A Cup of Trembling

Have you been watching the news on Lebanon lately? What has surprised me is the number of foreign nationals currently there. I am curious, why are there so many Americans, Canadians, British, and French there? I mean, 25,000 Americans, 40,000 Canadians, and over 25,000 Australians?

In a country of only 4 million people that is a lot of tourists and visitors?

Another question; why is there no evacuation from Israel when rockets are falling down all over the cities there? Could it be people have no confidence in the government of Lebanon. Would you, when they have obviously succumbed to the influence of Hezbollah?

If a nation wants to maintain sovereignty, they must keep control of any unlawful organizations in their country. Can you imagine if our government did not keep a tight lid on the Hells Angels?

The truth of the matter is that there is strong support for Hezbollah among the populations of the Arab nations. Why? Because they are venting an anger that the nations are unofficially willing to commit. They would rather finance and support the terrorist groups under the table than openly confront them and risk the wrath and military might of Israel (and for that matter, America).

Now, our western bleeding hearts media seems to only look at the current conflict through the narrowest angle, forgetting the historical context of this struggle.

At the heart of this conflict are two opposing religions and philosophies. The Arab nations with their strong Islamic beliefs and practices, and the Jews with their God given claims to the land of Israel.

What the media continually fails to acknowledge is the fact that all the Arab nations are silently working towards the extinction of Israel as a nation and the Jewish people as a race. Lately, Iran's president has voiced these same intentions with unveiled hatred and contempt. No wonder Israel's resolve to root out this militant arm of anti-Israeli sentiment.

As Christians what should our response be? We know from scripture that God is calling people out of all nations, tribes, and tongues. Therefore He desires even Palestinians, Lebanese, and every other Arab nation to come to Christ. Sadly, these people are blinded by the lies of a false god named Allah, and the writings of the prophet Mohammed. Conversely the Jewish nation has also been blinded to the truth of the gospel. Let us pray that the Lord would be pleased to open the blind eyes, and call many out of darkness into His marvelous light.

Are You Relevant?

In the pursuit of being up to date and current, many have overlooked the fact that some things really never change. As Christians, we have an insatiable desire to be relevant in the community and appear as "normal" to our neighbours.

This attempt at fitting in causes some to compromise their values, principles, and conscience, trying to garner the favour of a lost and dying world. Somehow we think the gospel will be more readily accepted if we present it cloaked in the modern influence of culture and fashion. Perhaps we even go so far as to change the terminology and phrasing we use to sound more cool or in touch with our society.

While being unnecessarily dated is not an advantage either, and can be a hindrance, our hope for souls to be won should not rest in our wisdom, looks, talents, or abilities; but simply in the gospel of Jesus Christ. For as the scriptures say; "God has chosen the foolishness of preaching the gospel to save..."

Now many today have boiled to gospel down to a simple "God loves you" message that is not the least bit offensive. The problem is that it is also very ineffective. You see, while it is true that God loves us, His love is tempered by His justice and righteousness. He cannot just overlook sin and rebellion, His just nature demands a penalty for sin.

In order for the good news to really become good news, the whole truth must be given; the fact that we have broken the eternal laws of God, and stand in the path of His impending wrath and judgement. Only after we see our sinful condition and our lost state, will the fact that Jesus paid the price sound good to us. As the song says;

How sweet the name of Jesus sounds

To a believers ear;

It soothes his sorrow, heals his wounds,

And drives away his fears.

Now, another aspect of being relevant is the thought that we must be current on the popular culture and the pulse of society.

However, the more I look at the world situation and see history unfolding around us, the more I realize that God's word is the central theme guiding the course of this world. If we want to be truly relevant, we will immerse ourselves in the written word of God, and allow His divine nature to saturate our entire being, making us vessels capable of participating in the greatest adventure of history, the revealing of our Saviour and Lord to a lost and dying world.

Now, go and be relevant!

Our Man has Balls!!

It has been extremely refreshing to now have a Prime Minister who stands for more than the popular vote.

For the past 13 years we have had to put up with compromise after compromise, as the former leaders attempted to please everyone from the same-sex marriage advocates to the separatist Bloc Quebecqois.

Now, Prime Minister Stephen Harper is now attempting to right the wrongs and bring some sanity and honesty to the halls of government. After 5 months in office, his mandate is making some obvious improvements.

First, he has reestablished ties to the U.S. administration, which our former leadership had shamefully ridiculed.

Secondly, he has taken the reins of power by sticking to his word on several issues, such as reducing the GST and expanding the military's budget.

