Whoes Grasp is it Anyway?
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There is a man here in Mexico that I have become friends with. He is a retired Department of Justice Agent and stands as a “Caleb” of sorts in all his 80 plus years. He loves the Lord lives alone, has a car but walks everywhere and has one heck of a grip. When I shake his hands I wince at the pressure. I am fairly large myself and have a firm grip but his makes mine look like a child’s. When you shake Ray’s hand you know it! I could not think of a better illustration to cause you to consider, “Whose grasp is it?” Does it depend on your grasp on Him or His grasp on you?
This could be considered from the perspective of ownership. The issue it seems to me is that it is not that God is yours but rather you are His. The all-powerful the all mighty and magnificent God of the universe is not an object of yours tucked as a pair of worn shoes in your closet. The truth is you are His! If this be so for those born again through Christ then clearly the issue at hand is the strength of His grip on our lives and not just our anemic grasps on Him.
The modern church in the most part seems filled with insecure and extremely nervous folks who have lost this emphasis and think that the weight of a secure standing with God is solely theirs. But it is not. The grip of Christ on us is one that far surpasses yours on Him. Even my friend Ray has nothing that compares to the strong and deliberate hands of Christ in whom I am secure!
His grip is infinitely strong! It can keep us from sin and the tendency to wander into the “no man’s land” of indifference and luke warmness. It is a grip that selected us, we did not select it. We are His property, He is not ours. It is a grip of purchase, sealed by the contractual evidence of the seal of the Holy Spirit; it is a safe grip that holds me firmly in the storm. And it is an eternal grip. Will he wake up tomorrow and change His mind and release me to my own wellbeing?
The Psalmist put it like this, “Thou hast a mighty arm: strong is thy hand, and high is thy right hand.” My friend Ray’s grip is always released after we greet one another. Jesus’ grip… never!
Popularity: 8% [?]
The Quest for the Best
By · CommentsI want to be a man who seeks for knowledge and understanding. Not the knowledge of the letter – that of Plato, church history, grammar. This knowledge is but the stage, the curtain, it is the lighting set upon the stage, it is the stetting; while true knowledge and understanding waits behind the curtains! These are the main actors. These are the ones I seek.
But they are not seen without a purchased ticket. Knowledge and understanding does not come but by sifting through tons of paper and ink. This is why it must be sought for, it is hidden. Hidden things must be searched for otherwise they would be in plain sight and this is my quest, to feed on the hidden treasures of His infinite wisdom and understanding. The Bible says that for the one who searches for wisdom and understanding he will discover them and with them treasures of untold wealth! Prov. 3:13-18
Popularity: 5% [?]
The Best for the Toughest
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When it is the fourth quarter and you are down by six points with less than two minutes left in the game, you don’t send in your “second string” to get the touch down. You send in the most rugged, the scarred and bleeding, and the very best to get the job done. The guys who are “Seniors”, who have more to lose than the freshmen will claw their way to the goal line and a year’s worth of bragging rights. Whether it is a football game, international negotiations, or getting Bin Laden, when the stakes are high you send in the best! It was Joab, one of David’ might men who saw this principle and put it to use wisely.
2 Sam. 10:9 “When Joab saw that the battle was set against him both in front and in the rear, he chose some of the best men of Israel and arrayed them against the Syrians.”
Thirty three thousand mercenaries hired by the Ammonites set themselves against David and Israel. Ruthless, cruel, immoral and completely without conscious these men were motivated by greed and would be paid when the job was done, annihilating Israel.
The strategy between Joab and his brother Abishai was simple, “If they are too strong for me come and help, if they are two strong for you, “I’m on my way.” But the point here is not just the strategy employed, but rather the men used to accomplish the victory.
“Some of the best of Israel.” These were family men, men who worked in shops one day and fought on another. They held a tool in one hand and a weapon in the other. They had a lot to lose and these were Joab’s “A team.”
The battle would continue all the way to Helam where another seven chariots were destroyed and forty thousand soldiers killed. The victory was hard won by “Some of the best of Israel.” Israel’s history is peppered with such exploits of heroic men who flung themselves and their safety into the battle for the glory of God.
Now, there are a few conclusions I want to draw from this passage that I think speak to us today.
First, Men were picked for an impossible task. These were not your run of the mill, rag tag, insurgent group. These were the best in the ranks.
