Watch this short documentary and be shocked at how this false gospel is taking advantage of poor Christians in Africa. Material gain is the central message and it resonates well with the poverty-stricken people there. The Church needs to be aware of this false teaching which has replaced the message of Christ with the message of prosperity.
Monthly Archives: December 2012
Universalism Inflitrating the Post-Modern Church
Universalism is the belief in the doctrine of universal reconciliation, the view that all human beings and all fallen creatures will ultimately be restored to right relationship with God in heaven. Is is unbiblical, and it directly contradicts Jesus’s statement in John 16:4 “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Many of the churches which subscribe to Universalism do not advertise it outward. It’s almost like they know that this is wrong and they are trying to sneak it in. This false doctrine is hidden deep in their theology. Such was the case with Rob Bell and Shane Hipps at their exposure at Mars Hill Bible Church in Michigan.
What is a bit surprising is that the church in the picture above is advertising it in bold letters in front of the church!
Their motto is a verse taken out of context:
“Glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism.” (Romans 2:10-11)
Their statement of faith says:
“We really believe that God is all-loving, and He loves us no matter what religion we belong to. He cares more about our life than our religion. He cares that we love one another and what we intend toward each other… And that is how even non-Christians can be saved, as they love each other and God as they know Him to be, they will in actuality be obeying God’s teachings and laws and therefore will be rewarded according to their heart. That’s what an all-loving God is concerned about, our heart, not our religion.”
This inclusive view comes from the father of lies, he has blinded them by distorting the truth presented in the Bible. Love and acceptance have become the supreme motto of the post-modern church. Concepts like the wrath of God, the justice of God, sin, holiness, Scriptural inerrancy, and most of all Jesus’s message have become completely foreign to them.
This is a warning for the authentic Church. As you visit other churches and hear people preaching religiosity and “god,” analyze for winds of false doctrine.
Pay close attention to statements of faith. Look for key words like “acceptance,” and an overly heavy accent on love. If Christ is not at the center of any church, they are preaching a false gospel.
Jesus is the only way! “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12
Never forget the warning given by apostle Paul in Galatians 1:
6 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— 7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 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! 9 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!
The Commander of the LORD’s Army
The people of Israel have just entered Canaan and have celebrated their first Passover there. The manna from heaven has just ceased to come down. God has just decreed to Joshua that “Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you” and “No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life” Joshua 1:3,5.
Joshua is about to undergo the first military conflict in the promised land (now this is where our modern atheist and agnostic moral relativists interject to accuse God of sanctioning war crimes and atrocities against the ancient Canaanites… more on this later).
As Joshua is getting ready to besiege Jericho, the crown jewel of Canaan, a mysterious yet awesome Person appears to Joshua:
Joshua 5:13 “When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?”
This marks the beginning of a great mystery. Joshua does not know who he is. He is clearly a warrior of great stature as Joshua looks up to see him with his sword drawn. Previously commanded by God to “be strong and courageous” Joshua now inquires if he is one of “us” or one of “our adversaries.”
Surprisingly the mysterious Person answers “No” to the two possibilities presented by Joshua (one of us or one of them):
14a And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the LORD. Now I have come.”
Many commentaries (but not all) ascribe the title of “commander of the army of the LORD” to Christ in this passage. Lets look at the textual evidence pointing towards this Person being the Christ.
- This Person receives worship and He does not stop Joshua from worshiping him.
14b “And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?”” People are strictly prohibited from worshiping other idols, humans (Acts 10:25,26 Cornelius is prevented from worshiping Peter), or even angels (Rev 22:8 John is prevented from worshiping an angel).
- An objection can be noted here. Joshua calls him lord (adon) and not Lord (Adonai) or LORD (YHWH). The word lord (adon) can be used for both divine and non-divine according to Strong’s. Some think the Commander of the army of the Lord is a superior angel like Michael for this reason. However, in an almost corrective manner the Commander clarifies:
15 “And the commander of the LORD’s army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.”
- The Commander uses the same terminology as the great “I AM” in Exodus 3:5 when He commands Moses before the burning bush to remove his sandals because Moses is on holy ground in the presence of God. This supplies overwhelming evidence that the Commander is a divine Person.
