Saturday, July 31, 2010

Why I Hate Evangelism

This article is by Greg Stier and I think it has some good thought provoking thoughts in it.
It may come as a surprise to you that, the President of a ministry called Dare 2 Share, hates evangelism. But I do. Let me tell you why.
Evangelism makes my neighbors whisper about me and strangers laugh at me. It makes family members, who have yet to trust in Christ, roll their eyes when I engage them about the claims of Jesus at family reunions (aka “funerals” or “weddings.”) Evangelism makes for awkward moments everywhere I go.Evangelism forces me to decide whether or not I believe in Jesus enough to tell someone else that he is the only way into God’s favor. It puts me in the awkward position of telling a fellow human being that the core of what they believe about salvation is wrong, what the Bible says is right and that they need to repent (i.e. “change their minds”)if they expect to make it into heaven. Say it twice or say it nice and it still stings.
To be honest it would be much easier just to preach the gospel with my life and leave the words out of it. Wordless evangelism doesn’t spark outrage. It doesn’t spark arguments. It doesn’t spark anything. No discussion. No faith. No transformation.
Maybe I should ditch evangelism completely and just live a good life. I could seek to eradicate poverty, stop human trafficking or adopt orphans. Nobody will get mad at me then. Most people would probably think that I’m pretty cool. And, to be totally truthful, that’s what I want, to be cool and accepted, not mocked and rejected.
Who wants to be marginalized? Who wants to be persecuted? Who wants to come off as a stark raving lunatic?
Actually, who wants to be treated like the early disciples? Sure they took care of orphans and widows (very cool!) but they evangelized everyone they met (not so cool!) These Christians just wouldn’t shut up. In the midst of all their service to the poor they passionately proclaimed to them, and to everyone else who would listen, that this wood-working rabbi named Jesus was the exclusive way to God. As a result they were crucified upside down, beheaded right side up and gutted inside out.
Not fun.
I don’t want to take a punch for Jesus. Heck, I don’t even want to be a punch line on his behalf. I don’t like the feelings of shame that come from preaching the Name of Jesus Christ. Yeah, yeah, I know that 2 Timothy 3:12 promises that “everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” And I know that this persecution erupts from declaring that “Jesus is Lord” to a scoffing world. But there has got to be another way. Right?

After all doesn’t Peter sound kind of arrogant when he declares in Acts 4:13 that, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved”? The gall of that chief disciple of Jesus who was given the keys to the kingdom by the King of kings himself! The arrogance of that leader of the revolution that was the early New Testament church!

Yes, I hate evangelism. I don’t like at all what it does to me. It puts me smack dab into a camp of Christians that are sure of what they believe and confident in what they proclaim. It puts me in the crosshairs of Satan, the world and the too-cool-for-the-old-school Christians.

But, on the other hand, maybe this was what Jesus was talking about in Matthew 5:11-12 in the Sermon on the Mount when he said, “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Okay, maybe I don’t hate evangelism. Or maybe it’s the old me (the one before I met Jesus) who hates it. But, as I think about it, getting mocked or marginalized for the sake of Jesus isn’t nearly as bad as getting crucified for crimes you didn’t commit.


This article can be found at:

Friday, July 30, 2010

Moringa--A Tree of Life for the Third World?

Thinking again about Haiti and studying out the possibilities of biodiesel, I found references to the Moringa tree that is less toxic, has more uses and a better yield. What are your thoughts?

Wikipedia for Facts
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moringa_oleifera

Website
http://www.treesforlife.org/our-work/our-initiatives/moringa

Brochure
http://www.treesforlife.org/documents/moringa/moringa_brochure.pdf

Bettter for Biofuel?
http://www.squidoo.com/malunggay

Other Uses of Moringa Oil
http://www.miracletrees.org/moringa_oil.html
(The picture above comes from that website)



Thursday, July 29, 2010

Jatropha For Haiti Anybody

Has Haiti been forgotten? We are just trying to scratch our heads trying to figure out what is the best way to help. Here is something ....I think few of you considered-- a wonder plant for enriching soil, stopping erosion and for creating bio-diesel. Tailor-made for Haiti or is it too good to be true? Here are some sites for your consideration.


A Little More Research on the Plant
http://www.jatrophaworld.org/
(the picture above is from jatrophaworld)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jatropha

A Charity that is setting up nurseries there
http://www.sironacares.org/

Their Haitian Blog

Genesis 9:20

Quotes for the Record

"If we make provision for sinning tomorrow, we will be sinning tomorrow."
- A.W. Tozer

If you are someone who struggles with doubts and fears, do not be afraid if your faith is small, just use it.
Sam Shirk
(Nov 1/09)

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Modern Martyrs Mirror 2010

Here is a sampling of what kind be found at
http://barnabasfund.org

As I was reading it --I thought that it read like my Martyrs Mirror, which is a 1000 page book that chronicles the Persecution of Nonresistant Christians from Christ till 1660 AD. Very little has changed. Christians still uphold the cross even till death. I have to post this lest I forget to pray for those that suffer....

INDIA - BRUTAL MURDER OF EVANGELIST

Ravi Murmu, a Christian evangelist from Jamalpur, Bihar State, was murdered on 2 May. He was among a group of evangelists who were showing the Jesus film in nearby Laxmanpur. When he did not return home that night, a search was organised; his body was found with his right hand severed and deep cuts on his neck and other parts of his body. Ravi’s personal belongings, including his watch, mobile phone and motorbike, were found with the body, suggesting that robbery had not been the motive for the attack.

