2 Thessalonians 2:1-17 “Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. 5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 6 And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 13 But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, 14 to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle. 16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, 17 comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.”
I have become increasingly aware of late, just how so much that has been taught to me by churches I’ve attended over the years, are really far away from what the Bible actually teaches us. So often the instruction in Scripture that is as clear as crystal gets overlooked, whilst the more questionable teachings, heavily reliant upon personal interpretation of unclear text, is clung to with all our might.
This may at first appear not too big a deal, and often this may well be the case, but not always. In fact, I will take this opportunity to highlight a few things that are beyond questioning in much of the charismatic church, and will show how the Bible simply does not offer much support for these doctrines at all, especially not as clear as many would like to imagine. The reason I find these particular things concerning, is that I have personally been strongly affected by these teachings for much of my Christian life, and only recently have I found the courage to deal with these things in the Light of the Word.
Although this is not usually the case, the opening Scripture should strike fear into our heart, and demand our attention as though our very life depends on our understanding. We are instructed that Christ will not return before the “falling away” takes place, from the Greek word “apostasia”, meaning to defect from the truth. That truth not being some vague, undistinguishable entity, but the Truth that is alone the Word of God. We are warned openly that there will be a falling away from the truth in this way, in order that the man of sin may rise to power, and deceive many with his lying signs and wonders.
Our instruction to combat this attack is quite simple; that we cleave to the teachings of the apostles given through the pages of the New Testament. These were the only ones in Church history who were chosen and commanded to instruct the Body of Christ, for they were the very ones who were witnesses to Christ Himself, chosen, instructed, and sent to make disciples of all nations for His name sake.
Matthew 28:16-20 “Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. 17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.”
Regardless of how skillful an orator, or how clever a theologian church leaders may consider themselves, they only have authority to pass on undiluted what Christ Himself passed onto the apostles for the building up of the Body of Christ. To offer personal opinions about the Scriptures, or about God Himself, no matter how uplifting, is nothing more than preaching from the flesh. And whilst the general encouragement and uplifting of others is of much worth, it cannot be made out to be one and the same as the preaching of God’s Word, as He has inspired the writers of the Scriptures to convey His message to us.
So from the outset of this message, I would just like to make one point perfectly clear. If those who teach you can be charged first and foremost with preaching solely the Word of God alone, nothing more and nothing less, then fantastic, they are faithfully serving the Body. However if the majority you hear from their lips are, slick comments, joking around, personal opinions and insights, with only the faintest drawing from Scripture. Then they are doing little more than tickling your ears with fancy talk, and most definitely not renewing your mind with the washing of God’s Word.
With regard to pointing out some of the strayings away from Scriptural truth that concerns me, I will try and keep it as concise as possible. However it is my strongest desire to urge everyone reading this message to challenge every area of accepted doctrine in their lives, by shining the Word of God upon it. At whatever point you find a defection from its truth, you must reject it for the lie and deceipt that it is.
Receiving Christ as Saviour:
The most common way to receive Christ as Saviour in the charismatic church goes a little like this: Firstly a call is made for anyone feeling conviction in their heart to pray a prayer, often called the sinners prayer. Sometimes they are called to the alter, other times they may be told it’s okay to pray quietly where they are, sometimes even through the TV set. Then a few lines of prayer are repeated, upon which the person is usually told something like, “if you prayed that prayer from your heart, then you are now a child of God.” This will probably be accompanied with encouragement to come along to regular meetings, and purchase a Bible etc., and that’s about it.
A period of weeks or even months may pass before the subject of baptism comes up. Also there will usually be much emphasis on being baptized in the Spirit, much emphasis upon God’s plan and purpose for their life, much emphasis on spiritual manifestations etc., but little or virtually no emphasis upon conviction of sin, or the need to die to the flesh alongside Christ. What’s more, there is often a great emphasis placed upon assurance of salvation, but the focus of that assurance being the point at which the prayer was prayed inviting Jesus into their heart.
