THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO.... ??

If you were to go back in time and ask the early Christians, "What is the Gospel?", what do you suppose their answer would be? One need not be a theologian to comprehend what the Biblical answer to this question is however, I'm surprised how often I hear or read a different definition of what the Gospel is these days. What is going on?

The Gospel:

The good news of God reconciling the world to Himself in and through the person and work of Jesus Christ who died for our sins and rose again.
1 Corinthians 15: 1-4
John 14: 6

Seems simple enough to understand and yet, there are all sorts of variations floating around today. Apparently it's not enough that Christ died for our sins; we must also add good works and compassion to the definition. Is feeding the hungry also the Gospel? Is building a home for the homeless sharing the Gospel? Promoting world peace, solving the AIDS crisis... are these all part of the Gospel?

Welcome to the Social Gospel.

If we do good things for people, they'll get saved. They'll see us being compassionate and recognize their sinful condition and need for a Savior. No need to preach to them (Romans 10:14-15). No need to share with them the reason they need to be saved. Just love them. Is that REALLY love?

Don't get me wrong. As a follower of Christ, we SHOULD be demonstrating compassion by helping the poor, feeding the hungry and loving others as Christ did. These are the effects of the Gospel (not the Gospel itself). This is the 'fruit' of our conversion. However, the message we should be sharing with the world is first and foremost Christ and the Cross. Jesus spoke very clearly about who He was, why He came and what He required of us. Yes, He demonstrated love & compassion through His miraculous healing's. yes, He taught us to love one another as we love ourselves. But the underlying message He preached was WHY He came. This message continued with His disciples. Christ spoke and many were saved (John 8: 28-30). The disciples preached the Gospel and many were saved (Acts 14: 21, Acts 5:42).

Contrary to what some think, there is only one Gospel. Not the Gospel of Jesus and the Gospel of Paul. Only one. Only through Christ's death and resurrection is righteousness imputed to the believer. Only because of God's grace are people saved from their sins; through repentance and faith. Each and every Follower of Christ should be sharing the good news of the Gospel (Mark 16:15).

Scripture warns us to avoid any other Gospel...

"But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough." ~ II Corinthians 11: 3-4

"I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!" ~ Galatians 1: 6-9

“If you believe what you like in the gospels, and reject what you don’t like, it is not the gospel you believe, but yourself.” ~ Saint Augustine

"Avoid a sugared gospel as you would shun sugar of lead. Seek the gospel which rips up and tears and cuts and wounds and hacks and even kills, for that is the gospel that makes alive again. And when you have found it, give good heed to it. Let it enter into your inmost being. As the rain soaks into the ground, so pray the Lord to let his gospel soak into your soul."~ C.H. Spurgeon

“The church is the fruit of the gospel.” ~ Hywel R. Jones


~ktf~
John

WHAT'S MISSING IN SO MANY CHURCHES TODAY?

What is the purpose of church? What is the Gospel?

What does it mean to be a Christian? How does one get to Heaven?

In this day and age of relativism, post-modernism and the emerging church movement, there seems to be more 'diversity' in the answers most people give to the above questions. Outside the church, the world views Christianity as just another radical, legalistic, judgemental religion. Inside the church, there are extremes... ultra-fundamentalists who condemn without loving. They isolate themselves instead of insulate themselves. On the other end of the pendulum, you have the emerging church looking, acting and sounding like the world in order to be relevant. Bible thumper -vs- Bible changer.

Who's right? What is the Biblical model for "doing church?" What is the primary role of a Follower of Christ today?

WHAT IS THE GOSPEL?

Quite simply, I believe the Gospel is the message of Christ's purpose here on earth (I Cor. 15: 1-4). To seek and to save those who are lost (Luke 19: 1-10). To spread the good news of salvation to the world (Mark 16: 15-16). I think one of the problems in so many churches today is that the focus is more on the EFFECTS of the Gospel rather than on the Gospel itself. The Bible is filled with what it means to be a Christian, how to become one and what we are to do but, the primary theme from Genesis to Revelation is God's glory being revealed through Christ and the redemption of mankind through the Cross.

