Friday, March 25, 2011

intelligence vs. inspiration

Have you ever splurged and bought a real expensive item of clothing from some exclusive boutique? Isn’t it amazing how wearing this luxuriant suit or dress can make you feel? You feel sophisticated, confident, successful, all due to wearing this article of clothing. But the truth is, nothing has really changed. You may look cool and ultra hip on the outside, but underneath is the same old person.
There is a new type of church that is growing in popularity in the past few years in the evangelical community that reminds me that Satan repackages the same old lies in new suits down through the ages. This movement is called the New Emergent Church and it has the appeal of being more intelligent, sophisticated and cool than many of it’s more mainline counterparts. Many of the key leaders of this movement are very articulate, sophisticated people that have a lot of charisma and are talented speakers and writers. But while their look and their style may be appealing, there is a disturbing theology that is cloaked under the hip exterior.
For instance, one of it’s foremost leaders, Brian McLaren, said, “All of our attempts to define the right form of the Gospel are just human interpretations” and he insists, “we must avoid ‘excessive confidence’ in any telling of the Gospel story.” Rob Bell, author of “Love Wins”, creator of the Nooma films and pastor of Mars Hill Church, in an interview with the Newsweek religion editor, said when asked if an atheist who did good deeds while living but remained an atheist would enter heaven upon death, answered in a circulatory fashion that left the door wide open for the possibility for everyone to enter into heaven. He basically said that the gospel story has so many seemingly open ended statements that one could not be dogmatic about what requirements were necessary for salvation. In his mind, Christ was more concerned about renewing this earth, and bringing heaven to earth. In Rob Bell and Brian McLaren’s theological world, the conversation is more important than the answers.
While the Bible does tell us to “let us reason together”, we cannot simply trust our intelligence and our view of what is appropriate or right or just to determine our salvation. Salvation comes through faith. And “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” Rom. 10:17 It take faith to believe that a God who could make all of creation in six days by the power of His word, could also protect and preserve His written word for two or three thousand years.
2Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;”. By faith, we accept that the Bible is the inspired word of God, that we can trust it, rely upon it and even stake our eternal destiny on it. But we can’t trust in our intelligence to tell us about God. One phrase that was heard repeatedly throughout Bell’s interview was, “I think, I think, I think…” What we may think and reason about who God is or what he should be like is hardly relevant. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord,” as the prophet Isaiah declared. [Isaiah 55:8]
In Matthew 25, Jesus tells the parable about ten virgins who went out to meet the bridegroom. And five were foolish and five were prudent. The foolish had their lamps, but no oil. The lamp is a picture of the church and oil is a picture of the Holy Spirit throughout the scriptures. So the foolish virgins are a picture of those churches that may be intellectually religious, but lack the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit to teach us and guide us in studying the Word, we cannot know the truth about God through mere intelligence, but only by inspiration. As it says in 1Corinthians 2:13 “which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.”

Friday, March 18, 2011

d-d-dealing with the d-d-devil

2Cr 2:11"So that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes."

The Bible warns that at the end of the age, the devil will increase his efforts to overthrow the church, using every means he has at his disposal. “For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.” Matt. 24:24 “Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time.” Rev. 12:12
"And because lawlessness will increase, most people’s love will grow cold." Matt. 24:13 When Jesus addressed the church at Ephesus in Revelation 2, He says “I have this against you, that you have left your first love.” They became infatuated with the world, loving the things of the world, and forsaking their FIRST love.
Today in the church, it would almost seem as if the devil is winning the battle. Oh, he has ultimately lost the war, no question about that, but in this day and age, it seems as if Christians are falling away on the right hand and the left.
There are three major ways that the devil is working today to attack the church. And his schemes are not new, he’s been perfecting them since the beginning of time.
Number one: The devil destroys. The Bible says that the consequences of sin is death. Satan is working to destroy lives through addictions like drugs and alcohol, fornication, and every other type of sin that he knows has terrible consequences, in order to trap people in a vice that will lead to their death. 1Pe 5:8 “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
Number two: The devil deceives. Satan is a deceiver. He is a liar, and the father of lies. Mat 24:11 "Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many.” He offers “a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. “ Prov. 14:12 You can’t trust your own wisdom. “Lean not on your own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.” Prov. 3:6
Number three: The devil distracts. With Christians, this may be the most effective strategy of Satan against the church. They may not fall for an obvious temptation like adultery or drunkenness, but they don’t recognize the ploy of the devil to distract them from the task that God has called them to do. They think it just circumstances that compel them to make this choice, or even more dangerous, they think it God’s will. More Christians have turned aside to go down the wrong path because of misinterpreting Satan’s distraction for God’s will, when in fact, Satan has cleverly appealed to their pride. Gal 3:1 “You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?” Gal 3:3 “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” Beware of that which appeals to the flesh. 1Jo 2:16 “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.”
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be STEADFAST, IMMOVEABLE, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.” I Cor. 15:58