Second, the scope of the battle required that the soldiers step across their respected responsibilities to help one another if the occasion demanded it.
Finally, they fought together until they won!
Israel was saved by hand chosen, multi-tasking and ever persistent warriors.
Now let me ask you, “Why weren’t we born four hundred years ago? Why are you living today, born again by the cost of precious blood and set smack dab in the middle of the ‘Syrians,’” because God selected “His best for the Toughest!”
Can we brag? Indeed not! We have been selected, trained and placed by His grace and trust me when I say, the devil is nervous!
Your battle rages, but your victory is certain provided you “faint not.”
Yep, He selected the “Best for the Toughest!”
Charge forward!
Helam is not what it’s all cracked up to be.
Popularity: 16% [?]
Entitlements, Unemployment and Faith in God.
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Recently a friend of ours was visiting us in Mexico and she told us of a small town in Georgia where some of her family lives. In this town 80% of its population receives disability pay checks from the government and the majority of those are receiving it for mental disabilities and yet, the majority of those are drug addicts. So you have practically an entire town of drug addicts who demand the government pay them for their disabilities even though caused by drugs. We have become addicted to something far more than drugs We have become addicted to ENTITLEMENTS!
The national “Psych” demands government entitlements as though it has become our “unalienable right.” Unemployment insurance is not enough. We demand more and longer payments. Why has this attitude taken such a deep root in our nation? Why are we being transformed into a country that finds its support and welfare issued by the ‘State?” I would propose two reasons. One is that there is no better way for power to be purchased than with the promise that the government will take care of you. So, politicians play with the national budget like it’s a board game of monopoly and the object is to get to the finish line with more votes and a strong consolidated seat of power built on the societies’ need for the government. Simply put we have taken the politician’s mantra as truth and have staked our individual and national welfare on it. We have traded the wealth and security that comes from individual responsibility and morality for an instant and temporal fix that excuses us from all blame and obligation. We have made the government obligatory for the very thing we as individuals refuse and we love it so. Government becomes our employer. Government becomes our baby sitter. Government has become our Doctor. Government becomes our conscience and finally Government will become our religion. The impotent mantras of Washington give aid to the constant dripping faucet of unemployment and job loss. Why work if I can get paid to take drugs? But there is another reason for why we have become so focused on entitlements. The basic reason we have relied on the government to hold us up as a nation is because we have abandoned the God who held us up for centuries. We have traded in our trust and confidence as a nation in God and placed it squarely on a capital called Washington D.C.
Recently I was in my Quite Time when I came across Psalms 124. 1-3 the lyrics to this song (and Psalms are the words to music) declares praise for the benefits of clinging to God. David puts it like this. “If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, let Israel now say – If it had not been the Lord who was on our side when people rose up against us, then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their anger was kindled against us…” Then he concludes the Psalm with verse 8, “Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”
Reading this I was impacted with the utter faith David had in God. He is declaring here that had it not been for the Lord the enemies of Israel would have swallowed them up. David makes clear to the reader that the protection of Israel was due to their faith and obedience to God. Does this apply to us? Could this help explain our unquenchable thirst for entitlements and the high unemployment that is debilitating our country?
In the sixties we choose as a country to move the political agenda down a road of disrespect and ultimately abandonment from God. We declared it unlawful to pray in schools, we moved towards a more secularization in society, tolerance became the “buzz word” that is tolerance for everything except Christianity. We essentially stub our nose at God until now we have reached a time in which our fore fathers could have never envisioned. We have a president who embraces Islam more than Christianity. We are a nation that is afraid to offend the most aggressive and violent religion on the earth. We have stripped God of His authority by casting Him into the “line up” with other gods to be paraded in the earth and then we seek the applause of men for our sophisticated tolerance. But the words of David haunt me, “If it had not been the Lord who was on our side when people rose up against us, then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their anger was kindled against us…” This implies that when He is abandoned the anger of our enemies will swallow us up. “O but John we just got Bin Laden,” You say. My response is, meanwhile, their anger is increasing, plots are being laid against our security, floods swell the banks of the Mississippi, and tornados have devastated entire towns. Murder is off the charts in our high schools, drugs in every neighborhood, marriage among homosexuals, and unemployment is at or above 9%. Besides this China owns us. Our laziness as a nation has put us at the back of the bus and our social agenda as has been pointed out will bankrupt our beloved country. No production of goods while supporting society with entitlements is a sure formula for destruction. But is there a solution? Can we make a change that will put our country back on course? I think so.
