Of Gungor And Scripture And Discernment And...

I am perplexed. Baffled. Puzzled. Bewildered. Confounded. Utterly confused. I can’t seem to figure something out that is taking place in perceived Christianity.

I have been a champion for always being wary of what you are consuming, especially when it comes to the entertainment that you allow to enter your mind and affect you to the core. (See Here, Here, Here, Here, Here, Here and here. I have been aware of the namesake for the band Gungor’s recent remarks about his views against Biblical accuracy. I did not, however, look into exactly what his remarks were until today.

I first starting reading an article about Ken Ham, of Answers in Genesis and the Creation Museum, which he was addressing Gungor’s stance against Biblical accounts of creation and publicly calling Gungor to repent. I stopped reading shortly into the article because I wanted to read Michael Gungor’s actual words first, without having an opinion formed about what Gungor said, without reading what Gungor said. (Here is a post directly from Ken Ham)

Having never listened to Gungor, the only opinion I had formed about Gungor was based on people expressing how “great” the music was that the band had been producing. I have never heard a Gungor song, I have never heard Gungor talk even. I had a fresh slate, no kind of preconceived notions of what this man believes. As I read Michael Gungor’s words I began getting the feeling that the term “fundamentalist” was being used derogatorily and that Mr. Gungor harbored some animosity for those that might actually believe what the Bible says.

Gungor’s arguments seemed to match up with the world outside of perceived Christianity. From belittling those that believe the Biblical accounts of creation and Adam and Eve to be factual to likening the Bible’s account of Noah and the ark to an episode of Star Trek I was seeing that Gungor has been heavily influenced by this world’s lack of understanding of Scripture. (Original Gungor post - Followup post)

I will stop short of calling Michael Gungor a non-Christian, but I think that may be a real likely thing. Why is that? Can’t someone believe science trumps scripture and still be a Christian? Sure they can. How is that? Because there are a lot of Baby Christians out there who do not have the proper understanding of scripture and do not understand the Bible’s true nature. It is The Word of God. Period. The Bible is not simply a narrative of events, a collection of nifty stories or an outdated list of rules as Gungor and others would try to persuade. It is a reflection of the Nature of God. And with that statement I end up firmly on Gungor’s naughty list of Biblical Fundies.

I am praying that the Gungors take Ken Ham up on his invitation to visit the Creation Museum and to learn what the Biblical narrative really is. The scientists at the Creation Museum have volunteered to meet with the Gungors and show them how a ship could fit all of the animals that scripture says it did. They will be able to see where the water came from, the paths that it carved as it receded, the fossil beds that its aftermath left. If Michael Gungor visits the museum and is a Christian he certainly must change his understanding of what the Bible says and change his perceptions of Scripture as true and stop ridiculing those that actually believe what the Bible says.

Saying all of this I come to the real point of this post, the reason I am confused. Many a true believer have held the wrong understanding of the Biblical accounts as Michael Gungor holds. I would even venture to say that there are probably other mainstream CCM musicians that hold the same beliefs. What I find perplexing is the castigation of Gungor in light of this, the night and day perception of Gungor without actually trying to have a straight forward and heart to heart discussion with and to Michael Gungor. Michael Gungor has been accursed by a lot of people for his views and his words (rightfully so?). So why is that perplexing to me? Because other musical groups that blatantly and obviously believe and teach heretical doctrine are openly welcomed in Christian circles.

It is a sad state that a wrong view of the Bible, maybe caused by a lack of study or discipleship, sets someone outside the camp with folks washing their hands clean of Gungor while groups like Philips, Craig and Dean are defended, praised and lifted up as “brothers” when their view of God is blatantly heretical. PC&D not only believe heresy they also teach the heresy of Modalism with a kicker of a Prosperity gospel in the “churches” that they “pastor”.

Discernment is a rare commodity these days. False teachers/ prophets abound in our world today, smiling and telling you that your best life is now, that you can speak things into existence. False religions are being held as acceptable simply because the popular adherents hold the same political views as most Conservative Christians do (Glenn Beck, Mitt Romney). The ones that must be named get a free pass, while Gungor gets tied to the stake in mainstream circles. Rather ironic, I must say.

So, what to do? My suggestion is to see how Michael Gungor reacts to Ken Ham’s invitation. No preconceived narratives from me on what “might” happen or what Mr. Gungor “might” say or do with the invitation. I am fairly confident though, that if Michael Gungor accepts the invitation, sees the Christian view of Creation, with the scientific backing of Christian scientists, with PHDs, that he will change his view of Scripture and become a radical fundie, just like me.

What this boils down to, in my view, is that people are too heavily influenced by the musicians they like. Entertainment, music, musicians, movies, etc. are all chosen with what the flesh seems to enjoy. That is an alright thing, but that definitely doesn't trump Biblical accuracy and doing a little research into a band that catches your ear. We are to test all things (1 Thessalonians 5:21) and I am really certain that music, which impacts your mind and spirit, must be investigated before "liking" it and adding it to your MP3 player. Christians must be diligent to always look beyond what their foot taps to and see what theology has laid the foundation for what you are consuming. If you know a band or singer has some questionable theology then you would be wise to avoid them at all costs. If the TV preacher teaches contrary to scripture then you must mark them as anathema and avoid them, not "chew up the meat and spit out the bones". 

Discernment is lacking greatly in all areas of Christianity. How is that remedied? By knowing what the Bible says, by studying scripture, by taking God at His Word and applying it to your life and letting it shape you (Romans 12:2, Philippians 2:5). Simply follow Christ and God's Word. Let God be your guide and not what is popular in the world or within Christian circles.

Always Right?

I've had a thought today. Actually this thought has been playing a big part in my life lately. I've even developed a quote around it:

"Just because you may always be right doesn't mean that you must always be right."

Let that sink in for a moment.


What does this, somewhat, cryptic quote mean? Let me equate it to a Person, not just any person, but The Person, Jesus Christ. Here is the only person that lived who was always right..... about everything. But did He always try to win an argument? Did He always exert His knowledge and reasoning to prove Himself right? No. Just look at the story of the rich young ruler (Mark 10:17-27). Here a young ruler in the temple came to Christ, knowing that he did not have what it took to be saved and asked Jesus what he needed to do. Jesus took him through a whole laundry list of sins and the young ruler said that he had not committed any of them. Really? I would think that he had told a lie, or even thought of telling a lie even just once, but Jesus does not address that issue. Jesus doesn't try to prove anything to him regarding those sins and the one he just committed by lying to Christ Himself in the flesh.