WHAT SHOULD THE CHURCH BE PREACHING TODAY?

The Gospel message. The heart of this message is "repent and trust" however, the entire BIBLE should be preached with a focus on the Gospel because THAT is exactly what God has revealed throughout the OT and NT. Everything points to Christ therefore, shouldn't the passion and purpose of the local church be to point to the Gospel in every message they teach?

((Paul Washer... "The True Gospel"))



There seems to be more of an emphasis on drawing people into church rather than teaching the Gospel. More emphasis on programs, marketing, seeker-sensitive, purpose-driven, How to improve your____, topical, feel-good, experience-centered messages rather than THE message that Christ lived & died for.

Quite honestly, I think there is more attention put on DOING GOOD than there is in on teaching what salvation is all about. More focus on compassion than evangelism. More focus on being the hands & feet of Jesus rather than spreading the Gospel message. More focus on teaching people to help the poor, feed the hungry and love the unloved -vs- teaching them about WHY Christ came in the first place.

Very little is said about sin, God's wrath (John 3: 35-36), the depravity of man, hell, repentance and what it really means to trust Christ. Seriously, do most seekers really understand what the popular church-lingo REALLY means?

"Cross the line of faith", "Ask Jesus into your heart", "Accept Jesus into your heart", "Ask Jesus to be your forever friend"... etc, etc.

Where in the Bible does it even say these things? Are churches clearly teaching what it means to be saved? Saved from WHAT? If most people consider themselves to be "good", why do they need to be saved? In the average church today, the typical Sunday message (or 'experience') says nothing about what it takes to become born again. Maybe at the very end (somewhere just before or after the offering), there is a brief reference... "If you don't know where you are on your faith journey, or if you have not crossed the line of faith or asked Jesus into your heart, you can do so by saying this simple prayer..."

That's it??? God sends His Son to die on a Cross for the sins of all mankind and the best we can do is offer a 1 minute infomercial??

And we wonder why the results of so many MEGA-church 'reveal' studies, surveys & polls show that many people who regularly attend church don't even believe or accept the basic tenants of the Christian faith. Because the Preacher (Shepherd) is not teaching the Word (feeding the sheep... John 21: 15-17)!!! They're preaching feel-good messages to entice people to come to church. Bait & Switch. Lure them in with catchy 'relevant' promotions ("How to have a better sex life"), tell them that God has a plan for them and that Jesus loves them. Then what? They say a simple prayer and suddenly they're 'in'?

It seems there MUST be a middle ground in how we do church. I agree that the old, fundamentalist approach may not have been the perfect Biblical model for church however, we now have the opposite extreme taking place. Instead of being consumed with the latest fad or technique for 'doing church', what if churches simply followed the Biblical method for sharing the Gospel.... just preach the Word and let the Holy Spirit do the rest (Romans 10: 14-21).


~ktf~
John

Dangers of the Emergent Church

"Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.For certain persons have crept in UNNOTICED, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ." ~ Jude 3 - 4

~ktf~
John

HOW CAN YOU BE RIGHT WITH GOD?

Are you a good person?

The answer that most people give (Christians included), is usually "yes".

For the most part, we consider ourselves to be good because of what we do or don't do. We compare ourselves to others who we consider to be much worse than us. The bad people. Yes, even within the Church, we like to broadcast our goodness or elevate our good-self over that of others. Look at what I've done. I'm nice to people. I sacrifice my time & money. I help at the local soup kitchen. Feed the hungry. Give money to the poor. I tithe. I devote all this time to this ministry or that. I go on missions trips. Read my Bible. Pray. Go to church. Love my wife & kids. Doesn't all of that make me a good person? No. For the believer, these 'good works' are evidence of our faith. (James 2: 14-26). Fruits of the spirit (Galatians 5: 22-23). In and of themselves, these works do not save us nor do they make us good before a Holy God. It's not enough that we try to justify our goodness through our works. We often base our goodness on what we don't do as compared to those we consider 'bad' or even 'evil'. Hitler... now THAT was an evil person. Criminals, child abusers, adulterers, terrorists, greedy corporate CEOs. Bad people.

