An Offering To God

God is looking for us being living sacrifices (God wants us to live for Him, besides being willing to die for Him) and all for His glory.  We are not saved by martyrdom.  We offer ourselves to Him to fulfill His will and to glorify Him (cf. Is. 43:7)  We don't have anything of our own merit to offer, such as righteousness, good deeds, morality, or philosophy, but nothing but brokenness and strife--in short, our sin!  We come to God only as the lowest bidder with nothing in our hands but Christ's righteousness.

We received Christ as an unworthy sinner who had nothing to offer God, being at His mercy:  The sinner's prayer in Luke 18:13 says, "God be merciful to me, the sinner."  He threw himself on the mercy of God,  declaring spiritual bankruptcy, and saw himself as unworthy!  John Bunyan wrote, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners--see how he appraised himself!  Paul never stopped thinking of himself as the chief of sinners (he said "am" not "was" foremost among them--cf. 1 Tim. 1:15).

The problem with people is their opinion of themselves--they won't let go and refuse to see their sin (Martin Luther said it is our job to make them see it). This is not the same as having low self-esteem, but of having no merit for salvation in God's eyes. This is God's estimation of man, not man's estimation of man. We are as bad off (not as bad) from being worthy as we can be, and as far away and removed from God as imaginable. In Luke 5:8 (NASB) Peter says, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!" Genuine repentance and saving faith entail cognition that you are a guilty and vile sinner in God's estimation.

Our offering to God is us--He wants us, not our gifts or merits. He wants us with all the wrinkles, blemishes, pimples, warts, bald-spots, missing teeth, eating disorders, disabilities, tears, and all our sins.  We must come to Him as we are to get a changed life; we don't change our life and then come to Him for approval. Our righteousness is all as filthy rags (cf. Is. 64:6). We don't come for approval but for change!   God can clean up our act and we can't.  Who has anything that God should desire?  God loves us despite all this and sees potential in us for His ultimate glory.

We must realize that God rewards us for what He has done through us:  "... Since You have performed for us all our works" (Is. 26:12, NASB);  "For I will not presume [venture] to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me..." (Rom. 15:18, NASB);  "You who rejoice in Lodebar [naught], And say, "Have we not by our own strength [without God's] taken Karnaim for ourselves [they are boasting]?"  (Amos 6:13, NASB);  and "... From Me comes your fruit [fruitfulness]" (Hos. 14:8, NASB).

We were chosen according to His purpose and grace and according to the good pleasure of His will (cf. 2 Tim. 1:9; Eph. 1:5).  I must emphasize:  We don't impress God!  It is grace that He even uses us as vessels of honor rather than vessels of dishonor.  We fit into His plans; we don't fit Him into ours. The kind of sacrifice God wants is for us to live our lives for Jesus, but take up the cross and be willing to die too, if He wills.  

Before we give our "offerings" we must first give of ourselves or they are worthless, because it is a privilege and honor to be used by God in giving offerings as sacrifices of worship. We come to Christ on His terms of absolute surrender to His Lordship and ownership of our lives, giving up the throne of our heart to Him so that He can live through us!     Soli Deo Gloria!

How To Engage Christ

Note, that in Ephesians 6:19, Paul asked for prayer support "... that words may be given to [him] in opening [his] mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel."  Yes, Paul needed those doors to be opened and didn't force Jesus on anyone.  You have to earn the right to speak and wait for the door to open.  Machine-gun  evangelism, or preaching to everyone the same message such as "repent sinner!" is out of line (this is only half the message--one must present the good news about Jesus too), and you must get them lost before saving them, but always saying the same thing simply doesn't work but only alienates. A good fisherman knows how to use different bait for different fishes. There is a "time to sow and a time to reap" and one must be patient because "He has made everything beautiful in its time"  (Ecc. 3:11).

The best preparation is to know the Word and your personal testimony, not to make mention of knowing why as well as what you believe.  Not knowing what you believe is a kind of unbelief and we are commanded to be ready to give an answer for the hope within us in 1 Peter 3:15.  You may have to make a defense and do so equipped with the full armor of God:  His truth, His righteousness, His Word, His peace, His shield of faith all given to you--note that your righteousness is God's gift to you, not yours to God (cf. 1 Cor. 4:7:  "... What do you have that you didn't receive?").  The more we learn to depend on God and realize that it isn't us doing it, the more success we will have.

There are plenty of provocative questions one might stimulate a dialogue with such as:  "What do you think is on the other side?  If you were to die today, are are you sure you'd go to heaven?  How are you managing your spiritual journey?  Do you ever ponder the hereafter?  What do you think a Christian is?  There are many such inquiries, and to personalize them is even better.  But let God direct the conversation and don't push it, but be Spirit-led.  Dare to be used by God because He will not let down a person of faith who wants to show his Christian colors and speak up for Jesus--you'd be surprised how many people really don't hold anything against Jesus Himself.

We are not to force an answer, but make sure they are ready to give one.  We should talk to God about the person before we talk to the person about God, it has been said.  In my own experience, it usually happens that, after much involvement with the person's own life, God seems to open the door and people don't really care how much you know until they know how much you care. The key to being used is to be prepared and to have compassion for the lost, which is a barometer of your usefulness, because you cannot do it in the flesh, but must know how to be led by the Spirit.  In witnessing, they would rather see a sermon than hear one any day--so guard your testimony. Once you've experienced God using you, you get addicted and desire to be used again and again--you get the bug!  They also say that once you've experienced the love of Christ, you want to pass it on!  You cannot lose, but it's always to your credit that you stood up for Jesus.

There are several roadblocks or impediments to overcome before the chance to present the gospel happens. Many don't know what to do at that last stage--they don't even know the gospel itself! There are opportunities, for instance:  To mention sin, then God, then Jesus, then salvation, then finally, the personal challenge, invitation, and opportunity for salvation--be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and don't force the issues.