The police have reportedly detained two people in connection with the murder. When asked how the family was coping with the murder, Ravi’s brother (also an evangelist) replied, “The peace of God still reigns in this house and in this family.”
• Pray for Ravi’s widow, Rinku, and Celesty, their eight-year-old daughter, and all who knew and loved him.


IRAN - PRAYERS ANSWERED IN IRAN

Maryam Rostampour and Marzieh Amirizadeh were acquitted on 21 May of the two remaining charges against them.

The women, both converts from Islam, were imprisoned in March 2009 on charges of apostasy, “propagation of the Christian faith” and “engaging in antigovernment activities”. They were held in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison for 259 days until November 2009, during which they endured repeated interrogations and solitary confinement, leaving them both seriously ill. When told to renounce their faith, the women refused, saying, “We love Jesus. Yes, we are Christians.”

Following the acquittal, Maryam said, “I have no doubt that God heard the prayers of his people.” The women have now left Iran after the Iranian authorities warned them that any future Christian activity in Iran would have severe consequences.

Farsi Christian News Network (FCNN) has also confirmed that Hamid Shafiee and Reyhaneh Aghajary, a married couple arrested on 28 February, have also been released and reunited with their sons. They were released on 19 and 16 May respectively, after 80 and 77 days in detention, following a large bail payment. They are expected to face a court hearing at a later date.
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KENYA - PANEL OF JUDGES RULE IN FAVOUR OF CHRISTIAN LEADERS

A panel of judges in Kenya have ruled that the country’s Islamic courts are illegal and discriminatory.

The Islamic “Kadhi” courts were set up under British colonial rule and mainly deal with issues relating to marriage and inheritance forKenya’s Muslim minority. In 2004 a group of Christian leaders filed a case challenging the proposal to grant constitutional status to the Kadhi courts in the new constitution that was then being drafted by the Kenyan government. Many Christians feared that the proposals for Kadhi courts would extend the authority of sharia law in Kenya and that they would also undermine the basic constitutional principle of the equality before the law of all Kenyan citizens, irrespective of religion.

The panel of judges ruled in favour of the Christians, that inclusion of Kadhi courts in the draft constitution amounted to favouring one religion over others practised in the country, and thus that Kadhi courts are unconstitutional since Kenya is a secular country. Kenya’s Attorney General, Amos Wako, claimed that the judgement is unconstitutional and said that he will appeal against it.

A referendum on the proposed new constitution is due in August.



ERITREA - IMPRISONED CHRISTIAN WOMAN DIES

A young Christian woman has died in one of Eritrea’s notorious military prison camps, after being refused medical treatment.

Senait Oqbazgi Habta, 28, had been imprisoned for two years in the country. She and 15 other university students had been detained for attending a Bible study group and held in metal shipping containers, which can become baking hot during the day and freezing cold at night. Sources say that “she was offered freedom and medical care in exchange for abandoning her Christian faith”. Senait stood by her faith and tragically succumbed to malaria and severe anaemia on 23 April.
.


IRAQ - CHRISTIAN STUDENTS INJURED IN BOMB BLASTS

A roadside bomb and a car bomb were detonated in close proximity to each other on 2 May in Mosul, killing a Christian shopkeeper and injuring at least 80 Christian students.

The students were travelling from a mainly-Christian town to Mosul University when the bombs exploded. The blast tore through the side of one of the buses, and the impact of shrapnel and shattered glass left many students dazed and covered in blood. The Christian community in Mosul is increasingly concerned as anti-Christian violence continues to intensify (see Prayer Focus Update March 2010).

On 11 May, lecturers and Muslim students at the university staged a sit-in to protest against anti-Christian violence, demanding that measures be taken to ensure the safety of the Christian students. They said they would return to class only when their Christian counterparts did.


UZBEKISTAN - SERVICE RAIDED, CHURCH SEARCHED AND CHRISTIANS ARRESTED

The morning service at the Tashkent City Church of Christ was raided on Sunday 16 May by several government agencies. Eight members of the church were arrested and issued with a mixture of fines and short prison sentences.

At 11am, members of the police and the National Security Service (NSS) secret police arrived without a warrant, during the worship service. They filmed everyone present, including the children, and took passport details and car number-plates of the 500 adults present as well as the names and addresses of the children. They conducted a five-hour search of the premises and confiscated literature, computers and money from the offering. Members of the tax inspectorate, fire brigade and Sanitary-Epidemiological Service also participated in the search. After the raid the church was officially sealed by the police so that the congregation could have no further access, and the fire brigade cut off the electricity.

Those who were arrested were held overnight and then instructed to attend a court hearing. Three people, including the assistant pastor, Artur Avanesyan, were sentenced to 15 days imprisonment, while the other five were fined between five and 80 times the minimum monthly wage. One Christian who attended the trial stated, “Everyone was shocked at the verdict ... there were so many violations of legal procedure.” Local Christians are planning to appeal to the President of Uzbekistan and other authorities.

