Ashamed of the Gospel (5/28/12)

Shalom,

Please begin by reading Rom 1:16-20.

"What am I so afraid of?" Haven't we all asked ourselves that question after backing off from sharing the Gospel? We may have a longing to share our faith, but something keeps us from opening up. It seems our family, our friends, and the people we're closest to are the hardest ones to share our faith with. It mostly comes down to what weight we put on the possible repercussions we may face if someone doesn't like us talking about our religion with them. But we must also consider what our Lord expects of us and the repercussions of not letting people know the reality of their need for Jesus.

We all need to trust Yahweh more and become bolder in sharing our faith. Think about it. Trust and boldness is the combination that we need. Some trust Yahweh plenty, but have no guts to actually evangelize. Some have plenty of boldness, and yet don't trust the Lord to help them temper and adjust their approach. Jesus promised his disciples that the Holy Spirit would help them speak about their faith. That promise is still in affect. We can also depend on his help if we're doing our best to be Kingdom builders.

The Gospel means "good news." In today's Christianese many people have replaced the word Gospel with Good News. But all too often people hearing these modern forms of Good news are actually hearing very little of the Gospel. The Gospel is indeed good news, but we must ensure that we're sharing the good news that Jesus desires. Not all good news is the Gospel, and not all news is good. We need an understanding that what people hear when we speak of their need of a Savior can be very different. Some will be thrilled that there's a cure for their sin sickness. Others will be greatly offended that we actually called them a dirty rotten sinner. That's why we need the Holy Spirit's help to rightly approach people.

When does an evangelist fail to do the work of an evangelist? When he fails to proclaim the "evangel," the Gospel. Like everyone else, the evangelist faces the temptation of sugarcoating the Gospel and leaving it without the power to set people free from their sins. The result is that he's not actually proclaiming the Gospel at all. When we say, "Jesus loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life," we're telling them good news, but it's not the full Gospel. When we say, "Jesus loves you unconditionally," we're speaking good news, but it's still not the full Gospel. The Gospel offers an either/or proposition. Accept what Jesus did for you and have eternal life, or reject what he did and be stuck with eternal damnation.

The Bible is filled with examples of false prophets who tell people the sugarcoated good news. Jer 8:11-12 says, "They dress the wound of my people as it were not serious. 'Peace, peace,' they say, when there is no peace. Are they ashamed of their loathsome conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush." The shame of this passage is that these false prophets had far more converts than Jeremiah. That trend is still in operation today. It often seems that the Gospel of Nice attracts the crowds, while the real tough Word of our Lord doesn't.

When the people of Jeremiah's day heard "peace," they weren't discerning enough to recognize it was a false Gospel. They saw no need for repentance. They were the "people of God," so why would they need to be set free from their sins. Too many people continue in that delusion. I'm a "good person," or a solid churchgoer, or a believer is often the response to any challenge about their status with God.

In the same way, why should anyone today turn to Jesus if he hears that Yahweh already loves him unconditionally? If that message is true, doesn't it mean that we can continue to sin without fear of judgment? If God loves me and has a wonderful plan for my life, how can my unrepentant heart possibly disrupt the Creator's plan? People need to hear the truth of the Gospel. They must be confronted with the fact that they must repent and then volunteer to walk with Jesus for the rest of their lives. They must know that their choice of whether to accept or reject Jesus will be the determining factor in their life after death location.

When we look beyond the modern distortions of the Gospel and return to the original message, we clearly see a major difference between the true Good News and the so-called good news of the modern false prophets. People need to hear the plain truth about God and his plan for salvation, not the watered-down, easier to swallow version. When we soften the tough message, we actually make it harder for people to understand their dire need of cleansing from their sin. When we allow people to make anything less than a full surrender and commitment to following Jesus, we're condemning ourselves as false prophets.

Paul announced, "I am not ashamed of the Gospel." The true Gospel has its origin in Yahweh's revelation. It's Yahweh's Good News about the work Jesus did on our behalf. It's "the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes." The Gospel works for anyone who receives the message with a seeking heart. There are many ways to tell the message and many ways in which people will hear it. But the underlying truth that we're sinners in need of salvation and Jesus is the Savior must always be a part of our presentation of the Gospel.

The Gospel is about salvation. Salvation is about our rescue from the eternal death caused by our sinfulness. To be cured of a serious disease is the same as getting saved. To escape defeat in battle because of reinforcements arriving in the nick of time is like getting saved. These are examples from our world, but we must be careful to distinguish these from the ultimate rescue from eternal damnation that's awaiting all mankind without the saving grace of Jesus. Since Yahweh is sovereign, and all matters are in his hands, we must also accept that this is the answer to our great need. To try to come up with new and more welcome versions of salvation is to remove him from his position as Sovereign Ruler and King.