Not making a decision, is a no decision. and we must make a beeline for the gospel as soon as we see the door open, i.e., know when to cast the bait and when to reel him in or close the deal.  We are never losers in this proposition because only God can open a door, and the results are up to Him who alone can convert a soul. "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him..." (John 6:44, ESV).  We are only being obedient to the Great Commission and doing our part.  "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received..."  (1 Cor. 15:3a, ESV).  We are only responsible for what God has given us and that is called faithfulness.

We all have a testimony (what you know for sure that happened to you) and that says something about how you came to know Christ personally, and as long as we don't jeopardize it, God will open doors: people will see Christ in us and want we we have--that is the highest compliment. But we must "be ready in season, and out of season" (cf. 2 Tim. 4:2) or we should always be on duty and know when to cast the line or drop the net because timing is everything--it must be God's timetable!

It is vital to know that you cannot argue someone into the kingdom.  "Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels, which generate more heat than light!   And the Lord's servant must not quarrel..."  (2 Tim. 2:23f, NIV). We should not be embarrassed that we don't know all the answers--it only proves that you don't need to know all the answers to have faith and it doesn't shake your faith to not know--but you can tell them you will find the answer. There is no question that hasn't already been asked and none is going to make an impact on the power of the cross. The servant of God is never quarrelsome, but patient and sometimes he is all ears before God gives him the opportunity to speak forth the Word of God--you must wait for God's timing.  Learn to build bridges, not tear them down and find common ground, especially by getting to know them and showing interest in their problems or life crisis.  Jesus is the only one who can bridge the gap between us and God and they must realize their alienation and estrangement from a relationship with Him and the more abundant life Christ promised.  Paul says in 2 Cor. 5:19 that God has given to us the "ministry of reconciliation" or of bringing people back into a harmonious relationship with God.

Remember, the final pivotal question and challenge is whether there is any reason they cannot accept Christ as their Lord and Savior right now and see the urgency.  But the problem with most Christians is that they don't know what to do when they reach this point:  i.e., knowing an invitation or prayer of salvation.  Many Christians do not see the big picture or have a handle on the gospel and how to present it, even if given the opportunity.  But they must be willing to step out in faith from their comfort zone and be used by God--a beautiful experience!

In the final analysis, you must realize that your skill is not as important as your faith and faithfulness. The bait that God uses for seed is the Word of God and He promises that it will not come back void in Isaiah 55:11 and will always accomplish God's purposes.  God promises to honor His Word, so incorporate it and depend upon it, not your brilliance, witness, or testimony, important as they are.  1 Cor. 3:7 says, "Neither he who plants, nor he who waters is important, but God who gives the increase." Note that there are different lures or bait for different kinds of fish and we can become "all things to all people that by all means [we] might save some" (1 Cor. 9:22b, ESV).

Finally, we must acknowledge Paul's attitude in Romans 1:14-16 that he is ready, under an obligation or indebted, and not ashamed or embarrassed to spread the Word.  This is the least we can do out of a debt of gratitude we owe for our salvation--of which grace we cannot ever repay, can't earn, and don't deserve.  The right attitude is that we "get to witness" not that we have to.  Someone took the time to preach to us, so we must observe the Golden Rule and do unto others likewise.  If we are well prepared, Christ will be the rock of offense and stumbling block, not us.   Soli Deo Gloria!

Exposition On Islam

First of all, did you know that the name Islam means "submission" and a Muslim is one who submits because they adhere to the doctrine that we are just God's slaves who cannot know an unknowable and impersonal God, who also is not a loving God as Christians believe? We believe that he that loves not, knows not God, for God is love--as 1 John 4:8 says. Muslims believe in a "religion of the sword", as it has been called, and their usual methodology is not to persuade people but to force them to convert with the threat of death or impose their faith on them; for they are entitled to kill an infidel in their so-called holy war or jihad against the infidel or non-Muslim.  They adhere to the doctrine that "tomorrow belongs to Islam."

I realize some more moderate ones interpret jihad spiritually and simply believe they have to be actively involved in spreading their message. They call it proselytizing when a Christian tries to convert a Muslim and this is forbidden by Fundamental Islamic law or Shari'ah law, that is practiced in some nations where you are not even allowed to make mention of Christianity or legally hold a prayer meeting or Bible study.

To understand Islam you must go back to the seventh century when Muhammad made his flight to Medina to flee those in Mecca who disapproved of his alleged revelations, starting their calendar in AD 622.  He claimed to have these revelations and they are depicted as epileptic fits and convulsions. Tradition, and not the Koran or Qur'an, says these revelations were from the angel Gabriel, but the Koran gives contradictory and conflicting reports.  In the seventh century, Sabianism was the predominant religion of the Arab tribes headed by shieks with absolute sovereignty, and they worshiped the sun god or female god and the moon god or male god.  Allah was the name of the male moon god and was preexistent to Islam--it is not another name for God as we know Him.

The five pillars of Islam, or requirements to be a Muslim, are as follows: Saying the affirmation, "There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet," who is superior or superlative to all previous ones and is the last one for all mankind); the praying of the salat five times a day on a mat facing Mecca (and this is more a recitation than prayer, because they are not conversing with God--this was another custom incorporated into their faith from Sabianism); the giving of 2.5 percent or 1/40th of the income as almsgiving to the poor; fasting during the month of Ramadan (also a carryover from Sabianism); the required once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage to Mecca for every able-bodied convert (to appease the local merchants); and the optional sixth one is jihad or dying and going beyond the call of duty in the name of Allah. Ironically, the only way they can be assured of their some seventy virgins in a paradise of "wine, women, and song," is to die a jihad, but they must refrain from indulgence in this life (i.e., wine, women, and song).

Catholics believe tradition is of equal authority to the Scripture since the Council of Trent (1545-46), but Christianity has not incorporated pagan religion into their faith, which would be syncretism. Admittedly they celebrate Christmas on Mithra's birthday, but this is not a requirement for salvation, but only tradition.  One could arguably equate saying of the Rosary with the salat because they are both recitations, not prayers.  There is no legitimate comparison between the five pillars of Islam with the ordinances of Christ or of our way of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.