There have been a number of reports of anti-Christian harassment at churches and events in the last couple of months (see Prayer Focus Update May 2010). Tashkent City Church of Christ, one of the largest and most active churches in the Uzbek capital, has been legally registered since 1999. The church says that it has carefully followed official procedures and has never before been accused of breaching any regulations. Church members fear that the real aim of the raid is to close down the church. A Christian from an unregistered church in Tashkent commented to Barnabas Aid how shocked she was to hear of such an attack on a legally registered church: “If they do that to the Church of Christ, what will become of the rest of us?”


NIGERIA - CHURCHES AND PASTOR’S HOME DESTROYED BY FIRE

Two churches and a pastor’s house have been demolished by a group of Muslim youths in Kwasam, Kano State, northern Nigeria, reportedly because some members of the Muslim community objected to the presence of the Christian buildings.

At 11am on 19 May, an old church building and the pastor’s house were set ablaze, while the newly completed church, which was meant to replace the older building, was demolished. All of the pastor’s property was destroyed in the fire, and it is reported that he is now in hiding, after some members of the mob “vowed they would not leave the area until he was dead”.

Operation Noah Does Have Readers?

I haven't got too much feedback on comments per article, but due to my new stat programs I have tracked that 804 hits have been made this last month and increasing. So thanks and feel free to drop me an e-mail any time at jonluketws@gmail.com

Lutherans reconcile with Mennonites 500 years after bloody persecution

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,5837683,00.html Thought this would interest some of our Menno readers. How does it feel to be apologized in such away? Did it give you closure? Just Curious?

Witnessing to Muslims

I wish I had more time  to write on this but my time today is running out but here is a website and pdf on the subject that have some real value. I guess the last while due to my beard and dark complexion people have taken me to be a Muslim. I suppose that is what it is. lol. Anyways my heart goes out to these people and I hope some of you can glean as much new insight as I have reading these articles.

http://www.arabsforchrist.org/witnessing101/

http://www.centerformissions.com/images/Witnessing%20to%20Moslems.pdf

What Muslims Believe

Here are a few points I found on this website that helped me get a start in trying to understand more about what Muslims believe, (Although I don't necessarily totally agree with all their witness approach at the end of their article) It's a start:



What Muslims Believe

"Islam has seven fundamental beliefs that every Muslim must accept as a part of his/her religion (the Emanul Mufassil, or Faith Listed in Detail). Every Muslim learns this formula as a part of his/her religious training." *
  • “Belief in God” (who, in Arabic, is named “Allah”)
  • "Belief in the angels" (both good and bad)
  • "Belief in the revealed Books of God
  • Belief in God's many prophets" (including Adam, Abraham, Moses, David, and other Christians and Jews are familiar with)
  • "Accepting that there will be a Last Day
  • Belief in the divine measurement of human affairs
  • Belief in life after death"
* Yahiya Emerick, Understanding Islam (Indianapolis: Alpha Books, 2002, p. 18.)
Muslims also believe in Satan and in a Day of Judgment on which God will send people to either heaven or hell. They also believe that Ishmael (the father of the Arab world), not Isaac, received the promise from God through Abraham; this helps to explain why Arab Muslims feel that their claim to the Holy Land is a God-given right.


Is it true that Islam is a lot like Christianity?
Although the two religions share some terminology and even some theology (monotheism, for instance), Islam is fundamentally different from Christianity. Islam is a works-oriented religion, while Christian faith is based on salvation by grace through faith as a result of the shed blood of Christ. In Islam, if God wants to forgive sin, He simply says, “It is forgiven.” Christianity recognizes the necessity of the shedding of blood for the forgiveness of sin. (Hebrews 9:22)

How Do Muslims Believe They Will Be Saved?

As a works-oriented religion, Islam requires that its adherents earn their way to heaven by performing the five pillars of the faith.
  1. Say the confession of faith. A Muslim must confess, "There is no God but Allah and Mohammed is the prophet of God."
  2. Pray. Muslims are supposed to pray five times a day: shortly before sunrise, mid-morning, noon, mid-afternoon, and after sunset.
  3. Give alms. Muslims are to give about 2.5 percent of their wealth.
  4. Fast during Ramadan. For one lunar month, from sunrise to sunset, Muslims are not to allow anything to pass down their throat. (Theoretically, a good Muslim would even spit out his or her saliva.) Then from sunset to sunrise, they are permitted to eat as little or as much as they want. This is their way of developing discipline and relating to the poor. (Travelers, young children and pregnant or nursing mothers do not need to keep the fast.)
  5. Make a pilgrimage to Mecca. Every Muslim who is financially able is supposed to travel to the birthplace of Islam once in his or her lifetime.

But do Muslims have any guarantee of salvation?
Muslims have no guarantee of being saved. They believe that all their works will be accounted for and that on Judgment Day, if your bad works outweigh your good works, you are going to go to hell. But if your good works outweigh your bad works, you'll probably go to heaven. (Since God is all-powerful, they concede that He may do with you as He pleases, even if you have been very righteous. They hope He won't be having a “bad day” at Judgment.) A third possibility is that you could go to hell and burn your sins off for a while and then be allowed into heaven. The only way Muslims can be guaranteed to go to heaven is through “jihad.” Although it is often translated “holy war,” “jihad” literally means "exerting force for God." One could be in “jihad” by writing a book about Islam, or by sharing his faith to bring others to Islam, or by physically fighting for the cause of Islam. If a Muslim dies in “jihad,” he is guaranteed to go to heaven.