In light of Revelation 19 where Jesus, “The Word of God” commands the heavenly armies we interpret that the divine Person appearing to Joshua is none other than the pre-incarnate Christ.
It is a crucial moment where Joshua receives not only approval from God, but the impetus to boldly engage in a war against Canaanites which is to include genocide and infanticide upon their tribes.
Why would God command Joshua to commit such atrocities against women and children in ancient Canaan?
to be continued…
Hated by All in Nigeria
I wrote about the vicious and deadly assaults against Christians in Nigeria here and how westerners cannot fully understand what these martyrs are going through.
This video published by the Voice of the Martyrs USA profiles Suleiman Abdulai, a Nigerian Christian who converted from Islam. His Muslim family urged him to deny Jesus’ name and even tried to kill him before finally disowning him. Although faith in Christ cost Suleiman his family, worldly possessions and reputation, he gained everything by taking up Christ’s cross.
It is eye-opening to see how he describes the mentality of the those practicing Islam in Nigeria.
The video opens with this statement and lays the foundation for the whole interview:
“When you persecute or kill a Christian, there is a place for you in heaven with Allah, so this makes every Muslim want to fulfill their desire to do what the Koran says… it is part of the worship of Islam.”
Theology 101: What is Double Predestination?
A Presbyterian theologian has the following conversation with his colleague:
“You believe in the absolute sovereignty of God, correct?”
“Of course”
“And you believe everything exists and happens for His glory, correct?”
“Yes, I’m a 5-point Calvinist.”
“Then would you be willing to be dammed to reprobation for His glory?”
“…hmm, no”
This absurd and funny conversation embodies some difficulties presented by the doctrine of double predestination. In perhaps the best description of Calvinistic essence, John Calvin defined double predestination in the following statement:
“God preordained, for his own glory and the display of His attributes of mercy and justice, a part of the human race, without any merit of their own, to eternal salvation, and another part, in just punishment of their sin, to eternal damnation.”
What this doctrine basically says is that before the foundations of the world were constructed, before time was created, in His eternal council, God decided that certain humans will be ordained for damnation due to sin while others will be ordained for salvation through grace despite their sin, and nothing will change this.
Everyone wants to know if this is really true. I honestly do not know. Theologians are split on whether God actually and actively predestines humans and angels for hell and each camp provides Scripture to support their position. Famous theologian JI Packer calls such difficult issues a “divine mystery” which may not be meant for us to figure out.
The problem is that extremely difficult questions rise connected to predestination when studying the Word of God in-depth. For example:
“If salvation is absolutely exclusive through faith in Jesus via hearing the Gospel, and it is, then is it possible for a person who lives and dies without access to the Gospel to be saved?”
“If no, and that appears to be the case, then was such a person destined for such an outcome?”
I will provide two passages from the book of Isaiah, the first makes Isaiah look like a double predestinarian, while the second appears to contradict this controversial doctrine. Both are in the context of Israel’s turning away from God:
63:17 “O LORD, why do you make us wander from your ways and harden our heart, so that we fear you not?
And God answers placing responsibility on Israel, highlighting His effort to save Israel, and lamenting over Israel:
65:1 “I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me;
I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me.
I said, “Here am I, here am I,”
to a nation that was not called by my name.
2 I spread out my hands all the day
to a rebellious people,
who walk in a way that is not good,
following their own devices;
3 a people who provoke me
to my face continually,
sacrificing in gardens
and making offerings on bricks;”
On the other hand, in Romans 9 Paul alludes to the real possibility that certain people are created for damnation (keep in mind that he prefaces with a “what if”):
22 “What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— 24 even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?”
However, in perhaps the most powerful passage appearing to contradict predestination to damnation, Jesus laments over those perishing in Jerusalem due to unbelief.
Why would He lament over the outcome of His eternal council if He predestined them to damnation?
37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not!”
To attempt to understand this dichotomy would mean that we must understand the mind of God, and that is not possible. It is perfectly acceptable not to form a strong opinion or any opinion on the issue of double predestination.
Wherever one stands on this doctrine one must clearly understand that human responsibility is found on every page of the Bible regardless of predestination. Even if God predestines, man is 100% responsible.