The Gospel found in our Bible is the Good News that Yahweh has provided us with salvation from his wrath. By his life, death, and resurrection; Jesus can rescue repentant sinners from the Sovereign Judge's judgement. The salvation we're talking about is salvation from falling into the hands of God, from the punishment he must enforce on sinful human beings. To be absolutely righteous, Yahweh must punish those who reject or deny Jesus. It wouldn't be just and right for those who have surrendered their lives to Jesus if he allowed someone who hasn't a place in the same Heaven. Mercy is only available to those who believe and act on the Gospel message.

Since salvation comes from Yahweh alone, this proclaiming of unconditional love is not only not the true Gospel, it really undermines and denies the truth of the Gospel. A Gospel without the truth of the wrath of our Creator is insufficient. It's unbiblical and therefore unable to deliver those who trust in this lie, just like the people who trusted in the false peace message of Jeremiah's day. Before mercy can be given a judgment and punishment must be declared. To offer mercy before this is to deny the reality of our need to fully admit we can't be saved without accepting that we're sinners deserving of condemnation.

In verse 18 Paul speaks of the people who suppress the truth of Yahweh that's plainly revealed to all of us. We know, "all have sinned." All of humanity has turned away from their Creator and trusted in lies and idols. As a result, we're all justly exposed to the wrath of our Creator for breaking his Law. The only way for a human to be sinless is to be so mentally handicapped that they never become aware of good and evil, right and wrong. Since our Creator gave us all a conscience to help us determine right and wrong, no one can say they're unfairly judged a sinner when they willfully break any of Yahweh's commandments.

Judged by the standard of complete righteousness, all mankind faces judgment. We have no hope of escaping this judgment because it applies to all of his creation. Only by trusting in the work of Jesus can we avoid judgment and damnation. The Gospel is about real salvation from the very real wrath of our Creator through a very real Savior. When we fail to tell people the full Gospel, we offer bad news instead of good news. There's no Good News apart from a real understanding of the bad news that makes the work of Jesus on our behalf necessary. To give people less than the fullness of the Gospel is to leave them believing they don't have to do anything, they just have to "believe." This kind of belief is often only an intellectual assent to the fact that you're not perfect.

So don't dance around the truth. Our families, friends, and everyone we meet needs to hear the Gospel. Maybe nobody has ever taken the time to explain the real Gospel to them. Just having someone recite John 3:16, or hold up a sign with the scripture reference on it, doesn't mean you've truly heard the Gospel. We've got to be much more thorough and bold and concerned for their souls. Otherwise, they may just end up in Hell.

We need to be more aggressive, especially as we know the return of Jesus is closer than it's ever been before. We need to be bolder, trusting our Lord to speak through us. The Holy Spirit within us knows exactly what the person we're talking to needs to hear. Trust him to give you the right words. Trust him to use you in spreading the Kingdom around the world. Because that's actually the family business, and we're all involved (at least we're supposed to be).

Matt 10:32-33 should encourage us to speak up. "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in Heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown before my Father in Heaven." When you share the Gospel with someone, think about this: "This might be my last time to tell him that you love him."

Blessings & Peace, Mike

Yahweh's Agenda (5/21/12)

Shalom,

Please begin by reading 2 Pet 1:3-4.

We tend to dislike it when people come into meetings with personal agendas. We tend to get aggravated that many of these people seem to be rather single-minded in getting their way. Well, we have a God who's very much like that. He's definitely going to get his way eventually, no matter what we do or come up with to try and counter his ultimate plan for his creation. One big difference is that Yahweh's agenda is always for our good. He's always working to better us. He's always looking to align us with his perfect will.

To begin with, he's "given us everything we need for life and godliness." The One who expects hard work and dedication out of us also provides everything we need to live as he wants us to. The ability to be strong followers of Jesus comes to those who have truly surrendered their hearts and lives to him as Lord. Our faith secures everything necessary to support and supply us in our service. We don't have to earn our way to more benefits, we just have to grow in faith and trust. It's not a brownie point system either. It's only about faithful and obedient service to our Lord and Master.

Yahweh has "given us his very great and precious promises." The promise of having our needs met before we even ask is a sweet blessing. Whatever we need to do his business will be available to us. The provisions are already set in place for the work he asks us to do. We don't have to come up with business plans or inventories or anything like that. We just have to align ourselves with his purposes and everything will be provided.

The first big promise here is the promise of sharing in the divine nature of our Lord Jesus. 2 Cor 5:21 says, "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." When we receive Jesus as our Savior he overcomes our fallen sin nature and makes it possible for us to partake of his perfect nature. We're to be doing the works that Jesus did. We're to be seeking more and more of all our Father wants to give us. And the more we do align ourselves with his will and purpose, the more we'll see his nature working in and through us.