On the contrary, the teachings of the New Testament show us a completely different perspective. Firstly there is no mention of a “sinners prayer” ,or an assurance of our best life now, but the focus is rather upon repentance and baptism. Or in other words, a turning away from sin and back to the Righteousness of God, through the humble acceptance of His Word as Truth, and embracing our own death to self, in order that the life of Christ may flow through us. There is a sense of constantly growing in the knowledge of Christ through the revelation of the Scriptures, a sense of constant self examination in the light of the revelation the Scriptures bring us, and a willingness to die to oneself and our desires on a daily basis.
For the sake of space I will simply note a few Scripture references that you may see for yourself that this is true:
Acts 2:37-39, Col 3:1-6, 2 Cor 13:5, Philippians 3:1-7,Luke 9:23-24.
Spiritual Manifestations:
Throughout the charismatic church there is an immense amount of emphasis put upon spiritual manifestations, signs and wonders etc., almost as evidence itself of God’s presence. From the beginning of ones walk with Christ, the believer is often encouraged to throw caution to the wind and dive headlong into whatever manifestations are taking place. There is a tendency of anyone and everyone laying hands on others, that the manifestation may be imparted through them to others willing to receive it, always with the assurance to those needing assurance, that it is the Holy Spirit at work. This often leads to manifestations such as hysterical laughter, uncontrollable shaking, falling onto the floor sometimes into a trance like state, and other times writhing like a snake. Also there are often animal noises being made, or intense babbling in unknown tongues. Also at times like this, there may be prophetic words of knowledge given, that often those who receive them, cling to with gusto.
I have spent many years in the charismatic church, and know intimately many of the above manifestations, even to the point that I have experienced them myself. For this reason, although I’m not denying that sometimes it may be psychosomatic in nature, many times the manifestation is most definitely a genuine spiritual manifestation. The problem I have however, is that the source of these manifestations are rarely tested, even though Scripture makes a clear warning for us to do so. What I’ve found greatly disturbing personally, is though I have found little evidence in Scripture to back up these manifestations as that of the Holy Spirit, there is vast evidence to suggest the manifestations are closely identified with manifestations of eastern mysticism, known as the “Kundalini” spirit. However the attitude in much of the church is to immediately rule out the possiblity of these manifestations being anything other than that of the Holy Spirit, without any Scriptural testing whatsoever.
These facts should raise alarm bells in the spirit of any devout believer in Christ, especially when we consider the opening Scripture, that the coming of the lawless one, would be with “all power, signs and lying wonders.” Should we not be testing these spirits with all diligence? And should we not be holding accountable those false prophets we so often choose to revere, who make prophetic statements, one after another, that come to nothing?
Jeremiah 14:13-16 “Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, the prophets say to them, ‘You shall not see the sword, nor shall you have famine, but I will give you assured peace in this place.’ “ 14 And the LORD said to me, “The prophets prophesy lies in My name. I have not sent them, commanded them, nor spoken to them; they prophesy to you a false vision, divination, a worthless thing, and the deceit of their heart. 15 Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the prophets who prophesy in My name, whom I did not send, and who say, ‘Sword and famine shall not be in this land’—’By sword and famine those prophets shall be consumed! 16 And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword; they will have no one to bury them—them nor their wives, their sons nor their daughters—for I will pour their wickedness on them.’”
The Return of Christ:
There is a strictly adhered to doctrine within the charismatic church known as the “pre-tribulation rapture” doctrine. To even suggest anything to the contrary of this doctrine is considered nothing less than blasphemous by some, and yet the Scriptural revelation this doctrine is built upon is shaky to say the least. I am not suggesting everyone consider this timing is incorrect, but I challenge anyone to find Scriptural evidence to confirm this theory without doubt, and therefore severely question the profit of pursuing this doctrine to any great degree. In fact, to my own undoing, I have found to do so leads to chasing the wind for a very long time, only to end up in the same place you started!