3 Mistakes Christians Make When Trying to Reach a Muslim

I took light from this article because it shed light why one of my Muslim/turned Christian friend was so dependent on others for nurture even though he was a grown man. We were ignorant of what he was coming from, a community that supplied many of his needs. The thoughts are good and you can find the rest of the article at


By William Wagner

1. Not understanding the seriousness of religion in an Islamic context
For most in the western world a decision to follow Jesus Christ is very serious indeed, but if the person says yes it will have an only a limited effect on the persons immediate circumstances. Not so with a Muslim. The Koran teaches very strongly that any Muslim who converts to another religion, whether it is Christianity or some other belief system is guilty of apostasy and must be put to death. This is carried out in all Islamic Republics but since those living in the west cannot kill a person for switching religions the friends and family will use other very harsh means to keep the person a Muslim. This will include kidnapping and imprisonment, beatings, and total exclusion from the family.
Even approaching a person with the gospel puts the person into a very difficult position. They fear what others will say if they speak with a Christian and they also fear for their soul since they have been taught from birth that to become a Christian will send them to the sixth level of hell. (The seventh being the worst)
The Christian who witnesses must realize how serious a matter this is for the Muslim and their family. In witnessing to a Muslim you must be aware that the person you are working with, if they accept Christ, will probably be persecuted and could even be killed. Many Americans simply do not realize how serious a change in religion can be in a Muslim context.

2. Not being willing to take on the responsibility of discipling a convert from Islam
Once in Germany I spoke to a young man from the Middle East who lived in Nuremburg, Germany, about his newfound faith in Jesus. He told me of his decision but was disappointed with the care and love given to him by the church. I invited him to come to Salzburg, Austria where I lived and I would get him a job, an automobile, an apartment and offer him great fellowship in our youth center. He came and I provided what I had promised. I was proud of my effort and felt that I was finished. I told him to come to the youth center on Friday and Saturday nights and the church on Sundays. In about two months he came and told me how disappointed he was in me. I was shocked because I had done much for him but he said that he came expecting me to be his Guru (teacher). He wanted to follow me around everywhere I went. I was not willing for him to do this.
For a Muslim his family and community provides each member with their health insurance, their job, their food, their fellowship, their mate, and practically everything else of importance in life. When we win a Muslim to Christianity then we need to be prepared to make the necessary sacrifice in the disciplining process. They need much more of our time and love because we have torn them from their support system and we must find a way to make this up. Many Americans are not willing to make the necessary sacrifices that are called for.
In 1990 I went to a very important conference for the top people working in Muslim Evangelism in the world. One of the discussions was about the number of Muslims who converted to Christianity that stayed true to Jesus Christ. The consensus was that 80% of those who converted reconverted to Islam, the reason being that we did not take the necessary time to help disciple them so as to give them a good foundation in the faith. I am glad to say however that recently we have seen some dynamic changes and many more are now remaining in their new faith and they are even forming churches made up mostly of those who have come out of Islam.

3. Not knowing anything about Islam
A typical Muslim will know more about Christianity than a Christian will know about Islam. Just as Christians are taught how to witness to others, many Muslims are being taught how to refute the Christians arguments thus making our witness ineffective. Once there was a well-publicized open debate between the American evangelist Jimmy Swaggart and a famous Muslim scholar Dr. Ahmed Deedat. Swaggart apparently did not see the need to learn about Islam and just came with numerous quotes from the Bible. Deedat then replied by listing a large number of very important liberal Christian scholars that stated that the Bible could not be trusted and that most of it was not historical. Swaggart lost the debate and the Muslims still sell the videotape of the debate in their bookstores to show Muslims how to be ready for Christians who want to witness to them.
The more one builds up their knowledge of Islam the better the Christian can build good ideological bridges so as to find a good way to approach the Muslim. One very successful method is called the "Camel Method". In Islam the Muslims a that there are 99 names of God known to man but in heaven there are 100, but the only creature on earth that knows the last name of God is the camel thus the upturned lips of the camel that resembles a smile. This method of witness helps with the building of a bridge by saying to a Muslim. "We know the 100th Name of God, it is Jesus Christ". It builds upon what they know but takes them further on their road to belief in Jesus Christ.

Conclusion
Christians should not be afraid of witnessing to Muslims but rather should aggressively search out Muslims to talk with. The most important part of witness to Muslims is being led by the Holy Spirit. He will show you how best to approach the Muslim. I might add that the most effective means of helping a Muslim find Jesus Christ is still love. One Islamic leader stated at a large conference of Muslim clerics recently "Do not allow your people to have close contact with Christians because if you do the Christians will love your people into their faith." This is still true today.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Accountability Questions (Proverbs 27:17)



1. Have you spent consistent time in the Scriptures (John 8:31‐32, Psalm 119:11) and in prayer? (I Thess 5:17, James 5:16)

2. Have you had any flirtatious or lustful attitudes, tempting thoughts, or exposed yourself to any explicit materials which would not glorify God? (Col 3:2, Phil 4:8, I Cor 10:13)

3. Have you been completely above reproach in your financial dealings? (Ecc 5:10, I Tim 6:9‐10)

4. Have you spent quality relationship time with family and friends?

5. Have you done your best in your job? School? (Col 3:23)

6. Have you told any halftruths or outright lies, putting yourself in a better light to those around you? Gossip? (Eph 4:29)

7. Have you shared the gospel and/or lived out the gospel in your relationships with non‐believers? (Matt 28:18‐20)

8. Have you taken care of your body through daily physical exercise and proper eating and sleeping habits? (I Cor 3:16, I Cor 6:19‐20)

9. Have you allowed any person or circumstance to rob you of your joy? (John 15:11)

10.Have you lied to me (your partner or partners) on any of your answers today?