Jesus gives himself to us in such depth that he fully adopts us into his holiness. Yahweh wants us to be a part of all that he is. He's not looking for people who want to stand on the outside and only enjoy the view over the fences of Heaven. He desires for us to fully partake of his best, to be fully immersed into his righteousness. This doesn't mean we become "little gods," but that we can be completely aligned with his will and purpose as we serve him right here and right now.

There's got to be a hunger and thirst for more of Jesus in our hearts. To become like Jesus we must want to allow him to work in and through in powerful ways. Jesus said we'd do "even greater things" than even he did (John 14:12). Gal 2:20 says, "I no longer live, but Christ lives in me." This is what our heavenly Father wants for each and every one of us. Becoming imitators of Jesus is a good thing. Not that we're trying to displace him, but that we're trying to get him to displace us. The more people see Jesus in what we do and say, the more opportunity they'll have to receive his mercy and grace.

From his birth to his crucifixion and resurrection, the forces of evil tried to divide the Son from the Father by breaking his trust in the Father and diverting him from the way of the cross. The devil didn't want Jesus to to obey the Father. He knew this would be bad for him. But throughout the wilderness temptation, Gethsemane, and the Cross Jesus was an overcomer by his prayers and faith. From the beginning to the end of his life, Jesus lived in such purity, integrity, and faithfulness that he withstood all the strain imposed on him by our sin. He worked hard to overcome and he accomplished a great work on our behalf.

Jesus accomplished all this by maintaining a deep oneness with his Father. He united his humanity with our Father's divinity. He showed us we can become pure and holy even in our humanity. He didn't do this because he was God, he did this because he submitted and surrendered to his Father. He did this to show us we all have the same opportunity to receive from our heavenly Father, if we can submit as deeply as he did. Jesus didn't switch back and forth between being God and being a man. He was fully human while he lived here and he did miracles because of his unity and fellowship with the Father.

The same power and authority that Jesus had is available to us, if we'll submit and surrender like he did. And we're not required to be perfect, just radically obedient. Yes, make the effort to be perfect, but don't quit because you're not. The demons will constantly remind us of our failures, trying to convince us that we're not worthy to be accepted by our Lord. The truth is that he's right. We're not worthy in and of ourselves. We're worthy because Jesus came and died for us. We're worthy because our heavenly Father chose to use us for his Kingdom purposes.

There's a misunderstanding among both Christians and the lost about what it means to overcome our sin nature. Some Christians believe that after they're saved, they're no longer susceptible to sin because they believe their sin nature has been taken away. They then become reckless in allowing evil influences into their lives because they think they're unable to sin anymore. The lost sometimes have the idea that believers are supposed to be perfect, and use their imperfections as an excuse to stay away from and neglect serving Yahweh. Both are dead wrong. Both are applying humanistic reasoning and missing the truth.

Peter wrote that we can "escape the corruption in the world." This doesn't mean it won't ever affect us, but that the decay it causes can be avoided. Christians are going to slip and stumble occasionally. The great news for us is that repentance and confession of our sin brings us back to divine purity again. The cleansing power of our God is applied through the Holy Spirit. To escape is to flee from or elude. It means we overcome sin on purpose, not by some divine slight of hand We choose to confess our sin and receive forgiveness. We're not automatically covered. It's like caring for a wound. We have to apply the antibiotic ourselves. It doesn't appear magically.

David was known as "a man after God's own heart" (1 Sam 13:14). Yet David sinned. His sin broke Yahweh's heart and brought punishment on his whole family and the nation of Israel. David wrote Psalm 51 after his sin with Bathsheba was revealed. His heart of true repentance was able to write beautiful words inspired by the Holy Spirit, the kind of words Yahweh wants to hear from all of us concerning repentance.

Psalm 51:4 is where we must all begin. "Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight." We can't deny our guilt or responsibility in any way. When we sin it's never the fault of anyone or anything else. And when we sin, first and foremost we have offended Yahweh. Any thoughts like "through no fault of my own" or "the devil made me do it" are ridiculous. We have to choose to do wrong. It never happens by accident. We must own up to fact that we are most definitely responsible and accountable.

Psalm 51:16-17 tells us the truth of how to make things right with our heavenly Father. "You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." We can't fix our sin problem with any amount of money or service or sacrifice. We can only be made right with our Savior by confessing our sin with a rightly broken heart and contrite mind. We must own our sin and admit that we failed in our Lord's sight. The more openly and honestly we confess our sin, the more we grow in faith and trust.