Jesus could have said to this fellow," Whoa there man. You remember that time when your mother asked if you broke the water bowl and you told her that your brother knocked it in the floor?" Which would have shown that he was a liar and didn't respect his mother and had hate in your heart for blaming it on your brother. No, Jesus doesn't try to prove this man wrong, but points to a place that He knows the young ruler will be pierced straight through. Money.

Or maybe a story that we can all relate to in one way or another, that of Peter's denial of Jesus. Jesus had told Peter that he would deny Him before the rooster crowed. Peter was adamant that he would never deny Jesus, but we all know what happened. Peter did just as Jesus had said, but yet Jesus never brought that up to Peter, unless you count the 3 times that Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him (John 21:15-17), which some say was Jesus giving Peter the opportunity to "un-deny" Him.

Of course, the ultimate way Jesus did not try to prove He was right was on the Cross at Calvary. Jesus, the Lamb of God who had never even had the thought of sin cross His mind, willingly said "I'm wrong", even though He was ALWAYS right. He bore the sins of the world, taking the wrath of the Father upon His own body, so that we could be reconciled to Him. He was always right, but yet He didn't feel the need to be outwardly.

Knowing these stories (and others) in the Word of God, we take them all in the fullness of scripture and see verses like:

Mark 8:35 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.

Matthew 5:11 Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.

2 Corinthians 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 

John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. 

1 John 4:7-11 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 

Now, is this "laying your life down" the actual, physical stepping in front of a bullet or pushing your buddy out in from the path of a semi-truck and getting hit yourself? Probably not, but it could be. What the point of "laying your life down" is that you put other's needs, feelings, emotions and well being above your own. You may actually be right in a disagreement, but that doesn't mean that you keep arguing your point to the brink of losing your relationship over it. You can just realize that the "greater  good" is peace and love, in the Name of Christ. As He willfully laid His life for you, even though He was right, you do the same thing in this less weightier matter.

It's a matter of love, a matter of the heart, as all things are. Where is your heart in this particular situation? Is it so bent on proving you are right, that you have 5 points and 3 websites that prove you're right, really more important than causing greater strife? Is the feeling of, "Yes, I put you in your place!" showing the love of Christ, when Jesus was put in your place? Can we not just treat the other person as though they are right and just pray that God reveal it to them in some other fashion? Why must we prove ourselves "right" every time? We don't have to. All in the name of love and unity and to the Glory of Christ.

(This if course is not the case for heretical doctrine. We must always stand on the Word of God when His Word is attacked. Be careful here,, too, as how you say something can be just as important as what you say. Always speak the truth in love and let God do with it as He wills Ephesians 4:15)

Allowing The World To Point You To Christ

I woke up with a thought on my mind this morning. I don't know if it is an original thought or if I may have heard it from someone along the way and the dark recesses of my mind only recalled it this day (I will do a search after I am finished writing this post and will let you know at the end of the post if it is an original thought or give credit to the originator).

"Everyone in your life is either pointing you to Christ or trying to discourage your relationship with Christ"

I'm going to have to break that down, because this thought, while often true, doesn't have to be. As Christians we love fellowship with the brothers and sisters that God has put in our lives; our church family, our pastor, our "blood" family, friends on Facebook and even some co-workers. When we think of those that point us to Christ we think of those people and rightfully so, they know Christ as well, our spirits bear witness to one another and we are greatly encouraged with interactions. So, the first part of the quote is a given. But what about the second part?

Along my walk with Christ there has come others that are seemingly there to try and discourage my relationship with my Lord. They, too, could be close friends, professing Christians, family members, co-workers or even the cashier at the grocery store. Sometimes they may call you a "fanatic" or "Jesus Freak" or "Holy Roller", but all in an attempt to try and make you look odd or weird because you actually follow what scripture says; that you love God and love people. This can get you down because we, as humans, still crave acceptance and rejection is not what anyone wants or desires. They offer worldly "fixes" to your problems and do not point to God. What do we do then? Usually lay off a little bit, maybe turn down the volume knob from 11 when around those people. But, I say "Why?". Why would we want to snuff, maybe the only Light these people might ever see? Why allow them to think that a relationship with God should be based on their views or any other view not found in scripture but is rooted in the world view?

I suggest that when these people are placed in our life that it is not coincidental. Instead of allowing them to manipulate our actions, words or deeds when in their presence that we do the same things that we do when we are within the walls of a church building - Praise God. Do not let an attack drive you from Christ, but let it fuel an increased dependency to run TO Christ. Take it as yet another reason to seek His face, to lift this lost person up that they may sing the same praises to God as you.

Remember that we are not fighting against flesh and blood, but against things in the spiritual realm. Most people are under the influence of this world and their views are based on the morality (or lack of) that is set forth by people. Now, I'm not saying all people are possessed by demons, but I do believe a lot are. I believe those that are not have been lulled into the creed of "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law", or more easily understood as "Let me live my life the way I want, you live your life, whatever feels good for you is perfectly fine", which I translate as "There are no absolutes and everyone makes their own truth about everything". This  of course, is not valid if you actually follow the Bible and God as Scripture reveals how a follower of Christ actually is.

Society says that all views are valid, until you start speaking in absolutes. This is self refuting because that statement is an absolute statement. This kind of thinking is better known as "post-modernism", which has infiltrated the "church" (lowercase c). I like to say it has infiltrated the perceived church, or what the world sees as the "church". Now that the World sees professing Christians say that we must question everything in the Bible, that the Word of God is invalid in some areas, that "sin" is not really sin and then see other's say that we must still follow the Word of God and actually still do, they are seen as "radical fundamentalists" or fanatics. I'd just say that they are actually Christians that are still seeking to follow Jesus Christ.

Back to the subject at hand, sorry for the rabbit chasing. Christian! Don't let this world discourage you from a true relationship with God. Seek people that can be a mutual edification between you and them, plant yourself in a true Church Body that loves and seeks after God in all things. Ground yourself in the Word of God. Purge yourself of as much of this world as possible. Seek Jesus Christ. Let the World be a constant reminder of how much you need God, in every step you take, every breath you take, every word you say. Let those that could be discouragement instead be another reason to praise God and call upon Him. Use this world as encouragement, to seek God instead of something that will drag you down and cause spiritual decline.

Seek God in all things. Praise God in all things. Speak of God in all things. Live to God in all things. Allow God to use you to further His Kingdom. Do not conform to this World and allow it to mold you. Let go and let God.

