoWnjz2UrojTagsAos5aK4-NLU2s/s1600-h/prayer.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421045976298321170" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 178px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 185px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH_7WAJYELSSZoOOrCxzsjEWNtodd2UtkxDrYMgkNkQPCmOX3vJvsdoTpUUxj1BoXknRIIW33T5ouZE0PIbrMpxUYdp9wpltMCUOPpntoiQsgPhdFaoWnjz2UrojTagsAos5aK4-NLU2s/s320/prayer.jpg" border="0" /></a> Here was some interesting commentary from the ESV Study Bible regarding imprecatory prayers. <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/08/31/phoenix-pastor-draws-protests-telling-church-prays-obamas-death/"><span style="color:#3366ff;">There has been a lot of talk</span></a> about whether a Christian should pray for the destruction of the enemies of God and many quickly scoff at the idea. <a href="http://www.esvstudybible.org/search?q=galatians+5%3A12"><span style="color:#3366ff;">I mean really, who would really pray for harm to come to those who oppose the gospel?</span></a><br /><br />Psalm 35 with an emphasis on vs. 4-8<br /><br />"4 Let them be put to shame and dishonor<br />who seek after my life!<br />Let them be d turned back and disappointed<br />who devise evil against me!<br />5 Let them be like chaff before the wind,<br />with the angel of the Lord driving them away!<br />6 Let their way be dark and slippery,<br />with the angel of the Lord pursuing them!<br />7 For without cause they hid their net for me;<br />without cause they dug i a pit for my life.<br />8 Let destruction come upon him when he does not know it!<br />And let the net that he hid ensnare him;<br />let him fall into it—to his destruction!"<br /><br /><a href="http://www.esvstudybible.org/search?q=psalm+35">ESV Online Study Bible Crossway</a>: <strong><u>Let Them Be Ashamed</u></strong><br />The faithful pray that the schemes of the pursuers would fail, and that the pursuers themselves would suffer disappointment and humiliation, and finally destruction. There are many reasons that such a prayer is proper for God's people to pray.<br /><ol><li>It is realistic; God's protection of the faithful means that he must thwart the schemes of those who would harm them. </li><li>It is just, since the pursuers devise evil (v. 4), and without cause they hid their net for me (v. 7). (Observe the repetition of “without cause,” in vv. 7, 19.) Third, it takes God at his word (cf. v. 5 with 1:4).</li><li>From all of this it is plain that the prayer is not a vindictive response to personal injury but an appeal based on faith."</li></ol><p>Ultimately, the world will scoff at the idea that God will punish sin and all those who practice it...they love evil and hate righteousness. Sadly, even in the church we make a god who is not just and will simply turn a blind eye to evil. </p><p>Whether or not we should pray imprecatory prayers is up for debate but one thing is certain-God will bring destruction upon those who are without Christ so it is important that we are preaching the gospel and warning sinners of <a href="http://www.esvstudybible.org/search?q=Colossians+3%3A6"><span style="color:#3366ff;">the wrath that is to come</span></a>.</p>Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961748598430931759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141733070711699754.post-18492352447798478182009-11-24T16:45:00.005-06:002011-04-20T14:25:10.258-05:00Hold Fast to the Gospel<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXYQZxFUfa_4BEh_2M0YPB2ukuskaqmTuc4BtCwmZncRYyEt1HTIVcfD6Driv617_Ojn_Ta378Rt4STFrvcGllvytkXHGkcJSJJkfEis5UNq93oCTYi8-PLdWfDMmTN2Mzpce3yO83Bkw/s1600/Joel%252BOsteen%252Bosteen2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199px" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXYQZxFUfa_4BEh_2M0YPB2ukuskaqmTuc4BtCwmZncRYyEt1HTIVcfD6Driv617_Ojn_Ta378Rt4STFrvcGllvytkXHGkcJSJJkfEis5UNq93oCTYi8-PLdWfDMmTN2Mzpce3yO83Bkw/s200/Joel%252BOsteen%252Bosteen2.jpg" width="200px" /></a></div>With the Christmas season already upon us, many right-wing Christian organizations are already waging war against a secular industry that is attempting to remove Christ from Christmas. <span style="color: red;">While I do find this type of extreme political correctness a bit annoying, what concerns me more is not what's going on in the secular realm but the Christless preaching that many hear from church on Sunday morning.</span><br />
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I vividly remember the "Christian" opposition I received when I expressed this particular concern I had with a popular preacher here in Houston. Over and over I heard "inspiring" messages of how to live a victorious kind of life. One thing was missing though...the gospel. Any mention of repentance, sin, Christ, and the cross was limited to the end-of service 2-minute invitation to say a prayer and ask Jesus into your life. This was after a 30 minute presentation on how to live your best life now. I shared my concern with friend from the congregation but they saw no need to place the gospel at the center of any of the pastor's sermons. In fact, they sarcastically asked how many times does he have to talk about the gospel. We're already Christians, right?<br />