But, today I was very impressed to see his comments relating to the current Israeli-Lebanon conflict. Contrary to the apathetic leaders of Europe, he is acknowledging Israels right to a sovereign defense, and during his meeting with Tony Blair cited the need for Hezbollah to release the IDF soldiers as the way to achieve peace. Why is almost every head of state opposed to Israel's right to self-defense?

May God continue to give our Prime Minister wisdom, courage, and integrity to do and say the right things, no matter how politically incorrect. Now, let's pray he will have some guts to stand against the same-sex legislation illegally ramrodded through by the last government.

God bless Canada!

A Sick, Sick Story!

Daniel Phillips has posted on the disgusting selfish attitude of our modern yuppies and their justification for killing their "imperfect" children.

Check it out...this is what we are up against. Speak out!



Beautiful and Sensitive - make me puke!

Stocks and Bonds

The Philippian Jailer

…And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open; he drew his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, and brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.
Acts 16:27-34


This account of Paul and Silas’ time in prison leave us with some very interesting observations. There are a number of things I could point out, but I would like to first discuss the issue of the Jailer’s salvation.

It was obvious that he knew of the two men’s faith. They were quite vocal about it, even singing praises unto God in the midst of the prisoners, locked in the stocks.

However, God orchestrated an unusual thing to happen; an earthquake that opened every door and unlocked every chain. Here was their opportunity to escape, after all were they not unjustly arrested in the first place? But Paul had a true heart for evangelism, and here it shines through. In the midst of this chaos he cries out for the jailer to not commit suicide. The same man that was cruel and harsh with Paul and Silas is now being rescued from death by them. In one night he is saved both physically and spiritually.

Now the jailer didn’t need any more prompting, he realized that God was indeed a mighty God and the sudden realization of his lost state overwhelmed him. Rushing into the cell, he fell before them, and in a trembling voice asked what he must do to be saved…

What would you have said? Here is the simplicity of the gospel; all that is recorded for us is that was told to “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved”.

The next verse describes them as speaking the word of the Lord to him and his household.

After this he and his whole household were baptized in obedience to the word of God. Then he began to wash the wounds of Paul and Silas as well as feed them. His once indifferent attitude was now changed to one full of appreciation and thankfulness for his new life in Christ.

Would to God we could be such witnesses of His grace and light to a dark and lost world.

Now, what else could be said on this passage?

A conversation on the Gospel

I recently had an online chat conversation with a young man who expressed confusion over the way of salvation. I had noticed the following phrase on his profile comment line..."the one who endures to the end, he will be saved."

I decided to find out what he meant by that and what follows is our conversation.

Jim: What do you mean by the one who endures to the end?

Young Man: what do you mean, read matthew 24... you might learn something...:)

Jim: Thanks. I like to learn new things.

Young Man: hahahahaha.

Jim: What does that mean to you to endure?

Young Man: meeeeeeeeee...to last... to overcome...I think.

Jim: How do we do that?

Young Man: don't give in to temptation...overcome sin.

Jim: so what happens when we give in to temptation and sin?

Young Man: you better ask for forgivness and repent.

Jim: How does that fit in with enduring until the end?

Young Man: well you can't give in to temptation, you can't fall away from Christ...and no one knows when the end will come.

Jim: What does it mean to fall away from Christ?

Young Man: give into sin.

Jim: ha ha, you are giving me the run around on these answers.

Young Man: lose faith...lol.

Jim: What happens to someone who loses faith and gives into sin?

Young Man: maybe I don't have the answer...

Jim: What does one have to do in order to end up in hell?

Young Man: not believe...not repent...have no faith.

Jim: believe what?

Young Man: believe christ died for our sins...it's much easier to go to hell then to heaven.

Jim: no doubt...what does it mean to have faith?

Young Man: to believe that Christ died for our sins,to believe he's coming back for us...to trust in his word.

Jim: Do you believe you will spend eternity with Christ?

Young Man: honestly, if the last day of the earth was tomorrow, no...but I'm working on it.

Jim: What do you think it would take to know for sure?

Young Man: to know deep down inside that I put the Lord first in my life and that I live every day for him...which I know I haven't.

Jim: Isn't that based upon your own efforts? Is there anything you can do to make yourself a better person or acceptable to God?

Young Man: yes.

Jim: what? The bible says that there is none righteous, not even one, and anything we try and do for God is like the filthy rags of a women having her period. gross eh!

Young Man: well being a good person won't get you into heaven but I think I would be more acceptable to God if I put him first everyday and told people about him.