(I just did a fast search and did not find anyone else that had said the original quote of this post. This thought has been building in me over the past few weeks as a current trial has been developing. I have seen God greatly encourage me through the Body, I have heard worldly advise and I have seen attacks from people that claim to have the same Spirit residing in them as I do. I have let the latter affect me, but no more. I know my God is faithful and my God is able. I know that God fights for me and I know that all things He allows in my life are for my good. He has placed His yoke upon me and is carrying my weight  He is directing my path and He is ordering my steps. I have His promises that He will do only good for this situation, that I am not being punished for anything because Christ bore ALL of my punishment on Calvary. I need only trust that He is working all things for my good and just follow His lead. He is in control and I rest in that.)

CCM Radio Observations From The Peanut Gallery

Admittedly, I do not listen to a whole lot of CCM radio. I've outlined the “why” in several blogs before (Here, Here, Here, Here, Here, Here and Here). The main reason is that Philips, Craig and Dean are prominently played and promoted and PC&D being heretics I cannot support that. A second, and close, reason is that the DJs are really “squishy” with what they say. Well, “squishy” is putting it mildly, they are sometimes heretical, and so I don’t listen. If CCM radio, in general, were to do away with the DJs and cut out the heretical songs and artists, then I might listen more often.

This past week was different in my listening of the radio. I basically worked alone in the office, so I pulled out my trusty boombox and turned on KLOVE. I did have to turn it down a few times, but being in and out of the office all day the turning down of the volume knob was few and far between. I was pleasantly surprised….. Except for one issue that has been being pushed this whole week; the 30 day music challenge.

On the surface we all say, “Yes, listen to Christian music exclusively and you’ll ‘feel’ better. You will ‘be happier’. You will ‘smile more’. You will ……..”. And therein also lies the issues, the music is being pushed as a cure to whatever ails you, wherever you have shortcomings in your life will miraculously be cured. Poof. That also opens up the true issue, pointing to music to change one’s life instead of pointing to Christ. Why can’t these DJs and stations (not only KLOVE – AFR does some of the same things) give a clear representation of the Gospel each hour instead of pushing their agenda to get people to listen to their station more? Why can’t a “Christian” station not promote Christ instead of what could very well be some great side benefits of an actual relationship with Him?

You see similar issues through the year, most notably during their pledge drives. This is where they set aside a few weeks a year to guilt their listeners into donating money. What happened to God supplying the means in His ministries? Instead of “God has supplied” it has turned into “our listeners make this happen”. This is a firm, yet subtle, insistence that “we” humans make things happen and we are to be praised for it. Wrong. Hudson Taylor put it greatly when he said, “God’s work done in God’s time will never lack God’s supply”. Taylor’s words should ring true to all Christians that instead of a focus on funding and all of the “what can I do” thoughts, we should place our focus on God and let Him bring in the support. That would take a huge burden off of all those involved, that is if you actually believe God will support His ministries. It probably wouldn't be a stretch to say there are a lot of “ministries” out there, radio stations, shelters, food banks and even churches that a long time ago took God out of the equation and He has decided to stay out. What is sad is that these ministries keep on chuggin’ along, trying to make ends meet, doing a lot of “good” but doing it in their own power, which doesn't glorify God and may actually be sin.

It would be really good if KLOVE were to say, “Listening to CCM music may make you 'feel' better, but the only One that can change you is Jesus Christ”, then go into a full Gospel presentation. That is something that is noticeably absent from “Christian Radio” - the Gospel. When all that a ministry is is to share the Gospel, not relaying the Gospel really shows a lot. Of course “Jesus” is mentioned from time to time, but for the most part it is a lot of “Do, do, do” and works, like M.A.D. Monday (Make a difference Monday). M.A.D. Monday is the idea of just being “good” makes a difference in someone's life AND you don't have to say anything about Christ in the process. Sure, paying for my lunch in the drive-thru may make a $5 difference in my checking account, but how is that impacting the Kingdom? How is doing something for “goodness sake” letting someone know about Christ? This kind of thinking goes along with the quote from St. Francis of Assisi, “ Preach the gospel and use words if necessary”. It sounds good , but it is detrimental to the Kingdom. (See this article)

I really want to like CCM radio, I really do, but I just can't in its present state. I can't like the fact that know heretics are promoted, I can't like the fact that works seem to be a major focus, I can't like that funding is shilled like carnival barker coaxing patrons in with promises unfounded. Why oh why can't the focus be on Christ? Why can't the pledge drives talk about how great Christ is and therefore how great an honor it is to join in His work, instead of telling people how dependent the station is on them? Why can't listeners be encouraged to share the Gospel, with words and in tangible ways that will make a positive impact on the Kingdom? I guess my listening to CCM radio will continue as normal, sporadic, with glimpses of hope that one day they will realize their focus is blurred. Until then, I will continue listening to my music via my phone's MP3 player 99% of the time, all the time having hope that God will one day be the focus of radio stations that claim to follow Him.  

The Scope Of Your Influence

God has graced me with, what I think is, a good job with a good benefits package that includes vacation time. This week is vacation time with the first 2 days were spent watching our sick grandson instead of sending him to daycare which was a great time. Yesterday and today have been chore days, which makes me think this is not really a vacation after all, but it is good to not be bogged down with “work”.

This morning, before venturing into chore mode, I came across a video of Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty/ Duck Commander fame. I was first introduced to Phil and his family via the Duck Dynasty TV series and first heard of the show in my Sunday School class. One of the teens in there said they were watching it and said that they were Christians, so I had to check it out. Now, let me be upfront, I have never been duck hunting in my life and only been any kind of hunting one time, for rabbit, which I felt bad afterward and never went again. I have the luxury of not having the need to hunt, but would and will if the need ever arises, so I do not think hunting is “wrong” and is actually quite “right”. If you watch the video series I post at the end of this posting you will hear just how God designed us as hunters.

During the video I heard a little about hunting, which is to be expected, but then heard a LOT about God. It was awesome and I soon began to realize that God had given these men favor, through hunting, to preach the Gospel. Their scope of influence is broad now, thanks to a love for hunting and God's working in their lives to put them in the a large scope of influence. This got me thinking about my scope of influence.

While my “world' is not as broad as the Robertson family has been given, my task is the same – Preach the Gospel to everyone I come into contact with. This means my job, when I go shopping, to my neighbor, to the mailman, the UPS man, the counter person at McDonalds and in my own home. Just because these men have been given a larger “audience” doesn't mean that we are to have a large audience to proclaim the Gospel. Everyone's audience is given by God for specific reasons. My audience could never be the same as Phil or Jase Robertson as I know nothing about hunting, but not a single Robertson can have my audience or your audience. And please don't misunderstand my use of the word “audience”, which is not meant in an entertainment since, but in a “who God puts in my life who hears my voice and who I can tell about Him”.