I do not know who compiled this list, but it seemed a more than worthy post--JWT

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Christians are being gagged by UK laws?

As a addition to this blog, I am going to share news from time to time in relation to Christians in the End times.

http://www.theway.co.uk/feature.php?id=8141

How Can We Get More Love For The Souls Of Men?

Article by Brother JW

Here are replies I received, to the question that was asked. They are in the order that they were received and I have left them anonymous. Hopefully no one minds the sharing of your thoughts in this way. I might attempt to sum up these thoughts this way: That what is needed for love to increase, is a simple, humble, child-like faith that loves God, embraces Jesus, and then walks in obedience. It is out of a child-like heart that love pours...
The question:
How can we get more love for the souls of men?

One gets more love when one gives more love.

First thing is to change this mysterious trying to "get a love for the souls of men" into a simple " go love our fellow men".
Jesus went about healing because he loved the people he daily met. He told John the Baptist that "the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the gospel is being preached to the poor.”
Profound in it's simplicity.

Humility, love for God and absolute faith in His unchanging Word.

...It took me to 1 John 4:10-13.

Herein 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 ought also to love one another.

No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.

First I am thinking that love for the souls of men is not something we can find ourselves. It is received. And when we talk of having more love, more or less is not a choice we have when we are only a recipient. We have before us an invitation to come to the Cross, and when we accept that invitation, and dwell at the Cross, we receive love. This love is compatible with whatever situation or circumstance we find ourselves in at any given time. I know that sounds a little too cut and dried, but I am thinking I have done way too much “trying to find”, instead of “receiving”.


Know the Savior. (The author of love) Can you know him and not be affected?


It comes as a result of drawing close to God. Isn't it inherent in His work in our hearts? Furthermore, it is fostered by our response. If a Christian has a "heart" or burden for the souls of men, but doesn't do anything, how long will that burden remain?


We must remember. We must remember our own depravity. We must remember our own desperate need of a Saviour. We must remember how it came to be that we experienced the hope of salvation, and salvation itself. We must remember those first heart pulsing days when we visited and communed with God. When we comprehended that HE had a plan for our lives. How rich and secure we are in His love and security! When this is bubbling over in our lives our eyes turn to God, and then to what God sees. The need of man. We feel compassion for the depravity of lost souls, the mindlessness of their lives, and the futility of man’s efforts… I could rattle on. Now I have changed my mind. This has been idealistic, perhaps. Perhaps the answer can be summed up in the word, repent. If we repent, remember from whence we have fallen, and simply have the all encompassing love of God in our hearts, will we not have love for the souls of men?


It is a question that relates to the heart condition of men.


Wednesday, July 21, 2010

The Pharisees, The Prophet and the Harlot in Bible Study

I often use the example of the pharisees, scribes and teachers when sharing scripture as an example of what not to do. They offer a great testimony to the faithful of our day, of what it means to be unfaithful toward God.

I look upon their lives with a certain profound wonder in that they were so blind, so idolatrous and rebellious toward God. The thought often comes as to how it was that they managed to stray so far from the truth. That when the God they worship turns up in the flesh, they know Him not.

Yet I am sure, in fact am convinced that if I were a part of the church of that day, I too would most likely have rejected Messiah.

In all fairness to the church of that day, I’m not real sure that the institutionalized church of our day is that much different. Just imagine for a moment that you’re holding a bible study in your local church and in comes a so-called prophet, followed by a well-known prostitute, and the prostitute is all over this so-called prophet. Touching him and crying over him. C’mon don’t tell me that you wouldn’t be freaked out and a little disgusted at this behaviour.

So much of what Jesus did just wouldn’t fit comfortably into the institutionalized church. Consider the pastor is preaching and a so-called prophet gets up and proclaims healing over a sick person. And that person is healed. I’m pretty sure that we would say the guy was out-of-order, he is not known to us as a healer, is not ordained with this church, and may have a demon and so what is he doing healing people in our church. Oh yeah, and umm, did he have pastoral approval for that.

Look I am part of an institutionalized church so I’m not saying that it’s all rotten. I guess what I’m hoping for myself is the recognition that we are apt to do that which has always been done by men in ages past. We are apt to fall into the same error of placing organizations above people, or doctrine and religious observance above people, of placing the traditions of man above the commandment of God, and so on and so forth.

One of the issues that Jesus challenged was this unrepentant attitude, an unwillingness to recognise ones own sinfulness. That they had said in their hearts, had the prophets come to them as the prophets of old, they would have by no means been a partakers in the shedding of their blood.

(I do not know the name of the author.) The rest of the article is at

http://fleethewrath.wordpress.com/2010/07/06/woe-to-you-hypocrites/

Idols of Babylon--Self Righteousness

I was having my devotions this morning and I was pondering Idolatry, namely in the form of Self Righteousness. I was impressed how easy it is to fall into this trap. It snags everyone in one form or another, but is especially dangerous for the Christian Warrior to making him ineffective. I don't know what to tell you other than the fact that my mind took vision of judgement and about how vulnerable we will stand at judgement if we are standing on our own righteousness. Often times we "wist not that the spirit departed" like Samson. We lose vision that our righteousness is of God not ourselves. We play with Grace and trust in ourselves until we are finally overcome. Then the Devil puts out our eyes and we become blind to our needs. We are wretches quite contrary to the modern psycology of today.