In Psalm 51:10-12 we see the plea of the heart that wants to be made right with Yahweh. "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me." Renewal and restoration are constant needs in our lives. We should always want to be refreshed and receive new strength from on high. We should hunger and thirst to remain in close contact with our Father.

Yahweh made a perfect way for us to overcome sin in our lives. It's our job to avail ourselves of that way. He promises to cleanse us and make us whole whenever we confess and repent of our sins. He promises that we'll be made into overcomers, those who aren't defeated by sin but who are the conquerors of evil. The resources are readily available. The path is set before us. We must decide to submit to our Lord's will and radically turn away from our willfulness.

So because of these "great and precious promises" we can then rightly grow in spiritual maturity and knowledge. Yahweh's wonderful agenda is filled with promises for those who trust him and seek to obey him. These promises are very special and very valuable. Please don't believe the lies of the devil when he tells you you're not worthy of them. Your Father thinks you're worth the greatest gift he had to offer, Jesus. We were called to join in his Kingdom business "by his own glory and goodness." He really, really loves us. Trust him and receive these "very great and precious promises."

Blessings & Peace, Mike

Yahweh's Revealed Strategy (5/14/12)

Shalom,

Please begin by reading Isa 45:1-7.

Isaiah speaks of Yahweh and his omnipotence, his unlimited strength and ability. Yahweh can even use things which oppose him to his advantage and for his purposes. He will achieve what he wants to, and he'll use whatever means he decides to. He is the all-powerful Creator of our whole universe, so who exactly is out there who can oppose him? In this situation Yahweh chose Cyrus, a pagan king, to accomplish his plan.

Israel, the northern kingdom, went into exile under the Assyrians in 722BC. Then the Assyrians were overcome by the Babylonians. The Babylonians eventually overran Judah, the southern kingdom, in 587BC. They took the leaders of Judah into captivity. From a Jewish standpoint this meant that Yahweh's purposes were impossible to complete anymore. If his chosen people are in exile, if there is no nation of Israel, Yahweh's purposes are defeated or at the very least very frustrated. If all the leaders are in prison, how can he fulfill his purposes? This is a very pragmatic view, but I believe people still operate in much the same manner. We all too quickly forget the part about omnipotence, Yahweh's ability to do what he pleases with anything or anyone.

We must never forget that Yahweh is never defeated. He's the Creator, the one who put everything in place. His Creation can't overcome him. He always has another way or another plan. In this case he used Cyrus. Cyrus wasn't a seeker. He's not known to be a man of prayer. He was a general and a ruler, period. But our God, Yahweh, has an ultimate plan that won't be overcome. When things seem impossible to us, he's not flustered in the least. He has a way of calling forth his people, maybe even using pagans, to accomplish his will. No matter what the opposition does, Yahweh will have his way.

Notice what Yahweh told Cyrus in verse 2. "I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down the gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron." Yahweh will destroy any barriers made against his plans. He'll slice through anything that stands in the way of his purpose. If our Lord will do that for a pagan king, why can't we believe that he'll work the same way through us if we'll step out in faith and obey his leading?

There are other places in the Bible which encourage us about Yahweh's ability and willingness to make our path straight and clear. There are no enemies too strong, or barriers too big when we're obediently following our Lord. Nothing can stop Yahweh when he moves, except a people unwilling to trust and obey him. And even when that happens the hindrance will only be temporary, because he'll find someone else to do the task. We don't stump him or confuse him or cause him to go back to the drawing board. Our all-knowing God is always ready with an alternate plan. He has an infinite number of options already available to him because of his omniscience.

Yahweh provides for our needs and supplies our resources. He wants to bless us. He wants us to flourish where we are. Verse 3 says, "I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am Yahweh, the God of Israel, who summons you by name." He makes his choices by name. He doesn't send out generic calls to action. He's very specific about who he's choosing and he lets us know He's called us.

Money is an issue in almost every church. In fact, it's a problematic issue in the majority of churches. Listen to what Yahweh can do if we trust him. An inner city church almost closed when the immigrants took over the neighborhood. The people who started it were unwilling to deal with these new and strange people. The immigrants knew they needed to do something drastic when the old members abandoned the church. To pay the mortgage they called for sacrifice. The people responded by bringing in family heirlooms, rings, even the silver plate from the utensils. They raised enough to keep the church solvent. Then they began to reach out into their community. They started four different ethnic services in the building. They touched their community and blessed it.

The next thing they decided to do was upgrade their worship capability. The old pipe organ was beyond repair, and again the people sacrificed to buy new equipment. The money came in more slowly this time. As they worked to remove the old organ the workmen found something very curious. They found an unopened six-pack of beer hidden under the platform. And guess what? They didn't throw it out but offered it on "Antiques Road Show," and because it was a collector's item, they sold it for thousands of dollars.