So I ask anyone who may happen across this posting, who God has put in my scope of influence, to look around you. Look at the opportunities that God places in your life everyday to tell of His glory. You don't have to keep asking “God please give me the opportunity to....” because He already does, they are already there. Turn that prayer into “God please allow me eyes to see the opportunities you have already given to me, to share your Gospel, to share your love”. I guarantee you He will and while you may never get a reality TV show you will be partaking in the Great Commission of making disciples.

I encourage each of you to watch these videos and see how God has placed hunting in their lives in order to share the Gospel. If you are a Christian you will be greatly encouraged. As you watch pray and ask God to show you the opportunities that you may have to do this same thing, in the scope of influence He has placed before you.  

Phil

(6 videos, about 10 minutes each)

Jase

(Almost and hour long, but great)

Christmastime: How Dareth Thou?

Ahhhhh. It's that time of the year. The time that the leaves are falling from the trees, signaling the arrival of fall, quickly followed by winter and Christmas. But hark, who goes there? Christians celebrating the coming of the Messiah? What? That cannot be! Who dares to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ; the greatest Miracle ever?

The chiding actually started on Facebook around Halloween time. I saw a scattering of posts deriding believers (in name only or actually true Christians) for joining in the celebration and festivities of Halloween, then quickly followed with "Yeah, they are the same ones that celebrate the pagan holiday of Christmas too". I admit, I never heard of the "pagan holiday of Christmas" until I joined Facebook a few years ago and had the privilege of coming across those that thought this way. Never did I know that I was bowing down to a idol when I set up a tree, put decorations around the house or gave gifts to people that I love. I was ignorant of such things being "pagan" and quickly learned that I may not actually be a Christian if I did, indeed, celebrate Christmas.

Wow! I was actually in shock and started doing some research. It seems that the celebration of Christ's birth was celebrated before moving the date to December 25th and was moved to that date to try and dissuade pagans from celebrating a false idol and instead show them who the true God is. So, the argument became "You celebrate a pagan ritual/ celebration of a sun god" and anyone who celebrates Christmas was indeed taking part in worshiping that god and there was no way that they could celebrate the coming of the Savior on that day. I wrote on some of this last year and just recently found out that I was incorrect in something, the celebrations by Christians was not an "alternative" to the sun-god worship. The celebration of Christ's birth was already taking place, only the date was changed to coincide with December 25th's pagan celebration.

I am still in the mindset I was last year: Christmas has been commercialized to a very high degree by the fallen culture we live in. Now, what do Christians do with that? Do they not celebrate Christmas because the lost society has "paganized" it? Or do Christians continue to celebrate the coming of the Savior? I'd say the latter, but with the assumption that everything situated around the holiday is Christ focused and honoring. So, pretty much the same as any other day of the year for a follower of Christ, but with one small bonus- We get the chance to actually tell others and show others what Christmas really is. We get a "free ticket" to be able to interject the story of Christmas and therefor tell why Jesus came to this Earth in the first place - to save sinners like us. We get a chance to tell the Gospel to folks that would normally not give you the time or day to do so.

Now, what about those that want to tell me that I am "participating in pagan sun-god worship"? I say: "Really?" These folks are under some very bad misunderstandings. I would like to know the process that leads someone to this viewpoint. I would like to know why they use pagan ways (Windows/ Bill Gates product or Mac OS/ Steve Jobs product) daily in bible study, work or entertainment and see nothing wrong with that. How can you shop at stores that have pagan owners, have pagan workers and buy pagan products and yet condemn a Christian (true or not) for celebrating Christ's birth? How can you call today Saturday when it is named after Saturn, the Roman god of agriculture? Or even venture out of your house on Sunday since that day was named after the Sun? I am not trying to throw a red-herring or straw-man in the mix, but simply show that many things around us may be "pagan" but that doesn't mean that we are pagan.

Take the Christmas season to show the love of Christ. If you choose not to celebrate Christmas, for whatever reason, then don't. Don't call someone a pagan because they do and I won't call you a Pharisee for trying to impose laws that are not there. Christ came to save us from sin. He lived a sinless and perfect life to atone for our sins. He died and shed His blood to wash us clean and I will tell that in any way I can, as much as I can, to whoever I can....... Even on December 25th.

SINCERE, BUT SINCERELY WRONG

SINCERE, BUT SINCERELY WRONG

(by A.W. Pink) 

It is greatly to be feared that there are

multitudes in Christendom who verily

imagine and sincerely believe that they

are among the saved, yet who are total

strangers to a work of divine grace in

their hearts. 

It is one thing to have clear intellectual

conceptions of God's truth, it is quite

another matter to have a personal, real

heart acquaintance with it. 

It is one thing to believe that sin is the

awful thing that the Bible says it is, but

it is quite another matter to have a holy

horror and hatred of it in the soul. 

It is one thing to know that God requires

repentance, it is quite another matter to

experimentally mourn and groan over our

vileness. 

It is one thing to believe that Christ is the

only Savior for sinners, it is quite another

matter to really trust Him from the heart.

It is one thing to believe that Christ is the

'sum of all excellency', it is quite another

matter to LOVE HIM above all others. 

It is one thing to believe that God is the

great and holy One, it is quite another

matter to truly reverence and fear Him. 

It is one thing to believe that salvation

is of the Lord, it is quite another matter

to become an actual partaker of it through

His gracious workings.

Altar-ed Call

I've set through a lot of altar calls in my life. Some of these altar calls were bad, in the baddest sense, others were worse, but none worse than the one I set through last night. It was actually three altar calls strung together over about an hour and a half.

Being raised in a typical “American church” I grew up with altar calls after every service. It was just how the service progressed: Singing, prayer, preaching, altar call with soft music, proclamations of salvation, leave. Of course, I use the “preaching” and the “prayer” in loose terms as they were both usually man-centered. But hey, it's all I knew as a child and I was a fine product of the “modern gospel” for 30 years, believing I was saved because of an altar call. I was “held over hell on a corn stalk” being told how terrible hell was, literally having the hell scared out of me and driving me right to the altar to say the prayer. It was just “how it was” and that's all I knew.