Islam does not believe in women's rights (they are property and are mentally inferior to men), nor in any other traditional Western rights such as freedom of the press, assembly, or speech.  They see geopolitical advantages to their faith and believe "tomorrow belongs to Islam," in which the end justifies the means (it is now the fastest growing religion).  They will settle for nothing less than world hegemony or domination (except the most moderate followers).  Their values are still in the seventh century, including dress, and punishment by the old "eye-for-an-eye, tooth for a tooth" philosophy--for instance, they still stone adulterers and cut off hands and refuse to let girls get an education. The most dangerous philosophy is that they believe America is the Great Satan and it is their mission to obliterate Western Civilization, which is founded upon democratic principles and human rights--their nations are mainly run by despots, though they may theoretically be democracies by design. There are over six million of them in the States and most of them are not radical, though some metro areas have become hotbeds for terrorist recruiting, and most Muslim organizations are taken over by radicals.

The worst sin to them is shirk, or believing in more than one God--of which they accuse Christians of or being polytheistic.  That sin is unforgivable and there is no space for tolerance, a virtue unknown. Basically, their religion is fatalistic and God whimsically and capriciously decides their final outcome as to going to heaven or hell (this fate is called Kismet and they resign themselves to anything that happens and anything they perpetrate as being the will of Allah). It is a works-based faith (your good deeds must outweigh your bad ones) that never gives one assurance of the mercy of God--that is why they never stop praying for it--they don't understand and deny the concept of grace (a Christian concept and teaching).

The thing that makes them ignorant is that they believe the Bible is corrupt but the Koran or the Qur' an (message) is without error in Arabic.  Actually, it is allegedly filled with plagiarism, being the "best and most beautiful book on earth" (they insist that a man couldn't write this)--but there is no evidence of corruption in the Christian text with over 5,000 Greek ones to examine!  God has shown that He preserves His Word.

The odd thing is that they believe Christ was born of a virgin, sinless, performed miracles, and ascended into heaven, and is coming again to establish worldwide Islam while asserting that He is only a prophet and not divine and didn't die on the cross--some believe Judas died in His place. They believe the man Jesus died but His Spirit lived on and went to heaven. The reason for not accepting the crucifixion is that it is ignominious and repugnant to them and they cannot see how God could be defeated by men. Islam's empire is founded upon force and politics, but Christ's on compassion, love, and freedom--not ignorance.

There is no comparison between the sinless Christ and Muhammad who had many flaws, including killing tens of thousands and raiding caravans--Blaise Pascal has said that what Muhammad has done, any man can do; what Christ has done, no man can do.  Yes, their traditions in the Hadith and Sunna (both regarded as authoritative and inspired) report miracles, but these are written much later after the fact and are not worthy to be compared to the work of Christ--he actually was asked to do one and said, "God hath certainly power to send down a sign."

What makes them all the more dangerous is that their religion is not about faith or salvation, but has geopolitical considerations, incentives, and promises to people who have a grudge against society and want their piece of the pie, no matter how they get it. They don't care how they achieve their ends (the ends justify the means), and will clearly use any means necessary to achieve them (the radical fringe movement influencing today's concerns), but Jesus clearly said that His kingdom is "not of this world" and is invisible--you must be born again to see the kingdom of God--a kingdom reigning in hearts. Many of the moderate Muslims are in sympathy with radicals, if not supportive indirectly--they lack a clear anti-terrorist voice or anti-hegemony teaching.  The Muslim world is slow and hesitant in uniting (though there is some recent progress) to condemn ISIS, for example, and even terrorism.

In the final analysis, they claim Islam fulfills Christianity, the way Christianity does Judaism; au contraire, it replaces it and repudiates our faith (they hold no respect for these faiths) and it holds no reverence for our Bible because they think it's corrupt, even without any evidence. They don't evangelize but impose their religion on the vulnerable by force, or by any means necessary. To them, Christ only pointed the way to Muhammad, the last and final word of Allah (not another name for the God Christians believe in, but a tribal name from the days of Sabianism in the Arab world.

Most teens today actually believe that Christians, Jews, and Muslims all pray to the same God under different names!  In summation:  There is a vast difference between the ethics of Islam that portray murder, pillage, and rape in the Koran, and the power of love conquering evil in Jesus--viva la difference!  They see Muhammad as the exemplar and superlative guide to mankind, despite his flaws.

The biggest delusion that radical Muslims are under is that if they die as a suicide bomber that they are martyrs for Allah.  The way they wage an aggressive war is not jihad, but murder.  They are the opposite of martyrs--they are murderers and will be judged accordingly on Judgment Day.  They have rejected the way of love that is found in Christ and engage in a terror of hate and hate mongering.  A martyr dies because he believes and is persecuted for his faith, not someone who murders others for not believing, by definition, not opinion.   Soli Deo Gloria!

Then Our Faith Is Futile...

If Christ has not risen, our faith is in vain, according to the Apostle Paul (cf. 1 Cor. 15:14).  Christianity is Christ and if you take Christ out of it you disembowel it; however, you can take Buddha out of Buddhism and Mohammad out of Islam and the religions remain intact somewhat for it is mainly a philosophy without God in the equation.  Our faith is not in a creed or set of rules to heed, but in a person, and getting to know Him personally.  If He is still dead, then how can we fellowship with Him and how can we overcome our sins?

A person can have a subjective experience like believing in superstition and you might not be able to convince him otherwise, but our faith is based on objective, historical fact--and even the most variously proved one in antiquity.  Any unbiased jury would be forced to admit He rose from the dead, based on circumstantial and eyewitness evidence.  The point is that you cannot prove history scientifically--by its very nature, it is nonrepeatable.  The only verification one can have is the veracity of the witnesses and circumstantial evidence. Are these Christian witnesses credible or deliberate liars and perpetrators of a deliberate hoax?  Usually, people tell the truth on their deathbed, and they were in the position to know the truth, not being just fanatics aroused by the spirit of the times.