Nonetheless I ended looking up my emails this morning and felt to looking up some key words. I came across this web site. I caution carefulness for myself in all the religious sites that are out there. It is somewhat discouraging to read good articles and be greatly disappointed that the website takes an uncomfortable tangent to the left. However this website seemed pretty solid, especially the title, Flee from the Wrath to Come. That was too much because I just commented to somebody that that statement has been going through my head the last while also. I liked what the author had to say on Idolatry and his concern that we recognize that the whore of Babylon and Antichrist is an active spiritual force. It is not a static, "the whore was and is the Roman Catholic; case closed". We deceive ourselves to think that is how it stands in today's world. Anyways the author throws some good food for thought for the Christian traveler to ponder. Some of his out links to other sites get kind of interesting, but I like his articles and site. I like to read About the author and get a feel for what he is trying to represent. This one isn't self promotional. Enough said, the link is at the bottom of the excerpts from his article about modern idolatry. Thanks. JLT.


In seeking to understand why we Christians often stray from truth, and why there is so great a confusion amidst the modern church today, I would conclude that this is often due to the issue of idolatry.

In my humble opinion, for what it’s worth, I don’t think we cover this issue well at all. I think we oversimplify it and hesitate to outline the profound spiritual consequences that come with it. And sadly those consequences are dire, deception and spiritual blindness.

We have this old testament image in our minds of kneeling in front of statues of saints and so on. Sure we can still bow to material idols but I would suggest that the idolatry which is rampant in the church today is hidden within the heart.

You only have to walk into a modern church which are in most cases spartan in this regard, apart perhaps from a cross, a painting or two and some decorative artwork. We uphold our church buildings boastfully proud that they are completely absent of idols, and yet from what I now perceive, the temple is full of idols.

Interestingly if you do a search of any of the four gospels you will not find that word idol or idols used. It seems that Christ is not recorded as using this word therein the gospels. And yet turn back a few pages to the old covenant and you will find that word used many, many times. Therefore we tend not to preach “idolatry” as such, but rather the way Christ addressed the issue, which brought it a little closer to home. That you should love the Lord your God with all of your heart, all of your mind, all of your soul and strength. We now focus less on the word idolatry which tends to have negative connotations and focus more on the positive confession.

However the ramifications of failing to love the Lord first and foremost are the same ramifications that come with idolatry.

You might wonder how I can make the statement that the temple is full of idols ? Is that not a profoundly bold assumption and how am I to know what is in the hearts of men! Well I can’t see the idolatry, but I sure can see fruit thereof, the spritual blindness and deception, the confusion and apostasy from the simplicity of Christ. There is plenty of evidence out there today to indicate where exactly we are in the overall scheme of God’s word, and He makes it clear that there is a real big apostasy at the end of the age. So don’t take my word for it, take His. What is the root of this apostasy? I submit that it is idolatry and then the accompanying spiritual blindness and deception that comes with it.

The issue of self-righteousness in this Christian era is an issue of the worst kind of idolatry. Self righteousness will remove your need for His righteousness. It is incredibly subtle, but there you go, the devil always is and was subtle. It is a place we tend to drift back to time and time again. Especially those of us who spend much time and study in the word of God, seeking to approve ourselves.

I don’t know who Robert Murray McCheyne is but I found this quote of his insightful ;

Self-righteousness is the largest idol of the human heart – the idol which man loves most and God hates most. Dearly beloved, you will always be going back to this idol. You are always trying to be something in yourself, to gain God’s favour by thinking little of your sin, or by looking to your repentance, tears, prayers ; or by looking to your religious exercises, your frames, etc; or by looking to your graces, the Spirit’s work in your heart. Beware of false Christs. Study sanctification to the utmost, but make not a Christ of it.

Christian, if we want to find our way out of this mess, we must abandon the thought that we are able to do it according to any measure other than the grace of God in Christ. Any idols we hold within the dark recesses of the heart are apt to lead us down paths other than the narrow path, which leads to life. I know that self-righteousness feels good, there is a certain carnal appeal to it, but let us abandon that idol as being completely worthless according to His grace. I’m preaching to myself today people.

As a further thought, the name of the spirit behind Babylon, Belial, means exactly that, “worthless”. In the end all of Babylons efforts will prove empty and worthless.

I do not know the name of the author but you can find the article in its entirety at

http://fleethewrath.wordpress.com/2010/06/22/idols-of-babylon-self-righteousness/

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

When People Are Big and God is so Small

This is a reacquiring topic in Christian circles and we refer to this pressure as the "Fear of Man". There are different temperments that are more independant than others, but in the end we are influenced by our peers for good or better. In a Church setting we want to be one with our brethren in unity, yet we also need to focus on that our unity is founded in the fear of God. Is it not? Anyways I came across this book heading, When People are Big and God is so Small. As I don't have money nor time to read every book I would like to, this one does seem to have some value. It apparently takes up some issue against some of the things pushed unto us by secular psychology of how we are all in deep need for peer acceptance to boost up our self esteem. This is in evidence even in books like Thomas the Train engine. How he is number one and that his friends constant upward push is what makes him successful. (Issues with Thomas?! He is a everyday presence in our world of small boys!) We need to look a little farther than peer acceptance and look to fill voids with what God has intended to fill them with. Enough said. Look at these points and see if they hold true. If you are interested in the book, here are some reviews that you may find interesting on it and the topic.