Thirty years later, when I actually had an encounter with God He began to show me things. I had returned to the church of my youth and had heard the same messages, seen the same methods, witnessed the same results. People flocked to the altars to “get saved” or “rededicate” their lives to Christ. The altar call trip when I was 8 was my only one, but I would say 50% of the other altar calls I set through I was praying that prayer all over again. As a mater of fact my prayer before going to bed each night usually had some form of, “God, if I'm not really saved, please forgive me and don't send me to hell”.

The extended altar call last night really struck bad to me. I had just enjoyed a great concert from a Christian band that I really like. I made my way to the merch table to pick up a t-shirt and have the band sign my CD cover before I left. The guest “evangelist” began to speak and they shut down everything, no sales, everyone stop and pay attention. I was told that, “We can't sell anything now, this is why we put this on tonight, right here”, with a head nod to the stage area. The “evangelist” started out making fun of how a few girls had laughed at other events that he had been a part of. I would say that if any of those girls had been there they would not have been very flattered by the words he was saying. He was after laughs and he received laughs. I guess this was his ice breaker routine to grab attention of everyone. It worked, because my attention was fixed on him, wondering why he would be squandering this opportunity to share Christ with the crowd before him. He did speak a little about the bible, told how God's sheep hear His voice and then the altar call commenced.

“Do you want to hear God's voice?”

“Do you want to go to heaven when you die?”

That's about it in several different forms. By this time a brief shower had started falling, so he was rushing to get to the altar call and rushing, somewhat to get to “the prayer”. He asked everyone to bow their heads, raise their hand if they wanted to be able to hear God's voice an commenced the text book “sinner's prayer”. He then did the next thing in the “Altar Calls 101” play book and asked those that said the prayer to stand up, “nobody's looking” after all. Then after a few had made it to their feet began to tell them, “OK, now don't be ashamed, come on forward.” Typical psychological manipulation. I would guess that about 35 kids went forward and were passed off to the events counselors at the side of the stage.

The rain had stopped, so the second altar call commenced. This time it was geared at those that “have heard God's voice, but now listen to the voice of the world instead”. He was giving the altar call for people to rededicate their lives. This was filled with a story about scaring girls when he was younger and was played into “don't be scared to live for God”. Not much of a reaction to this part of his extended altar call. He ended it with “prayer” and handed the mic to the promoter.

I was ready to buy my t-shirt and hit the road for the hour drive back home. But, alas, the promoter must not have thought that the second altar call was good enough. He began with the same “don't be scared” ploy. This was followed by “we have to do....”, “why aren't you.....” and “If you don't.....”. This man was filling these people's heads with works and trying to lay guilt trips on everyone. At one point he said, “If you are not out evangelizing then you are sending people to hell”. My head was about to explode because I had yet to hear anything, in the three altar calls, about God's holiness, God's requirements, man's sinfulness and rebellion, Christ's perfect atonement, the blood of Christ that takes away all of our sins, the grace of God in even allowing us to have a breath because of our rebellion. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. No Gospel. No call to repentance. Nothing of the true Gospel whatsoever. Only a emotional call and guilt trip to garner decisions. I prayed during all of this that God would save despite the false message. He saved me despite the false teachings I was sitting under, so I know He does it.

If I were a confrontational person I would have been in a serious discussion with the promoter and staff last night. If there ever was a time I wanted to confront someone it was last night. It was probably for the best that I did, at that time, not say anything. But, I will probably say something if I ever happen to be at another event that this guy puts on. I know that this false gospel is sending millions to hell. I also think that most of these people mean well, but also that the “road to hell is paved with good intentions”. Unless someone repents and is born again they will not see the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus made it clear that you must follow Him, lay everything aside, even the love for your family is to seem like hate in comparison for your love for Him. The easy believism that permeates most “churches” and “Christian” events must be addressed and must be stopped. Then again, this may just be part of the judgment of God, giving man over to their own self centered desires and works mentality, trusting in themselves for salvation and not on Christ.

We must stand on the Word of God alone. We must not water down the Message of Christ. We must not tickle the ears of others and tell them what they want to hear in order to get them to commit to a decision. We must not play people's emotions and instead preach the full council of God and allow the Holy Spirit to work in convicting them, God made it simple enough to trust in Him. Sell it all and follow Him. Do not give regard for the things of this life, but instead have the mind of a pilgrim, just passing through, making disciples, pointing to Christ in all that we do, exalting His Name, preaching the Gospel in season and out of season. Proclaiming The good News to this lost and dying world. Are you ready? Then Go!  

Creflo Dollar Is Guilty

Post Subtitle : Guilty of preaching a false gospel

Lots of talk the past few days about Word of Faith “preacher” Creflo Dollar. Seems that he is accused of battery and cruelty to children in an alleged attack on his 15 year old daughter. I will not go into the details of the alleged happening, but you can find it all over the internet at any news source. Also, you can find a scan of the actual police report here. My prayer is that this situation will be used to bring interest on Dollar and thus exposing his false gospel, regardless if what the criminal charges are.

First off, I did post the story on my Facebook page along with a comment that pretty much said Creflo was guilty. It is true that in this country we are innocent until proven guilty. So, for that I was wrong and not giving Creflo his due diligence in making his case before a judge and/ or jury. However, I do not believe this will reach that phase of the judicial process, so we may never know if he was guilty or not. Actually, does it really matter anyway? After all he has been abusing scripture and his listeners for decades and people still flock to him.

Dollar has a long history of being a Word of Faith teacher. This in itself is a heresy that has run rampant on the world for a few decades now, with other WoF (Word of Faith) preacher/ teachers like Oral Roberts, Jessie DuPlantis, Kenneth Copeland, T.D. Jakes, Benny Hinn and Joyce Meyer being some of the more well known. Not that there are actually “bigger” heresies than others, but the more prominent in this movement are the “little gods” statements, name it and claim it speak, your faith is what can cure you, sow your seeds into “my” ministry to receive your blessings, if your not being healed then your faith isn’t strong enough and one I just came across today - that Jesus “grew” into His Sonship and “Godness”.

Actually, I have listened to a few of Dollar’s messages over the past few days, taken directly from his website so they wouldn’t be “out of context”. In those messages I found not one single solitary shred of the true Gospel of Christ. I heard a lot of prosperity and a lot of “me” and “I”, even saw Dollar do a “thus sayeth the lord” as he closed his eyes and proceeded to act as a direct oracle for God. So, what is Dollar’s message all about? It is all about self, to the core, through and through.