Proof of the resurrection by circumstantial evidence, such as the change of the Sabbath as a day of worship to the Lord's Day or Sunday, the growth of the church, so fast so as to turn the world topsy-turvy in such a short period, the veracity of the eyewitnesses who died as martyrs and could've admitted to lying rather than die, the alleged appearances of Christ, and of course the empty tomb, which wasn't in doubt at the time. Do you think they were just deliberate liars and madmen? If the body was stolen, who moved the stone (it would've been nearly impossible with the guards and how heavy it was).  But the biggest evidence is the dramatically changed lives of the disciples, from being timid and afraid to take a stand for Christ to be roaring lions for the faith unafraid of death and undaunted by the authorities.

The purpose of the resurrection appearances was for our sake, to give us hope of a resurrection (some Jews believed in this but the teaching was unclear until Christ came back from the dead as the convincing conqueror of death, the last enemy).  The resurrection showed us that the Father had accepted Jesus' sacrifice and that He was victorious over Satan and that His work was a done deal!   No other religion has a resurrection story to believe in but they are all pie in the sky and offer little assurance, but only fear without knowing for sure whether they are saved.  We can still experience the power of the resurrection ourselves (cf. Phil 3:10), for Christ is still in the resurrection business! 

The resurrection was not a continuation of this life and merely an improved body of flesh and bone, but a spiritual body of a whole new nature--a new creation!  Jesus had to prove he wasn't a ghost or a spirit!  He could walk through walls, defy gravity, and even eat and feel--this is a whole new existence of another notion and kind.  The Greeks could be convinced of some kind of spiritual afterlife in spirit only, but they scoffed at our bodies being brought back to life.  

In sum, Our faith in Christ is unique and something worth living for, not just dying for.; if it were for this life only, we are the most to be pitied, says Paul, you might say:  "If you only believe Jesus lived, and isn't living, you don't believe in the same Jesus:  The resurrection is the crux of Christianity-- its "Rock of Gibraltar."    Soli Deo Gloria!

The Power Of Discernment

"And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment " (Phil. 1:9, NASB).

"Those who have insight [discernment] will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven ..." (Daniel 12:3, NASB).

"... So the people without understanding [discernment] are ruined [doomed]"  (Hosea 4:14, NASB).

"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge [discernment]"  (Hosea 4:6, NASB).

Isaiah 27:11 (NASB) adds, "... For they are not a people of discernment,
Therefore their Maker will not have compassion on them.
And their Creator will not be gracious to them."

"But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil"  (Hebrews 5:14, NASB).

"But they do not know the thoughts of the LORD,
And they do not understand [show discernment for] His purpose ..." (Micah 4:12, NASB).

We all have insight into the mystery of Christ, as Paul termed it, but with the privilege of interpreting Scripture, goes the responsibility to do it right!  We cannot fabricate our own truths, because no Scripture is of any private interpretation according to 2 Pet. 1:20.  "But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know" (1 John 2:20, NASB).

We all long for the power of discernment (if you don't use it, you'll lose it), and some of us don't even have a handle on it, as to what it even is.  Literally, it is the ability to read between the lines in literature, and to judge character in person as David did to Abigail's husband Nabal in 1 Sam. 14:33 when she said, "[B]lessed be your discernment," but spiritually, it is the ability to know whether something is of God. John exhorts us in 1 John 4:1 to "test the spirits, whether they are from God."


Some of us can smell false doctrine a mile away, as it were and have zeroed in on this gift.  The spiritual gift  "... [T]o another the distinguishing of spirits" means whether they are of God or of Satan. Similarly, Malachi 3:18 (NASB) says, "So you will again distinguish [discern] between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him."

We never have the power to read people's minds, for even Satan can't do that--thank God!  Jesus was doubted because they thought He didn't know "what manner of woman" she was who anointed Him by washing his feet, and showed no discernment of a prophet. No Christian ever has the ability to judge or discern a person's intent or motives (one of the powers of the Word is its ability to "judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart," per Heb. 4:12 in the NASB), for only the Lord sees the motives (Proverbs 16:2; 21:2).   "[M]an looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart" (1 Sam. 16:7, ESV). Taking the speck out of your brother's eye when you have a log in yours is not showing discernment. Don't think that God has put you on a mission to weed out the bad apple or separate the wheat from the chaff as the angels can (we do have the ability to distinguish truth from fiction though, if we are enlightened with the Word).

When Christians become sectarian ("I am of Apollos, I am of Peter, I am of Paul, or I am of Christ" type of thinking), that means they have lost discernment and fail to realize that Christ's body is not divided nor split into factions, but one in the Spirit and all were baptized into the body in the name of the triune God!  It is one thing to have spiritual leaders and respect for our teachers, but quite another to blindly follow them and think they are infallible, and one needs to separate or compete with others in a clique or party spirit.

We are to obey and submit to those who have the rule over us, but not blindly.  Christians are not in competition with each other but on the same side in the warfare against the devil's turf and domain.  It never was God's will to have denominations and so many church splits, but this has only happened because God allowed it to happen because of our frailty and weakness of being human (for the same reason He tolerates divorce).   At the Bema or Judgment Seat of Christ He is not going to ask us if we are Baptists or Lutherans, but whether we learned to love and obey Christ in a trusting and faithful manner of life so that we will be rewarded (our eternal life is not in question and our sins are already judged).

What kind of discernment are we to have then?  We all are to have discernment and can have it, but some believers have the unique ability to discern the presence of the Holy Spirit when brethren are gathered in Christ's name, and are especially sensitive to when He is quenched.  We are never anointed to judge one another, but the church's job is to discipline a member in sin because it always affects the body--if one part suffers, all will suffer.  God can give us insight into a sermon or verse that others don't see and it is our calling to share it or put it into practice.  The better one knows the Lord, the better discernment and insight he will have in general, including interpreting the Word (not the more education or training he has, but knows the Lord).  "... I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants" (Matt. 11:25, NASB).