It seems to me that we are wired to trust in something outside of our selves. The saved the lost, all of us have this inner realization that tells us to look beyond ourselves to another. That drive was put there by God to cause men to seek after Him. But, tell the world he is nothing, undermine His authority and you will have a people who will not lose that drive but rather redirect it to something else. That other thing is government. Those who would find their safety and provision from the hand of God must now direct that need towards government, and ladies and gentlemen, that redirection will bankrupt our country. The need for another will not leave us even if we ignore God and present him as a mere idol, no, it will simply be rerouted to our government and trust me the government does not have the capability to provide what only God can provide through His son. So I will herald loud and long, I will climb on the mountain and shout with all my strength for America to return to God. Abandon your ways and return to your God. Don’t let the gods of our times deceive you into thinking you are owed something! Run to the One who give life, who is filled with forgiveness and demands repentance. Run to the only One who can heal, provide for you needs and heal your wounds. He can heal better than Government health care, He will provide more than Government welfare, He will protect better than Homeland Security and there are no forms to fill out! Just a heart to render to Him! America COME HOME! Let it once again be said in our court rooms, in our government offices, in our schools, “Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”
I cry for you, I weep for you. You have become like the church in Ephesus, “Remember therefore from where you have fallen and repent…” You have become like Sardis, “You have the reputation of being alive but you are dead. Wake up and strengthen what remains and is about to die…”
No doubt few will read this article and many who do, will cast it off as the ranting of a religious zealot or even those of a mad man but I will finish with this one solemn admonition…
America, abandon God at your own peril.
Popularity: 22% [?]
A Path to Longing
By · CommentsI entered the Barnes and Noble with high expectations. A title of a book had been floating around in my readings and I decided to buy it. My time in the U.S would be brief and this would be my only chance to get it. I walked up to the young lady working behind the counter and asked, “Do you have the book titled How to Read a Book by Mortimer Adler”? I got the strangest look from her before she burst out into a deep belly laugh. I could read her mind, “A book about how to read, how absurd.” She quickly skimmed her computer and told me that no such title existed. Well, I now have the book and it is as tangible as the chair I am sitting in and Dr. Adler has some very poignant comments about how to read and read well. And so I take his cues while I meet with an old friend, C.S. Lewis.
Professor Lewis awakens me. He invites me into those areas that cause me to think deeper than in other occasions. One such work that so stimulates this profound intrigue is his book, The Weight of Glory. In it he arouses a joy for words and their capacity to stir up longing. He writes, “The books or the music in which we thought the beauty was located will betray us if we trust to them: it was not in them, it only came through them, and what came through them was longing.” He adds, “For they are not the thing itself; they are only the scent of a flower we have not found, the echo of a tune we have not heard, news from a country we have not yet visited.”
Words have impact. If you find that hard to believe, talk harsh to an airline attendant and see where it leads to. But words also have appeal, appeal to go beyond the letter and enter that mystical realm of what they are saying. No other book or literary work has ever demonstrated such impact as the Bible, and because it is such a work, no other book deserves such study, such deliberate consideration as the one given by God Himself. However, I am afraid that many of us approach the Bible with the superficial reading we apply to looking at our e-mail.
In ancient times the Greeks had a name for those who read but read poorly. They were called Sophomores.” They read but did not learn. There is a vast difference between learning by instruction and learning by discovery and sadly, many of us read the letter but fail to reach the discovery. I think this is what Mr. Lewis was saying when he said that the books were not the thing itself, they were symbols of a sort to awaken us to something far greater and that far greater thing is longing!
So, what results do you find in your heart when you read the lovely Psalms, the wisdom of Proverbs, or the stories of Christ in the Gospels? Could it be that the reaction of our heart betrays our sophomoric reading?
My brother, read deep, read slow, and read often, those words that will abide for eternity and a gradual change will begin to take place in your heart. Indifference and triviality will become distant shadows. There, we will move from mere instruction to discovery, the discovery of the central Person of the Universe!
There, you will long like never before!
Popularity: 22% [?]