Unfortunately, this wasn't a unique experience. At every church I visited, I heard similar preaching. This was also prevalent at churches that didn't sugar-coat the sermons but steadily exhorted the congregation to do this and do that and live holy. <span style="color: red;">I was told what I should be doing but I was never really explained why I should be doing these things or the fact that Christ has already fullfilled all that God requires on my behalf. I was told the what but never the Who or the why.</span><br />
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So what you have in many churches is a message of moralism. Preaching that focuses on what we do rather than on what Christ has done. Messages centered on our righteousness rather than on Christ's righteousness. The end result produces Christians who work hard merely out of duty or guilt and not out of a love for their Savior. What follows is an attitude that starts comparing other Christians to our standard of obedience or what we're doing. We fall into a mindset that other Christians are not doing enough.<br />
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<span style="color: red;">What we don't understand is in light of all that Christ has done, we can never do enough.</span><br />
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The Gospel is not merely, as Michael Horton puts it, the spark that ignites the Christian life via salvation. It is also the fuel that drives faith and practice. Too often I hear well-intentioned Christians exhort new believers to get into a discipleship/accountability program and learn the deeper things of God. They view the gospel and salvation as an event that happened in the past. But what is deeper than the infinite love of Christ that was demonstrated on the cross (1 John 3:1)? And isn't it in the gospel that we now stand? <span style="color: red;">Everything we do from getting up in the morning to laying down at night and everything in between should be motivated by the love that God has shown us through Christ</span>.<br />
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The new and old believer's response to Christ's saving work on the cross is one of obedience flowing from a heart of love for their Savior (John 14:15, 23-24). You can't have one without the other. If you remove love, then you have legalism. Remove obedience and you have antinomianism. <span style="color: red;">The true Christian who obeys God's law understands that Christ obeyed all that law perfectly on the his behalf.</span> This is why no discipleship program or twelve-step class can do anything for anyone unless the Gospel is at the center of all things, especially in our Sunday morning services. What He has done for our sake should be our focus and not simply what we should be doing.<br />
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I want to write more but I do not want to make my initial post on this topic too long. I'd like to share something from 1 Corinthians 15 that is very important regarding Christ-centered preaching, evangelism, living, etc. and I will do so in my following posts.<br />
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1 Corinthians 15:1-4<br />
1Now I would remind you, <strong>brothers</strong>, of the <strong>gospel</strong> I preached to you, which you <strong>received</strong>, in which you <strong>stand</strong>, 2and by which you are being <strong>saved</strong>, if you <strong>hold fast</strong> to the word I preached to you— unless you believed in vain.<br />
3For I delivered to you as of <strong>first importance</strong> what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures...</div></div>Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961748598430931759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141733070711699754.post-44878277496664191752009-10-31T00:01:00.004-05:002009-10-31T00:21:57.258-05:00Happy Reformation Day-2009I wish I could write more about this historic event but as usual, I wait to the last minute to post something. What I will say though is that the faith we proclaim today was passed down to us from great men of faith like John Wycliffe, John Hus, William Tyndale, John Calvin, Martin Luther, and Ulrich Zwingli. And because we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us endure the race set before us and not grow weary as we exalt and proclaim Christ and Him crucified.<br /><br />Here is a powerful rendition by Steve Green of the great hymn written by Martin Luther.<br /><br /><object width="340" height="285"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/NRJHKzU_t1M&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6&border=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/NRJHKzU_t1M&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="340" height="285"></embed></object>Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961748598430931759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141733070711699754.post-72916295222513675592009-10-14T15:47:00.020-05:002009-10-22T22:24:10.895-05:00Is Abortion an Equal Opportunity Killer?