Our human nature is at it's very core self-centered and self-righteous (Proverbs 14: 12). Think of #1 first (Philippians 2: 21). This is exactly why the 2nd most important commandment from Christ was to love others as we love ourselves (Matthew 22: 37-40). Our 'scale' of goodness is based on what we do compared to others who don't do as much or do much worse. This is the sin condition plain and simple.

Regardless of your religion, your lifestyle, what you think of yourself or even what others think of you, we are not good (Jeremiah 17: 9). Yes, I know, there are countless self-help books out there (many in the Christian bookstore too) that want you to believe that deep inside, we're all good. Contrary to this popular opinion, God makes it very clear that we are not good...

As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. ~ Mark 10: 17-18.

But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away. ~ Isaiah 64: 6.

Throughout the Bible, we are reminded of our lack of goodness and the wickedness of man... Psalm 14: 1-33.

The truth is, mankind is incapable of fully understanding what 'good' is according to God's standards as a result of our depravity and rebellion against Him (I Corinthians 2: 14), (Ephesians 4: 18).

In this short video clip, Paul Washer explains the universal sinfulness of man and our attempts to impress God with our goodness. How can we really be right with God? The key lies in humility. Being humbled before God and recognizing our sinful condition; unable to save ourselves. Unworthy of God's grace but acknowledging that only through this grace are we saved.



As a follower of Christ, good works are the result of a transformed life (Romans 12: 2) and the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit (2 Thessalonians 2: 13). These works of obedience should not be viewed as things worthy of praise but as one doing what was commanded in the first place (John 12: 43). A child who makes his bed. An employee who completes a task. A soldier who obeys an order. All are acts of obedience; not things worthy of accolades and praise.

Likewise, the Christian should be doing good. Not as though this will save us but out of love for God who has demonstrated His kindness through the sacrafice of Christ for our sins (James 2: 14-26). Our goodness and works will not save us. Nor should we elevate ourselves higher than others because of what we do (or don't do). The reward every believer receives in the end will be a result of our faithfulness alone in Jesus Christ....

His master said to him, "Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master." ~ Matthew 25: 21

~ktf~
John

Contending for the Truth

As good stewards we must maintain the cause of truth against all comers."Never get into religious controversies," says one; that is to say, being interpreted, be a Christian soldier, but let your sword rust in its scabbard, and sneak into heaven like a coward.Such advice I cannot endorse. If God has called you by the truth, maintain the truth, which has been the means of your salvation. We are not to be pugnacious, always contending for every crotchet of our own; but wherein we have learned the truth of the Holy Spirit, we are not tamely to see that standard torn down which our fathers upheld at peril of their blood.This is an age in which truth must be maintained zealously, vehemently, continually. Playing fast and loose as many do, believing this to-day and that to-morrow, is the sure mark of children of wrath; but having received the truth, to hold fast the very form of it, as Paul bids Timothy to do, is one of the duties of heirs of heaven. Stand fast for truth, and may God give the victory to the faithful.We must believe the gospel and maintain it, for it is committed to our trust.

((The above excerpt from a sermon preached by Charles Spurgeon in1876))


Here we are 140 years later and not much has changed. There are still people who live like the world and call themselves Christians. The truth is still questioned, doubted and not taken seriously. Even by the church.

As a follower of Christ, we should be passionate about sharing the Gospel. Expressing the truth in love and keeping verses such as Ephesians 4: 29-32 and 1 Peter 3: 15 in mind so as to encourage others. Likewise, we are reminded of the effectiveness of the Word (2 Timothy 3: 16 and Titus 1: 9).