We are to love the Lord with all our mind, and this means show discernment--it's an imperative.  "Do not judge according to appearance [as man sees], but judge [show discernment] with righteous judgment" (John 7:24, NASB).  Jesus gave us discernment:  "... I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life"  (John 8:12, NASB)"  You will be enlightened:  "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth ..." (John 16:13, NASB).  Caveat:  "Therefore do not go on passing judgement before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men's hearts; then each man's praise will come to him from God"  (1 Cor. 4:5, NASB).

Charles Swindoll, pastor of Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, Texas, and Chancellor of Dallas Theological Seminary says that if you listen to only one preacher, you will lose your power of discernment.  This is very true, because this is how cults such as the People's Temple or "cult of death," led by the Rev. Jim Jones, was instituted--they felt they didn't even need their Bibles anymore because he was speaking the Word to them, and so they didn't need to be like the Christians of Berea in Acts 17 who searched the Scriptures daily to see whether the things that Paul spoke were true.  No preacher is so anointed that he is infallible and doesn't need the body to keep him in line or going off the deep end. The Vicar of Christ, as the Pope is known, is supposed to be infallible when he speaks ex-cathedra or from the chair of St. Peter and pontificates; however, no one can fill these shoes except the Holy Spirit.

The prophet of today's church doesn't announce the future or warn of coming wrath, as John the Baptist did, but interprets the times because he has insight from Scripture (cf. 1 Chronicles 12:32), and he is able to edify the body and make them see the light of God's will.  Many believers can prophesy, but that doesn't make them prophets in this sense.  You prophesy whenever you lift up the body in opening their eyes to the Word and expounding it in the light of sound doctrine. Caveat:   Isaiah 29:13 (NASB) warns,  "For the Heart of this people has become dull, and with their ears they scarcely hear, and they have closed their eyes ... ."  God can and does judge those without discernment as it says in Hosea 4:14 that "a people without discernment are doomed."  God is looking for men "who [have] understanding [discernment] of the times, who [know] what ... to do"  (cf. 1 Chronicles 12:32, ESV).    Soli Deo Gloria!

To Be Seen By Men

Jesus mentioned how the Pharisees loved to be noticed praying on the street corners to be seen by men and said they have lost their reward (cf. Matt. 6:1).  We need to keep our righteousness between us and God as much as is our control.  I remember the first time I witnessed of my faith after being saved in the Army and found out that being a braggadocio is a no-no. God is not impressed with our filthy rags and we shouldn't be impressed by them either.  Caveat:  "For it is not he who commends himself that is approved, but he whom the Lord commends"  (2 Cor. 10:18, NASB).

Ironically, the way up is down like John the Baptist said:  "He must increase, and I must decrease." The person who humbles himself shall be exalted, not the person who presumes to be someone when he isn't.  We are not to have low self-esteem or to think less of ourselves, but to think of ourselves less!  Like the actor who gets one role and thinks he is a star or the person who writes one poem and thinks he is a poet or the person who preaches one sermon and thinks he is a preacher, so we all tend to think we've arrived, even though Paul never assumed this:  "I do not claim to have laid hold of it yet..." (Phil. 3:12).

When you've preached a hundred sermons dare call yourself a preacher, though others can and may--don't toot your own horn; or if you've witnessed hundreds of times call yourself a faithful witness--let others praise you and not yourself, or if you have done whatever God has called you to and been faithful in it--success doesn't come overnight.  It is paramount that the Lord give His blessing to your endeavor and you be called to it, because you must have an anointing to do it in the Spirit--there are even preachers who do it in the energy of the flesh and are just great speakers or very scholarly, but not called by God or filled with the Holy Spirit.  I do not think preaching is a production or a show but a calling that must be blessed by God.  I know of storytellers, great public speakers, or even comedians who parade as charismatic preachers but are wolves in sheep's clothing and should get out of the ministry, despite their following--preaching is not just academics but spiritual.

Some people serve for the applause of man as people-pleasers (cf. Eph. 6:6, KJV), and some seek the glory of God and give it back to Him.  Praise is merely the test of a man's spirit to see what he is made of.  I make it clear when my Bible class claps for me that it is of God and He is the one to praise, but they still insist because they really believe it's a good Bible study; but I have learned not to trust the opinions of man and I seek only to please God and not man--I certainly don't want praise to go to my head. Watch out for those who want the approbation of man, and not God's favor and smile on their endeavors.   We don't do favors for one another as if they might owe us one in return, but we are servants of Christ doing it out of the pure motive of love for Him.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Being Down On Religion

"Now to the one who works, his wage is not reckoned as a favor, but as what is due.  But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness" (Romans 4:4-5).

"For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law" (Romans 3:28).

Many people mistakenly think that the Golden Rule is the essence of Christianity, au contraire, that would make it a performance-based religion.  You can take Buddha out of Buddhism, and Mohammad out of Islam, and you basically have the religions still intact, but you cannot do so with Christianity--Christianity IS Christ! (You must know Him!)  You must, first of all, be right about Him and His work:  i.e., He is the incarnation of God or God in the flesh and He paid the price for our redemption from sin, by dying on the cross to do this and show His love for us, and rose from the dead as ultimate proof of the Father's acceptance to give us hope and reason for believing in life after death--a resurrection.  Believing Christ lived and died is history, believing He did it for you is salvation!

It is a proven fact of psychology that religious people are happier than those who profess none. Paul complimented the philosophers of Athens on Mars Hill for being "very religious" meaning they were open to speculation and accepting of religious ideas, giving him the open door to preach.  But Julian Huxley wrote Religion Without Revelation, in which he said you don't need God to know right from wrong--this is where Secular Humanism leads us.  John Dewey wrote A Common Faith to say that you can be religious without a religion (Secular Humanism is a religion without God!).  True religion is to walk in the Spirit of God and be led by Him as you live in faith and are faithful to your calling in life--in other words knowing Jesus and having a relationship with Him.