See how Yahweh gives treasures and riches "stored in secret places." He has resources in places we would never think to look. If he can provide for a church with a 150 year old six-pack of beer hidden under the organ, we should never doubt his capacity to bless us. These immigrants worked hard to honor their Lord and didn't miss the opportunity offered to them, even though it was brought to them in a very strange package. Somewhere and somehow he will provide for us, if we're doing his will.

The most impressive thing Yahweh gives us is an identity. He gives us his presence, identifying himself with us. He calls us by name. If and when we acknowledge him in return, he gives us strength. Listen to verse 5. "I am Yahweh, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me." This was spoken directly to Cyrus. We can trust that Yahweh will move when we're obedient. We can also trust that Yahweh will accomplish his purpose even if we don't. He'll just use somebody or something else. This is never a reason to skip out on an assignment. If we shirk our duties we'll definitely be disciplined. The good news of this is that Yahweh will see his purposes completed because the ultimate outcome is already determined.

Yahweh has a plan for every church, fellowship, and body of believers. He has every Christian slated for ministry, new possibilities and new responsibilities. Everyone who's truly Christian is gifted to do the work of our Lord. He has tasks for all of us to accomplish. If he can use a pagan king, how much more can he do with an obedient Christian? Each individual in every church and fellowship is called to do service for the Kingdom of our Lord. There are no lesser citizens in the Kingdom. Each and every one of us is set apart to be a vessel in the hands of our Lord and Master.

Think of it. Nothing and no one can stop Yahweh from doing his will. We may hinder the work or slow it down by our disobedience, but our Lord will always have his way. Our great God and Savior can't be stopped. If the Christians won't answer his call, like Israel, he'll find some pagans to get the work done. Isn't that amazing? Isn't that wonderful and awesome? Isn't that humbling? He doesn't need us, but he chooses to use us. He wants us to know the blessing of operating as vessels of honor.

We can't spoil Yahweh's plans for our community. No church or fellowship can do anything more than delay the outcome Yahweh has in mind. We all too often do slow down the timing, but we can't stop what our Lord has planned to do. He's got all the time in the world. We don't. We can be part of what he's doing and help speed up the fulfillment of his will. We can be instruments in his hands to bless people. But we must choose to obey.

I don't want someone else to have to do what I'm supposed to be doing. I don't want Yahweh to have to call on the pagans to do his will because I didn't. We must trust our Lord and listen to his Spirit. Yahweh is revealing things right now. He's opening our understanding of his Word, and sharing prophetic insights with us. We can listen and obey and be greatly blessed. Or we can deny his call and leave it to another generation of believers. Or worst of all , he will use pagans to do the work.

The Holy Spirit will lead us into truth as we seek him and keep our hearts soft and pliable in his hands. Be an instrument that he can use, not a piece of refuse to be set aside. Our Lord says he's coming for a "spotless bride." If we do our part to remain holy by staying in fellowship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit we'll be used to build the Kingdom. We're not weaker than the devil and his evil horde. We're mighty in our Lord for the accomplishing of his will. Keep Phil 4:13 in mind. "I can do everything through Jesus who gives me strength."

Blessings & Peace, Mike

Stand Strong in the Truth (5/7/12)

Shalom,

Please begin by reading Eph 1:13-14.

The implication of what you just read is that there's absolutely one truth, and also only one source of truth. Pilate asked Jesus, "What is truth?" Many people have asked and continue to ask that question. Some have found the answer. Some have rejected the answer when they found it. There is only one absolutely reliable, totally secure, and eternally unchanging source for truth: Yahweh and his Word. If we'll remember this and stand strong in our belief, we'll prevail in the battle for the prominence over ideas. Our job isn't to convince other people of this truth, even though it's good for us to enter into worldview debates. Our task is to ensure that people know there is an ultimate truth, and seek to present it to them in the best way for them to hear it.

According to Paul's Holy Spirit inspired words, the Gospel is the "word of truth." This is the only truth that can bring us salvation. The Real Truth, which forms the foundation of all truth, is also the source from which all truth flows. Our Almighty God has given us exactly what we need to overcome the world in the battle for truth. When we're challenged to prove our point, we need to challenge right back. We have the Truth. It's those outside the Truth who must prove us wrong. We waste a lot of time being intimidated by skeptic's questions. We struggle trying to come up with answers to absurd questions from doubters. Our task is to be witnesses, people who tell what they've seen and heard. We can save ourselves a lot of anguish if we'll just report what we know or what we've experienced.