Our purpose in life is to Glorify God. We do that by loving Him and loving others. The key is to do so without compromising the Word or grieving the Holy Spirit in our testimony (words & actions). It's relatively easy to share the message of "God loves you" to the world however, there are going to be times when the whole truth is not as popular.This is exactly why we need to be 'consumed' with the Word of God. Our human (sinful) nature can easily get in the way of the Gospel. Our pride, arrogance and selfishness can all distort the truth. Faith comes through hearing the Word. Our words and actions should be Christ-like. Boldly proclaim the Gospel with love and compassion.

We should be in the Word daily to understand better how to correctly use the 'sword of the spirit'.



~ktf~
John

The People Have Spoken... Now What?

America has a new President. Barack Obama. Whether you like him, trust him, believe in his agenda or not, he will be the new President come Jan. 20th 2009. As a Follower of Christ, we understand that our responsibility is to give him the respect and honor he deserves as President. This includes praying for him and his family. The Bible reminds us to obey and pray for those He has put into positions of leadership. Sen. Obama faces challenges that this country has not seen in decades. Without the support of the people, his administration and the grace of God, these challenges can be potentially disastrous for our Nation. As Christians, we must be dedicated in prayer that God will give wisdom, protection and diligence to this new administration.

The results of this election were not a mistake nor were they against the will of God. He knew the outcome and allowed Obama to win. As such, we must respond as Christians recognizing the challenges he and our nation faces. Failing to acknowledge our roles as representatives of Christ will bring disrepute not only on ourselves but also the Gospel.

The people have spoken. Free-will was exercised. Choices were made and as a result, a new era in this Nation has begun. Not only has this election crossed the race-barrier and given hope to people of all color that we are equal but, it has also reiterated that this is still a democracy. Freedom still reigns.

The Bible is filled with examples of God not interfering with mankind's decisions or free-will. In many cases, He gave the people exactly what they wanted even to the point of letting them worship other gods. The Israelites went through one 'life-lesson' after another as God let them have their way. When they asked Samuel for a king, (1 Samuel 8: 7-22) God gave them one despite the outcome. They wanted to "be like all the other nations". Sound familiar?

There is no doubt that America is in for a change. On the left, the people have put their hope & trust in the person they believe will bring a change for the better. On the right, the people were reluctant to embrace this 'change'; They stood for something more than economics and social issues. Regardless of where we stand, we can expect there will be frustrations and disappointments in the days to come. Our behavior and attitude as Christians must remain consistent with the Word and not based on circumstances or feelings. Our trust and hope must remain in Jesus Christ. It is God who raises leaders, creates nations and it is He who also brings them to an end in His timing. Now more than ever, our prayer life must be moved to a higher level. How fervent we pray is not nearly as important as what we are praying for. Yes, we will have a more liberal President. Yes, our nation and world is facing a major economic crisis. However, the more critical issue that demands our obedience to prayer is much bigger.

The people have spoken. They've chosen a President based on what they felt was most important to them. The economy. World peace. Shared wealth. Affordable health care. A green planet. Issues that affect every one of us. Issues that affect our quality of life. What this election revealed is that most people are more concerned about these issues than they are life itself. The life of the unborn. They chose a President who supports abortion. One who supports the homosexual lifestyle to the point of having it accepted as normal behavior, degrading the God-designed marriage of one man, one woman. He will pave the way for this detestable lifestyle to not only be normalized but also protected and taught to our children in school.

Essentially, the people made it quite clear that morality and Christian values are no longer as important as they once were. From a purely 'worldly-perspective', that might be understandable in today's economic uncertainty. However, history has shown us time and time again that when a nation turns from God, they eventually cease to be a nation. We cannot and must not give in, give up or have a defeatist attitude. Now more than ever, we need to stand for what is right and defend the essential principles that define Christianity. God's word does not allow for compromise; nor should we. We must be willing to work with the President without compromising our Christian principles. However, we must also be prepared to confront and oppose those issues that defy or reject the the character and fundamental doctrine of God.