Jim: Basically, there is nothing we could ever do to earn God's forgiveness. You could tell the whole world about God and that still wouldn't get you into the kingdom of heaven. Even if you put Him first everyday from now on, you have still fallen short of His glory.

Young Man: God's grace is a gift we can't earn it.

Jim: That's right, how do we access that grace.

Young Man: I'm not sure...give your life to him.

Jim: Do you believe Jesus Christ died for you?

Young Man: yes.

Jim: Do you believe He can forgive your sins?

Young Man: yes.

Jim: The bible says that if we confess Jesus as Lord, and believe that God has raised Him from the dead we shall be saved. "But as many as received Him, to them he gave the ability to become children of God, to those who believe in His name." You must believe He died for you, and confess Him as your Saviour. With our mouthes confession is made unto salvation. There is nothing we could do to earn God's favor. Jesus Christ took our place on the cross and the punishment (eternal fire) that we deserved. The payment was made in full, but we need to acknowledge that and trust Christ to save us. Living for Christ and telling others about Him are great, but they will never save us. Only the blood of Jesus Christ can cleanse us from our sins and allow us to stand before God, blameless.

Jim: That is a decision you must make between yourself and God. You must place your trust completely in His sacrifice...calling out to Him to save you and forgive you from your sins. The Bible says that he who believes and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believes not is condemned.

Jim: Does this make sense to you?

Young Man: yes.

Jim: awesome!

Young Man: :) yes it is...thanx Jim.

Jim: Your more than welcome, I am always happy to try and answer any questions....I will be praying for you.

Young Man: thanx I greatly appreciate it.

While this man obviously knew the terminology regarding salvation, he lacked a key ingredient...assurance. He had no definitive confirmation of being saved. He really didn't understand trusting in Christ alone. Instead, he had included the need to repent, to not sin, to not fall away, and to tell people about God in order to incur His favor. This is the basic problem plaguing religion today...a man centered attempt at reaching God, without realizing that we cannot add to the finished work of Christ. He had not come to the place of simply abiding in Christ and entering into the rest Christ had purchased. This is interesting since many people can quote verses, doctrines, and theologies. But they lack the critical step of faith in Christ, apart from any other external activity. I sincerely pray that he will realize Christ is enough and the payment has already been made in full. He just needs to reach out by faith and lay hold of the promises in scripture. May we all return to the simplicity of trusting in Christ alone. What are your thoughts?

The Beginning of Apostasy

When does a church or denomination begin the descent into apostasy? When is the line crossed from the pure teaching into the obscurity of falsehood and confusion?

How can one tell if a certain Christian group is on the level doctrinally?

While there are many warning signs to look for, the first and most obvious one is the means of salvation.

In other words, what a church, denomination, or organization teaches and promotes concerning the way of salvation is the true benchmark of apostasy.

It is so simple that we usually miss it: Whenever any condition is added to the doctrine of grace through faith, the die has been cast for declension into apostasy. If we make the gospel conditional upon any other factor than expressly required, we have created another gospel, and instead of being the good news it has now become the formula for attaining eternal life.

We are saved by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ - plus nothing - minus nothing. Any addition of works or requirements pollutes the purity and power of the shed blood of Christ, and casts insult upon the finished and complete work of Christ.

When you add requirements to simply trusting in Christ alone for your salvation, you have in essence created a works based salvation, or as the theological elite like to call it, an anthropocentric gospel.

You may say, “But they have such sound doctrine or teach such wonderful hermeneutics”. Any such teaching will be flawed and fundamentally corrupted by their denial of the sufficiency of the atoning work of Christ’s blood for our sins.

To front or backload the gospel is to create another gospel. While many may in fact be saved through such incorrect preaching, there will exist doubts and fears that their salvation may possibly be false, spurious, disingenuous, or even be taken away should they not maintain good works and evidences of fruit.

So to nail it down: Our hope should rest on nothing else but Jesus’ blood and righteousness. In Christ alone my hope is found. Praise God that nothing can separate us from His love which is in Christ Jesus.

Friday's Quiz Question

Dear readers, I would like your imput on this question:

Who does the Bible mean when it refers to Babylon in the NT, especially in regards to its mention in Revelation?

Calvin's Hobble

If a 4 point Calvinist is in fact an Arminian, does a 4 point Arminian then become a Calvinist?

Update!!

Are you all still here? I am hoping to get back to some regular posting soon.