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTi6MfgjUHCQrWivTm3gqilsqjl4pUGgW1dXTakKEGKWVmDgakFFkPCDabkezSg3GmTId-Ox_qEeI_by6MBt5hEPtMGgHTAwFw4R7h4TDPLn_ti6xwZgKInTg6nhdUI2wbhtFChfY2Dwk/s1600-h/race-graph.gif"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 140px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 317px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393012010303021282" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTi6MfgjUHCQrWivTm3gqilsqjl4pUGgW1dXTakKEGKWVmDgakFFkPCDabkezSg3GmTId-Ox_qEeI_by6MBt5hEPtMGgHTAwFw4R7h4TDPLn_ti6xwZgKInTg6nhdUI2wbhtFChfY2Dwk/s320/race-graph.gif" /></a> When you think of Hispanics with picket signs, what is the first thing that comes to mind? If you're from Houston and read The Chronicle, your thoughts will quickly turn to immigration. Within recent years, the immigration debate has heated up and many protesters flooded the streets for the sake of immigrant rights.<br /><br />But their is something else going on within the Hispanic community...something much more serious.<br /><br />Hispanics are adamant about defending the human rights of those who made it out of Mexico and across the border to America, yet everyday the human rights of 700 Hispanic babies are squashed before they even get a chance to make it out of their mother's womb. Look at these statistics from <a href="http://www.abort73.com/abortion/abortion_and_race">Abort 73</a>.<br /><span lang="EN"></span><br /><span lang="EN"><em>AGI (The Guttmacher Institute) tells us that Hispanic women account for </em></span><a href="http://agi-usa.org/pubs/fb_induced_abortion.html"><u><span style="color:#0000ff;"><span lang="EN"><em>22%</em></u></span></span></a><span lang="EN"><em> of all U.S. abortions, though they make up just </em></span><a href="http://www.census.gov/prod/2001pubs/c2kbr01-3.pdf"><u><span style="color:#0000ff;"><span lang="EN"><em>12.5%</em></u></span></span></a><span lang="EN"><em> of the female population. Compare those numbers to non-Hispanic, white women, who make up </em></span><a href="http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/index.html"><u><span style="color:#0000ff;"><span lang="EN"><em>62.6%</em></u></span></span></a><span lang="EN"><em> of America's female population(</em></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/%20Anchor-1"><u><span style="color:#0000ff;"><span lang="EN"><em>1</em></u></span></span></a><span lang="EN"><em>), but account for only </em></span><a href="http://agi-usa.org/pubs/fb_induced_abortion.html"><u><span style="color:#0000ff;"><span lang="EN"><em>34%</em></u></span></span></a><span lang="EN"><em> of all U.S. abortions.</em></span><br /><br />The fact is as Hispanics took to the streets of Houston to protest illegal immigration, <a href="http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/chronicle/5990832.html">the largest abortion facility in the western hemisphere was being built in their backyard</a>...6 stories high and 75,000 square feet. Is it then no surprise that the abortion of Hispanic babies is double their percentage of the population? No doubt this is a strategic location motivated by money as Planned Parenthood continues to rake in the cash, $831 million per year on abortion services to be exact. Couple that with their racist roots in which Margaret Sanger desired to "exterminate the Negro population" and you have a recipe for success. By placing one of the largest abortion facilities right near Hispanic and African American neighborhoods, it is obvious that PP continues to prey on minority communities. <a href="http://www.lifeissues.org/connector/display.asp?page=05oct.htm">And this doesn't just happen in Houston</a>.<br /><br /><span lang="EN">So the greater tragedy is not that Hispanics are denied the rights of an American citizen but that everyday hundreds of Hispanic babies are denied their rights as a human beings and aborted before they ever had a chance to live. For those who are actively fighting for racial equality, I think it's time we wake up to the somber fact that a large percentage of the Hispanic baby population are being killed in their mother's womb. At least those illegal immigrants had a chance to cross the border, take up a job, and raise a family...whether it be in Mexico or America. Unfortunately 700 Hispanic children per day will never have that chance.<br /><div><div><div><p>For more information please visit <a href="http://www.abort73.com/abortion/abortion_and_race">The Subtle Racism of Abortion</a> & <a href="http://blackgenocide.org/" target="blank">BlackGenocide.org</a>. If you're pregnant and need assistance <a href="http://www.abort73.com/HTML/IV-A-pregnant.html">click here </a>and contact any of the available websites and phone numbers.</p></span></div></div></div>Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961748598430931759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141733070711699754.post-84400426082856639912009-09-24T15:17:00.013-05:002010-07-28T11:43:27.741-05:00Do You Have the Gift of Evangelisn't?