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The Evangel

Posted on September 26, 2017Leave a comment

Anyone who claimed September 23, 2017 as the end of the world and used the bible to prove their position should be viewed as a false prophet.

Church, discipline yourself to put our primary work in front of us and be faithful to the work of the evangel (the gospel). Date setting is no new thing and we should expect that as dates come and go that a more predictable pattern is that date setters will be required to adjust and reinterpret their claims.

Yes, we should give ourselves to reading Scripture and noticing that the time must be near, but be sure not to get distracted with that which will distract from the Gospel. Give yourself rather to living a life devoted to the Lordship of Christ in your life and speaking the grace of God in His gospel to all.

Date setting the unknown things of God is irresponsible evangelism.

Give yourself to responsible evangelism. Proclaiming the truth of God, the nature of humanity, the redeeming work of Christ, and the required response to this truth; this is our great duty.

Here are a few things I see that normally happens when the date setters gain popularity and their dates pass by…

They will claim they overlooked a particular calculation.
They will say “I didn’t actually say…”
They will bring other verses into the conversation that they didn’t use or see previously.
They will call planets stars or give vague dogmatic comments such as “this kind of connection gives me goose bumps just thinking about it.”
They will eventually re-date to another date without any consideration to what God says about those who presumptuously speak on His behalf in Deuteronomy 18:22

“When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.” (Deuteronomy 18:22)

Give yourself to the advancing of the evangel (the Gospel).

What if the House of Prayer was Empty?

Posted on August 16, 2017Leave a comment

There are unmistakable biblical markers of what a New Testament church should be doing when they gather together. There are sure things that ought to cause a New Testament church to gather together. (1) Preaching, (2) Singing, (3) Caring for each other (especially for widows and orphans in distress), (4) Baptizing converts, (5) Eating, (6) Proclaiming the Lord’s death, and (7) Praying.

The faithful church is sure to want to keep true in all of her duties. But, as warned by the Apostles, certain individuals have crept in and have been successful at times to redirect the efforts of the church in other ways.

It makes since when you think about it.

The enemy of God knows the power of preaching Scripture. Because of the power of the word of God, the enemy of God wants preachers to preach anything and everything but truth.
The enemy of God knows that God has created men to sing. Singing is ordained of God for corporate proclamations and declarations of God and to God. If the enemy of God can get men to love songs more than they love God then the corporate proclamations and declarations are at risk of being of another god altogether and men won’t care because they love the music.
The enemy of God knows what true religion looks like. The bible is clear on this matter. Because the enemy of God hates true religion he will want to divert the resources of God’s people away from the care of orphans and widows in distress. He’ll put attractive and popular ministries in front of them and persuade us to direct most of our resources upon ourselves, satisfying that selfish craving of the old man.
The enemy of God loves to confuse people about their salvation. Salvation is a work of the grace of God not the works of men. But take the ordinances of God and make them something that looks like conversion and makes many think the church is growing and men will brag about how many are being baptized and have access to the Lord’s table and forget altogether about the spiritual birth of a new man and we no longer know what or how salvation is even given to the sons of men.
The enemy of God knows that God calls His peculiar people to gather at the house of prayer for prayer. Because he knows this, it makes sense that he would be pleased to make God’s people more in love with activities that make us too busy to pray together. It’s been said by many before, that if the enemy can’t reclaim you from the power of the blood of Christ then he’ll be pleased to make you busy. It appears that many professing believers in the land are either false professors or are very busy.

If any church in any given community were to announce this coming Lord’s Day that it will no longer hold corporate prayer meetings many professing Christians could care less. They may even wish the church would do so so they don’t have to feel guilt about not attending and praying together. But that’s not really the point of my observation here; many churches have practically closed the prayer gathering by filling up the church calendar with so much activity that many churches have practically no corporate prayer times anymore.

What would any community look like if there was not a praying people praying on behalf of the community at large? Why would a professing follower of God not want to obey His Lord and gather for prayer? If professing followers of God are either too busy or just generally not interested in this commanded duty of our Lord, what has their attention that they are willing to set this command aside and disobey God willfully. What god are many churches following if they are willing to willfully disobey their professed Lord?