I’ll clear the air here. I am in no way against a pastor of God having money. I don’t think it is beyond belief that God could bless His children abundantly. Only thing is, Creflo’s not a minister of the Gospel. Creflo feeds his congregation steady doses of “me” and “I”. He even expounds when preaching and calls what he says THE gospel, but not a single word of the Jesus of scripture, not one word on His blood, not one word about sin, not one utterance of repentance, nothing about sanctification, nothing at all resembling the true Gospel of Christ. Admittedly I did not listen to each and every message the Dollar has preached over his career, but shouldn’t the primary reason to preach to people be to glorify God? I mean I heard a few verses ripped out of context, but other than that it was an all out motivational talk/ sales pitch.

It really saddens me that so many people are on their way to hell because of this type of message. This false gospel has man as its central point, what can God do for me type of attitude. I suppose that is why it is so popular. I know there are a few prominent Christian voices out there that are calling these carlatans out. Justin Peters, Voddie Baucham, Hank Hanegraaff, John MacArthur and rappers IV Hisson and Jovan Mackenzy all speak out against the heresies that are spewed from pulpits every Sunday morning. I praise God that these “voices in the wilderness” are there, but I also pray that all pastors and followers of Christ would also take a stand for the true Gospel and push to expose these workers of darkness and of a false gospel. These workers of iniquity are actually to be anathema/ accursed according to Galatians 1:8-9. Instead they have their wears and false messages peddled on TV networks like TBN and TCT, their books and study guides displayed on “Christian” bookstore shelves and people ingest their poison all the way to the grave. Why is that? It is the human nature of self, the greed factor, the lust of money, the lust of a comfortable lifestyle, the desire to be healthy above all else. It is the “perfect” anti-gospel, relayed by prosperity preachers who flaunt their millions to the poor people they are ripping off.

I get infuriated at the state of what people see as Christianity today. It is not really hard to see why so many people are turned off by what they see on TV and read about in the news about the “church”. The secular world sees the hypocrisy of what passes for the gospel these days. The even sadder fact is that when the True Gospel is proclaimed people shake their heads and want nothing of it. They think it is extreme to actually taking up your cross daily, serving those in need, preaching to others, witnessing to those in your life, talking about being a slave to Christ, actually doing what the bible says a true follower of Christ will do - FOLLOW HIM.

Probably the most troubling part of the current issue with Creflo Dollar is those professing Christians that are saying Dollar is a brother in Christ, a fellow Christian. They see the name “pastor” and see that he “preaches” but beyond that they are ignorant of what Dollar actually preaches. They come to his defense (judging ‘for’) and admonish those that are opposing dollar (judging ‘against’). As I stated, I did unfairly judge Dollar guilty of the crimes he is charged with. I apologize for that and learned I should not, but I will not apologize for using this newfound spotlight in the public eye for Dollar to expose his heretical preaching. I wait to see how this all plays out - who will rush to his defense in judging him not guilty, those that judge him guilty and those that use this as a catapult to expose his lies to the world and use it to proclaim the true Gospel of Christ.

I also would like for anyone that may happen upon this posting and says that Dollar is a true preacher of the Gospel to please leave a comment for why you think that. Please leave any link to any message that is the true Gospel. Please explain how he can preach a heresy so much and still be a true child of God. I am always open for correction and will admit if I am wrong.

God has shown His grace on me. After 30 years as a false convert, willing to call anything and everything “Christian” that professed to be, God opened my eyes to the false messages. God showed me how utterly sinful and how much under His wrath I was. He showed me the true Jesus Christ, His sacrifice, His atonement for my sins, His blood shed on Calvary for me, His death, burial and resurrection, being my Propitiation, my Advocate, my Savior! Know what else? He can be yours as well. All you must do is repent and believe in Him. Turn from your sins and to the Holy God. Cry out to Him and fall at His feet and follow Him, wherever He leads, however the road turns. See God as He is - Holy and how you are not - a sinner. Cling to Christ. Deny yourself. Leave all behind and follow Him.

A Damaged Testimony?

Have you ever damaged your testimony? You know, damaged your story of your walk with Christ? Do you even know what that means or have you never heard of damaging your testimony?

I used to hear that a lot growing up at my childhood church. It seems that was the appeal to the members of the church, don't do something that will make you look bad in front of others. Of course at the time it sounded really good, then again so did the idea of just saying a prayer and getting it “all taken care of”. Now, looking back, I can see why this was a popular saying in the realm of the “modern gospel”. It is directed at “self” just as the “gospel” was directed.

So, what is wrong with this? Why am I now, 30 something years later bringing this up? Because I had an epiphany today about “damaging my testimony”. I don't know why it popped into my head at work today, other than it lead me to write this blog and shed my thoughts on the matter. I've never really thought about damaging “my testimony” before, so this was kind of out of the blue as I was thinking back over how God has worked in my life, through childhood, my teen years, my young adult life and now my middle years. I can see how God has guided me through the years, even when I was not yet His child.

First the phrase, My testimony, is directed at self. Just as the easy-believism message prominent in my childhood and which has grown to the “norm” now, so was this admonishment to not “damage your testimony”. This was said to those rebellious teenagers out on the weekends doing stuff they shouldn't be doing or the person cheating on their taxes or husband cheating on their wife. It addresses a great problem in the world of professing Christianity (churchianity): If you do not preach a message of repentance, new birth, faith, sanctification and holiness then you have to continually address a lifestyle of sin. Of course ,to those that are truly a child of God this idea seems foreign, to have to continually tell people NOT to sin, the same sins... over and over again. To try and reach a mind and conscience that doesn't grasp the idea of sin in the first place.

The cause of this message is the false gospel that creates false converts that give lip service to the name “Christian”. They said a prayer, walked an aisle, have been in church since they were born, their parents are Christians, or any other number of things that lead someone to believe they are “saved” but actually are still under the wrath of God. I have seen it a thousand times, people make emotional decisions, are pressured into saying a prayer, raising their hand, walking an aisle and their name is jotted on a decision card, they are paraded in front of the congregation and the “preacher” pronounces them saved. The emotionalism reaches its peak as the crowd erupts into applause, tears flow and another person has their fate of hell sealed under the guise of making a “public profession”. They are told to write the date in the back of their bible, and show the devil that page any time he comes sticking his nose in their business. Only thing is the devil never got his nose out of their business and was along side the congregation in applause for the false profession. As the days go by, the weeks add up things change. The elation of the applause was gone after shutting the car door in the parking lot. The handshakes and back slaps lasted a few services, but were quickly diminished. Life resumed as normal. The temporary halting of some sins halted itself and the sins came back, even greater than before. After all, you “got saved”, you live under grace now and all you have to do is ask for forgiveness and it's all taken care of.