To say someone got religion is an insult to a Christian: " I tried religion," the pastor said, "and it didn't work."  His friend asked him, "What then, you're a pastor?"  He replied:  "Then I tried Christ and a relationship with Him and it worked!"" As they say:  The proof of the pudding is in the eating! I've heard of people saying that if that's what Christ can do for someone they want Him too--this is the power of one's testimony and witness for Christ to make Him known.   Many people today don't really hold anything against Christ, but against religion, especially organized religion and the church, as an institution.  Jesus plainly said that eternal life is "knowing" Him, and this means more than knowing about Him.  It is some kind of fellowship of the heart and love affair that no religion can match.

Religion has historically believed in making "sacrifices" to appease" or mollify and humor the gods who may be angry and cause bad luck, as it were, but in religion it is always the individual or society making the sacrifice (such as their children or a lamb), and in Christianity it is God Himself who makes the sacrifice because He is capable of paying a debt we couldn't pay and we owed to Him for offending Him in our sin and rebellion, and His sacrifice is infinite and cannot be measured, and therefore capable of saving mankind if they accept His work on their behalf--that is precisely what Christ did by paying the price of His blood shed for us so we wouldn't have to pay it in hell, and this is a free gift of salvation offered to all if they only exercise faith in Him.

Religion is defined as doing something "religious" or of displaying "religiosity."  Secular Humanists believe you can be religious without having religion and they are gaining ascendancy with their ethical religion without God. It's a faith to live by and has a creed to believe.  That is precisely what evil is:  Being good without God or getting along without Him in the equation.  Man's problem today is whether he can get along without the God he has left out of the picture, according to Will Durant.  You can be a Christian without being religious, in fact, this is the normal Christian way of life--a walk of faith. The righteous shall live by faith according to Romans 1:17. "[W]e walk by faith, and not by sight"  (2 Cor. 5:7, ESV).

Knowing about God will not satisfy the needs of the heart of man, but having a relationship with the personal God and knowing His will. Blaise Pascal, a French philosopher, said there is a "God-shaped vacuum" in our heart that only God can fill.  St. Augustine said that our hearts are restless until they find their rest in God.  We are made to worship God and if we don't we will worship something or someone else.  Christ promised a more abundant and fulfilling life in knowing Him, which is rewarding and worth it.  "... [I] came that they may have life and have it abundantly"  (John 10:10b, ESV).

Man strives to please God by his merits and works of the flesh (morality, philosophy, good deeds, ritual, etc.). Religion is also man's attempt to reach out to God, while God has taken the initiative and reached down in condescending to man--we are incapable of finding God through the doorway of religion!  Man is incurably addicted to doing something for his salvation and the Jews asked Jesus what they could do:  He replied that the "work of God" is believing on Him whom God sent.  Salvation is a free gift of grace that cannot be earned, paid back, and is not deserved or merited. Christianity is not a list of dos and don'ts, but following Christ in fellowship and love.

Christ paid the price on a debt we couldn't pay and owed for our sins to the Holy Father.  It was an infinite price that only God could pay with His blood--He suffered to the max on our behalf. The crucifixion is the measure of His love because He didn't have to die, He volunteered and willingly went to the cross. Religion lays down what man is obliged to do, while the gospel reveals to us what God has done for us.  There are a plethora of religions based on human achievement; however, Christianity is based on divine accomplishment, not human achievement or work.

Religion is a do-it-yourself proposition of lifting yourself up by your own bootstraps and trying to earn your way in, hoping your good deeds outweigh your bad ones at the Judgment.  Christians don't do good because they have to, but because they want to.  Works are a "therefore" not an "in order to" you might say. We don't have to, we get to!  Viva la difference!  Religion is performance-based and doesn't solve the problem of guilt that we all incur by our sin.  In Christianity salvation is a done deal and complete, while in religion the key word is "do" and is never done--all you can do is hope and you will never be assured of heaven or salvation. You just can't ever know in a works religion.  When you say that works bring salvation, that is pure religion, and when you mix works and faith that is legalism.  "[H]e saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit"  (Titus 3:5, ESV).

Christianity says that faith alone saves and works just naturally follow out of gratitude and a changed life (the Reformers said we are saved by faith alone, but not by a faith that is alone--no fruit means no faith).  You don't come to God with a changed life or a resolution to improve but come to God for a changed life.  He doesn't put a new suit on the man, but a new man in the suit.  Millions of lives have been transformed and renewed by Christ, and this is not the case with other religions, because the problem we have is sin, not ignorance and Jesus came to save us from our sins.  There is no other Savior in the world and no one else by whom we are commanded to call upon for salvation by a leap of faith to believe in our regenerated and renewed hearts.

Good works do have a place in Christianity, but they give us no merit before God.  We are saved "unto good works," which means that we are not saved by them, but so we can do them--only believers have the power to do good works in God's eyes.  Good deeds give us purpose and meaning in life as we cheerfully serve our Savior out of gratitude.  The works we do are actually ordained or predetermined for us to "walk in them"  (cf. Eph. 2:10).  Note that Christ didn't die to make bad men good, but to make dead people alive!  He came to bring life and life more abundantly (cf. John 10:10).

If we have no good works our faith is dead and dead faith cannot save!  Without the evidence of good works, our faith is suspect because the true believer wants to do them.  Sin doesn't show our freedom, but our slavery and Christ came to save us from our sins, which are the issue and problem we have. Religion is the best man can do, it has been said, but Christianity is the best God can do.  This means we don't earn salvation, we receive it!  Purpose of good deeds in perspective is vital to know:  James says, "I'll show you my faith by my good works;" and Paul would say, "I'll show you my good works by my faith." They go hand in hand and you can only distinguish them, but not separate them--they are no substitute for faith, but only evidence that it is real.