Here’s what happens to many across the land…

Your favorite T.V. program will be moved to Wednesday night.
Your boss will reschedule you to work on Sunday’s and prayer meeting night.
Your school will schedule important events on these nights.
Your children will complain about the prayer time as boring. (because you agree you will concede.)
More people will come to an active program if you provide an option. Look at most churches that offer multiple things at the same time as the prayer meeting, the other activities will outpace the attendance of the prayer meeting and will eventually need everyone in the prayer meeting to help with crowd control for the “attractive” activities.

The community God has planted His church in should be (1) Preaching, (2) Singing, (3) Caring for each other (especially for widows and orphans in distress), (4) Baptizing converts, (5) Eating, (6) Proclaiming the Lord’s death, and (7) Praying. Yet, in many communities across the land, churches are going another way. A way that transplants a powerful church in a community with a powerless not-a-church.

What then should we do?

Repent of our willful distractions and gather with the Lord’s people to pray. Church, this church gathers every Wednesday night for prayer at 6:30 p.m. we don’t provide any other distractions or attractions to capture our attention. It is a quite simple gathering. We read Scripture and we pray. The church described to us by the the work of the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts met at specific places and specific times on specific days to pray.

Prayer isn’t just something we start and close a meeting with, it’s something we should gather to do!

Church, arise! To you post! To your duty! To your God! Don’t let your community have a prayer-less church filled with prayer-less professors of Christ’s Lordship.

This Age of Religious Complexity

Posted on April 28, 2017Leave a comment

The simplicity which is in Christ is rarely found in the modern church of the western culture. In the place of this simplicity are complex program, methodologies, organization and a basket full of nervous activities that require time, attention, and a lot of money that cannot be seriously considered as honoring to God. Rather, much of what the western church has invented complicates our ability to loyally honor and obey our master because we have another god we’ve created that is always demanding our time, attention, and money.

The shallow, hollow and imitation of the world that marks our methods all testify against us that we, today, are more “this-worldly” minded rather than being, as A.W. Tozer put it, “other-worldly”, meaning heavenly minded. No wonder there is so little peace in God, so little rejoicing in Him. Many don’t even know God, much less are at peace or rejoice in and with God.

It was A.W. Tozer in his book, “The Pursuit of God”, where I was first introduced to the idea of how much of this world I had employed to do things I thought was pleasing to God. He was not the first to say it, just the first time I paid attention, that Scripture is sufficient, meaning all that is needed. If Scripture is inerrant and reliable, which it is, why employ so much of this worlds methods and simply behave like it is sufficient?

The voice of God, the word of God, is not merely the most powerful, most important component in nature, it is what sustains everything in nature, making God altogether different.

We’ve heard people accusing some Christians as “being so heavenly minded that they are of no earthly good”? I say it’s important the church be “other-worldly” heavenly minded so that we are of earthly good (salt and light).

It is the bible that puts the importance on words to advance the gospel, not entertainment, musicians, movies, games, or general silliness. The Bible even says that this duty of speaking words (preaching) is considered foolish by the unconverted. Yet the Bible calls out those who “have ears to hear, to hear what the Spirit says to the church”.

This may not be the day when men take kindly to an exhortation to listen.

Listening today is not part of the popular means because it implies another is speaking and we are of a worldview that celebrates the individual and even elevates his emotions and personality above truth, thus leaving him in a worse state than before.

Church, this coming Lord’s Day, come to hear a preached word from the word of God. Come prepared to listen. Then go and obey.

Preacher, this coming Lord’s Day, God’s people are expecting to hear what the Spirit says to the church, go to preach a word from the word of God. Away with your silly enticements and this-worldly mindedness. Be other-worldly minded so we may be of good to the sons of men.

Preacher – preach. Church – listen. All, go with authority from upon high into the byways of life advancing a gospel of a heavenly kingdom releasing the sons of men from the bondage of this world.

Beware of the Dogs

Posted on March 14, 2017Leave a comment

Be on the look out…

Warnings in the bible are not just taking up space on the page. They are there for a reason.