Forget trying to twist the Scriptures to say what you want them to say, and listen to what they clearly say concerning this matter. Only then will you find a true sense of peace over the whole subject, especially when your faith is challenged upon such matters. Which will hopefully be sooner rather than later.
Mark 13:31-33 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. 32 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.”
Firstly, if the Son of God professed at that time not to know the timing of His return, is it not pride that drives us to think we should know better?
Matthew 25:6-12 ” “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ 7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. 11 “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ 12 But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.‘”
Is it not truly the instruction of the Bible to make ourselves ready for His return, whenever that may be? Whether we dwell on the notion that the Lord will return and save us from the Great Tribulation, or consider at great length that we may be called to persevere even through the midst of the greatest suffering the world has ever known, we waste our time and efforts in either circumstance. For Jesus Himself says, ” Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”Matthew 6:34
If there is one thing worthy of consideration carefully whenever looking towards the return of Christ for His Bride, is the matter of our own diligence in examining ourselves by the light of His Word. For regardless of the popular teaching within the church, that suggests that everyone who confesses Christ as Lord will enter into eternal glory, the truth is quite different indeed. So different in fact, that it should cause any God fearing believer to work out their salvation with fear and trembling.
Matthew 7:21-23 “”Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’“
I could continue, but there really would be little point, for if you decide to turn away from this warning and others like it, you do so at your own peril. Needless to say, without looking too closely you can see a falling away from the truth happening even as I write this message. It is with tears that I witness daily a growing hardness in the hearts of those who confess Christ as Saviour, and a growing desire within the church to embrace many strange winds of doctrine that blow to and fro. How long it will be until the grace and favour of the Lord is removed from this world, in order that the sins of the world shall be judged according to His Righteousness, to be quite frank, I believe is painfully short.
Originally posted 2009-07-01 11:12:40. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
In light of it being Valentine’s day, I just thought it good to ponder for a moment what Jesus commands His own.
“As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
(John 15:9-12)
“As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
This love is sacrificial, freely and graciously given even to those undeserving of it, and something we are commanded each day to offer, not just one day a year. Oh for the grace of God to enable us to love one another as He loves us!
When are we going to get it into our thick skulls that the called out of Christ, or the “ekklesia”, or the Church and their message of Christ crucified and risen again, are irrelevant to the majority of the world? Why on earth would we continuously seek to tailor our message in order to make it more appealing to those who are lost? Or why would we seek to tailor our congregational worship in order to make it more comfortable for the ungodly to join in with us in self deluded pretense? Could it possibly be that there is so much of the world already in the Church, that it is simply the reality of the world recognising its own?
After the things I have heard, read and witnessed recently, I am convinced now more than ever, that the Word of God needs to be preached boldly in a way that drives the Sword of the Spirit into the hearts and souls of those listening, and to heck with the consequences! The response of those listening is quite literally out of our hands, and always has been. But the determination to be faithful in our preaching is a ball that is very much in our court.
John 15:19-21
19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.
21 But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.
Matthew 5:11-13
11 “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.
12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
1 Corinthians 1:21-24
21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.
22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom;
23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness,
24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
Let’s face it, the message we are commanded to preach is never going to be a popular one. It will either be received with eagerness by those chosen by God to believe, or will be rejected as foolishness by those who are not chosen. It’s not up to us to figure out who is who, for the wheat and tares grow together, both inside and outside what we know as the Church. It is only upon the return of Christ that those who are truly His own shall be revealed in glory, for which the whole of creation groans and waits.
Let us stop our pretense, bite the bullet, and proclaim His Word from the rooftops. “REPENT AND BELIEVE THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST!” Those who have been chosen will believe and be saved for all eternity, those who don’t will be condemned to face the eternal wrath of God, but both those things are not in our hands. All that is in our hands is to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, and if that is so, then a sincere belief in our heart will cause us to stand for the Truth revealed by His Word alone, and stand on it regardless of the consequences. We will face ridicule, persecution and slander with joy, for we will be in no doubt that we are about our Father’s business.