May our prayers be that God will change the heart of not only the President and his administration, but also those of the people who have turned to the world for their hope.

Jesus Christ remains our hope. The Gospel remains as our mission to the world. The Church needs a wake up call to get back to preaching the Word instead of trying to market God to the 'seeker'. No doubt, this country... this world needs change for the better. That change is found only in Jesus Christ.


~ktf~
John

Total Depravity- Our Sinful Nature................(Paul Washer)

Would you consider yourself to be a good person? Do all people really have a good heart? Is the justice of God right to forgive us or to give us what we deserve? How great is God's love?

Listen to this message and then consider how great God's love is when you realize how evil mankind is and yet, God unleashed His wrath on His own Son to save us. When Christ was on the Cross, it was not the physical suffering that killed Him; It was the wrath of God being poured out on Him. You may ask, "Why so much emphasis on God's wrath and our sinful, wretchedness?" Why not more on God's love and His mercy? Simple... Because in order to fully understand the Gospel and grasp the fullness of how much God loves us, one must first recognize their depravity and the depth of their sinful nature. The world often takes for granted God's love. They acknowledge Him when things go their way. When they are blessed financially or they get a job, new house, have a child or find their soul mate. We think that God loves us because we're good or because somehow we deserve it. When bad things happen, we question Him. "Where is He now?" We can't understand how a loving God would let evil things happen.

The bigger question should be...
"How can a loving and just God let us experience even a moment of good?"
For that matter, why is there even ANY good in this sinful, fallen world?

The answer is simple. God's grace. God's mercy. THIS is the heart of the Gospel message. This is why Christ suffered and died for us on the Cross. This is the message that must humble us to our knees in order that we may be saved from our sins. Understanding WHY we must be saved gives a whole new perspective on being Born Again. Understanding that we deserve hell and not heaven causes us to value His love much more. Experiencing God's grace is what will transform us into the image of Christ and move us to live for Him with a passion.

This message by Paul Washer doesn't sugar coat the Gospel. It cuts right to the heart of our sinful condition and why we disparately need a savior. If you've already repented of your sins, trusted in Christ and have made Him Lord of your life, this message is a reminder of how much God loves us. There a isn't 'feel-good' message out there that can compare with knowing that God loves you after listening to this.

~ktf~
John

WHAT DOES A CHRISTIAN LOOK LIKE?

First and foremost, a Christian is one who recognizes what the Gospel is and what it means to be born again. They recognized that they were a wretched, sin-filled, self-centered lost person heading to hell without hope. They do not see themselves as good nor are their deeds good enough to get them to heaven. Only because of the grace of God were they saved. It was He who sought them (not the other way around). Because of the conviction of the Word through the Holy Spirit, they were broken & humbled. Brought to their knees before a Holy & just God. The seriousness & magnitude of their sins was revealed and for the first time in their lives, they knew that they deserved God's wrath and that their sins had greatly offended His righteousness.

It was here that they found who Christ really was. It was in this humbled condition that they experienced salvation & the forgiveness of their sins. The Christian is justified because of the grace of God through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, His only Son (God in the flesh) on the Cross. Eternal life was given to them through the repentance of sins and putting their trust in Christ.

A Christian should have a strong passion for the lost. Likewise, a Christ-centered, Gospel-driven church should be more concerned for the lost than how many people are in church. Churches should be filled primarily with Christians who are growing through expository preaching; not just week after week of topical preaching. They are fed by the Word of God; not the methods of man. Sadly, the church is more focused on worldly issues these days instead of Godly. Marketing Jesus to appeal to the seeker. Aligning with the world to fit in (Be Green, Solve World Hunger, PEACE, etc.). No one really seems all that focused on the Gospel anymore. In fact, the Gospel has been distorted and watered-down to feel good and not offend. The Social Gospel fits better and draws more people into church than the Biblical Gospel that Christ Himself preached.