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFZIS7YXFIY5jFxzWgaERmOIJuhi1SUdOC4FxuUDp7iiOijCHpOOsU-CJK4vR_Z1K4VQS12oZ4WO1kODleX0hbctgXMiCqDgNGBfIEUBQCEtxIluWJZ2zaeWUSYLKI2s-pNV_fekGSbNQ/s1600-h/mouth-open-huge307x379.bmp"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385107706759004386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFZIS7YXFIY5jFxzWgaERmOIJuhi1SUdOC4FxuUDp7iiOijCHpOOsU-CJK4vR_Z1K4VQS12oZ4WO1kODleX0hbctgXMiCqDgNGBfIEUBQCEtxIluWJZ2zaeWUSYLKI2s-pNV_fekGSbNQ/s200/mouth-open-huge307x379.bmp" style="cursor: hand; float: right; height: 185px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 162px;" /></a>Christ commanded us to go and preach it and Paul says we should not be ashamed of it. What was the one message Paul defended vehemently, so much so that he pronounced a woe on himself if he did not preach it (1 Corinthians 9:16)? It was the gospel. Why? Because the gospel is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes. Without the foolishness of preaching, unbelievers will not hear the good news, and by not hearing it they cannot be saved. Therefore, the proclamation of the gospel was Paul's priority, and it should be of most importance in our lives too.<br />
<br />
Yet, there seems to be much confusion over what it means to fulfill the Great Commission. Some say its discipleship while others say it’s about feeding the poor and clothing the naked. I think a simple look at the actual passage can clarify the issue.<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Mark 16:15</u></strong><br />
Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation<br />
<br />
<strong><em><u>Go</u></em></strong>What is God’s will for the Christian’s life? Well it begins here with Jesus commanding us to <strong><span style="font-size: 130%;">go</span></strong>.<br />
<br />
<strong><em><u>Into all the world</u></em></strong>And where has He commanded us to <strong><span style="font-size: 130%;">go</span></strong>? Not just into our own neighborhoods and communities but into <strong><span style="font-size: 130%;">all</span></strong> the <strong><span style="font-size: 130%;">world</span></strong>.<br />
<br />
<strong><em><u>And proclaim</u></em></strong><br />
What is it we are to do when we <strong><span style="font-size: 130%;">go</span></strong> into the <strong><span style="font-size: 130%;">world</span></strong>...we are to <strong><span style="font-size: 130%;">proclaim</span></strong>. This means we must open our mouths. Many Christians have obeyed the command to go but are instead going and feeding, picketing, etc. This is all done under the veil of outreach, missions, evangelism, etc.<br />
<br />
<u><strong><em>The gospel</em></strong></u>What are we <span style="font-size: 130%;"><strong>proclaiming</strong></span>?<strong> </strong>Jesus tells us it is the <strong><span style="font-size: 130%;">gospel</span></strong>. Some are going out and <strong><span style="font-size: 130%;">preaching</span></strong> but they are not <strong><span style="font-size: 130%;">preaching</span></strong> Christ and Him crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2).<br />
<br />
<strong><em><u>To the whole creation</u></em></strong><br />
Who is it we are to <strong><span style="font-size: 130%;">proclaim</span></strong> it to? Our family? Friends? Neighbors? Jesus commands us to <strong><span style="font-size: 130%;">proclaim</span></strong> the <strong><span style="font-size: 130%;">gospel</span></strong> to <span style="font-size: 130%;"><strong>all</strong> <strong>creation</strong></span>. We are to be indiscriminate and not pick and choose who we share it with.<br />
<br />
In light of this passage, we can clearly see what true evangelism is and we can address some of the popular forms of evangelisn't in the church today.<br />
<strong>It is not political activism</strong><br />
<br />
<li>picket signs, legislation, and calling senators attempts to clean the outside of the cup by modifying the behavior of a society (Matthew 23:25-26)<br />
</li><br />
<li>it does not address the sinful nature of human beings<br />
</li><br />
<li>society as a whole can only be changed when the power of the gospel through the Holy Spirit regenerates the individual that makes up that particular society<br />
<br />
<strong>It is not social activism</strong></li><br />
<br />
<br />
<li>ministries devoted to taking care of the poor puts an emphasis on the horizontal problems of men (hunger, nakedness, etc.) rather than the vertical problem (sin, wrath, judgment, etc.)<br />
</li><br />
<br />
<br />
<li>without the gospel, it simply makes a man's present life more comfortable but does not prepare him for the afterlife<br />
</li><br />
<li>man's greatest need is not food, clothing, money, etc. but forgiveness of sins (Acts 3:6)<br />
<br />
<strong>It is not apologetics</strong></li><br />
<li>apologetics, or answering questions to defend the faith, submits to the agenda of the question-asker rather the the agenda of Christ and the Great Commission<br />
