The fact is, the most of us are vastly inferior to the early Christians, who, as
I take it, were persecuted because they were thoroughly Christians, and we are
not persecuted because we hardly are Christians at all.
Charles Spurgeon
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
A positive and biblical statement on homosexuality.
What do I mean by "a positive and Biblical statement"? Not that I believe the Bible teaches homosexual behavior is OK with God, good for society, or safe for those who participate in it. What I mean by "positive", is the necessity that we highlight the love we show for homosexuals and other sinners (as we all are) by calling sin by name and calling people to fight against it as we support them in the fight. Do I think those on the other side of the argument will accept that we are trying to show them love by condemning their behavior? Mostly not, but it is important that we do all we can to make sure the truth is spoken in love and accept the consequences as they come, and of course God's word has power, so some will likely be saved and find strength to fight their sin, as we proclaim the truth.
It is no secret that most of the discussion of homosexuality in the media, in personal conversations and even in the church, takes place within a negative framework. What I mean by this, is that those who believe homosexuality is wrong, are cast as haters who are causing great harm as they discriminate against homosexuals by withholding marriage rights, limiting job opportunities in certain fields, and adding emotional stress by suggesting their lifestyles are wrong.
Biblically, the only form of sexual behavior that is approved by God and therefore safe for mankind, is that which takes place between one man and one woman within their marriage:
Gen. 2:18 And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” 19 Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him.
21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. 22 Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.
23 And Adam said:
This passage from Genesis is affirmed by Jesus in Matt. 19:4-6, but also consider His words on heterosexual lust:
Matt. 5:18 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
What is my point? Simply to remind us that the only sexual activity that God approves of, and is therefore safe and good for us, is that which takes place between one man and one woman within their marriage. We are quick to condemn homosexuality as sin and maybe heterosexual adultery as well, but are we as quick to condemn the heterosexual lust we may have for those we are not married to?
What stance should the church take toward those who experience heterosexual lust for someone they are not married to? We should acknowledge that it is sin and encourage them to engage the help of God and others to fight this fleshly desire, even though it seems so natural. If someone is unrepentant and unwilling to take their sin serious, we should take those steps Jesus spelled out for helping keep the church pure and encourage repentance as found in Matt. 18:15-18, and in Paul's letter to the Galatians in Gal. 6:1-5.
OK, what about the person who engages in a heterosexual adulteress relationship? Well, we should call their actions sin and lovingly call them to stop the behavior, because it is a sin against God and by definition bad for them, society and the church. If they refuse to repent, we should again take the steps outlined above, because we love them enough to want to help them, and love the church enough to fight for its purity.
Finally, what about the same kinds of sexual thoughts and activities within the framework of homosexuality? Well, it seams plain that we should have the same attitude and take the same kinds of actions!
Am I saying that someone who has sexual thoughts about those of the same sex could join and remain a member of the church? Yes, just as much a someone who has lustful heterosexual thoughts for those who they are not married to, as long as they are believing it to be sin and fighting the battle God calls each of to wage against sin in the power of the Spirit. It is a biblical truth that allowing sinful thoughts to reign will often lead to sinful actions:
James 1:12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.
Scripture further describes the necessity of and ability to fight sin, along with the blessings of doing so:
Gal. 5:16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
OK, I see one argument coming that must be addressed. What about homosexual activity within a marriage, assuming it is legal? Is that kind of homosexual behavior OK, because it takes place within a marriage? If not, is this not terribly unfair, or even cruel, as it withholds sexual pleasure completely from those who are naturally attracted to those of the same sex?
This is a painful truth for many to accept, but we must get our information on what is OK, good for society and beneficial to us from God's word. His word is clear, homosexual behavior is sin, is bad for society and is harmful to those who engage in it. This argument all comes down to whether we believe God's word is accurate and authoritative. Does this mean those who practice homosexuality within or outside of a legally recognized marriage will have a worse life, by human standards, simply because they do these things? No, but we can't always see the spiritual consequences of our actions. Just like a child often can't see the love in the rules set forth by their parents, we can't always see the purpose behind God's loving commands for us (See a previous blog illustration of this here). However, if we believe God is all wise and that He loves us, then we can stop debating the rightness of homosexuality and other things God calls sin, and get down to the all important work of trusting Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross to save all who believe upon Him from the consequences of our sin, and depending on the power of the Spirit and the church to help us fight the good fight against sin!
Someone who fights against sexual sin, heterosexual or homosexual, can find love, joy and peace from God, even as they deny themselves these fleshly desires (see Gal. 5:22 above). Also, there are many who formerly practiced homosexuality, but eventually repented and found, by Gods grace, the desire for a heterosexual relationship and ended up in a heterosexual marriage. However, our refusal to call these things sin, can only serve to cut us off from the power and purposes of God!