This warning in Philippians 3:2 is not a warning at a house to warn a passerby of a k-9 guarding his territory. This is a warning of roaming dogs claiming territory as part of its domain. A ‘cur’ with the look of killer in his eyes and on the loose.

The Apostle Paul wants the apple of God’s eye to know that there is a danger roaming with a deadly disease. The bride of Christ, the church, must know that there is a cur on the loose, an enemy of grace.

O dear church, these dogs, these evil workers, these false professors who put no confidence Christ and all confidence in the flesh, they are ravenous wolves in sheep’s clothing.

This coming Lord’s Day, March 19, we will pick up these warning and give heed according.

It Only Looks That Way At Times

Posted on March 4, 2017Leave a comment

Today, the Times News posted my monthly column (HERE) next to an article on a church
offering glitter in their ashes for their drive by Ash Wednesday experience to start the month of Lent.

The gates of hell will not prevail!

It only looks that way at times.

___FULL COLUMN HERE___

Dear reader,

I’m not in the habit of reading any of Anton LaVey’s writings, ever. (Nor would I recommend them to anyone). In some research for sermon preparation recently I read a short bio of LaVey in search of what I understood to be The Nine Satanic statements. They are everything opposed to righteousness or godliness.

LaVey, claims that “Satan has been the best friend the Church has ever had, as He has kept it in business all these years!” Satan is not the best friend the (true) Church has ever had. As a matter of fact, Jesus tells Peter; “I will build my church and the gates (or forces) of Hell will not prevail” (Matthew 16:18).

I could agree that Satan is the best friend that the false church has ever had and is why he longs to keep it in business. Keeping a false church in business makes sense if the he wants to mislead all who would join on an emotionally charged false conversion.

“Behold, I will cause those of the temple of Satan, who say that they are [believers] and are not, but lie…” (Revelation 3:9)

But the Lord’s church will prevail! She will not be overcome or over powered by that which is false. And this is why she must stand on the alert. Guard the Trust. Persevere through the end. Advancing the Gospel banner. Dispelling the lies of the enemy, always!

It is possible that one may think he/she is in pursuit of all truth while in honesty is believing in an intentional lie.

To be clear: Satan is no friend of the church.

Church of the Living God, when you gather this weekend, don’t be satisfied with anything but truth. It’s a good day to be the church!

Who is Sufficient for These Things?

Posted on August 5, 2016Leave a comment

Ian Hamilton of the Banner of Truth gives this important word to the church family concerning the preacher/pastor in his short column The Indispensable Support of the Ministry

“At their best, preachers/pastors are fragile, prone to be cast down, overwhelmed by the momentousness of their calling to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ. No wonder Paul cried out, ‘Who is sufficient for these things?’ Ministers are moment by moment in Satan’s firing line. I know this is true for all Christians, but I have no doubt it is especially true for Christ’s ambassadors, his weak, only too vulnerable and temptable servants. My aim in writing this is to encourage all who read it to pray for and support their ministers. I have known men in the ministry who have laboured faithfully for many years in the work of the gospel with a deep sense of aloneness. Perhaps they have been too unwilling to expose their, at times, overwhelming sense of weakness to their congregations. They have pressed on, but often struggling to do so.”

We Love Babies; Now Get Them Out of Here!

Posted on August 2, 20162 Comments

This is just for fun… kind of.

disclaimer: I’m not comparing a political speech to a sermon. I’m not comparing a political rally to a church service. I’m not endorsing Donald Trump. I just found this funny… kind of.

This is what many churches do with the babies and children… “we love the children… now get them out of here…”. It’s not quite like that. Not everywhere anyway. In most places it’s much more subtle, polished, kinder, but essentially the same.

* be sure to watch the video clip all the way to the end.

I can’t prove this statistically but it sounds like Eastside Baptist may have more babies per capita on any given Sunday present with the gathered saints than any church in the region. There is no official stat to confirm this but you should visit some Sunday to find out for yourself.

And we like it that way. We really do.