When the lifestyle of sin rears its head once again, what is a preacher to do? Go back to the emotionalism once again. Set up a meeting with the one living in sin. Address the emotions once again, something along the lines of “Bubby, you know you shouldn't be doing those things. You can't hurt your testimony like that. What's your mama gonna think if she finds out you been drinking again? Does your wife know you've been dancing with those other women? Don't you feel bad about doing those things again?” Appeals to the emotions to not “damage/ hurt your testimony”, just as the emotional plea to “Come to Jesus. All you have to do is say this prayer”. It's a never ending cycle Why? Because it was a false gospel, by a false teacher, making a false convert.

A major issue with the statement “damaging your testimony” is the fact that you don't really have a testimony. A true believer has a testimony to God about what He has done to you, in you, through you. So how could you damage something that God has done in the first place? A Christian that does sin, who repents, will give testimony to how God, once again, graciously pulled them out of sin. It will not be focused on “me” or “my” anything, but on the One that actually did something, God. Which counteracts the whole message of the easy-believism message today.... It's all about ME. When the true Gospel is all about God.

The whole belief structure of easy-believism/ American gospel is based on self. This goes all the way through the life cycle of the false convert of this system. I say a prayer, I ask Jesus into my heart, I cleaned up my life, I stopped drinking, I stopped smoking, I started going to church every Sunday morning, I got baptized, I sang in the choir, I taught Sunday School, I went to Sunday School, I went on a mission trip, I, I, I. When it should be God saved me, God pulled me out of the mire and changed my heart, God took away my vices, God cleaned me up, God used me to teach other about Him, God, God , God. This mentality follows through when the false convert returns to sin and the leaders or friends see that something is wrong. It's often called “back sliding”, but honestly it is just a returning to the sin that never was washed away in the first place. But damage control has to start and the emotional appeals start again.

If the majority of “preachers” today would actually preach the Gospel then they wouldn't have to continually meet with people to appeal to them to stop sinning. Divorce rates would drop, if not completely go away among those professing Christianity. There would be no more “re-dedications”. There would be filled pews instead of only filled membership rolls. False conversions would be the exception instead of the norm. People would have testimonies of God's greatness instead of having “my testimony”. Sinners would repent. God would be glorified.

The remedy? The Gospel. God. Christ crucified. Repentance. Re-birth, a new creation. Sanctification. Faith. The Blood of Jesus.

Whitney Houston Dead At 48

I am sure for the next few weeks we will be inundated with memorials to Whitney Houston. Her passing today made her part of the ultimate statistic - 1 in 1 will die. I am sure as she woke up this morning she had no idea that this would be the last day she would do so. As her day progressed she probably had no idea that today, this day, February 11th 2012 she would breath her last breath and step into eternity.

I am not an expert on the life of Whitney Houston. I know she was a very popular singer and acted in The Bodyguard, was married to Bobby Brown for a while and had a child together. Other than that I couldn’t really tell you, other than her erratic behavior and drug abuse. I have no idea if she was a Christian or even professed faith in God, which is a sign that she did not actively proclaim Christ.

The Grammy Awards will be telecast tomorrow night, in which we will hear many accolades to Ms. Houston. I am also fairly certain we will even hear how she is “with God now” or “in the arms of angels” or people bidding her to “rest in peace”. Thing is, by all accounts she is probably not doing any of those things. From the little research I did this evening Houston was raised in a Baptist home, later attended a Pentecostal church and went to a Catholic school. She sometimes talked about her “faith” but I could find no account of what that “faith” was. Her life was full of drug use, rehab stays and behavior that makes faith in Christ seem to be the farthest thing from the truth. This is not to say that Christians cannot fall into these evils, but they will definitely not stay there. I caution everyone to be really careful about preaching Whitney Houston into heaven. Professing faith does not really mean a lot. And just because she was famous and had an obvious God given talent does not mean that she was a Christian, it just means she wasted her God given talent on selfish ambitions.

So, what to do? Use this as a springboard, a reason to talk to people about death. Explain to them that we are all going to die one day, maybe even today. Don’t scare them into saying a prayer or anything, but make sure they know that today is the day of salvation and that we are not promised another breath on this earth. Make sure they know the true gospel of scripture and are not placing their faith anywhere except on Christ. Not in a prayer, not in church membership or attendance, not on being proclaimed saved by a pastor, not on how good they have lived - only repenting of their sin and trusting in Jesus Christ and His merit can save them. Point them to resources such as Real Truth Matters , www.needgod.com or any other biblically based ministry’s website. Pursue a relationship with them, disciple those that you talk to, show them where your faith lies.

Use this tragic end to a tumultuous life as a way to share the Gospel. Never waste the opportunity to tell someone how they too can know God.

The Promises Of Psalm 37

Psalm 37 is one that I have read on numerous occasions, but this week it has really been a blessing to me. Normally one will read it as David wrote it, when you are feeling like everyone that is ungodly seem like they are really living large and just skate by, while the Christian seems to always be under attack. So, in Jeffenese, when you are feeling like unbelievers are having a better life than you are and you are wishing you could just knock them down a few rungs on their ladder.

Admittedly I have read this wonderful Psalm that was a few times or ten, but most of the time I do not dwell on the "evildoers" or the wicked that David is speaking of. Believe me, this week has had some "evildoers" surface in my life and I have really prayed for God to rain fire down from Heaven (in a send these people to jail kind of way, not kill them). While I may have initially been drawn to this Psalm for that reason, to be reminded that God will ultimately judge those that sin against His children, I did not stay in this Psalm for that reason.

When I really began to read Psalm 37 this week I began to focus more on God's promises TO me and to His children, not on what the eventual plight of the lost and "evildoers" is. Just look at verses 3-6 Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.Delight yourself also in the LORD,And He shall give you the desires of your heart.Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him and He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light and your justice as the noonday. Those promises alone can be dwelt on for hours, if not days. If we simply delight in the Lord, something that any Christian should be doing anyway, He will give us the desires of our heart. And a resounding NO! not that God will give me a new Dodge Challenger or John Deere tractor, but that God will place into our hearts His desires, namely that we rest in Him and delight in His handiwork and His love for us, which is circular actions, they cannot be separated.