</li><br />
<li>apologetics can create a rabbit trail or distraction from the priority of sharing the gospel<br />
<br />
<strong>It is not praying for souls</strong></li><br />
<li>praying for souls is of extreme importance but it should never be a substitute for obedience to the Great Commision<br />
<br />
<strong>It is not church invitation</strong></li><br />
<li>the church represents the fruit of evangelism and not the work itself<br />
</li><br />
<li>the church was never meant to be used as a tool to evangelize the lost but to equip believer's to evangelize the lost</li><br />
<br />
<li>due to man's sinful condition and impending eternal judgment, the priority is to get him into the kingdom and not the church <div> </div><div><strong>It is not your personal testimony</strong></div><div> </div></li><br />
<li>personal testimony is personal and not universal and most unbelievers will like to keep it that way<br />
</li><br />
<li>without a clear presentation of the gospel, you are only telling others what the demands and claims of Christ are in your own life<br />
</li><br />
<li>it ultimately puts you, and not Christ, at the center of your witnessing (2 Corinthians 4:5)<br />
<br />
<strong>It is not discipleship</strong></li><br />
<li>to disciple someone, one must become a disciple first by hearing the gospel<br />
</li><br />
<li>if we confuse discipleship with evangelism, we make the error of discipling goats<br />
</li><br />
<li>only those illuminated by the Spirit can discern the things of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:10-16)<br />
<br />
<strong>It is not telling people, "Jesus loves you."</strong></li><br />
<li>people must first understand the bad news if they are ever to grasp the good news<br />
</li><br />
<li>there is much more to the gospel than the love of Christ such as sin, law, wrath, judgment (Acts 20:27)<br />
<br />
<strong>It is not about results or decision</strong></li><br />
<li>we are ambassadors for Christ whom simply deliver the message that has been entrusted to us...a message that must not be tampered with based on it's reception (2Corinthians 5:20)<br />
</li><br />
<li>emphasis in evangelism should not be on numbers but on faithfulness to share the gospel<br />
</li><br />
<li><br />
<div align="justify">while we may plant or water the seed of the gospel, it is only God that can give it growth (1 Corinthians 3:7)<br />
<br />
“To evangelize is to declare on the authority of God what he has done to save sinners, to warn men of their lost condition, to direct them to repent, and to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ."<br />
-John Cheesman<br />
<br />
So whether we feed the hungry or clothe the naked, we must open our mouths and declare the message that God has entrusted to us and fulfill the call to go into the world and preach the gospel to all creation.<br />
<br />
Why?<br />
<br />
It is the gospel alone that can take a wretched and dead sinner and give him life. It is the gospel alone that can gives sight to the blind and unstops the ears of the deaf. It is the gospel alone that sets the captives free from their bondage to sin and Satan. And it is the gospel alone that can take a sin-loving, God-hating, rebellious sinner that longs to glorify himself and make him a sin-hating, God-loving Christ follower that longs to obey and glorify God.<br />
<br />
All these other methods do not have the power to save sinners but that is precisely how Christ will be exalted and God will be glorified!<br />
<br />
So if you’re a Christian and you are concerned about God’s glory and the salvation of sinners, will you go out and declare the good news to all of creation? Or have you been duped into thinking that you have the gift of evangelisn’t?</div></li>Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961748598430931759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141733070711699754.post-84569845467980921712009-08-31T12:10:00.001-05:002011-06-13T21:32:03.172-05:00Tears of the Saints<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/qJjg1Joag_0?rel=0" width="535"></iframe><br />
Are you going? And if you're going, are you preaching? And if you're preaching, are you preaching the Gospel?<br />
<div></div></div>Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961748598430931759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141733070711699754.post-4807331801444274022009-08-18T16:30:00.002-05:002009-08-18T21:17:29.735-05:00Tips for Evangelism<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2WtGe_ELrNJJJVxdXFbR2OSjrVt-BUcXLvDgApYR1f-lAJv1Hpxgp_Ge2DnK-758PdWCU4rQjjGhzdkgx9dcOk3ib-Fgs-tPgA_9g46RvEzzCp73sUlHyipLO-xSJG1gHneop60izVj4/s1600-h/houston_skyline.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371419783169877922" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 147px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2WtGe_ELrNJJJVxdXFbR2OSjrVt-BUcXLvDgApYR1f-lAJv1Hpxgp_Ge2DnK-758PdWCU4rQjjGhzdkgx9dcOk3ib-Fgs-tPgA_9g46RvEzzCp73sUlHyipLO-xSJG1gHneop60izVj4/s200/houston_skyline.