Parents at Eastside are the best. They know what to do with a crying baby and the faithful saints love being patient with the sweet sound. I like it when the young families sit up front too. It may take a crying baby a moment or two to get things off their chest, and it may take a parent a few moments to get that baby quiet or removed to the entry way or family room for a child that may need a bit more attention. But it’s among the sweetest sounds. Give me a worship service with the sound of children any day, any where, any time (with a good sound system.)

Parents with infants and nursing babes at Eastside work hard to do all they do. You are welcome. Your children are welcome. You are patient to endure others who look around to see who’s crying. You are blessing the fellowship and may you be blessed for your labor. If there are any needs you have that we can help you as you tend to that blessed child we want to help you.

Don’t grow weary in doing good.

New babies being born nearly every month for many months to come. Church, prepare yourself for the sound of warriors.

Psalm 8:1-2
“O LORD, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth,
Who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens!
From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established strength
Because of Your adversaries,
To make the enemy and the revengeful cease.”

Lost in the Conversation

Posted on June 23, 2016Leave a comment

For more than a week the conversation of the local community is about some refugee children who have been charged with sexual assault. At this point, it is an open investigation and we must trust the law enforcement and prosecution process to do its duty.

In the mean time; there are many things lost in the conversation.

the depravity of humanity is active in the corrupt heart of all citizens. This is not a condition that is owned exclusively by men or women. Obviously it’s not something that U.S. Citizens are immune to.
any sexual assault acted out on a child is of serious weight in any community. This happens more in our neighborhoods than most know about and is not a new problem just because of the refugee center. Listen, you don’t even have to be an active church goer to be sickened by the sexual perversion.
this is first a sin issue – first and before it being a psychological issue, long before this being a refugee issue, or an Islam issue, this is a sin issue.
It’s even possible that your sons and daughters are exposed to sexually deviant behavior this summer at any given church camp.

Church, where are you in the conversation? Parents, Hopefully you’re not lost in the weeds of this being the kind of thing that other people’s children do.

Sin did not come to the city gates because of refugees. Press the law enforcement to do her duty, expect the city council to not be naive, but hold your church accountable to preach the word and your pastor to be the pillar and buttress of truth.

Sexual deviancy will not flee because you’ve signed a petition to shut a federally funded agency down (and I support the shutting down of federally funded agencies that don’t allow the citizens the privilege of accountability.) Sexual assault isn’t snuffed out because law enforcement and judicial prosecution exist (and I’m in favor of both.) But do not expect any change in the heart condition of humanity without the faithful proclamation of the gospel by biblically faithful preachers in God glorifying churches filled with forgiven sinners seeking the face of God.

Preacher, to your pulpit! Church, to your duty! Christian, be an ambassador of Christ’s reconciliation. All men, everywhere, repent!

What Does A Church Do?

Posted on March 28, 2016Leave a comment

News of intentional attacks against non-Muslims in Pakistan on Easter Sunday and reports growing of the number of worshipers dead continues to climb leaves a mind of a follower of Christ in relative peace at a juxtaposition.

Especially a local church putting the final touches upon a building process. What does a church do? What is a right response? What is a fair reaction? Is it alright to rejoice in temporal things while others suffer bodily harm or even loss of life all together?

The weight of what the apostle Paul says “to live is Christ, to die is gain” causes one to ponder what really is important. (disclaimer note: where it is reported that the attack on Easter Sunday (3/27/16) in Pakistan was directed toward Christians, one needs a bit more help knowing what is meant with the use of the word “Christian”. At this point, we interpret it as we might with understanding that the media really doesn’t know the definition of the word or its proper use in reporting. Irregardless, a religious group was attacked by another religious group. I is right to weigh it as such with care.)

Here are some things I am processing through my mind this morning as the flooring in our new meetinghouse is being installed and news of 70 Christians dead and over 300 wounded begins to take center stage on world media outlets.

“Behold the kindness and severity of God…” (Romans 11:22) Look at His kindness and severity.
Be careful how we interpret His kindness (Is the installation of flooring the kindness of God?).
Be careful how we interpret His severity (Is it harsh of God when a loved one dies?).
Even though the landscape of the church in America is quickly changing, Christians in America have experienced a long season of peace.
Even thought few churches in the United States are marked like those in Pakistan were over the weekend, that reality is more the norm in most of the world.
Mourn when it is appropriate to mourn.*
Rejoice when it is appropriate to rejoice.
Refuse to live in fear.
Enjoy temporal events in light of eternity.
Endure hardships in light of eternity.
Pray for those in difficult situations for boldness more than removal of their hardships.
Ask God for strength when the hardship comes our way.