Originally posted 2009-10-13 18:20:23. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
As I begin to write this message, I must first point out that the aim of it is not to discredit Nicky Gumbel, who I know very little about, but rather to highlight my deep concerns for the course he is associated with. It would be virtually impossible for me to deny the extent by which the Alpha Course is promoted throughout the church across the denominations, nor that it is probably responsible for bringing more people into the church than most evangelistic efforts in modern times. But my question is, does it really convict the heart of people to follow Jesus Christ as their Saviour, or another “Jesus” that the Bible warns us of?
2 Corinthians 11:3-4
3 But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
4 For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!
Before beginning the “Back to Basics” studies a short while ago, and indeed this was one of my major reasons for starting them, was that I became increasingly aware of a hideous lack of Scriptural doctrine in my own life. I began to realise as I looked into the Scriptures, many of the reasons I had for claiming my faith was actually in Christ, could not be found secured in Scripture at all, but rather on church traditions, and the advice of well meaning but misguided Christians. Since beginning this journey into the fundamental truths of Scripture, along with other believers who have been affected by much of the same influences as myself, we have begun to realise how wayward much of the “seeker sensitive” teaching, which clearly includes the Alpha Course, actually is.
When the true Gospel message is proclaimed it brings offense. It makes no attempt to hide the true state of mankind, that we are sinful from birth, at enmity with God Almighty, and destined for eternity in Hell. It makes no attempt to lift up our most noble and kind words and deeds, as simply anything more than filthy rags before a Holy and Righteous God. It makes no attempt to offer false hope, claiming that we can somehow cling to our life yet inherit the life Jesus died to give us. Nor does it dare to suggest that anyone can come to Him by any other way, than they are chosen and drawn in by the power of God Himself.
The Alpha Course, with its seeker sensitive message, has drawn many into a luke warm church that is destined to be spewed out of His mouth when Christ returns. It has injected enough of the Gospel message into the hearer to immunize them against the real Gospel message, and has in turn begun to create a breed of church leader that embraces this luke warm gospel message with all their might. Why on earth would anyone want to receive the Gospel in such a second or third hand fashion, when they can receive the fire of the Gospel straight from the pages of Scripture if only some would dare to preach in such a way! This preaching would not raise up hoardes of “carnal” Christians as the Alpha Course does, but would drive the sword of the Spirit through the flesh of the hearer, crucifying the flesh, and providing the empty vessel that can truly be occupied by the Spirit of God Himself.
How long will it take us to realise that, if we continue to preach a half hearted and incomplete Gospel message, we risk the souls of many entering the Lake of Fire for all eternity? And if this is so, how can we expect to avoid being held accountable before the Living God Himself for so great a negligence?
Originally posted 2009-06-17 22:26:00. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
2 Corinthians 13:5
5 Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.
Philippians 2:12-16
12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;
13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
14 Do all things without complaining and disputing,
15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,
16 holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.
Matthew 7:13-27
13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.
14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?
17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’
23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:
25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:
27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
No doubt the love and mercy of God is vast, and extends to all generations, even those who have hated Him. However the pathway that leads to salvation in Christ is extremely narrow, and is neither easy to walk, nor can it be done so in a half hearted or frivolous manner. And what is more, it is a pathway that only few will find and walk upon.
Many who know me personally criticize the fact that I seem harsh towards the church, and in truth, maybe at times I am. However this is not because I hate the church, it is rather that I simply proclaim to those who profess to follow Christ, what I know His Word proclaims to me. I’m not talking about personal opinions here, or my own personal interpretation of the Bible, not at all. I’m saying that someone with the reading age of a junior school student, when reading the Bible at face value, will hear the same call that I have myself. For it is not in personal point of view, it is written in plain black and white words on the pages of the Holy Bible, God’s only infallible Word that has been revealed to us by inspiration of the Holy Spirit Himself.