Then skip down to verse 11, which Jesus quoted in His Sermon on the Mount. "The meek shall inherit the Earth". Then on to verse 18, The LORD knows the days of the upright and their inheritance shall be forever which is eternity with God. On down to verses 23-26 , which once again show that God will direct His children's paths, and thereby delighting in us in that path. How awesome is that? The God of the Universe, Creator of all things delighting in our path of obedience that He has set before us. That is good stuff right there. And verse 24 lets us know that when we do fall and sin that He still holds us up and sees us through the times when we even might have doubt for whatever reason. This reminds me of Peter when He walked on water, as he took his eyes off of Christ and started to disbelieve Jesus still reached out to him and pulled him back up, refocusing Peter's gaze on Him.

Verses 27-31 are rich in promises that when we turn from evil, stay fixed on the Lord, which is the natural thing for a Christian to do, then we will stay fixed in our walk with Him. Right into verse 34 which promises us that when we wait on God's timing that He will take care of everything for our good. Often times we try to persuade God to do things our way, but that is looking internally instead of looking to Him.

Then skipping to the closing of the Psalm in verses 39-40 39 But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their strength in the time of trouble. And the LORD shall help them and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked and save them, because they trust in Him. - Again the promise of God's saving grace, not only in saving us from hell, but also Him saving us from persecution from the evildoers.

So, this Psalm is full of promises to us as believers, not only against persecution and the workers if iniquity, but also promises that stand alone, without contrasting them to the plight of the lost. Sure, David had a lot of enemies and he often called out for God to strike them down, but he also knew that God was in control and was always there directing his path. May this be our joy as well, to totally rest in knowing that God is firmly in control and we need to firmly have the faith that no matter how bad things look or how bad circumstances are that God is bigger than them all and He has you in the palm of His hand and all we need to do is look up and fix our gaze upon Him.

Scanning The Globe

Day 355 in my "Year In My Life Through Pictures" blog series

These things are really cool. They are QR Codes that can be scanned with your smart phone that can do any number of things. Scan this one to see what it says. First person to reply what it says gets...... absolutely nothing. Sorry, I have a tight budget on this side of the keyboard.

Technology is amazing. To see how far things have come since just my youth have been amazing. Although we didn't have to crank up the phonograph with a handle to listen to music, I have lived over several different types of music players. When I was young we only had a record player, then we added a console stereo unit that had an 8-Track player. While we still had that unit cassettes came out, in which I had to get a cassette adapter to play them in the 8-Track slot. Then came the walkman and car stereos with cassette players, which were the top of the line when I got my drivers license. Next up were CDs when I was about 20 years old, but were too expensive to put a CD player in my car, so I recorded them to cassette for portability. Now we have made the jump to iPods, MP3 players, jump drives and SD/ Micro SD cards that can hold many CDs worth of music on them. It has been amazing. I can even remember telling my son, when he was young, that when he got older he would probably have something about the size of a stamp that he would slide into a stereo for music, so I was right about the memory card.

I wonder what the next 20 years will hold technologically wise. I can only imagine that TVs will be paper thin and you will be able to roll it out on whatever wall you choose. Video games have already advanced to no controllers needed with the XBOX 360, so where those go will baffle me no matter what advancements are made. Wireless seems to be the newest thing, which I was told by the DirecTV installer to be ready for wireless Satellite TV in the next 5 years, no wires and the signal would be broadcast wirelessly through your house.

No time in history has the ability to reach everyone on the planet been able. Satellites and computers can take the Gospel anywhere across the globe. This could very well be the "end of days" as the Lord returns for His bride. I will not set dates, but will say that Day will probably be soon. I am ready, are you? Do you know the true God of the Bible? Have you seen your utter sinfulness before the Holy God of the Universe? Do you realize that just one little lie is enough to damn you for eternity? We are wretched people and in need of a Savior, because we are sinful through and through. We can't make a payment for our sins no matter how hard we try. We can never be good enough to deserve forgiveness. We can never do enough good works to buy our way to forgiveness. We can't do anything except see our state before God and cry out to Him for mercy. Repent and turn from your sinful life and turn to Him. See the sacrifice of Christ on Calvary as the payment for your sins and trust in Him. Only the blood of Jesus can pay for your sins. It is a legal transaction in which Christ takes everything you did on Himself, even though He never once sinned. No prayer will save you. No walk down an aisle will save you. No affirmation by a evangelist or preacher will save you. Only Christ can. Turn to Him. Repent and believe.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me. I can help you find a solid bible teaching church in your area to start learning what the bible really says about you and me and more importantly what it says about Christ.

Mist Again

Day 339 in my "Year In My Life Through Pictures" blog series

It was foggy this morning. Not just a patch here or there, but really thick fog all the way to work. In places it was thicker than others, but there were no thin patches. Some areas I couldn't see more than 20-30 feet ahead of me and others may have doubled that length.

This picture was taken at the stop sign (yes I stopped and took this picture). You can see the sun poking through the tree branches and burning through the fog. It's light was noticeable, the fog couldn't stop its rays from lighting the earth around me. It didn't take long and the effects of the sun lifted the fog, burned it off, evaporated it into clouds, whatever term or scientific reason you want to give to it - it was gone.

This reminded me of sin in ones life. Although the sin is ever before them the Son still shines around them. A true child of God will always have Christ in their life and around them, they will always be reminded of Him. How could they not be? If they are part of His Body, then they can't help but be affected by His presence. They may need to look through the branches of their sinfulness, but He is always there. And guess what - He still loves them and still forgives them. Christ was tempted as we all are, so He knows our plight against sin, against this flesh. He is our advocate to the Father and because of His sacrifice we are forgiven of every sin we ever committed before He saved us and every sin since.

We often get mired in our sins and must confess, but He already knows what we have done and He has already forgiven us. As my pastor reminds us all the time, "The supply was there before we knew we had the need". Christ's perfect sacrifice, the atonement for our sins was laid out before the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8, 1st Peter 1:18-20, Ephesians 1:3-7, 2nd Timothy 1:9, Romans 8:29-30, Hebrews 12:2). God loved us before there was an "us". How amazing is that? It kind of boggles our finite minds to think of things like this, the eternal nature of God.

I praise God that He loves me. He would be just in sending me to hell at any moment, but He loved me anyway. I sinned against Him in my youth and I continue to shake my fist at Him every day in my selfish, sinful state. But he loves me anyway. That is the Gospel in a nutshell - He loved us anyway. We should all be willing to share this with every person we see, but we are yet still fallen and keep our mouths shut and do not tell all of the wonderfulness of our God, which is yet sinning even more. I pray that the Lord graces me with a more open mouth to tell of His greatness. I am far too quiet when it comes to speaking of Him and how He has blessed me. But, yet again, seeing this is a grace of God and allows me to depend on Him even more. What a wonderful God we serve indeed.