God bless,
Jim

CRUCIFIXION

If you haven't been to Joe's site yet, I would encourage a visit to read the graphic account of Christ's betrayal and suffering on the cross. Joe has done a wonderful job of breathing fresh understanding and reality into this most important event in history.

Mock, Mock, Mock

Pilate and Herod

Once more...Pilate

Thirty Nine

Crucified

The Invitation

The Celebration

Vivid Moving Heartwrenching

q&a brouhaha

It seems the blog is heating up over the contentious issue of works in the role of salvation. While the mother church has always espoused works as a necessary requirement for salvation, even then they cannot and will not guarantee the security of the pilgrim. Rather, they promote a regimen of penance mixed with a healthy dose of charitable and self sacrificing efforts to swing the poor souls chances of avoiding the fires of hell. The prospective candidate is then encouraged to much self introspection and examination of their works to prove the merit of God's grace. Perhaps the rest of the rebellious children are finally catching on and returning home as they have always wanted?

Q&A Round II

Ok, Frank the Centurion has found another willing contender for his Q&A blog. HK Flynn has taken up the gauntlet and will now challenge Frank starting with a volley from the book of James. Don't miss the action, the agony of defeat, and the thrill of victory as these two equally determined opponents strive for technical mastery over one another.

Will Frank be wearing a new egg makeup soon? Or will Jodie make a fatal mistake allowing the Cent to take advantage of any weak link in her armor? Stay tuned for the latest development in the latest FG vs. Calv. debate.

Finally, will truth emerge as victorious or will rhetoric and linguistic gymnastics prevail once again leaving a cloudy film of obscurity as the smoke clears.

Flex Your Theological Muscle!

Tell me please, O thou astute reader! Is it proper and Biblical for a pastor or elder who has fallen into fornication or adultery to continue in his ministry as a leader? Why or Why not?

Also, is there any other sins that would, should, could, preclude a man from a position of ministry and church authority?

Not Under the Law but Grace!

Have you ever heard this line before, "Hey were not under the law anymore but under grace". More than one christian has pulled that line out of scripture when attempting to justify some selfish or carnal behaviour. But what does that phrase really mean? Does it mean that we are not accountable to God for our actions? As this link clearly shows, the New Testament is rife with commandments for the child of God.

So check it out if you dare...

The Crux of the Matter

Tell me - if you can - what the answer is to the following question...

What are the works that James is referring to? When James say that if a man has faith and not works his faith is dead, what are the works that he means?

I have heard this verse given many times to explain away the 'false' faith of those who do not exemplify works as a confirmation of their faith. So, please enlighten me by explaining exactly what works are required to prove we have 'saving faith'. Also how many works would be enough for you to be assured someone was definitely a believer and one of the elect?

He's Back!!

Make sure you check out Antonio's lastest post. Friend and foe should find something there they will like.

Links??

I am looking for more good bloggers to link to. So with that in mind I request your nominations!

1. When you submit the site please specify if you are presently linked to it.

2. Please give a short description of the site.

3. Please list at least one reason why this site is worthy of more readers.

What is the greatest SIN?

State your case in a logical succinct and articulate manner.

What Are You Reading?

As Christians, our first response is to say that we read our bibles daily. That is great, indeed we cannot spend enough time in the Word mingled with prayer and meditation.

However, the question is; what is shaping your worldview? According to a recent Barna report, a large majority of evangelicals lack a biblical worldview.

So again, what are you reading? If the Bible is not shaping your understanding of the world around you and God's plan for your life, what is? God's word must be the central core and plumb line of all our understanding.

Consider the following: how well do you understand the historic significance of our scriptures? Are you aware of the struggle to bring the Bible to the common man in a language they could understand? Are you familiar with the work of missionaries throughout the last few centuries? How do you interpret current events? When issues such as abortion, euthanasia, drug use, same sex marriage, premarital sex, adultery, politics, etc. come up, how do you react?

It is one thing to be reading our bibles daily, but it is another thing to have what we read shape the way we think, act, and speak.

Let us examine our intake; are you allowing the world to infiltrate your home through secular media such as television, movies, magazines, or music? If so, to the degree you absorb this material you are desensitizing yourself to the Spirit of God and the dangers of a fallen world. Don't fall for the lie that says we need to be in the culture to be relevant. A Spirit filled believer is the most relevant thing the world will ever need. Only by keeping ourselves unspotted from the world can our 'religion' be pure and undefiled. Only by properly reflecting the glory of the Lord can we shine for Christ is this wicked and perverse generation.

May God keep our hearts and thoughts pure and holy as we set our minds on the things above where Christ is.