We live in a day when it's considered intolerant and divisive to say that there's only one true religion or path to salvation. To make that kind of statement invites an often violent response, sometimes even a harshly critical tirade. To call a group a cult or a false religion is frowned on. To call Islam an "evil religion," as Franklin Graham did, brings a storm of protest. But just because the majority doesn't believe we have the Truth doesn't alter the fact that Yahweh says only his Word is Truth. The matter of truth isn't determined by popular vote. A democratic majority can decide that something other than the Bible is truth, but that doesn't change its status in Yahweh's eyes. Insist on doubters and skeptics use the tolerance they demand from you as you express what you believe to be true.

A great problem within the Body of Christ is spelled out in Gal 1:6-7. "You are following a different Gospel that pretends to be the Good News." Different means foreign, false, a perversion. Yahweh considers any way of salvation other than the one he provided to be perverted. Anything other than salvation through Jesus is a pretender and is false. When any Christian begins to allow for "other" ways to Heaven, they've begun to accept false doctrine. The Bible clearly spells out that Jesus is the "once for all" sacrifice for our sins and the only means of being forgiven and set free.

Many people attempt to distort Yahweh's Word, some for their personal gain, others just because they're wicked, and some because they're deceived. In many churches today the Gospel is being retold and reinvented. It's become more of a fairy tale, leaning toward being nice and unoffensive. Too many have begun to tell a tale of universal salvation, where everyone will get saved. Some even proclaim that people will accept Jesus after they've spent some time in Hell. Gee, let me think about this. I have the chance to get out of the Lake of Fire, and I might decide to stay. Pretty ridiculous, right.

In some churches the life of Jesus is only taught as a good moral example. Salvation is offered without repentance, without lordship, and sometimes without even an acknowledgement of sin. Many people want to hear only about love and grace. They're upset when punishment or discipline is mentioned. Today some churches allow you to define the Gospel in whatever terms make you feel good. But that type of Gospel is no Gospel at all. In fact, we need to speak plainly and call it what it is: A LIE!

We're not to be tolerant of false teaching or to excuse it or to bypass it as basically harmless. We're to consider that kind of teaching or belief as worthy only of Yahweh's judgment. Yahweh won't tolerate a perverted Gospel, and neither should we. It's a matter of purity. We can't allow the false to taint the pure truth. We must be ready to stand and defend the Truth. Jesus made things very clear in Matt 12:30. "He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters."

According to a Barna Research survey American adults said truth is always relative to a person's situation by the following percentages: 64% to 22%. That means that most people are likely to make their moral and ethical decisions on the basis of whatever feels right or comfortable in a situation. Trusting our feelings over the solid Truth found in the Bible is dangerous. The survey mentioned that the Bible or religious teachings were the primary foundation for only 1/5th of Americans. Born-again Christians were statistically different from the general population, but the differences were minimal. A minority of Christians surveyed said that they believe in absolute truth.

Ravi Zacharias related the following story: "A few weeks ago, I did a lecture at Ohio State University. As I was being driven to the lecture, we passed the new Wexner Art Center. The driver said, 'This is a new art building for the university. It's a fascinating building designed in the post-modernist view of reality.' The building has no pattern. Staircases go nowhere. Pillars support nothing. The architect designed the building to reflect life. It went nowhere and was mindless and senseless. Ravi turned to the man describing it and said, 'Did they do the same thing with the foundation?' The driver laughed and said, 'You can't do that with a foundation.'"

You can get away with an odd infrastructure. You can get away with random thoughts that sound good in defense of a worldview that ultimately doesn't make sense. But once you start tampering with the foundations, you begin to see serious effects. Yet the foundations of our society are in danger because of that kind of tampering. The foundations of our popular culture don't provide coherent sets of answers, just more questions. Situational ethics doesn't bring consistency or stability. It always goes with what feels best at the time. Yahweh has set a solid foundation for us to stand on, and it will provide consistency and stability through all that life may bring us.

We need the Truth, the God-given absolute Truth. Our salvation is at stake. The world says there's some form of universal salvation, but Yahweh says no. Our spiritual growth is at stake. The world says any spiritual pursuit is valid, but Yahweh again says no. Christian Truth says Jesus is a historical person. Society and culture say he's a philosophy and only about mystical rituals. Our witness to the world needs to be strong to get them past the post-modern fairy tales about eternal life. If truth is relative, Yahweh is schizophrenic. Why would the Creator allow us, his creation, to decide what truth is? Yahweh has set forth that there is absolute Truth, and that he is the source of that Truth.

The true believers need to make a stand and do what's right and true, no matter what. We know our world is falling deeper and deeper under the spell of the devil and his lies. Satan is working his deception into the fabric of society in bolder and bolder ways. The only way for us to combat this is in prayer and by speaking the Truth boldly and clearly. We know America was founded on Christian principles and meant to stand as a beacon of hope and peace to the world. We can't let skeptics force their worldview on to the men who gave us our Constitution. We must stand against the rewriting of history. We're told Yahweh has no place in our government or in the public square. That's a huge lie and we must speak out against it.