Fool’s Gold
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The mood shifts between an adrenalin rush and stark terror, or so the commercials attempt to provoke. I am referring to the continuous spots advertising the urgency to buy gold. Depending on whom you see whether it is Scott Carter or a former Nixon aid, the pitch is the same, “Get it while you can before it is too late.” I agree that purchasing gold is prudent but is it our savior in these troubled times? I think not! 
This kind of thinking forces a “bunker mentality,” one that paralyzes us from action and promotes self-preservation. But what good is a long survival if it is not useful for the King?
Recently I have been listening to group I enjoyed in College. Petra has a song called “Fool’s Gold” and the lyrics are penetrating.
“Some say the life I live
Is only foolishness
No waiting pot of gold in the faith that I possess
But the treasures of this life
Will slowly turn to dust
And this fool will live by my gold in the Savoir that I trust.
Chorus
Fool’s gold, it’s waiting in a crown
Fool’s gold it’s a city coming down
I’ll leave the gold I can’t afford
For the higher prize I’m pressing toward
I’ll reach for the foolish cross of Christ and wait for my reward
Fool’s gold.
The wisdom of the cross
Is easy to receive
But only foolishness to them that don’t believe
They may say that I’m a fool
For the cross that I proclaim
But the gold that I must seek
Won’t be found in earthly things
Chorus
Fool’s gold, it’s waiting in a crown
Fool’s gold it’s a city coming down
I’ll leave the gold I can’t afford
For the higher prize I’m pressing toward
I’ll reach for the foolish cross of Christ and wait for my reward
Fool’s gold.
When the crowns of gold are laid before His feet
Then the Worthy Lamb of God is the treasure we will keep.
Some may call me foolish
Some may call me odd
But I’d rather be a fool in the eyes of man
Than a fool in the eyes of God.
Chorus
Fool’s gold, it’s waiting in a crown
Fool’s gold it’s a city coming down
I’ll leave the gold I can’t afford
For the higher prize I’m pressing toward
I’ll reach for the foolish cross of Christ and wait for my reward
Fool’s gold.
Fool’s gold. I love it! This is the goal, to obtain the gold in Christ. We are moving into times where men are going to discover just where their confidence lies and for many it will be a rude awakening to discover that their Gold was tarnishing Furthermore, no amount of tarnish remover will ever be enough to replace the Gold of His Crown!
His is Fool’s Gold in the eyes of the world but a priceless treasure for His sons!
We are rich beyond description!!!
What are you trusting in?
Popularity: 23% [?]
“CHILL”
By · CommentsThe slang is “Chill.” The Biblical term is “Luke warmness!” Today the church strives with tremendous effort to 
stand in that comfortable place of tolerance and comfort; the quest for tolerance towards others and the quest for personal comfort within ourselves. In so doing she has lost her cutting edge zeal and panders the gospel only to raise the numbers and increase the coffers. We are big but we are weak! Of course there are exceptions to such tepid faith but in general the church has become lukewarm in North America. She is neither hot nor cold. The public sees the beautiful buildings, the contemporary music, the glitz and Las Vegas like showmanship, but Jesus sees for Himself and His verdict is “You are Lukewarm.”
Those who stand knee high in the waters of ambivalence are neither hot nor cold. They are neither bigots nor Puritans, they are prudent and avoid fanaticism. Striving for respectability they are averse to excitement and Holy zeal. These folks wrote the book on “Chill.” These are not disreputable in moral conduct but neither are they zealous for holiness. They have found sweet repose in the nether land of compromise and indifference.
Churches in this territory are quite pleased with themselves. There is a lot of back slapping and self-congratulation. John put it like this when speaking of the church in Laodicea:
“For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind and naked.” (Rev. 3:17)
So we like they live deluded and never are able to see reality. The results? Men become less likely to repent when they are in the middle passage between hot and cold than they are if they are at the extremes of sin. They are like Gamaliel, neither favoring nor opposing and they are most likely to remain there until they die. Repentance then becomes a word that is meaningless because lukewarm people rarely see the wretchedness of sin. They would rather strive to improve that which Jesus all the while desired to crucify, SELF!
CH Spurgeon spoke the following to his church on July 26, 1874 concerning the state of a lukewarm church. He was addressing his own but O how his words speak to us today!