The church needs revival. We need a reformation. Regeneration. We need to get back to the basics and get serious about our faith. Enough with the silliness of using man-made methods to entertain the seeker. Enough with being more concerned with appealing to the culture rather than using the Gospel to expose a sinful condition that desperately needs a savior.

The Christian should be known by their faith in Jesus Christ. The sort of faith that is the evidence of our salvation. It's demonstrated in our words, attitude, character, lifestyle, thought-life and actions. Genuine faith is revealed through trials and suffering. Our faith is tested and strengthened best when we experience what it means to truly depend on Christ. Faith requires that we believe in something. Just as marriage requires love, so too faith requires belief. The love and the belief also require evidence to prove itself. Faith without works is dead (James 2: 14-26). Love & faith go together (I Cor.13). If we claim to love our wives yet we are not patient & kind with them, how is that love? Likewise, if we claim to have faith in Christ and our works are self-centered, how then can we claim to really trust Him? The true believer, the true Christian will have a passion for Christ and a passion for the lost. They will die to self daily, striving to grow in holiness and live a righteous life. The character of Christ is their model.They will be consumed with a desire to live for Him, to be in His Word and prayer daily.

The Christian will do all things in love without compromising the Word. They will do all things to please God and not the world. They will still sin but grow to hate sin and do whatever it takes to avoid it. The closer they grow to Christ, the more they recognize their wretched condition as a sinner. As such, the Christian realizes even more how great God's grace is and how amazing His grace is. They fully believe that God loved us before we loved Him. That we are all wretched sinners, lost and heading towards hell. Consumed with self; sinful to the core. Not good and not capable of doing good to impress God or to save ourselves. We must believe that God had a plan from the beginning to reveal His love and his goodness to mankind. Through Christ this is done. Only through Christ can we be forgiven. Justified through the shedding of innocent blood. Because God is perfect, so too is His justice. There must be payment for sin; the wages of sin is death. Only by our sins being placed on Christ could this debt be paid in full; allowing us to live. There is only One Way to God- Jesus Christ. Simply believing in the existence of God will not save you.

The Salvation of a Christian requires one to be born again. Repent & trust. Turn from our sins, put our trust, our lives in Christ. The true believer did not become a Follower of Christ simply by raising their hand, saying a quick, simple prayer and asking Jesus to come into their life. Nor were they saved by works or through perfection. The evidence of their salvation is seen in the works (fruit) of their life. This is a life-long, sanctifying process.

Faith in Christ must be everything. Trusting Him, living for Him, loving Him and loving others must mean everything to us. Christ IS LIFE!!


~ktf~
John

Regeneration & Decisional Evangelism (Paul Washer)

What must a person do to be saved? "Ask Jesus into your heart?" "Accept Jesus?" Does a person become a Christian just because they say a simple prayer?

Paul Washer addressed this topic at the "Deeper" Conference in Atlanta, GA Oct. 17-18 2008. His approach to preaching the Gospel is not your typical contemporary Christianity, seeker sensitive methodology. He speaks with the authority of scripture in a convicting and yet loving way. In your face preaching the way Jesus spoke. Nothing held back to avoid offending someone.

This conference and the messages presented by all including Paul Washer were like a breath of fresh air and a splash of cold water to wake you up.

In this day and age, there is more emphasis on softening up the message of the Gospel (or avoiding it all together) in order to present a feel-good message for those who are supposedly seeking Jesus. The question is, are they REALLY seeking Jesus or are they simply looking for their 'Best Life Now'? If they are seeking God, then wouldn't it make sense that we present the truth and not some watered-down, ear-tickling experience that stirs up their emotions?
(I Timothy 4: 3-4)

Saying a simple prayer does not save a person. Being good doesn't save a person. Neither does simply asking God to forgive you or simply believing in God. God's grace is what saves a person from their sins. The lost must first understand that they are lost (Romans 7: 7-12)and that nothing they can do will save them from the wrath of God. Salvation must start with the Gospel message. Without conviction of sin, without the softening of the heart and dying to self, God's grace and love is meaningless. Confession from the heart, repenting from sin, trusting in Jesus alone for salvation and submitting to Him as Lord of your life.