I know they often mean well, but those who refuse to condemn sexual sin, as defined by God's word, are putting themselves at odds with God and doing great harm to others as they encourage them to disobey Him!
"Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved."
It is no secret that most of the discussion of homosexuality in the media, in personal conversations and even in the church, takes place within a negative framework. What I mean by this, is that those who believe homosexuality is wrong, are cast as haters who are causing great harm as they discriminate against homosexuals by withholding marriage rights, limiting job opportunities in certain fields, and adding emotional stress by suggesting their lifestyles are wrong.
Biblically, the only form of sexual behavior that is approved by God and therefore safe for mankind, is that which takes place between one man and one woman within their marriage:
Gen. 2:18 And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” 19 Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him.
21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. 22 Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.
23 And Adam said:
“This is now bone of my bones
And flesh of my flesh;
She shall be called Woman,
Because she was taken out of Man.”
24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
And flesh of my flesh;
She shall be called Woman,
Because she was taken out of Man.”
24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
This passage from Genesis is affirmed by Jesus in Matt. 19:4-6, but also consider His words on heterosexual lust:
Matt. 5:18 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
What is my point? Simply to remind us that the only sexual activity that God approves of, and is therefore safe and good for us, is that which takes place between one man and one woman within their marriage. We are quick to condemn homosexuality as sin and maybe heterosexual adultery as well, but are we as quick to condemn the heterosexual lust we may have for those we are not married to?
What stance should the church take toward those who experience heterosexual lust for someone they are not married to? We should acknowledge that it is sin and encourage them to engage the help of God and others to fight this fleshly desire, even though it seems so natural. If someone is unrepentant and unwilling to take their sin serious, we should take those steps Jesus spelled out for helping keep the church pure and encourage repentance as found in Matt. 18:15-18, and in Paul's letter to the Galatians in Gal. 6:1-5.
OK, what about the person who engages in a heterosexual adulteress relationship? Well, we should call their actions sin and lovingly call them to stop the behavior, because it is a sin against God and by definition bad for them, society and the church. If they refuse to repent, we should again take the steps outlined above, because we love them enough to want to help them, and love the church enough to fight for its purity.
Finally, what about the same kinds of sexual thoughts and activities within the framework of homosexuality? Well, it seams plain that we should have the same attitude and take the same kinds of actions!
Am I saying that someone who has sexual thoughts about those of the same sex could join and remain a member of the church? Yes, just as much a someone who has lustful heterosexual thoughts for those who they are not married to, as long as they are believing it to be sin and fighting the battle God calls each of to wage against sin in the power of the Spirit. It is a biblical truth that allowing sinful thoughts to reign will often lead to sinful actions:
James 1:12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.
Scripture further describes the necessity of and ability to fight sin, along with the blessings of doing so:
Gal. 5:16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
OK, I see one argument coming that must be addressed. What about homosexual activity within a marriage, assuming it is legal? Is that kind of homosexual behavior OK, because it takes place within a marriage? If not, is this not terribly unfair, or even cruel, as it withholds sexual pleasure completely from those who are naturally attracted to those of the same sex?
This is a painful truth for many to accept, but we must get our information on what is OK, good for society and beneficial to us from God's word. His word is clear, homosexual behavior is sin, is bad for society and is harmful to those who engage in it. This argument all comes down to whether we believe God's word is accurate and authoritative. Does this mean those who practice homosexuality within or outside of a legally recognized marriage will have a worse life, by human standards, simply because they do these things? No, but we can't always see the spiritual consequences of our actions. Just like a child often can't see the love in the rules set forth by their parents, we can't always see the purpose behind God's loving commands for us (See a previous blog illustration of this here). However, if we believe God is all wise and that He loves us, then we can stop debating the rightness of homosexuality and other things God calls sin, and get down to the all important work of trusting Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross to save all who believe upon Him from the consequences of our sin, and depending on the power of the Spirit and the church to help us fight the good fight against sin!
Someone who fights against sexual sin, heterosexual or homosexual, can find love, joy and peace from God, even as they deny themselves these fleshly desires (see Gal. 5:22 above). Also, there are many who formerly practiced homosexuality, but eventually repented and found, by Gods grace, the desire for a heterosexual relationship and ended up in a heterosexual marriage. However, our refusal to call these things sin, can only serve to cut us off from the power and purposes of God!
I know they often mean well, but those who refuse to condemn sexual sin, as defined by God's word, are putting themselves at odds with God and doing great harm to others as they encourage them to disobey Him!
"Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved."
Monday, January 28, 2013
God's mercy is amazing!