“Alas the state of Luke warmness is so congenial with human nature that it is hard to fetch a man from it. Cold makes us shiver and great heat causes pain, but a tepid bath is comfort itself. Such a temperature suits human nature. The world is always at peace with a lukewarm church, and such a church is always pleased with itself.”
But Spurgeon continues his salvo addressing the carnal lukewarm church.
“Many a church has fallen into a condition of indifference, and when it does so it generally becomes the haunt of worldly professors, a refuge for people who want an easy religion, which enables them to enjoy the pleasures of sin and the honors of piety at the same time: were things are free and easy, where you are not expected to do much, or give much or pray much…”
Reading this make one wonder of Spurgeon had a time machine. He describes most accurately the overall condition of the modern church in the West, spiritually poor and proud.
So, we “hang loose and chill” thinking that our indifference and apathy can be disguised by quaint slogans and hip hop music. But Jesus sees, and Jesus will act. If comfort and tolerance are your quest then you possess that unique ability to make Jesus sick to His stomach! (At least that was his reaction to the lukewarm church in Laodicea.)
If there was ever a time for us to cast out this horrible vain and nauseating state it is now! Now, most definitely is not the time to “Chill.” The most horrific conclusion of such a condition is not what consequences would result from the world around us. It is the fact that we stand in the danger of being rejected by Christ! That is the whole meaning of “I Will vomit you out of my mouth.”
I think a new colloquialism should be invented. Instead of “chill” why not use, “Blaze.” Why do I suggest this? Because the surest cure for Luke warmness is FIRE! Get close to the fire and Luke warmness will begin to boil once again!
The Luke warm church will not triumph in the last days, and friend we are in them now!
Popularity: 100% [?]
Brothers Preach the Gospel to your Church
By · CommentsPart 3
Here is the third and final part of this article. To enjoy it to its maximum scroll down and read part 1 and 2 first.
Biblical and Social Reason for Preaching the Gospel in Your Church
It seems like we have relegated the Gospel, the very central theme of our message on the earth to something that is by necessity shared on special occasions such as Easter
or Christmas. In most churches the central topics of teaching and preaching revolve around self-improvement, personal relationships and how to live the victorious and prosperous life. In most churches the preaching of the cross has become out dated and archaic, something if touched at all is merely brushed upon. What was for two thousand years the central theme of our message has now become a footnote in the contemporary church and especially in the United States of America. But friend there is ample Biblical and social evidence for why we must regain our focus on the cross. First let me touch briefly the social evidence.
Without references and statistics to support my claims let me suggest that our society is not better but worse for the milk toast, self-centered, and man exalting message that we have been giving from the pulpits of our generation. We have produced a people who say one thing but live another. Our message is impotent in view of the lives that proclaim it. We rail against fornication while leaders secretly amuse their carnal desires before their computer screens. We give the impression that Jesus is a way but not THE ONLY WAY. Tolerance is so hip that no voices command repentance, and the ones who do are viewed as bigots. Our convictions are silenced by the vain philosophies of men and the deluded lies of Islam. Moral values are no longer dictated by scripture but rather by consensus. The majority rules and in time truth will be defined by the one who has the biggest sword. If one would want to examine the content of the pulpit for the past fifty years he may do so by looking at our modernistic society. And frankly, it is most apparent to me that the departure from the Gospel as the central theme of our message has left a bitter and enduring legacy.
However I am encouraged at what I see may be a resurgence of the primacy of the Gospel. In April 2010 I attended a conference in Louisville, Kentucky where seven thousand men from various denominations came together to exalt the centrality and the supremacy of the Gospel in the contemporary church. This conference led by a group of church leaders provided a platform for a recovery of the criticality of the Gospel. The organizers saw a clear drifting from the moorings of the Cross and felt that it was time for a voice to be lifted up, a clarion call to be given to call the church back to its one safe harbor, The Gospel of Jesus Christ. Events such as T4G will without a doubt awaken many but the task remains a daunting one in such an environment as ours. But there is a far greater reason for why we should preach the Gospel in our churches. The reason I speak of is given by Paul the Apostle himself.