I do not understand this antinomy so I resign to leave it in the realm of divine mystery.
In Our Season of Joy We Pray for Nigerian Christians
We live in a country where we can still freely worship God without having to worry about losing our physical life, unlike the early Christians and many Christians across the Globe.
In Nigeria, having the courage and fortitude to proclaim the Christian faith means one may ultimately pay with his or her life for such proclamation, especially during major Christian holidays. Such was the case for two Christmas seasons now. Last year 44 Christians were killed while attending church service (report), and two days ago 12 Christians were massacred in two separate church attacks (report). Muslim extremists have made it their life mission and service to their god to accomplish such carnage as directed by their scripture:
9:123 “Believers, fight the unbelievers who are near you. Let them find firmness in you.”
2:193-“Fight against them (unbelievers) until there is no dissension, and the religion is for Allah. Fight until no other religion exists but Islam.”
These facts stand uncontested and we cannot understand their gravity until we put ourselves in the position of these Christian martyrs and their families. Can you imagine singing “Silent Night” during the Christmas Eve service, and all of a sudden having full automatic fire ravaging the audience of worshipers? Or a car bomb blowing up the church? These are daily fears for Nigerian Christians. When they confess Christ as God Incarnate, and His death and resurrection as the only way to salvation, they understand they signed up for possible martyrdom.
They read, understand, and take God’s Word at face value in John 16:2 “a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God.” They understand this verse as none of us can because their neighbors are killing them as a service to Allah.
They understand martyrdom just like Peter understood his upcoming martyrdom. The Lord hinted at this in John 21 when He told Peter:
18 Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” 19 (This he said to show by what kind of death he [Peter] was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”
Just like Peter glorified God with his death by upside down crucifixion, so these Nigerian martyrs glorify God with their last breath. And so year after year, Christmas after Christmas, Easter after Easter, they continue to go to church and worship the God of their salvation despite the threats and possibility of death.
These stories will not make the front page on CNN or Fox News sites. This become the norm in many African and South East Asian countries… it is not extraordinary enough to be worthy of prime time coverage and discussion.
But we know about them. We pray for them and the families left behind. We know they are now with the Lord “and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (Rev 7:17)
In our season of joy, we must pray for these Christian martyrs and their families.
The Christmas Truce
It was December 24, 1914. It has now been months since Europe was engulfed in the deadliest conflict in modern history to date.
Though the Germans had made a strong offensive into France, the French, Belgian, and British forces were able to halt them. But they were not able to push the Germans out of France and a stalemate developed as both sides dug into the earth creating a large network of trenches.
As I read historical accounts of this stalemate I was shocked by the misery these soldiers were enduring under the fog of war. Heavy rain water, mixed with blood and dirt in these trenches was as inescapable as the fear of death itself.
But something amazing happened on Christmas Eve 1914. Under the deep darkness of war created by human depravity and demonic influence, the message of the Gospel broke through in a brief but memorable miracle of modern warfare.
In a well documented event, across many portions of the front lines fighting ceased as British and German soldiers came out of the trenches in the ‘no man’s land,’ congregated, sang carols and even exchanged food items. This lasted several days to the dismay of upper levels of command.
The Christmas Truce was evidence that the message of the Gospel is embodied in the message of Christmas. War, conflict, and hate cannot quench it. It shines through as a beacon of hope.
Even though the world cannot achieve “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding” mentioned by Paul in Philippians 4:7, the world longs for it. Secular as well as pagan preach it without being able to attain it. This peace is given to those who belong to God, those who have been renewed by the Holy Spirit, and those who have accepted the message of Christmas as truth:
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” Luke 2:14
A glimmer of hope on Christmas Eve, 1914 was brought on by remembering the birth of Jesus, and it stood out as an example how the message of the Gospel can bring peace into the world. But unfortunately over 70 million were killed in the two World Wars because the hearts of men were darkened by the evil in them due to their unbelief and rejection of this Gospel.
But as Christians we rejoice because God “made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ” (2 Cor 4:6) and the peace we received is not a just a temporary Christmas Truce, but the evidence of our eternal salvation.