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><p>Here are some practical tips I compiled as I was out witnessing on the streets of Houston. In the end, however, the most practical advice anyone can heed in regards to the work of the ministry was given by Spurgeon when he said,</p><p>"Brethren, do something; do something, do something!"<br /><br /></p><ol><li>The chief end of evangelism is not to save souls but to glorify God. Evangelism is, first and foremost, about God and then souls (1 Corinthians 10:31; 1 Peter 4:11).<br /><br /><li>Successful evangelism is not when a “decision” for Christ has been made but when Christ and Him crucified is preached, as presented in the bible (John 1:12, 13; 1 Corinthians 2:2; 2 Corinthians 4:1-6).<br /><br /><li>The power of the Gospel is not dependent on any human work. Genuine conversion does not rely on our eloquent words but on the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 1:16; 1 Thessalonians 1:4).<br /><br /><li>Know the gospel and why you believe what you believe, especially the essentials of the Christian faith (1 Timothy 4:7; 2 Timothy 2:15; 2 John 9).<br /><br /><li>Wherever and whenever you go, always be intentional about evangelism. Whether at the gas station or the grocery store, opportunities to share our faith are always around us (Mark 16:15).<br /><br /><li>Our evangelism must always be gospel-centered. While apologetics has its place, speak clearly regarding law and grace and always bring the conversation back to the Gospel (1 Corinthians 1:23; 1 Corinthians 2:2; Galatians 6:14).<br /><br /><li>A tesimony is a good springboard but it is not the Gospel. A testimony is personal while the Gospel is universal (John 3:16).<br /><br /><li>Avoid foolish arguments and religious disputes. Evangelism is not about winning an argument by our eloquent speech or wise and persuasive words. We are ambassadors for Christ imploring people on behalf of Christ and this is done by presenting Christ to sinners (2 Corinthians 5:20; 2Timothy 2:23-25; Titus 3:9).<br /><br /><li>Speak clearly on the basic issues using biblical language. Our words should be seasoned with salt and not sugar! That means use words like sin and not mistakes, hell and not eternal separation (Colossians 4:6, 1 Peter 4:10-12).<br /><br /><li>Stay away from Christian clichés such as, “Ask Jesus into your heart", "God loves the sinner and hates the sin", etc. (1 Timothy 4:7).<br /><br /><li>Avoid the use of relative language such as, “In my opinion, I believe or I think" (Galatians 1:11-12).<br /><br /><li>Stand under the authority of God’s word. If God or Jesus said it then make sure you let people know (2 Corinthians 5:20).<br /><br /><li>Watch your hand gestures. Avoid pointing your finger or keeping your hands in your pocket. Our words can sometimes be overshadowed by our body language.<br /><br /><li>Memorize and understand scripture in its context. Through the Holy Spirit, it is the word that works regeneration(Psalm 119:11; Hebrews 4:12).<br /><br /><li>Continue to learn and grow in the Gospel. Along with preaching to others, preach the Gospel to yourself everyday (1 Corinthians 15:1, 3-4; 1 Peter 1:12-13).<br /><br /><li>Always speak kindly and lovingly. Remember who we are: fellow sinners saved by God’s grace (1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Colossians 3:12; Titus 3:3).<br /><br /><li>Show sympathy and compassion to those whom may be suffering but always remember that man’s greatest need is to have their sins forgiven (Matthew 9:36; Romans 3:23).<br /><br /><li>Have resources available to hand out such as tracts, bibles, etc. Always be ready for a witness encounter.<br /><br /><li>Continue in prayer (Luke 18:1; James 5:13-18). Prayer acknowledges our evangelism efforts are futile apart from God.<br /><br /><li>Always remind yourself that we love others because God first loved us. The compassion God has poured out on us should consume our hearts and motivate us to be compassionate towards the lost (Psalm 103:13; Luke 10:27; Luke 11:42; 1 Corinthians 5:14). </li></ol></div>Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961748598430931759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141733070711699754.post-47030773439446245892009-07-24T08:00:00.010-05:002011-12-28T14:20:31.958-06:00Discover the Champion Wretch in You<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrFwLtICiFt13AvL-AfnNrKk5cFQJL79wQB_sKty-KGGqORZ0a3ymDjR00tXJdDahSv2EBfr7Y93PdAuvWh1Z1PPKRez0jvaR3Y3PAJwuGho_PofN8clZR0uvq96JSqFeMh6Q18voWpik/s1600/imagesCAVGN4X9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrFwLtICiFt13AvL-AfnNrKk5cFQJL79wQB_sKty-KGGqORZ0a3ymDjR00tXJdDahSv2EBfr7Y93PdAuvWh1Z1PPKRez0jvaR3Y3PAJwuGho_PofN8clZR0uvq96JSqFeMh6Q18voWpik/s1600/imagesCAVGN4X9.jpg" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrkbzJLv8ohsbSKgMZ8fNRPoS7phYvc7fVnQaxI44MOX1XRhqCROh4kkS8_mfMG7v7ElS2VDxu8JSnBNc9Fuo6BkflAMTYBPurEPiSFzrL1vG-NBHe77ip1aInNsszx5ZWcYQNwdXg1JI/s1600-h/wretchedshirt_back.gif"></a>As time passes, I look back at my life since I professed to be a Christian and feel convicted that I never held up what I was taught in "church" to the Bible. I simply believed what I heard because I liked what I heard. I thought the test of truth was how it made me feel and I really didn't think too much about the importance of pure doctrine (1 Timothy 6:2b-5). With that said, here are a few important doctrinal stances that have changed since my days at Lakewood Church to my present membership at <a href="http://www.foundersbaptist.org/">Founder's Baptist Church</a>.<br />
