Tag Archives: Jesus

Mar 12 2013

Our Worship Joins the Worship in the Spiritual Realm

The book of Hebrews contains some of the deepest and most controversial passages in the Bible.

For example, Hebrews 6 offers a brutal and unanesthetized warning against apostasy stating that those who commit the sin of apostasy cannot be “renewed” to eternal life.  Also, Hebrews 11 is a beautiful commentary on faith, and how the saints of the Old Testament are saved through faith in the future Christ.

But Hebrews 12 may be one of the deepest passages on spiritual worship, and what it really means to present ourselves before the Consuming Fire in a correct worship attitude.

Unlike the Israelites who came to a physical mountain to witness God’s display, the writer says:

Hebrews 12:22-24 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

The believer must come to this amazing realization and shutter!

When we come before God in worship, whether at church, at home, at work, in your car (yes, while driving!), we must recognize the fact that we join a continuous worship taking place in the spiritual realm.

  1. We come into a spiritual sanctuary called Mount Zion, the “city of the living God,” and the “heavenly Jerusalem.”  This is not an earthly cathedral, a modern sanctuary with the latest media support and state of the art sound system, or a house meeting.  This is a spiritual place where worship happens in spirit and truth at any hour of the day.  As children of God, we always have access to this place when we enter in worship.
  2. We are not alone when we worship.  The ESV translation states that “innumerable angels” join our praise and worship in a special kind of gathering, a festive gathering, one of celebration and joy. Revelation 5:11 quotes such a high number of angels in worship, that we cannot discern it: “myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands!”  Mediate on that the next time you bow your head and pray!
  3. When we engage in authentic worship we also join in the “assembly of the firstborn,” who are in heaven.  The firstborn are those saints who have passed away and are now with the LORD.
  4. We also come together with the “spirits of the righteous made perfect…” that is we join other believers who have had righteousness imputed to them by the grace of God through their faith in Jesus.  We are  not alone!
  5. We come to the “sprinkled blood,” that is we are able to come before the “throne of grace” via the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus, via the shedding of His blood.  That is how humans are able to join this heavenly multitude in spiritual worship.
  6. But ultimately we joint to “God, the judge of all” and to “Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant.”  He is the reason for such a festive spiritual worship event, He is the One who creates the opportunity for such, and He is the  one who mediates our participation in such worship!

Next time you feel down due to the pressures of this world, remember to join the worship in the spiritual realm and “offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.”  Heb 12:28-29

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Mar 8 2013

Theology 101: Angels and Our Relationship to Them

Angels are created, spiritual beings with moral judgment and high intelligence, but without physical bodies (1).

The Bible makes it clear that these heavenly creatures take a particular interest in us.  Apostle Peter tells us in 1 Peter 1:10-12 that there are  “things into which angels long to look,” things that have to do with the grace and manner in which God provides salvation to humans.  This is a fascinating process for them, as they are unable to experience  redemption first hand which involves the greatest event in the universe, the death and resurrection of Christ.

The writer to the Hebrews makes a powerful statement about angels joining us in spiritual worship when he states that we “have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God…”

The Bible also tells that angels can take human form and interact with us.  “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares” Hebrews 13:2. This verse encourages us to minister to others who may truly be “angels” of whom we are “unaware.”

Scripture also makes it clear that angels can convey physical protection for us.  An angel send by God shut the mouth of the lions in the den where Daniel was thrown. An angel delivered Peter from prison. Angels also came and ministered to Jesus after His temptation.

When we find ourselves in life and death situations and suddenly find that we are able to make it out untouched, we can certainly consider that an angel send by God perhaps rescued us.  When you avoided that car accident in a miraculous way, or something made you turn around to catch your baby just in the nick of time, that may have been God ministering to you via an invisible angel…

There is strong biblical support for this. “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.” Psalm 91:11-12

And then there is one of my favorite verses about the relationship between children and angels: “See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.”  I find the phrase “their angels” fascinating.  It results that children have angels assigned to them, and these creatures are continually also in the presence of God.

These concepts on the doctrine about angels as well as the verses supporting them can serve as great comfort for believers, knowing that God uses such means to protect us and our loved ones.

(1) Grudem, Wayne 1994; Systematic Theology; pp. 405-406

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Mar 7 2013

Rob Bell and… Other Ways of Understanding God

Rob Bell is baaaaack… and is promoting his new book What We Talk About When We Talk About God in the video below.

The former pastor of Mars Hill mega church compares God to a Oldsmobile he used to drive in his youth, charging that historic Christianity is no longer relevant for our generation.  The punch line in the video promo comes toward the end when the says: “Is God going to be left behind like Oldsmobiles? I don’t think so, because I believe there are other ways, better ways of talking about God, understanding God, because I believe God is with us, and for us.”

At this point Rob needs a cold shower to wake him from the stupor of false teaching.  Be aware of anyone who claims to have a new way of presenting Jesus and his Gospel, because Jude tells us in Jude 1:3  “I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.”  

There is no “other ways” of understanding God as Bell claims.  God does not conform to the image of the modern generation, nor will He allow Himself to be dragged through the distortion of relevance by Universalists like Bell.

He states that God is “inviting and pulling us, all of us, into a better future than we can ever imagine.”