Romans, Our Reason
Paul’s Magnum Opus is considered by many to be his letter to Rome. Writing to a group of believers Paul expresses his deep desire to come and “Impart … some spiritual gift…” to strengthen them. It is clearly apparent that this gift he mentions is in the context of the message of the Gospel. But I am getting ahead of myself. This letter is not written to the whole population of Rome but rather to the saints who live there. (Rom. 1:7) These brothers are of renowned reputation and their testimony has become an example to others. These are not a weak fearful group who merely endure. They are victorious and face the uncertainties of their government with courage and resolve. The persecution so heavily cast upon them has tempered them into men “Whose faith is proclaimed in all the world.” So, Paul is writing this letter to a mature church that is growing and impacting its culture. But then he writes something that seems to us in these days as very strange indeed. He states “So I am eager to preach the Gospel to you also who are in Rome.” Why would Paul be eager to preach the Gospel to a group of mature Christians? Why does he allude to imparting a spiritual gift within the context of the message of the Gospel? Is he saying, “Let’s all get saved again?”
If your concept of “Getting Saved” is to come to the front of the church, make a decision and put your name on the roll of the church as a member then most definitely his proposal would be strange. If I was the pastor and this was my concept then I would most likely tell the great Apostle Paul that there was no need for him to come to my church, all my members are “saved.” But if your concept is that once we are regenerated salvation continues until we are face to face with Jesus then his point makes sense. Barring the illustration with “Pedro” above, and understanding that there might be those who have not been born again, I think Paul had something else in mind here. You see for Paul the Gospel was the power of God, (Rom. 1:16) and to him it was not only the power to get you into the kingdom but it was the power to keep you there! He knew that nothing would undergird the flock with more strength, endurance, resolve and power than the Gospel of Christ. Paul wants to go to Rome TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO BELIEVERS! He knows that this message is not just the door to enter but the path to follow. It is the “Power of God unto salvation.” Now, how does one incorporate such a Gospel centered view when treating the multitude off issues that invade your church? Are we to just preach salvation every message and give an invitation and that’s it? Or is there something else in view here?
Let me propose that the multitude of issues we face today find their answer ultimately through the cross. When dealing with drug addiction, marital abuse, materialism, lust, abortion, divorce, economic meltdown or whatever threat faces the members of your church it is our responsibility to bring them to the full sufficiency of the cross. I am of the firm conviction that the power of the cross is the solution to the mountain of problems facing the modern church today. What is so needed are preachers who under the anointing of the Holy Spirit and great wisdom yoked together with bold courage gently lead their people through sound teaching and preaching to the GREAT AND TOTAL ANSWER OF GOD GIVEN TO MANKIND, THE CROSS OF JESUS CHRIST! This is our task. THIS IS OUR HOPE!
So I conclude be saying that we have been made stewards of the most powerful , hope filled life giving, sin forgiving, body healing, mind boggling, supremely joyful, cataclysmic message of all time. Why would we trade that for a cheap discourse on Sunday mornings in superficial morality and vain philosophies?
O Brothers, PREACH THE GOSPEL IN YOUR CHURCHES!
Popularity: 46% [?]
Brothers preach the Gospel to your Church
By · CommentsPart II
Pedro, Touched but not Regenerated
Pedro is suffering. Perhaps he has been diagnosed with a liver disease and the doctors are very pessimistic about his prognosis. Pedro never has been in church he is lost but he has a Christian friend who invites him to his church. Pedro agrees and goes to a church meeting where the evangelist is preaching on healing. At the conclusion of his sermon the invitation is given, not to be born again but to be healed. Pedro’s friend urges him to the front. As the evangelist makes his way over to Pedro, Pedro senses a mixture between fear and excitement. Could it be that Jesus could heal me? As the evangelist prays Pedro feels a change in his body. The nausea leaves immediately and a pervading peace envelops him. He returns to his seat obviously better, less nervous and he is overwhelmed by the love he feels from the saints. Everyone is hugging him and welcoming him. Pedro goes home and has a doctor’s appointment when he discovers that the issue with his liver is complexly healed. Pedro has been touched by Divine Grace! Excited he starts going to church, buys a Bible, learns of the benefits of tithing, and begins to understand more of the Bible and the promises of God. Time passes and because of his enthusiasm he is invited by his pastor to work with the youth. In time he is seen as a leader but one who carries with him huge bags filled with issues that he cannot resolve. Counseling, miracle services, more learning simply do not bring victory. He becomes disillusioned as the problems between him and his wife increase. Their 10 year marriage ends in divorce as he is attracted to another “sister.” His life now lays in ruins and deceit. How did this happen?