The sad truth is however, that we visit our man made temples week after week, taking everything in hook, line and sinker, that our pastors and church leaders desire to feed us. We mindlessly attend our meetings, part with our hard earned money, sing and clap along to what is being sung, give a few hallelujahs to the message being preached, and often leave totally unchanged. And why? Because we’ve chosen to entrust the welfare of our eternal soul to man rather than God alone.
If we were willing to adopt the attitude of the Bereans in Acts 17:11 who, “searched the Scriptures daily” to discern whether the things Paul and Silas said were true, our attitude would be completely different towards those who lead us, and so would their attitude towards us. The truth is that God Himself is now our Teacher, and He teaches us all that we need for our lives in Christ, through His Word alone. Yes it is true that He calls believers to teach other believers, but only in the sense that they become a channel to pour out His undiluted Word, not their own wisdom. If this is not so where you have fellowship then run, for you are either at best being taught by a bad teacher, or worse, being deceived by a false teacher.
Take a look around with open eyes. You will hear so many things preached fervently that are in direct contradiction to Scripture, and not only do we let this happen, but we viciously protect those who preach such things! You will hear messages of joy, but none about the sufferings we are called to share. Promises of our best life now, while virtually nothing about choosing to die to ourselves daily for the sake of our eternal hope. Calls to name it and claim it in the name of Jesus, but none to let go of everything and consider it dung. Loud shouts of “God loves you!”, but nothing about the wrath and vengeance He will shortly pour out upon those lost in sin. Much about “holy laughter”, but virtually nothing about reverent fear of God. Need I go on?
Write off what I’m going to say if you wish, but every word is of God, and can be found within the pages of Scripture without too much trouble at all. We are coming into a time when time is running short, and the wrath of God Almighty will soon be poured out upon those in this world. We are being surrounded by false teachers, like ravenous wolves in sheeps clothing, who not only preach lies and deceipt, but will also begin to confirm their preaching with great signs and wonders. Those claiming to be Christ followers will defect from the truth of His Word, and rather than listen to sound doctrine, will surround themselves with teachers who are willing to tell them what they want to hear. Those claiming to be Christ followers, who do not defect from the truth, will come under more and more fierce persecution, even to the point where they may have to sacrifice their lives rather than deny Him by receiving the mark of the beast. They will be betrayed by those closest to them, and they will enter the Kingdom of Heaven only through many afflictions.
These truths are of course why we are called to consider the cost of being a follower of Christ in Luke chapter 14. So does this mean we are simply fools on a road to failure? Of course not! For if we know that these dangers are in fact true, but still consider it of worth to follow Him, then He will ensure that we are able to do so. He will provide His Spirit to empower us, and will also teach us and instruct us through His own Word in Scripture, where He has placed for us there the promises of His own mouth, that will sustain us and keep us to the end. But to follow Him in this way will take nothing short of us casting ourselves fully before Him, body, soul and spirit, to do with as He so pleases.
Do you consider yourself a true believer? Are you totally sure your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life? Because if you can sincerely look upon your life in Christ, knowing full well of the wrath to come that will be poured out upon all whose names are not in this Book of Life, and yet feel no need to work out your salvation with fear and trembling; then you must seriously consider that it may well not be. Whether you consider yourself a Christian or not, if this describes you, it is my most urgent call to you that you cry out to the Lord Jesus, that He may save you from the Father’s Judgement to come.
Revelation 20:12-15
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.
13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.
14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
Originally posted 2009-05-21 00:11:06. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
February 3rd, 2010 by Townhill Christian Fellowship Blog
Because Christianity has love as its very foundation, and has much to do with forgiveness and mercy, we can easily tend to think that it has nothing to do with fighting. We can forget quickly that Christ died to give us peace with God, not necessarily with our fellow man. For although we’re called to live at peace with all men where possible, the Gospel actually divides men as much as bring them together.