The approach of so many contemporary Christian churches today is out of order. They present the attributes of the Christian life before laying out what it takes to BE a Christian. They dress up the Word to appeal to the emotions in hopes that it will cause the seeker to see Jesus as someone who can make life better. If we are to reach the lost, we need to get back to the basics.

Paul Washer exposes the man-made, man-centered methods of the modern church and reminds us of exactly what it is we need... regeneration.



This sort of preaching has drawn me deeper into the Word to discover more truth and regeneration from the Spirit of God. I believe there is a hunger within every Believer for more of God; It's not a matter of trying harder to be a better Christian. It's a matter of being consumed by His Word. Whether you have been saved for years, recently saved or contemplating what it means to be a Christian, these messages from Paul Washer will point you in the right direction and get you back on track to be passionate about God in every area of your life.

~ktf~
John

What Your Vote Says About You

If you vote for a pro-abortion candidate for personal reasons (like economics) that are not more weighty than justice concerns (the wholesale destruction of children), then you are doing something profoundly un-Christian. If this happens often enough, you are either not a Christian or your Christianity completely fails to inform your political life. One wonders if it informs any other aspect of your life as well, and if it doesn't, then by what right do you call yourself a Christian? ~ Gregory Koukl

((more on this topic))
http://www.str.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=5704

Something to think about...

Politics is one of those areas that many people choose to avoid. Sort of like religion. Most consider these to be personal, private areas of concern. As a follower of Christ, we should be concerned and we should be taking a stand for what is right. I think Greg makes a very good point in the quote above... If we claim to be a Christian, do our actions align with what God's Word says?

Contrary to the post-modern church of today, Christians are called to be separate from the world; Not blend, look & act like it. We are to be "salt" and "light" (Matthew 5: 13-16) in order to glorify God and reach the unsaved world. How can we call ourselves a Christian if we ignore (or reject) the truth? Abortion should not be one of those 'gray areas' that we avoid, especially in the political arena. The Bible is VERY clear on this subject therefore, should this not be of great importance when selecting who will be President?

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come. ~ II Corinthians 5: 17


What does it say about a person when they are more concerned with "change" than they are with life?

Just my two cents.



~KTF~
John

The Church Experience

“The devil has seldom done a cleverer thing than hinting to the church that part of their mission is to provide entertainment for the people, with a view to winning them……providing amusement for the people is nowhere spoken of in the Scriptures as a function of the church… The need is for Biblical doctrine, so understood and felt that it sets men aflame.” ~Charles Spurgeon

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
~ Hebrews 4: 12

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
~ II Timothy 3: 16-17

Jesus did not preach lightly; He preached the truth. The apostles didn't adjust their message according to the latest marketing data; They preached the Word. Church should be more than an experience to meet the 'felt needs' of the unchurched seeker. It should be a place where lives are changed. Where a passion is formed in the hearts of believers to bring the Gospel to the world (and not to bring the world into the Church). Being culturally relevant doesn't mean the Word is watered-down or made 'easy' so as not to offend. It should offend to the point of conviction of sin that leads to repentance. It should also take us to our knees, soften our hearts and humble us. In this world of tolerance and diversity, we don't need another feel-good message.
We need to be awakened!!

Why Are We Here?

I believe that every Christian is a disciple, every Christian is a follower of Christ. Some of us are following more faithfully than others, but every true believer has committed himself or herself to follow Jesus Christ. I do believe that as we have seen you can be a follower of Jesus and not be a real Christian....There are some disciples who aren't real, but there are no believers who aren't disciples.