<br />
On a side note, I served at Lakewood for about 2 years and by God’s grace, He saved me and consequently, I left the church.<br />
<br />
So I’m writing from the perspective of an unregenerate sinner who faithfully served and sat under the teaching of Joel Osteen. Many of the promises of God that Joel preaches every week are detached from the Gospel. This is a dangerous error and it's subtlety is deceptive since Joel is good at taking profound gospel promises and reducing it down to a catchy cliche for anyone to claim...including the lost sinner.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Joel told me to, “Discover the champion in you.”</li>
<li>The Bible says there is no "champion" in me...all that is within me is evil and impure (Jeremiah 17:9; Mark 7:14-22). </li>
</ul><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Joel said that God had a good plan for me and that plan was to live a life of pleasure and happiness.</li>
<li>While God's purposes are for the good of His people, the Bible says that His plan is ultimately so that His own pleasure and will are fulfilled. (Philippians 2:13).</li>
</ul><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Joel told me that all I need to do to be saved is stand up and say a 60-second prayer.</li>
<li>The Bible says in order to see and enter the kingdom, I must be born again (John 3:3-5).</li>
</ul><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Joel said I had a right to victory and prosperity in all areas of my life.</li>
<li>The Bible says because of my sinful heart, I am worthy of death and hell...all the rights belong to God and not me (Isaiah 64:6; Mark 1:7; Luke 15:19; Luke 17:10, Romans 3:9-12, 6:23).</li>
</ul><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Joel said that if I set my mind on the right things and started speaking positive words over my life, I will start to produce a change in my life.</li>
<li>The Bible says I cannot change myself because I was a slave to sin and under the power of Satan (Romans 6:16, 8:8; Corinthians 4:4). I needed a new heart…not a new lifestyle. (Ezekiel 11:19).</li>
</ul><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Joel told me that Jesus paid the price on the cross to free me from mistakes, bad habits, poverty, and a life of defeat.</li>
<li>The Bible says Jesus paid the price to set me free from the power of sin and Satan (Romans 6:22, 8:2; Acts 26:18)!</li>
</ul><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Joel (and Israel Houghton) sang “I am a friend of God” and told me that God calls me friend.</li>
<li>The Bible says that I was an enemy of God because of my evil and wicked works (Ephesians 2:12, Colossians 1:21). Only through Christ am I reconciled.</li>
</ul><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Joel told me that God wanted to prosper me in all areas of my finances.</li>
<li>The Bible says that because I transgressed His law, I accumulated an infinite debt to God (Colossians 2:14).</li>
</ul><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Joel says that God intended for me to live my best life now.</li>
<li>The Bible says God intends for me to live my best life later…in heaven (Ephesians 1:3; Hebrews 11:16.</li>
</ul><br />
Lakewood members (I was one of them) claim that Joel is being loving and kind because he builds people up rather than tearing them down. But by refusing to tell me that I was a sinner in desperate need of a Savior, he caused me more harm than good. By highly exalting a view of man, he was lowering my view of Christ. I figured I had what it takes so why did I need a Savior? Sure, I responded to the altar call and said my prayer but I never saw the wickedness of my sin and, therefore, I never saw the need to submit myself to the cross of Christ. I professed to live for Him but in actuality, I was living for myself and living in sin.<br />
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You see, Joel’s entire premise that we all have a champion inside of us and it’s up to us to reach our full potential completely undermines the need of Christ. The more I sat and listened to Joel claim that I’m a “victor and not a victim”, the less I felt the need to pray, read my Bible, and cling to Christ to strengthen me. Why would I? All I needed to do was change my thoughts, speech, and habits and I was on the path to victory. <span style="color: red;">But before Joel should have ever told me to “discover the champion in me” he should have told me to discover the wretch in me!</span> And by doing so, I would have understood why Christ had to die.<br />