Dutch Sheets said: "We have to hear from God because whoever controls the revelation controls the war." Revelation from our heavenly Father alone will give us the answers to the problems and the words to overcome the lies. Biblical principles are good to know, but direct instructions from the Holy Spirit are what will be more effective in touching our world. Study and know your Bible so you can speak well about your faith and Yahweh's Truth. But also be seeking the Spirit's guidance to handle the skeptics and doubters who refuse to accept the Bible as Truth.

According to Dan 7:25 Satan is trying to "wear down" the saints. This wearing down is mental and emotional. The root word means to fail, and is the root for the name "Belial." This is the spirit named in 2 Cor 6:15 when we're told how we can't have unity between Yahweh and the devil. People will purposely try to be annoying to get us to leave them alone. The devil will work to wear us down by the constant arguing and defiant refusal to listen to truth. Don't let the last word be "that's your truth." Make sure people know that you stand for "the Truth," the absolute and very real Truth of our Creator which was established with him before the beginning of time.

We have to be a people who stand strong for Yahweh's Truth. Don't allow others to make you doubt. Fill the air with the Truth of Yahweh and watch them fidget instead. We're greatly blessed to be led by the Spirit. Unbelievers have to depend on some very poor substitutes: their minds, their senses, or worldly wisdom.

Be a voice for Truth. Trust in the Holy Spirit's help. Speak out for your Lord and Savior. This is a task for all believers.

Blessings & Peace, Mike

Stand For Yahweh's Truth (4/30/12)

Shalom,

Please begin by reading Col 2:6-10.

What is the purpose of the Church of Jesus Christ? One very large purpose is it exists to equip saints and prepare them for the battle over truth. Do you know the Bible well enough to identify false teaching, the kind that comes in looking intelligent but is actually only "hollow and deceptive philosophy?" To identify the counterfeit we must know the true so well that it's obvious when something different comes along. Bank tellers learn the look and feel of real money so they can identify counterfeit bills when they come their way. It isn't good spending too much time learning what the counterfeit looks like because a counterfeit is an imitation meant to deceive. We can get ourselves hung up and bogged down with deception and struggle to know the real.

In actuality, Yahweh's truth can't be refuted. He is the truth. Everything about him is truth. We must allow our minds to settle and dwell in his truth so our hearts can know real and deep peace. In this passage, Paul was referring to an assault on truth by an unusual brand of Gnosticism. Gnostics, the "knowers." felt they had the upper hand in truth because of their amazing intelligence and profound experiences. But truth isn't based on our level of intelligence or experience. Truth is based in the Lord God Almighty.

These false teachers were very tricky and sly and deceptive. First, they used philosophy as a means of leading people's minds away from Jesus. These false teachers claimed to cherish wisdom. The problem was that the wisdom they cherished so much wasn't coming from Yahweh. The wisdom they chased after was in accordance with the "elementary principles of the world." They talked with great confidence and authority, making people think they knew what they were talking about. But their foundations were smoke and mirrors. They put together their teachings to sound impressive, but they actually had no solid substance to hold them up.

These Gnostics taught things that were rooted in man's thinking, a mix of tradition and philosophies and anything they felt gave them the best shot at salvation. But no man can come up with a better plan than Yahweh already put in place. None of us can replace the Creator. To combat this Paul, through the leading of the Holy Spirit, exalted Jesus and what we have by walking with him. Yes, there's a battle to uncover error and teach real truth, but most important is our own surrender to his Lordship. The more we put our trust and hope and faith in Jesus and his finished work of salvation, the more prepared we are to take on false teachers.

These false teachers used "empty deception." Realize that all man has ever come up with outside of Yahweh's truth concerning spiritual life and salvation is nothing more than "empty deception." The phrase is an old expression meaning "to trick." What they said seemed to have substance, but was in fact empty and of no value. Man's philosophy comes across as seeming to be intelligent, but it's actually only simple trickery and subterfuge. All that man can come up with concerning salvation is pitiful compared to what we have in Jesus. It's amazing that still today this kind of hollow philosophy and empty deception greatly affects the way people think and act. People are constantly falling back into the same spiritual deception traps.

These false teachers were also very good at debating and using persuasive arguments. We shouldn't be amazed that there are so many false teachers, but actually at how easily they seem to infiltrate the Church. The only way to combat this false teaching is to stand firm in Yahweh's truth. The letter to the Colossians is an attempt to frame up what the purpose of the Church truly is. Most of the time heresy is an attack on the divinity and sufficiency of Jesus. Instead of spending too much time attacking the error, we've got to be able to preach and teach the truth about Jesus.