Friday, March 11, 2011

The days of Noah

As an antique dealer for many years, I had the opportunity to meet a lot of characters. And in that world of parking lot deals, or going to people’s houses to buy stuff, and all the cash transactions that used to take place, I met a lot of sketchy people. One guy that actually ended up being a friend was connected to the Mafia at one time. But there was another guy, an old man that lived in Winchester, Virginia that sold me a fake piece at the very beginning of my career. And over the years, I got to know him pretty well. Once in a great while, I got something decent from him. But most of the time, he would call me up and talk me into driving 3 hours one way to go see him so he could show me this “special” piece that he thought he had. He never seemed to tire of trying to put one over on me. Nice old guy, but a genuine crook. As the years went on, Kenny got more and more frail. And I was always amazed that here was this old guy at the end of his life that was using the little bit of time he had left to try to pull one more scam on me. I haven’t heard from him now in several years and I assume that he died. But for a while there he would periodically call me, too weak to even drive anymore, but still wanting me to come down there and visit him, saying that he had something really “special” to show me.
Sadly, I see people doing the same thing today, living as if they have all the time in the world. Just this last Friday morning the largest earthquake to ever hit Japan caused a devastating tsunami. I’m sure you watched it on the news and witnessing that wall of water traveling across the landscape pushing houses and cars and all kinds of debris was just amazing. The week or so before, New Zealand suffered a major earthquake with many dead and massive injuries to both people and infrastructure. A few weeks before that, Queensland in Australia suffered catastrophic flooding on an epic scale unlike anything they’ve ever experienced. And in the Middle East, within the last couple of weeks, dictatorships that have lasted 30 years are suddenly toppling like dominos, and unrest is spreading across the world. Gas prices are going crazy as a result and the next fear is that food prices are going to skyrocket. All this on top of the worst recession that this country has experienced in almost a hundred years.
And yet, for most of us, we go on about our daily business as if nothing is really going on and we’re not really experiencing the last days. For a large portion of the population, they are continuing to try to do just one more deal, or maybe just another weekend of hitting the bars, or perhaps just another hit on a bong or another pill or line that will numb them to the reality that things are coming to a head. I’m convinced, more than ever, that the coming of the Lord is at hand. How much longer I don’t know, but one thing I do know, I want to be found faithful at his appearing. I want to spend whatever time I have left in service to the Lord. The Lord is coming soon and we will see Him in His glory. For some that will be a great day. For others, it will be a time of mourning.
“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. For as in those days which were before the flood, they were eating and drinking, they were marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away, so shall the coming of the Son of Man be.” Matthew 24:36-39
**Please note that Daylight savings time begins Sunday morning. Our normally early 8:00am service will seem even earlier. Please remember to spring forward.

Friday, March 4, 2011

imagine there's no heaven

John Lennon wrote a song that proposed the idea, “imagine there’s no heaven, it’s easy if you try, no hell below us, above us only sky…” The song goes on to imply that the absence of religion and the associated consequences of our faith here on earth would result in world peace. Though many a war may been started by invoking God’s name, the truth is that genuine Christianity is the only thing that is keeping the world from erupting into anarchy and the complete destruction of society.
In Christianity, the resurrection and our hope of heaven is the keystone to our faith. In fact, Romans 10:9 says that believing that Christ was raised from the dead is necessary for salvation. Now if Christ was raised, then Paul says in I Cor. 15 we will be raised as well. Vs. 23 “But each in his own order, Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ at His coming.” In other words, the resurrection of Christ was the deposit of our hope of resurrection. As He was raised, so will we be also.
But the Bible says not everyone will die. “We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall all be changed.” I Cor. 15:51,52. I Thessalonians 4:15-17 adds that “we who are alive and remain shall not precede those that have fallen asleep…but the dead in Christ shall rise first, then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together… to meet the Lord in the air.”
The disciples asked a question on many of our minds today, as we see the turmoil in the Middle East, and we see the signs of the times. “When will these things be, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?” Matt. 24:3 Jesus’ answer is to present a picture of a continuing, escalating time of tribulation, corresponding to both the preaching of the gospel throughout the world and an increase in false prophets and false Christs, who will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead if possible, even the elect. “But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give it’s light, and the stars will fall down from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.” Matt. 24:29-31
Jesus went on to say that no one knows the day or the hour when He is coming. “For this reason, you be ready too; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.” “Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing [being faithful] when he comes.”
Interestingly, both our Sunday morning study and our Wednesday evening study is focusing right now on the resurrection and prophecy of the end times as we look at Matthew 24 and I Corinthians 15 respectively. We encourage you to come and participate as we look at what the Word of God says concerning these things.