Christ was born! Merry Christmas!
historical accounts:
http://www.1914-1918.net/truce.htm
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
Bethel Romanian Church, Stanton CA – United Choir (Youth, Girls and Kids Choirs)
I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play
And mild and sweet their songs repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men
And the bells are ringing ( Peace on earth)
Like a choir they’re singing (Peace on earth)
In my heart I hear them ( Peace on earth)
Peace on earth, good will to men
And in despair I bowed my head
There is no peace on earth I said
For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men
But the bells are ringing (Peace on earth)
Like a choir singing (Peace on earth)
Does anybody hear them? (Peace on earth)
Peace on earth, good will to men
Then rang the bells more loud and deep
God is not dead, nor does He sleep (He is The Lord)
(He is The Lord)
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men
Then ringing singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good will to men
And the bells they’re ringing (Peace on earth)
Like a choir they’re singing (Peace on earth)
And with our hearts we’ll hear them (Peace on earth)
Peace on earth, good will to men
Do you hear the bells they’re ringing?
They’re like the angels singing
Open up your heart and hear them
Peace on earth, good will to men
Peace on earth, Peace on earth
Peace on earth, Good will to men
I AM Love
I am not ‘passers by’
I am not a white lie
I am not left to die
I am love, I am love
I am not feeling sad
I am not the new fad
I am not quickly mad
I am love, I am love
You can try to hide
You can try to run
But you’ll never run far enough
This is my flesh, this is my blood
And I am love
You can fly up high
You can dig down deep
You can flee to the west
You can flee to the east
But you can’t escape what I’ve done
Cause I am love
I am not standing by
I am not letting go
I am not leaving you
I am love, I am love
My blood fell like rain
I did not bleed in vain
But from my veins
I am love
Is “Christianity Today” Christian?
I have tried to follow the magazine Christianity Today (CT), but every other time I read an article there it seems like it is written either from a secular standpoint or by someone who might not be a Christian. Really nice image being portrayed by a so-called Christian magazine…
Case and point, the editors just came out with their 2012 CT Music Awards. I love Christian music, so I was excited to see check out the top Christian artists of the year. But the top 12 albums of the year include names like Bruce Springsteen, Bonnie Rait, and Bob Dylan.
Most of the names there are secular with the blasphemous Springsteen leading the pack. His famous concert tirades mocking Christians and mocking God are now being rewarded by CT with a top 12 status! Reformed rapper Lecrae somehow made it at the bottom of the list. 🙂 This is the explanation for their choices:
“Our annual best albums list includes the usual mix of clearly Christian and “secular” music. The loosely defined criteria for making the cut is essentially this: The album should indicate some sort of spiritual search, a quest for life’s meaning. Sometimes the music comes from an orthodox Christian worldview, and sometimes not.”
It is no longer about a quest for the God revealed in the Bible… the Bible that Christians from Christianity Today should believe as God’s inerrant and infallible Word. It is now about “some sort of spiritual search.” Is Christianity now reduced to Universalism?
This is just a symptom of the counterfeit Christianity prevalent in CT.
CT’s stance on homosexuality is readily apparent by the large amount of articles with relatively friendly positions toward the gay agenda. They frequently include topics on gay membership in church and ordination of gays in ministry.
They have previously endorsed a definition of marriage as that being between a man and a woman, but with lukewarm stipulations: “Far more than the protection of the legal definition of marriage, our society needs a fresh understanding of marriage.” A fresh understanding? Really? I guess what Moses wrote in Genesis and what Paul and Peter write in the New Testament about marriage is too old fashion.
The Bible calls on believers to separate themselves from the world, because as Jesus said even though we are in the world we are “not of the world.” We cannot follow CT’s example in endorsing positions that require us to have to serve two masters. Since Dylan is on their top 12 list maybe they should listen to his song “Gotta Serve Somebody.” Since Paul quotes a pagan poet in Acts 17, I will quote Dylan here to prove this point:
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You’re gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody
The words of apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 6 ring truer then ever in this era when the church is increasingly mixing with the world:
“14…For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? 16What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God”
I question if Christianity Today is really Christian.
Delight in Truth 