Matthew 10:34-38
34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.
35 For I have come to ‘SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW’;
36 and ‘A MAN’S ENEMIES WILL BE THOSE OF HIS OWN HOUSEHOLD.’
37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.
38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
Although our weapons are spiritual, not carnal, and our fight is with principalities and powers, not flesh and blood. As Christians we will still experience the fight we have entered, as the powers of the enemy manifest through the evil desires of the flesh, both our own sinful desires, and sinful desires of other people. If we are truly in Christ, then we shall most definitely experience the reality of being in the midst of battle. Whereas if this is not our experience on a daily basis, at the very least this should cause alarm bells to sound in our spirit, for it is a clear indicator that all is not right in our walk with Christ.
2 Corinthians 4:1-5
1 Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart.
2 But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.
3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing.
4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.
In the years I spent in the charismatic church, I came to a realisation that the true Gospel of Christ crucified for a sinful and fallen world, was far removed from the gospel message I had heard preached. I came to realise that the so called freedom of the Spirit claimed by many charismatic churches, in fact masked a deeper works righteousness buried deep within the congregation itself. It was often about what we could do, who we were in the Lord, how great our worship leaders were, how wonderful our preachers were etc..
The teaching in this type of church I have since found to be based far more deeply in the mind of the flesh, rather than founded in the Word of God by His Spirit, and as such, it caused a reaction within me to dive headlong into the Word of God in my desire to seek out the truth. What I found for the first time in my Christian life brought me to my knees in awe, for many of the uncertainties that had been built up in my life were quite literally obliterated in the blink of an eye. I found myself drawn to men of God who were skilled to rightly divide the Word of God. Firstly and foremost to the apostles, who were chosen by Christ Himself to convey His teaching to the world under the direct inspiration of the Holy Spirit. But from that time onwards, God has continually brought forward men who would continue faithfully in the tradition of the apostles, accurately and precisely feeding those around them with the Word of Truth revealed by God Himself through the pages of Scripture, that we may be equipped to last the course.
For the past year or so I have spent much time, repentantly and earnestly putting out of my life those things which are offensive to God by the power of His Holy Spirit within me, and attempting to rebuild the alter of my heart in the proper manner, as seen in the example given by Gideon in the Book of Judges:
Judges 6:25-26
25 Now it came to pass the same night that the LORD said to him, “Take your father’s young bull, the second bull of seven years old, and tear down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the wooden image that is beside it;
26 and build an altar to the LORD your God on top of this rock in the proper arrangement, and take the second bull and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the image which you shall cut down.”
Whilst I give thanks for the restoration the Lord has brought into my life in recent times, the reverence for His Word that has been established in my heart and mind, and the wonderful teachers of God’s Word from various times throughout history; these things have brought me back to one thing above all else, namely for what is the purpose of this work in my life. Without doubt or any pause at all, I can state that it is all for the furtherence of the Gospel of Christ. I know from my recent studies that the work of salvation is of the Lord from start to finish, and what He has begun, He will complete. However for some strange reason that I cannot give an answer for, He has chosen weak and foolish sinners such as myself, to bring the glad tidings of Christ crucified to a fallen world. Bearing in mind the truth that with every second I live and breathe in this world, there are those who breathe their last, and die in their sins being blinded by the devil to the ONLY truth that could have ever set them free. How then should I go about performing this task faithfully, that I may be pleasing to my wonderful Saviour, and also witness with my own eyes the genuine fruit of my labour in the Gospel?