Today, this preacher will look with pleasure as floor covering begins on a temporal meetinghouse, godly sorrow for those suffering in Pakistan, and a sober reality that there is a growing hate for followers of Christ in our land and set my gaze to the kindness and severity of God.

After all, the book of Hebrews chapter 11 starts with a beautiful retelling of the kindness of God to give increasing faith to those who historically walked in the light of the favor of God and then closes with the telling of saints who suffer greatly in this world for their following of Christ. It is a chapter filled with an apparent juxtaposition much like today.

*edited for spelling/grammar

Are You Clinging to Your Sin?

Posted on March 7, 2016Leave a comment

Evil kings of the historic divided kingdom of Israel are known for their sinning ways. It is an important observation to make about their ways and their words.

Yesterday, as we were examining 2nd (not two) kings chapter 3 there were familiar terms and new terms the historian used to describe the actions of an evil ruler.

The familiar marker? “He did evil in the sight of the LORD…”

The new phrase? “He clung to the sins of Jeroboam… and did not depart from them.”

This is note worthy: What does it say about someone who clings to sins and does not depart from them? What does it say about someone who behaves like that and talks like one who is obeying God? This is critical.

To cling to a sin means that you are essentially defending yourself for sinning and promoting this sin to others. Then to not depart from that sin is not humility before God, but rather arrogance.

Are you clinging to your sin? While claiming allegiance to God? Then you are a double minded person, unstable in all of your ways (according to James 1:8)

Take an evaluation of your words and actions, they say it all.

When you defend your movie watching ways, does it start with…

That was the best movie of the year… too bad they had to put so much foul language and cursing of God and nudity and disobedience of law and flaunt adultery and romance immorality… other than that, wow, best movie ever

When you defend your getting drunk with…

I drink responsibly. I know my limits. I never, never drive after drinking (usually). I don’t drink very often. I only drink on special occasions (there were a lot of special occasions last month). I don’t drink around children.

When you are doing your taxes…

Everybody cheats on their taxes. Who’s even going to check in on these deductions. I was paid for that job with cash, if I report it on my taxes it may get my friend in trouble when the IRS cross checks my report. The IRS is unconstitutional anyway. They have no right to tax me like that anyway. I don’t approve of how the government spends its money.

When it comes to paying rent/car payment/bills…

That land-lord doesn’t deserve my payment this month because they haven’t fixed that screen door. I’ve got friends who want me to spend time with them and that costs money, my electric bill is just too high this month for me to pay, if I call them they will threaten to shut the power off (how dare they…), I’ll just put it off until next month. This has been a stressful month, my spouse and I haven’t been able to do anything together in a long time, we are going out to eat and a movie to relax (we deserve it).

At church…

I would give but I spent all my money this month on movie going, recreational drinking, immorality, fraud, myself. Tithing is an Old Testament thing. God understands that I want to give but can’t, after all, how would it look if I can’t pay my land lord because I gave to my church.

and a hundred, a thousand, other sins we cling to, promote, and defend.

All of this while presenting oneself loyal to God and devoted to His ways.

This is evidence of one who is clinging to sin; defending and promoting offence to God while presenting themselves as loyal adherents to the bible and the God of the Bible.

This is what the historian is saying about Jehoram, the evil son of evil Ahab, when he says “he did evil in the sight of God.” and that “he clung to the sins of Jeroboam” and that “he did not depart from them.”

To the examination room, Christian. Lay down upon that examination table and turn on that lamp of Scripture. Let that lamp go to the dark places, the protected places; let this lamp show you of your promoting ways of sin and your stubborn rebellion of not repenting. Stop lying to yourself and get the rest your weary, burdened soul is so thirsty for. Come home to Jesus. Until you turn on this lamp of Scripture you will not see these sins lurking in your soul.

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