Here are the points that caught my eye in the first place.

The points Welch describes in his book include:

1. The fear of God is the best treatment for the fear of man.
2. Jesus was not a people-pleaser.
3. Having more fear of man than God is idolatry.
4. When we fear God we think of ourselves less.
5. When we spend more time with God, opinions of ourselves and what others think of us matter less.
6. We should love people more and need them less (only God can truly provide for our needs).
7. We love others because God first loved us.
8. When God is reduced to our feelings, He becomes less awesome to us while people become larger.


If any of you have read this book or others and have comments let me know. Thank-You. For me considering these points have gave me alot to think about.

THE SIN OF BATHSHEBA

Here is a very interesting--and I personally think is very good, timely article. The website where it is from is worth your time as well. http://www.momof9splace.com/ It is written by a Baptist mother of 9 that has a concern for strong Christian homes. If you go there be sure to read her testimony. See what trues you can glean from this fruitful field.

And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house:and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself;and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.II Samuel 11:2

We hear a great deal about the sin of David, but seldom does anyone mention the sin of Bath-sheba. And it is true enough that David's sin was very great, and Bath-sheba's very small. David's sin was deliberate and presumptuous; Bath-sheba's only a sin of carelessness. David committed deliberate adultery and murder; Bath-sheba only carelessly and undesignedly exposed herself before David's eyes. We have no doubt that David's sin was great, and Bath-sheba's small.

Yet it remains a fact that Bath-sheba's little sin was the cause of David's great sin. Her little sin of ignorance, her little thoughtless and careless exposure of herself, was the spark that kindled a great devouring flame. "Behold how great a matter a little fire kindleth!" (James 3:5) On the one side, it was only a little carelessness —only a little thoughtless, unintentional exposure of herself before the eyes of David. But on the other side, adultery and guilt of conscience; murder and the loss of a husband, besides the death in battle of other innocent men; great occasion for the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme; the shame of an illegitimate pregnancy, and the death of the child; the uprising and death of Absolom; and the defiling of David's wives in the sight of all Israel; and the sword never departing from David's house. (IISam. 12:11-18) Again I say, "Behold how great a matter a little fire kindleth!" None of this great evil would ever have taken place if Bath-sheba had only been careful not to display her body in the sight of a man. Observe: she neither designed nor foresaw any of this evil, yet she was the occasion of it all. She did not display herself purposefully or wantonly: she only did it ignorantly and thoughtlessly. Yet the results of her little sin of ignorance were just the same as if it had been purposeful wantonness.

Now the reason for my writing all of the above is this: there are many Christian women today who are guilty of the same carelessness as Bath-sheba was. Godly women, who would recoil with horror from the very thought of wantonly displaying their bodies, do nevertheless carelessly and thoughtlessly display themselves habitually by the manner in which they dress. I do not write to accuse them of intentional wantonness. I believe they are as innocent of that as Bath-sheba was. But neither can I altogether excuse them from blame in the matter. The whole world is well aware that certain kinds of feminine dress are provocative and tempting to the eyes and heart of a man —and are Christian women alone altogether naive and ignorant? This
can hardly be; and yet I do not write to blame them, but to instruct them —provoke them to love and good works, to make them thoughtful where they have been thoughtless before, to make them careful for the spiritual welfare of the weakest of their brethren, where they were careless about it before, to make them wise where before they were simple.

The first thing which must be understood is that nakedness before the eyes of others is wrong. It is wrong in a man, and it is wrong in a woman. When Adam and Eve sinned, God made "coats of skins, and clothed them." (Gen.3:21) The sole reason for His clothing them was to cover their nakedness, as the Genesis account makes plain. Observe, he clothed them with coats. They were already wearing aprons, which probably covered as much as, or more than, much of the clothing which is worn today, yet in spite of their aprons they were still naked in their own eyes, and in God's. And God did not clothe them with shorts, or swimming suits, or "tank tops", or "halter tops", or anything of the sort —nor with jackets either, but with coats. He did not clothe Eve with a coat, and Adam with a pair of shorts. He clothed them both with coats —whence we may assuredly gather that nakedness is just as wrong in a man as it is in a woman.

But if it is equally wrong for a man to expose his nakedness as it is for a woman, it is not equally dangerous, for men are much more susceptible to be tempted through the "eye-gate" in this particular, than are women. But when a woman exposes herself only a little, she becomes a fiery dart to tempt the heart of every man who sees her. Like it or not, this is the plain fact. And because this is a fact, you are not at liberty to dress any way you please.

"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body...as well as in your spirit."
I Cor. 6:19-20
But if you dress in such a way as to expose your body, or parts of it, to the lustful gaze of every man who chooses to look at you, you certainly do not glorify God in your body. And if
you fear God and love your neighbor, you dare not dress so. You dare not thus use your body as an instrument of unrighteousness to allure the eyes, and tempt the hearts of men.