I had
been teaching through Jonah over the past month and am now beginning a series
on the book of Hosea, as part of an ongoing series on the Minor Prophets.
Hosea
tells of God's just punishment and rejection of Israel:
Hosea 1:9 Then God
said: “Call his name Lo-Ammi, For you are not My people, And I will not be your God.
Then only one verse late we see the promise of a
great reversal by God's power and mercy:
Hosea 1:10 “Yet the
number of the children of Israel. Shall be as the sand of the sea, Which cannot be measured or numbered. And it shall
come to pass. In the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My
people,’ There it shall be said to them, ‘You are sons of the living
God.’
How can this
be?
Hosea
1:11 Then the children of Judah and the children of Israel,
Shall be gathered together, And
appoint for themselves one head; And they shall come up
out of the land, For great will be the day of
Jezreel!
How
shall this gathering take place, who is this “one head”, that is spoken of?
Jer. 31:31 “Behold, the days are
coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant
with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— 32
not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that
I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant
which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord.
33 But this is the covenant that I will
make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord:
I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be
their God, and they shall be My people. 34 No
more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying,
‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me,
from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord.
For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”
Ezek. 36:22 “Therefore say to the
house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “I do not do this
for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name’s sake, which you have
profaned among the nations wherever you went. 23 And
I will sanctify My great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which
you have profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am
the Lord,” says the Lord God,
“when I am hallowed in you before their eyes. 24 For
I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and
bring you into your own land. 25 Then I will
sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from
all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26 I
will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the
heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My
statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. 28 Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers;
you shall be My people, and I will be your God.
Matt. 26:26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body." 27 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
Oh
the display of God’s grace in Jesus Christ as He saves His people, solely by His
work!
Eph. 2:1 And you He made
alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in
which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the
prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of
disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once
conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the
flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved
us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made
us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit
together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches
of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not
of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not
of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are
His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared
beforehand that we should walk in them.
Created
by Him, allowed to rebel against Him, then finally redeemed by Him! Surely we
should now serve Him?Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Jonah 4:4a. ...“Is it right for you to be angry?”
The fourth chapter of Jonah is a lesson in the emotional cost of forgetting the goodness, grace and mercy of God. Listen, as one of God's chosen people, one called to proclaim His message, becomes angry to the point of wishing his own death!
Jonah 4:1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry. 2 So he prayed to the Lord, and said, “Ah, Lord, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm. 3 Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!” 4 Then the Lord said, “Is it right for you to be angry?”
5 So Jonah went out of the city and sat on the east side of the city. There he made himself a shelter and sat under it in the shade, till he might see what would become of the city. 6 And the Lord God prepared a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be shade for his head to deliver him from his misery. So Jonah was very grateful for the plant. 7 But as morning dawned the next day God prepared a worm, and it so damaged the plant that it withered. 8 And it happened, when the sun arose, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah’s head, so that he grew faint. Then he wished death for himself, and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.”
9 Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”
And he said, “It is right for me to be angry, even to death!”
10 But the Lord said, “You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. 11 And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left—and much livestock?”
If we understand that we all deserve death for our sin, we can appreciate that our own salvation is purely by God's grace and that we have no grounds for self-pity or pride. If we forget God's goodness toward us, then worry, despair, or anger will follow, and we, like Jonah, will desire the destruction of others enslaved to sin, rather than their salvation!
God have mercy on me, a sinner!
"Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved."
Jonah 4:1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry. 2 So he prayed to the Lord, and said, “Ah, Lord, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm. 3 Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!” 4 Then the Lord said, “Is it right for you to be angry?”
5 So Jonah went out of the city and sat on the east side of the city. There he made himself a shelter and sat under it in the shade, till he might see what would become of the city. 6 And the Lord God prepared a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be shade for his head to deliver him from his misery. So Jonah was very grateful for the plant. 7 But as morning dawned the next day God prepared a worm, and it so damaged the plant that it withered. 8 And it happened, when the sun arose, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah’s head, so that he grew faint. Then he wished death for himself, and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.”
9 Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”
And he said, “It is right for me to be angry, even to death!”
10 But the Lord said, “You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. 11 And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left—and much livestock?”
If we understand that we all deserve death for our sin, we can appreciate that our own salvation is purely by God's grace and that we have no grounds for self-pity or pride. If we forget God's goodness toward us, then worry, despair, or anger will follow, and we, like Jonah, will desire the destruction of others enslaved to sin, rather than their salvation!
God have mercy on me, a sinner!
"Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved."
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
A serious, but somewhat overlooked attack against Christian participation in the public realm!