As with Paul and the other apostles, firstly I will “not lose heart”, for ultimately I know the work is of the Lord, through His mercy and grace, and nothing of my own flesh, no matter how noble it may appear on the surface. It is with all humility that I have come to realise that Jesus Christ does not need me for anything, but I need Him for everything! By His mercy and grace He has chosen wretches such as me, that His own loving kindness can be seen clearly through the frailties of sinful flesh. Therefore in my efforts to preach the Gospel, I am above all committed to doing so His way, and not my own. I too now renounce my ways of the past that are to my shame; the craftiness, the deceitfulness, the trickery, and the appealing to the flesh. These things I have not had to work on perfecting, for as with anyone else departing from the truth of the Word of God, to behave in a sinful manner is as natural as breathing! I am committed to never again preach myself, my experiences, my relationship with the Lord, or anything else of my self. I will preach Christ crucified for the sins of those who will believe upon Him, without embellishment, and without adding and detracting from His Word in any way.
Romans 1:14-17
14 I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise.
15 So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also.
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.”
Originally posted 2010-01-06 14:50:04. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Whether you like this type of music or not is neither here nor there, for this message is both hard hitting and true, and needs to be taken on board by all of us who dare profess to follow Christ.
I just read through the “thought for this morning” and found this message to be a true inspiration to me today. I have decided to repeat it here in the hope it may inspire other visitors too.
“Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” “Grow in grace”-not in one grace only, but in all grace. Grow in that root-grace, faith. Believe the promises more firmly than you have done. Let faith increase in fulness, constancy, simplicity. Grow also in love. Ask that your love may become extended, more intense, more practical, influencing every thought, word, and deed. Grow likewise in humility. Seek to lie very low, and know more of your own nothingness. As you grow downward in humility, seek also to grow upward -having nearer approaches to God in prayer and more intimate fellowship with Jesus. May God the Holy Spirit enable you to “grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour.” He who grows not in the knowledge of Jesus, refuses to be blessed. To know him is “life eternal,” and to advance in the knowledge of him is to increase in happiness. He who does not long to know more of Christ, knows nothing of him yet. Whoever hath sipped this wine will thirst for more, for although Christ doth satisfy, yet it is such a satisfaction, that the appetite is not cloyed, but whetted. If you know the love of Jesus-as the hart panteth for the water-brooks, so will you pant after deeper draughts of his love. If you do not desire to know him better, then you love him not, for love always cries, “Nearer, nearer.” Absence from Christ is hell; but the presence of Jesus is heaven. Rest not then content without an increasing acquaintance with Jesus. Seek to know more of him in his divine nature, in his human relationship, in his finished work, in his death, in his resurrection, in his present glorious intercession, and in his future royal advent. Abide hard by the Cross, and search the mystery of his wounds. An increase of love to Jesus, and a more perfect apprehension of his love to us is one of the best tests of growth in grace.
Originally posted 2010-01-04 12:55:13. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Many times I have heard the subject of assurance broached in sermons at churches I have attended over the years, but somewhere along the line, the point always seems to be missed somehow. It is as though an awful lot of assumptions are made about the general feeling of the congregation on this matter, and nothing of any real worth is ever tackled. After all, wouldn’t it be awful if some longstanding Christians amongst us were somehow found out to actually have doubts concerning their faith? Is it any wonder that so many today embrace the mumbo jumbo non doctrine of the emergent church? After all, the agnostic propaganda that they proclaim, where truth is subjective, and doubt and uncertainty are to be embraced, is sweet to the ears of those who already have their doubts isn’t it? Don’t we all begin to feel better when we realise that we’re not the only one struggling? The liberal thinking emergent church has this clear in its mind, so much so that anyone considering to know the truth and stand on it, are nothing more than narrow minded bigots!
The truth is that in church congregations across the globe, there are people who have supposedly been Christians for years on end, who listen to the idle ramblings of preachers hell bent on proclaiming everything but the Gospel message. The thought of preaching the Gospel to Christians is ludricous isn’t it? After all, what’s the point of preaching that which we all know and believe already? So on and on they ramble about everything from what they’ve been doing during the week, to banging on about some deep spiritual experience that’s going around, as if it’s the move of God we’ve all been waiting for. Whilst all the time, a growing number of those within the congregation are filled with doubts about their own salvation, knowing full well that there is little or no change in their lives outside of the church building on a Sunday, and they are filled with fear, shame and doubt. How do you know this you may ask? Well I know because for years I was one of those so called Christians!