RELIGION EQUAL KNOWING OR CONFESSING A CODE OR CREED; CHRISTIANITY MEANS KNOWING A PERSON AND HAVING LIFE WITH HIM, PERIOD.  SOLI DEO GLORIA!

The Beginning Of Time...

"For by him all thing were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things were created through him and for him.  And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together"  (Col. 1:16-17, ESV). 
"(For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God" (Heb. 3:4, ESV). 
"[I]n hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began" (Tit. 1:2, ESV). 
[W]ho saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began" (2 Tim. 1:9, ESV).  

The Bible begins unapologetically "In the beginning God...."  It assumes and does not prove, there is a God behind creation. This isn't just the way the Bible begins but the beginning of all logic, thinking, and rationality or reason.  Any other assumption is incoherent!  In Stephen Hawking's book, The Brief History of Time, he postulates the Big Bang as its origin (the Bible declared this in Genesis).  Just like you cannot have a design without a designer so you cannot have creation without a Creator. This is known as a teleological proof of God's existence.  

Paul says in Romans 1:20 that men are without excuse because of the abundant evidence in nature. Immanuel Kant said that two things amaze him:  The starry skies above and the conscience within.  God is self-existent, in that He owes nothing nor anyone for His existence.  We, on the other hand, owe our very being to Him (cf. Acts 17:28).  He is the sole, primary cause of the cosmos and the uncaused cause, as the Greeks said. Everything that begins to exist has a cause, but God didn't begin to exist, but is eternal and therefore no cause and is not an effect.

Genesis is vital to the Bible because there is only one logical alternative:  "In the beginning matter/energy (quantum)."  The idea of "In the beginning nothing" is a matter of intellectual suicide because the Greeks ventured:  Ex nihilo, nihil fit, or out of nothing, nothing comes. Imagine the negation of everything and nothing existing!   Absurd.  Everything in the time-space continuum has a beginning, but don't jump to the conclusion that all that there is had a beginning because this would be fatal to science, logic, philosophy, and even religion.   If ever there was a time when nothing existed, there would be nothing now.  The theory of an eternal universe, it has been demonstrated, is untenable--evolutionists cannot swallow this bitter pill of there actually being a "beginning."

There has to be something transcendent, they reasoned, because we exist.  God is therefore eternal--the alternative is that matter is eternal, and that is disproved due to the Big Bang, or the beginning of the time/space continuum.  Nothing can create or cause itself--it is illogical!  The order has to be that first there was a Thinker, then a thought, then an action leading to creation or thing.  It is so much easier, to begin your reasoning with God and then explain the universe rather than beginning with the universe and explaining God or the cosmos! Napoleon was asked if there was a God? He replied, looking to the heavens:  "Who made that?"

The existence of God and a Thinker is evident because we are thinkers which necessitates a Higher Mind for our existence and creation.   Life only comes from life because of the genetic and metabolic motor, DNA, only is made from DNA.  That begs the question:  How did the first DNA arrive?  It must be by creation, which is only logical.  There is a required Supreme Being thinking and planning everything--that's why we have a "fine-tuned" (who tuned it?) universe and the earth is made in the Anthropic Principle, or designed perfectly for human habitation--the "Creator" just happened to get things right!

Athanasius Kircher designed a model solar system and when his superior saw it, he asked who made it. Kircher told him, "No one, it just happened!" The man balked at accepting and thought Kircher was trying to pull one over on him.  He said, "Well, you believe the whole universe just created itself!"  In the rules of cosmology, nothing "just just happens" but every effect or event must have a cause:  The Big Bang couldn't have just happened by chance or accident, but someone or something intelligent was behind it to pull the trigger.  The only plausible explanation for our universe is that there is a God behind it who made it on purpose for His purposes--He told us to subdue it. 

God created the time-space continuum and is therefore outside the limits of both being eternal and having no beginning or cause.  He is not confined, limited, nor defined by time, which He created!  NB:  Scripture mentions the so-called beginning of time in two places in the New Testament:  2 Tim. 1:9; Titus 1:2 cited above.  This was before scientists even speculated on the subject and even though there was no beginning, as recorded in Genesis 1:1!   Soli Deo Gloria!

Antinomianism Versus Legalism...

The two extremes I am referring to are libertinism or antinomianism and legalism. It is vital to know these distortions of the Christian walk and learn to distinguish them so that one can walk faithfully and obediently with Christ.  The only antidote known is a thorough knowledge of the Bible and to know Christ--Christianity is not a list of dos and don'ts but a living fellowship with the Lord.  Christianity is not a code but a relationship with Christ. 

You have to decide whether you are the kind of person who needs no law because you are regenerated and obey the new nature, or know no law because of your carnality and obey your old nature.  Martin Luther (and I believe Dietrich Bonhoeffer reiterated) pointed out that there are no disobedient Christians--for this is a contradiction:  "Only he who believes is obedient, and only he who is obedient believes."  They go hand in hand and the only test of faith is obedience.  A Christian can be guilty of carnality, but there is not a sub-class of carnal Christian.

Antinomianism was refuted by Martin Luther in Against the Antinomians in 1539.  It refers to a distaste for the law or literally "anti-lawism."   You might say that it designates a believer who feels he has a license to sin or for disobedience since he cannot lose his salvation and is secure in Christ.  I must stress that the Bible never gives one the right to do what is wrong or sanctions sin or doing what is right in according to your opinions, or your own thing.  We have many believers today who make up their own rules as they go along and do their own thing like the Hebrews did in Judges 21:25 when each man did what was right in his own mind or made up his own rules as he went along: whatever seems or feels right. 

Romans 6:1 (ESV) is the rebuttal to antinomianism saying that we should not go on sinning at all after salvation ("... Are we to continue in sin, that grace may abound?").  This would be taking advantage of God's grace and nullifying it and going back to the old life before salvation. The philosophy of antinomianism is "Freed from the law, O blessed condition; now I can sin all I want, and still have remission."  It is a frantic search for freedom to run amuck.  Rather, heed Paul's testimony:  "I do not frustrate [take advantage] of the grace of God"  (Gal. 2:21)!