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Other's claim that he's called to preach a message of God's love but in reality, Joel is not preaching the love of God. It is a perversion of love that tells me that if I walk around with a smile on my face and do good to everyone, God will bless me. That's not good news! The Good News it that despite my sin and the wrong I've done, God demonstrated His love by sending Christ to die for me (Romans 5:8). And now, it is in Christ that we receive all the spiritual blessings in heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3).<br />
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So, what do you do if you have a friend or family at Lakewood and you are questioning their salvation? Use the law of God to show them that they are not champions but failures according to the standards of God's righteousness. This is how God opened my eyes to the sinfulness of my sin (Romans 3:20, 7:13). My pride was puffed up because I thought I was good enough to go to heaven but the commandments destroyed any self-righteousness that was sown into my heart by Joel's positive gospel.<br />
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Only then can one truly understand the love of Christ and be ready to show them from Scripture that this is love-now that we have obeyed and loved God but that he has loved us by sending His Son to die for sinners (1 John 4:10). While their hearts may seem hardened to anything that opposes what Joel teaches, pray and trust that it is God who will open their eyes to their true condition and open their hearts to embrace Christ. For many years I was deceived and I heard many objections to Lakewood's teaching but, by Gods grace, it was when Ray Comfort sent me a copy of <a href="http://www.wayofthemaster.com/bestsellingbook.shtml"><em>The Way of The Master</em></a> did I really understand the way of salvation through Christ. Ray emphasized the law and it's terrors which generated a conflict within my heart. Joel was in one ear whispering I was more than a champion and God's law was in the other ear shouting that I was a wretched sinner. This is the dilemma that all members at Lakewood face. If they believe what the commandments of God say about the nature of human beings, then all of what Joel teaches is a lie...even more horrifying is the thought that they may not be saved.<br />
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But it was in that brokenness that God found me and saved me. When God opened my eyes to see what a great sinner I was, I then saw what a great and merciful God He is (Luke 7:47; Romans 5:20). Life was no longer about me and all the great things I was or did but about God and the great love He demonstrated towards sinners on the cross.<br />
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So no matter what church you attend or if you don't attend church at all, please examine yourself in the light of God's commandments (Exodus 20:1-17). The law exposes us for who we really are, sinners and not champions...and it's sinners, not champions, that need a Savior (Mark 2:17).</div>Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961748598430931759noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2141733070711699754.post-90403772343319771302009-05-15T00:23:00.011-05:002012-02-06T08:18:27.002-06:00Professional Worship?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtqNkaRcdiW7bnxAiFwESz-eoYEd_iTBfDNksxMjej_kZKLDffr_EoS_MJ5NJrokHGn0zFTk0UKYLluc4mC6sXcTzrnUYIQ6ouCNyABn3isE03kUWEugiG5tnW1ME6ZeSCc4KUN7ruLCY/s1600/l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146px" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtqNkaRcdiW7bnxAiFwESz-eoYEd_iTBfDNksxMjej_kZKLDffr_EoS_MJ5NJrokHGn0zFTk0UKYLluc4mC6sXcTzrnUYIQ6ouCNyABn3isE03kUWEugiG5tnW1ME6ZeSCc4KUN7ruLCY/s200/l.jpg" width="200px" /></a></div>The following is an excerpt taken an upcoming "worship" conference website featuring Israel Houghton and other "highly sought after industry professionals" from around the world that are meeting in Houston, TX this September.</div><div><br />
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<div><em>MAIN CONFERENCE SCHEDULE<br />
Each day opens with our general session where Israel Houghton, the New Breed team and various special guests take us to a new place in worship daily. The afternoon sessions are broken up into continuing education workshops taught in part by Israel Houghton and highly sought after industry professionals in each field of expertise. Workshops include songwriting sessions, how to increase your vocal range, easy music theory, production and sound reinforcements, the visual worship experience and sessions specifically focused on women in worship just to name a few.</em></div><br />
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<div>Now tell me...what is missing from the workshops? Keep in mind that the purpose of the conference is to "press into God as He ignites us with deeper purpose and restores, refines and renews vision for our lives to rise with power and shine before the world." </div><br />
<div></div></div>Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961748598430931759noreply@blogger.com0