I had heard some information regarding the pastor who had to step down from praying at the presidents inauguration, because of some negative views he expressed toward homosexuality. As usual, Al Mohler's blog is a great place to turn for information and an insightful perspective on such issues!
Monday, January 14, 2013
Joel Osteen vs. Jonah at Nineveh?
Jonah 3:1 Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you.”
Here is what Jonah preached:
3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three-day journey in extent. 4 And Jonah began to enter the city on the first day’s walk. Then he cried out and said,“Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”
In response, here is what the people did -
5 So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. 6 Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes. 7 And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; do not let them eat, or drink water. 8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. 9 Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish?
OK, but that is Old Testament, what does Jesus say?
John 3:18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
Luke 13:1 There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? 3 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”
By contrast:
Here is Joel Osteen's message, as he stated in a recent interview with the 700 club –
“I feel like my message is to let people know that God is a good God, that He’s on their side, and no matter what happens, He has a great plan for them.”
How would Nineveh have responded to the message that Joel "feels like" he should preach today?
Probably just like Joel's audience does now, and their fate might well be the same as Nineveh's would have been, if Jonah had preached a message he felt like preaching, rather than the truth!
Here is what Jonah preached:
3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three-day journey in extent. 4 And Jonah began to enter the city on the first day’s walk. Then he cried out and said,“Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”
In response, here is what the people did -
5 So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. 6 Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes. 7 And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; do not let them eat, or drink water. 8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. 9 Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish?
OK, but that is Old Testament, what does Jesus say?
John 3:18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
Luke 13:1 There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? 3 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”
By contrast:
Here is Joel Osteen's message, as he stated in a recent interview with the 700 club –
“I feel like my message is to let people know that God is a good God, that He’s on their side, and no matter what happens, He has a great plan for them.”
How would Nineveh have responded to the message that Joel "feels like" he should preach today?
Probably just like Joel's audience does now, and their fate might well be the same as Nineveh's would have been, if Jonah had preached a message he felt like preaching, rather than the truth!
"Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved."
Friday, January 11, 2013
Wisdom from young (Platt) and old (Piper) on materialism!
I saw this on the Truth Matters blog and thought it was worth passing on. I like the distinction they make between the "simple life" and living to make Christ known.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
What did you expect when you started following Christ?
2 Cor. 6:4 But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, 5 in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; 6 by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, 7 by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, 8 by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; 9 as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and yet not killed; 10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things. (NKJV)
If anyone ever said it would easy, they did not get that view from God's word!
"Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved."
If anyone ever said it would easy, they did not get that view from God's word!
"Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved."
Friday, January 4, 2013
John Piper's final message as Pastor!
No man is perfect, but Christ. However, some do very well at pointing us to Him, declaring His glory and encouraging us to live for His glory!
Thank you Pastor John Piper!
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
In the belly?
Regardless of how we got in there, it seems crying out to the Lord is the way out!
Jonah 2:1 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the fish’s belly. 2 And he said:
Jonah 2:1 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the fish’s belly. 2 And he said:
“I cried out to the Lord because of my affliction,
And He answered me.
And He answered me.
“Out of the belly of Sheol I cried,
And You heard my voice.
3 For You cast me into the deep,
Into the heart of the seas,
And the floods surrounded me;
All Your billows and Your waves passed over me.
4 Then I said, ‘I have been cast out of Your sight;
Yet I will look again toward Your holy temple.’
5 The waters surrounded me, even to my soul;
The deep closed around me;
Weeds were wrapped around my head.
6 I went down to the moorings of the mountains;
The earth with its bars closed behind me forever;
Yet You have brought up my life from the pit,
O Lord, my God.
And You heard my voice.
3 For You cast me into the deep,
Into the heart of the seas,
And the floods surrounded me;
All Your billows and Your waves passed over me.
4 Then I said, ‘I have been cast out of Your sight;
Yet I will look again toward Your holy temple.’
5 The waters surrounded me, even to my soul;
The deep closed around me;
Weeds were wrapped around my head.
6 I went down to the moorings of the mountains;
The earth with its bars closed behind me forever;
Yet You have brought up my life from the pit,
O Lord, my God.
7 “When my soul fainted within me,
I remembered the Lord;
And my prayer went up to You,
Into Your holy temple.
I remembered the Lord;
And my prayer went up to You,
Into Your holy temple.
8 “Those who regard worthless idols
Forsake their own Mercy.
9 But I will sacrifice to You
With the voice of thanksgiving;
I will pay what I have vowed.
Salvation is of the Lord.”
Forsake their own Mercy.
9 But I will sacrifice to You
With the voice of thanksgiving;
I will pay what I have vowed.
Salvation is of the Lord.”
10 So the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land. (NKJV)
"Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved."
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