There is a place for the law in our life and the whole of Scripture is law and grace and one must rightly divide it and know how to apply it.  In short, we never have a right to do what is wrong, and if it was morally wrong then it is still morally wrong because God's standards of morality haven't changed.  The law is meant to show us our sin and not a means of salvation; it is the mirror that shows us our unrighteousness.  The Phillips translation says of Romans 3:20:  "Indeed it is the straightedge of the law that shows us are crooked we really are."  It is a guide to the principles of morality and nine of the Ten Commandments are repeated in the New Testament (except keeping the Sabbath). Note that the Law doesn't save us, it measures us! 

Legalism is the error of many churches that try too hard to be spiritual or "holier than thou" (cf. Is. 65:5) than their counterparts in other churches.  Believes like to commend themselves and compare themselves to others (2 Cor. 10:12).  They seem to think they have a corner on the market of spirituality and this is one measure of it.  Legalism is counter to grace and salvation by grace because one is essentially trying to earn salvation and get to heaven by good works.  But in effect they are "going beyond that which is written" (cf. 1 Cor. 4:6).  If the Bible doesn't forbid something nor imply it by the application it is not a sin, though some things may be sin to some and not to others, due to knowledge and enlightenment.  "So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin"  (James 4:17, ESV, emphasis mine).

By way of example, the Pharisees were legalists because they adhered simply to the letter of the law and not the Spirit.  Legalistic churches bind people where they should be free and exercise tyranny over the congregants.  They also stress minor issues and ignore major ones or major on the minors. For example, they condemn smoking, drinking, gambling, card-playing, dancing, movie-going and even TV (watching the hemlines, hairlines, and ticket lines!), while they forget about their lack of witness and lukewarm worship.  Weightier matters of the Law (mercy, faithfulness, and justice)  ought to be addressed first and things the Bible explicitly does condemn.  We have no right to micromanage our brother's lives and tell them what is right and wrong--that is the job description of the Holy Spirit.

In conclusion, you may say the Mormons are good people because they refrain from coffee, of all things,  and are reasonably moral people, but Christ didn't die just to make bad people good, but dead people alive; however, we are not lawless, but live to a higher law:  The law of love.
Soli Deo Gloria!

Are We All To Witness?

Witnessing primarily denotes telling of what has happened to you and your personalized side of the story--usually, there is no way to refute or deny it either, such as the blind man saying, "I was blind, but now I see."  When Christ has changed your life, you should bear witness of the miracle that only He can do ("Let the redeemed of the Lord say so..," says Psalm 107:2)--a changed life in Christ is one of the greatest of all miracles.  The glory should go to Christ and you shouldn't glamorize your sins or former manner of life.  Soli Deo Gloria!

On the other hand, some Christians don't have a "testimony" in the sense of a dramatic story of conversion (I'm saying this is all right!), primarily because they were saved at a very young age and grew up in a Christian home. Should they "witness?"  Note that Jesus said in Acts 1:8 that we "shall be witnesses" not might be when power shall come upon us (i.e., all of us).  Paul said, "that God had called us to preach the gospel to them"  (Acts 16:10, NASB).  Therefore, a non-witnessing Christian is a contradiction in terms.  But what do we mean by this? Preaching the gospel IS witnessing. Standing up for Jesus IS witnessing!  Sharing your testimony IS witnessing. Standing up for Jesus to be counting and showing your Christian colors IS witnessing!

Now, Jesus said that we are witnesses ("You shall [not might be] witnesses..."), and that means if we don't "witness" we are not saved, but a vessel of dishonor; we are all witnesses (sometimes even bad), testifying of the gospel in shoe leather or according to us.  Jesus was saying that we shall receive power and then witness.

By definition, a witness witnesses.  We are not witnesses of the resurrection, for instance, as the apostles were.  The issue:  Is there a difference between witnessing and preaching the gospel, of which we are all commanded to do as ministers of reconciliation (he gave us the "ministry of reconciliation" according to 2 Cor. 5:18).  (They are not mutually exclusive, but one can do both or either one, you can witness without preaching the gospel, unfortunately, depending on your definition of "witnessing.")

Witnessing and preaching the gospel is something any believer can do, and he must know the gospel, first of all, to be effective and know Scripture as the seed to sow and trust God for the increase and timing, as well as open doors.  We just have to be ready "in season and out" to plant seeds.  Some sow, some water, and some reap, but God gives the increase.  Note:  Just saving souls is not all that is entailed in the Great Commission, as some infer; there is the subsequent making of disciples (not just converts) through baptism, teaching and preaching in edifying onto maturity so that they are ready to go out and start the cycle over again.

Many believers today say they witness, when in reality only a very small percentage (less than two percent by some polls) are engaged in any regular kind of active witnessing, and it has usually been a long time since they have shared their faith.  We must be willing to speak up for Christ and to stand up for Jesus, as it were. We must pray for opportunities to open doors (as even Paul had to do), and for God to make it known to us where we fit in and our role in the body.  The church body at large is to fulfill the Great Commission together and each one exercising their gift is a common way to do this--if they don't know their gifts they will be mainly ineffective or neutralized.

Just telling your own story without mentioning the way of salvation or the gospel (you must make a beeline for the gospel message as soon as the door opens) and this kind of witnessing can be duplicated by a another religious convert who testifies of how Buddha or TM changed his life, or that Allah lives in his heart for a Muslim.  The point is not your personal story, but the power of the gospel to change lives ("... [F]or it is the power of God unto salvation..," according to Romans 1:16).

In conclusion, to say that you don't witness, in that you don't believe in telling your personal testimony, but do share the gospel and your faith in Christ unabashed, is not unbiblical, because the Great Commission refers to sharing the good news of Jesus as the way of salvation basically in any manner necessary or that works--find your niche in the mission!  Soli Deo Gloria!