Matthew says make disciples. Mark says preach the gospel. Luke says proclaim repentance for forgiveness and speak of the death and resurrection of Christ. It's all one and the same. The great commission then is to preach the death and resurrection of Christ, preach repentance for the forgiveness of sins, call for faith to make disciples. That sums it all up. The mission of the church is to make disciples, to bring people into an intimate relationship with God through faith in Christ Jesus. Disciples are people who believe the gospel, people who have turned from their sin to embrace the forgiveness of God, people who have had a transformed life so that they are motivated to obey what the Lord has commanded them.
~ John MacArthur


The big question of life is... "Why are we here?" The simple answer is to glorify God. We were not created to simply be happy and enjoy life as much as we can before we die. For the true follower of Christ, there is more to the Christian life than going to church on Sunday or feeding the poor. He commanded us to share the Gospel. Spread the message of repentance and faith. To be "the hands and feet of Jesus" means to be involved with the primary focus of His time on Earth... to reach the lost. Matthew 28: 16-20

We should be absolutely consumed with a passion for the lost. Some say the Gospel is to love others. Some say it's to help the poor. To serve. To sacrifice. To obey. All of those are certainly attributes of a Christian however, these acts of obedience are not the Gospel. By themselves, without the Cross, without repentance, without discipleship, these worthy deeds are simply the social gospel... Making life better on earth for people who are dying and going to hell. There is no greater demonstration of our love for God than to spread the Gospel.

PURPOSE DRIVEN IS NOT ENOUGH

This video is a great example of why we need to be more focused on the Gospel than on finding our purpose in life. The Bible is very clear as to why we are here and what God expects from us. How many unsaved people 'absorbed' the whole 'Purpose Driven Life' program without ever discovering the bigger picture? Unless we first come face to face with the depravity of our sinful condition and the need for a Saviour, fully understanding God's wrath towards sin and the reality of hell, we cannot grasp the concept of why we need to be saved. Without hearing the Gospel of repentance & faith, how can a person understand God's Grace?

A true follower of Christ will already know their 'purpose' in life because they will be 'driven' by that which saved them in the first place. The Gospel message.

One Way: Jesus Christ

"In the end, there can be only One"

In this day and age of acceptance, cultural diversity, tolerance and the postmodern mindset, many people (self-proclaimed Christians included) deny that there can be only one way to Heaven. Since the fall of mankind in the Garden, we have been searching for other ways and rejecting the exclusivity of the Gospel. This Blog is dedicated to sharing Biblical truth in order to share the Gospel as Christ intended it to be. "The Way" is not a man-made religion; It is the way of God. In the Book of Acts, the Way refers to the early Christian church built upon the declaration of Christ in John 14: 6. Everything about Christianity hinges upon this truth.

Jesus made it very clear who He was and how we could get to God. He didn't offer options or leave anything to interpretation according to cultural relevance. He spoke the truth in love and yet, it was offensive to many people then just as it is today. I hope to convey His message through this Blog in ways that will open eyes, soften hearts and encourage others to find Him.

You won't find soft & squishy posts here designed to reach the 'Seeker Sensitive' because according to God's Word, there are none who seek after Him (Romans 3: 10-12).
The Way is not about being 'Purpose Driven'; It's about being Christ-Driven to spread the Gospel of salvation. The emphasis is to reach the lost, not simply spread a 'Social Gospel' that promises happiness or your 'Best Life Now'. I don't have the wisdom of Solomon or the faith of Abraham. I simply have a passion within me to share the truth of the Good News to a lost and dying world.

Christianity is not a complex system of rules or deep theological insights we must discover before we achieve some sort of spiritual awareness. It's about life transformation that starts with recognizing the seriousness of our sinful condition, need for a Saviour and surrendering every area of our lives to God through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. God doesn't promise us the Way will be easy (Matthew 7: 13-14) but He has provided everything we will need to persevere and reach Him. In the end, there will be only One Way.

Jesus Christ is that Way.


~KTF~

John