The scenario I paint above is all too common in the contemporary church. But it can be avoided. How did Pedro get to this point? I suggest the following. When he was filled with sickness and a precious friend invited him to church in that meeting God by His abundant mercy and great love reached down and touched 
Pedro with his grace. That “touch” was powerful and overwhelming but it left Pedro with the thought that everything was alright between he and God. He mistook that “touch of grace” as being born again, and because the gospel was never preached in the church this illusion continued for years. Then in his hidden hypocrisy and disillusionment he goes to church with his religious face painted on and hears a word that penetrates to the depths of his heart! He is convicted as the Gospel is unpacked before his eyes and heart. Light explodes in his being, his eyes fill with tears and he discovers the lie is a lie. Today he can be born again. Pedro after having been in church for more than a decade humbly bows his heart before the Lord and comes to receive the Jesus. To everyone’s amazement and to the chagrin of his pastor Pedro surrenders. His pastor wonders, “How could this be?” “He has been in my church for ten years. Surely he doesn’t understand what he is doing.” I will talk with him afterwards.”
Dear pastor listen carefully to me. Pedro almost went to Hell because of you! You were more interested in preaching what tickles the ears of men, gaining the favor of your peers, growing a church by whatever means possible and yet you refused to lift up the cross of Christ. You did not turn His people from their wicked ways. You ran after fads and exciting revelations and allowed the cross to become a tangent thing, not needful or central in your message. Pedro almost went to Hell because you did not preach the Gospel in your church! Shame on you sir! You will give account for your Eli-like negligence in your duty to Christ and His church. Your church may be big in the earth but your palace in heaven will be as small as a cabin. O Brothers, PREACH THE GOSPEL IN YOUR CHURCHES!
Stay tuned for part III
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Brothers preach the Gospel in your church!
By · CommentsThis article has been stirring in my heart for a number of months. I have wrestled with whether I should do it our not but am now convinced of its need like never before. We are living on the precipice of utter destruction and the only hope for mankind is the Gospel of Christ. With that in mind I am presenting this article divided in three perhaps four posts. I hope it will encourage build up, rebuke and challenge those of us who declare His word. Brothers, preach the Gospel in your church!
Part I
One would think that such an exhortation as the title suggests would not be necessary after over two thousand years of church history but to the contrary, this admonition is more needful today than ever before!
A few months ago I was ministering in a church here in Guadalajara, Mexico. There appeared to be about 230 people in the meeting with a handful of visitors. I felt the Lord directed me to preach on the doctrine of adoption, a theme not frequently expounded on in Mexican pulpits. When it came time to issue the invitation I was astounded at the response. Sixty-seven people came forward to receive Christ as their Savior. Frankly I didn’t know whether to rejoice or cry. How could it be that sixty seven people in a group that size could attend church, enjoy the fellowship of the saints, witness the miracles of God and walk away Sunday after Sunday lost? These were not visitors. They were men and women who had attended this church for several years and yet on this day each one recognized their need to be born again.
Someone might say, “Well perhaps many of them just came forward because they were not sure. Let’s assume to take away all of those who came to the front because that’s what they do every time a visiting preacher comes, they always go forward. Then let’s take away those who struggled with the issue of assurance but on that day God birth a genuine assurance and confidence in their hearts that they were truly born again. And then finally let’s take away those who perhaps did not understand despite my urgent and clear presentation with sincere pleading. Take all of these away and you would still have a disturbing number of men and women who attended church for a lengthy period but were not born again. Why is this so and is this a common or unique condition in the modern church?
I walked away scratching me head wondering why has this happened? It was a good church where the pastor loves God there is a sweet unity among the saints and on occasion the Lord displays His abrupt power of unusual miracles. After pondering this and asking the Lord I feel like I began to see the background for why such a condition exists. Observing not only this church but many here in the metropolis of Guadalajara and other cities in Mexico I have concluded that we are preaching the benefits of the Gospel and yet not preaching the Gospel itself. The pulpits are proclaiming the rich benefits of the new birth without calling men and women to repentance and salvation. Who wouldn’t want to be healed or prosper or have success in all they do? But these promises are offered across the board to any and all without any call to repentance or salvation. So, you end up with a deceived congregation composed of men and women who have touched the goodness of God but are unregenerate. A typical scenario could go something like this…
Stay tuned for part two.
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