Thankfully the Lord Almighty saved me from the luke warm church that was determined to see me spewed out of the mouth of Christ on the Last Day, and instead drew me into a deep and challenging relationship with Him through His Word. Away went the warm fuzziness I had known in the charismatic churches I had so long been a part of. Away went the slaying in the spirit, the holy laughter, the babbling tongues, and the endless stream of words from the Lord. And instead in came the cold hard light of the Law, whereby His Righteousness began to pierce my soul to the core, highlighting the deepest rooted fears and transgressions that were a part of my flesh. I was forced to see the decay and rot that was riddled through my being like malignant cancer, until the horror of what I saw brought me to my knees. Believe me that before this time I had professed Christ as my Saviour. I had felt the warmth within my heart as I sung songs and prayed. But until that time, I had never really understood the depth of my need to be saved from myself before!
In this terrible place I really did come to a point where I doubted my salvation, and maybe quite rightly. I began to realise that no matter how loud I shouted “Jesus is Lord!”, or sang songs of praise with gusto, or prayed in tongues, or somehow dressed it all up; I was a complete failure. I realised that after all the years of being a Christian, very little had actually changed in my life, especially out of the public eye. Morally I had improved a lot in many ways, but it was mainly the works of my flesh attempting to mould myself into what I thought a Christian should be. I suppose that if at this point I had been open to the wooing of the emergent church, I may well have fell headlong into the trap of embracing doubt and denying the truth of God’s Word, but praise God that did not happen.
Instead, I was led quite clearly by the Holy Spirit to embrace two things. The truth according to Scripture alone, and the death to my self. There was no mumbo jumbo about it all, or some bizarre spiritual manifestation, or need to come under someone else’s anointing etc.. It was simply a choice laid before me to accept whatever His Word revealed through the Holy Bible as all the truth I will ever need. And a decision to examine myself in the light of this truth, and put away whatever stood against the truth that was revealed to me. As I embraced this way of life, I really began to experience the power of the Holy Spirit in a way I had never known before. What’s more, as I walked this path, I also found a deeper relationship with Christ begin to blossom, His will being revealed in my life on a daily basis, and the sense of assurance that I am truly His to be overwhelming!
If you are reading this article and feel in any way whatsoever to relate to what I have been sharing, then I beg you not to turn aside yet again to myths, fables, and man made doctrines of the flesh. But instead respond again to the call of Christ on your life to repent and believe the Gospel. It is not a case of trying to find something hidden from sight that only the wisest few men of God know about. Nor is it about loudly and boldly declaring black to be white in the name of Jesus. But it is about humbly coming to His Word and believing it to be true, then demonstrating that belief by responding in faith and putting your trust in Him, regardless of what the outcome may appear to be. Keep it simple, read His Word constantly, choosing to believe what it says is true, even to the point of examining your life and challenging yourself with that truth, and then respond in faith by applying it to your life. This is the way of someone truly in Christ, and this is the way that ensures the power of His Holy Spirit will constantly be with you, for His glory and not your own. And this is the path that will leave your heart filled with assurance of your salvation in Him, as His Holy Spirit testifies to your own spirit that your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
Originally posted 2009-10-09 08:03:40. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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When are we going to get it into our thick skulls that the called out of Christ, or the “ekklesia”, or the Church and their message of Christ crucified and risen again, are irrelevant to the majority of the world? Why on earth would we continuously seek to tailor our message in order to make it more appealing to those who are lost? Or why would we seek to tailor our congregational worship in order to make it more comfortable for the ungodly to join in with us in self deluded pretense? Could it possibly be that there is so much of the world already in the Church, that it is simply the reality of the world recognising its own?
2 Corinthians 4:1-5