One of the most used modern-day Gnostic philosophies is that every religion prays to the same god. A simple study of the main points of each religion can easily prove that they're all very different. No other religion has a phrase like Jesus used in John 14:6. "No one comes to the Father except through me." There are passages in the Old Testament where Yahweh insists that we must have no other gods before him. He's jealous for his name and his reputation.

Another side of this is that many people believe all religions are just different paths up the same mountain. The Bible makes it very clear that other religions don't compare to Christianity. Again, Jesus made exclusive claims to unity with the Father that deny this belief directly. The Bible clearly teaches that there aren't other ways or others gods we can follow. He is the one and only source of salvation. This isn't a sincerity issue, it's a truth issue, we can be sincerely wrong. The idea of "many" truths is some of that empty and deceptive philosophy Jesus tells us to avoid.

Probably the greatest deception of our day is that many people feel they can be their own moral judge. They believe they can tell if something is morally and ethically right by whether or not it feels right to them. If it feels right and seems successful then it must be OK. Is that what Hitler thought? I bet he felt pretty good about what he was doing, and a nation bought into this philosophy and caused a lot of suffering. We can drift very far from Yahweh's truth by telling ourselves to judge everything by our feelings. This terrible lie causes many people to reject Yahweh's truth and live in sin. Heb 11:25 tells us its possible "to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time." Don't forget a lot of sin "feels good."

Listen to some words from Ravi Zacharias. "Jesus Christ was at the center of his Father's will at the worst moment of his life." For us as Christians, morality and ethics have very little to do with our feelings or how well something seems to work out for us. They do have a whole to do with our obedience to the will and purpose and Word of Yahweh. Sometimes doing the right thing doesn't "feel" good. Sometimes doing the right thing actually hurts. But the blessing of doing the right thing no matter what the consequences is worth it.

Truth, not the refuting of arguments is our strength. Sometimes people aren't going to be convinced by what we say because they have unspiritual minds which can't comprehend spiritual truth (1 Cor 2:14). We can say exactly what people need to hear and their free will choice can be to reject the truth. But Yahweh's truth can bless us and uphold us against the strongest and most humanly intelligent arguments. We need to be strong in what we know and believe to help us overcome the bombardment of lies and deception that will come our way in this world.

Man's wisdom is deficient. The wisdom of Jesus is all-sufficient. Verse 9 encourages us, "For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form." Yahweh is pleased that we're reconciled to him through his Son (2 Cor 5:19). He's pleased to reveal himself to us through his Son (John 14:10-11). There's so much to encourage our hearts and strengthen our resolve if we'll spend time in the Word and let it fill our hearts and minds. Be encouraged by 2 Pet 1:3. "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness."

We can't trust human philosophy, because they're only enticing words used to draw us away from Yahweh's truth. If human philosophy worked we wouldn't constantly be hearing of new and improved versions or going to back to old ones. If they work we should be able to use one over and over and over again, just like Yahweh's truth. We've got to be looking to Jesus and his wisdom, not the pseudo-intellectual mind games of fallen man. Fullness of life and all the answers to all our questions aren't found in human philosophies. They come from a person, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Most people used to believe that truth was objective and absolute. The modern belief that truth is relative is a weak position. Denying absolute truth doesn't make it go away. We can still stand on the fact that truth can be known and believed because it's true in every circumstance. Right and wrong don't change with increased education. Good and evil don't swap places because we've become more intelligent. Isa 5:20-21 strongly warns us about this way of thinking. "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight."

When mankind becomes the determiner of what is true and good and right, we have a huge problem on our hands. Mankind's version of truth has a tendency to change over time, and not always because of new discoveries. Sometimes we just want to throw out old standards because we feel we don't need them anymore. But we're not more intelligent than people used to be. We just have more gadgets and an excess of information.

People have all sorts of weird ideas about who Jesus is. Some think he spent time visiting gurus and shamans, learning to become "the Christ." Many have said they were the reincarnation of Jesus. But how can he be only a good moral teacher when he claimed to be God Almighty? When people speak these crazy ideas challenge them to show you evidence that proves their point. You'll find most of them don't have anything but a personal bent in that direction. Free will has enabled many people to come up with their own belief system, but those won't lead to eternity in Heaven.

If you're grounded in the Scriptures, you'll learn to spot error and you'll know why it's wrong. If you know Jesus, you should be able to discuss and debate this error in a calm manner. 2 Tim 2:24 says, "The Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful." Go and spread the Truth. Help people know who Jesus really is because you know him so well yourself.

Blessings & Peace, Mike