Many men are wicked, and will lust after you in spite of anything you can do to prevent it. They have "eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin". (I Peter 2:14) Should you therefore help them to sin? Should you put further temptation in their way? Will God excuse you if you do?

Other men, godly men, are not wicked, but only weak. David was not wicked. He was a man after God's own heart. But in the presence of an unclothed woman, he was weak —and it would be a rare man who was not. Though the brethren in Christ are not wicked, yet they may be weak. And the devil does all he can do to weaken them further. They are forced to live in a world where they are continually bombarded with sights which are designed by the enemy of their souls to weaken their morals and destroy their purity of heart. And must Christian women help the devil to do his work? Must they make themselves a temptation to their brethren even in the congregation of God? O that you could understand the fierce and bitter conflict in the souls of your brethren, when you provoke them by the careless display of your body. Oh, that you could hear their pleadings with God for help and deliverance from the power of those temptations. Oh that you could see their tears of shame and repentance when the temptation has overcome them, and they have sinned with eyes and heart and mind. Never again would you plead for your right to dress as you please.

The fact is, you have no such right. You have no right to destroy, by your careless dress, the brother for whom Christ died. You are bought with a price, and are not your own. You are duty-bound to glorify God in your body —to clothe that body, not as you will, but as God wills. And a little of real love for the souls of your brethren would remove for ever from your heart the desire to dress as you please. For, "We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities, (that is, the weakness), of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification. For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me." (Rom.15:1-3) Christ was willing to deny Himself all of the glories of heaven, and bear the reproaches of ungodly men in order to save your souls, and will you plead for your right to please yourself in your dress? Can you not deny yourself a little of comfort to save another man's soul? Can younot bear a little reproach for being "old-fashioned" or "out of style", in order to help another in his battle against sin?

You may think that I am making too much of too little. You may suppose the case is not so serious as I have represented it to be. But consider: you are a woman, and cannot experience the passions of a man. You have your own passions, but they are not the same as a man's. They are, (generally speaking), not so strong as a man's. Neither are they so easily inflamed as a man's. Nor are they excited in the same manner as a man's. If you are ever to understand the masculine side of this question you must simply take a man's word for it. You cannot experience it yourself. And the plain fact is, a man's passions are easily provoked by the sight of a careless woman, as was plainly the case with David and Bath-sheba, when he beheld her washing herself. Most men, 'tis true, will be better able to resist your allurement than David did Bath-sheba's. They will not go so far as David did. But how do you know that they can resist the thought and desire of it? How do you know that they do not sin with their eyes andheart and imagination? There is great pleasure to a man in merely looking, even though he goes no farther. You know very well that the Bible says, "But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh upon a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart", (Mat.5:28), and will you say that this is not a serious matter? It is serious, for it is sin, and sin is serious. Sin blights and deforms and ruins and destroys and damns. And if you would know just how serious a matter this is, you need only read the very next verse, which says, "And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell." Here is a most solemn statement in the Bible concerning the seriousness of sin, and it is spoken with reference to the very sin which you may so lightly and thoughtlessly occasion by your careless dress. This is not a light matter, and you dare not treat it lightly.

At this point you may say, "Amen, all true; but I do not need to hear it, for I dress modestly." Are you quite sure of it? If you follow the fashions and practices of this age, you assuredly do not dress modestly, for modesty is ignored by many of them, and purposefully thrown to the winds by many other. And it may be that you, being a woman, and not able to see yourself through a man's eye, are unable to perceive that which may really be tempting and provocative in your own dress. God would have you to be "wise as serpents, and harmless as doves". (Mat.10:16) But if you unthinkingly dress as the rest of the world does, you are assuredly neither wise nor harmless. Not wise, for however ignorant and innocent you may be, you are following a system of fashion which is deigned by wicked men to break down and destroy the morals of men. Not harmless, for however little you may intend in it, you thus make yourself a fiery dart in the hands of the wicked one to tempt every man who sees you. You willpardon my plain speaking, then, if I give you some specific instructions in order to make you wise. That being done, I have confidence that the godliness of your own heart will make you harmless.

As said before, the obvious design of God in making clothing for Adam and Eve was to cover their nakedness, and any clothing which fails to do so cannot be right. Bare backs, bare midriffs, bare legs and thighs, are wrong —wrong in the sight of that God Who clothed Adam and Eve with coats to cover their bare bodies. Shorts, halter tops, swimming suits, and anything and everything else which intentionally leaves you partially exposed, have no place in the dress of a woman professing godliness. Whatever the rest of the world may do, you are bound to do right. And what ever the rest of the church may do, you are bound to do right. And the things that I have just mentioned are so obvious and so flagrant a violation of the purposes of God in clothing you, that there ought not to be a moment's question as to what is right. But, (alas), the standards of the church are sunk so low in our day that there are actually Christians and preachers who will defend such things. They will actually defend what they call "mixed bathing" —that is, men and women freely mixing together in a state of almost nudity. Have they no shame? Have they no sense? I do not believe they will defend such things when they stand before the judgment seat of Christ. If they have no shame now, they will have some then. Meanwhile we need say no more about forms of dress which so obviously thwart the purposes of God. Let us turn our thoughts to some things which, while less flagrant, nevertheless violate the evident purpose of clothing.

There is more of this article that gets more specific on the different cuts and fashions on her website, see http://momof9splace.com/sinof.html scroll down to the first bold heading, "short dresses" to continue reading where this article leaves off.