That sounds so good, so exciting, so relevant, but the truth is that such as statement is a lie from the depths of hell!  I believe Universalism, that is the idea that in the end God will save everyone, is one of the biggest threats to those Christians who are not grounded in Scripture.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Everyone unfortunately will not be saved, and this is due to lack of saving faith in Jesus.

Watch the video below and be aware of the false doctrine of Universalism.

Mar 5 2013

Dilation and Evacuation: Raw, Real and Evil

I am beginning to devote a considerable portion of Delight in Truth to the Pro Life cause because the Spirit of life, the One who raised Jesus from the grave, the One who gives life (Romans 8:11) to our mortal bodies is Pro Life.

I am posting in the video below the testimony of Dr. Anthony Levatino, a board certified Ob-Gyn who used to perform abortions and who became Pro Life after his daughter was struck and killed by a car.

He said: “If you haven’t gone through that kind of tragedy, you don’t have a clue. You may think you can imagine it, but trust me: You have no idea what it’s like to lose a child, in any way.”

Seeing his daughter die was so traumatic for him, that he began seeing abortion as the violent death of someone’s son or daughter, and he became a Pro Life activist.

The video contains a short clinical description of what a dilation and evacuation around minute 2:45.

The ending is bound to leave a mark in your soul.

Feb 28 2013

The Bible Has Gone Hollywood

Or perhaps Hollywood has gone… biblical?

Hollywood has a long history of digging into biblical story lines to come up with epic productions like Ben Hur, The Ten Commandments, and The Passion of the Christ.  And now, Hollywood mega couple Roma Downey and Mark Burnett (producer of popular shows like Survivor) have come up with the highly acclaimed and well reviewed miniseries “The Bible,” which will run this Spring on the History Channel.

The docudrama will present 10 episodes with major stories from the Old and the New Testament, and evangelicals like Rick Warren are not only endorsing it, but Rick Warren himself is presenting a preview and a behind-the-scenes look at the series.

Unlike Rick Warren, I personally do not endorse Hollywood efforts depicting aspects of the Judeo-Christian faith and stories from the Bible.  This is a personal decision, and I understand that many Christians are eager to promote movies such as The Passion in an effort to extend the Kingdom of God.

There are several reasons why I do not get excited about these projects, and have serious reservations about recommending them:

1. I have a difficult time receiving a Bible story, especially one that encapsulates the gospel, told by directors and actors who do not know the LORD.  Some may know the LORD, but I suspect that their numbers are very low, or perhaps almost non-existent.  Again, this is a personal stumbling block for me.  Generically speaking, how can an actor “become” a depraved character in one movie, and then turn around and depict Christ in the next movie?  How can a depraved director depict for us the inspired word of Scripture in a film?

2. Every year around Easter and Christmas (I stopped watching TV for the last few years but I assume the trend continues) the Discovery Channel and History Channel present shows about Jesus and various aspects of our faith which are plain wrong.  Various forms of heresies are presented mixed in with fragments of truth as was the case with the all the shows surrounding the Gospel of Judas and the Da Vinci Code a few years ago. Moreover, authorities from all kind of backgrounds are interviewed, from Universalists, to Catholics, to atheist historians who weigh in on Christian doctrine, and these are people who do not know the LORD.  Having been illuminated by the Holy Spirit to understand God’s Word, it becomes a difficult exercise watching these “everyone-has-an-opinion” on the Bible shows.

3. Many of these shows and movies are not done with the intent of spreading the gospel message but with the intent to make money.  Lots of money.  The masses of Christians out there soak these projects up like they are supposed to soak up the real thing: God Word.  For example, the Passion of the Christ is the highest grossing R-rated movie of all time (yes R-rated in the same sentence as Christ).  It made $600 million just during its theatrical release, and many millions since then.  Producers are getting very wealthy from these “Christian” films.

4.  The gospel message and the Word of God as a form of entertainment is a turn-off for me.  Many Christians do not have a problem with this aspect, but the Holy Spirit speaks to me when I read Scripture, and I feel that the Word is profaned when the depraved of this world take advantage of it to create films… whatever their motives are.

So, starting next week I will not hold my breath for “The Bible” miniseries to entertain me.  “The Bible,” the real thing, is sitting right here on my desk ready to receive my delight.  It’s a delight in truth.

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Feb 22 2013

Could Jesus Culture Be More Popular Than Jesus Christ?

Following a provocation by Todd Friel from “Wretched” (here)I dared to Google “Jesus C” and observe the prompt choices that come up. The first choice in my browser’s search bar was “Jesus Culture” followed by “Jesus Christ.”

Through no fault of their own, at least by this metric, the band Jesus Culture has become more searchable and popular than Jesus Christ. Many young Christians are aware of who they are and probably listen to their worship music.  Jesus Culture is way bigger then Hillsong was in their prime (early to mid 2000’s) or any other worship band.  Ever.

They are part of the New Apostolic Reformation charismatic movement out of Redding, CA based at Bill Johnson’s church, whose theology is very focused on the mandate given to the 12 disciples in Matthew 10:  heal the sick, raise the dead and exorcise the demon-possessed.  That, and also establish God’s kingdom in Redding.

The question is why are they so popular? I’ve done some research on this including attending their conference in Los Angeles (mostly out of curiosity) and try to analyze this phenomenon. I personally believe that a pure gospel message based on the cross would not bring a band to this level of popularity.

The music is well done from an artistic stand point but this alone does not explain it. While many of their songs do have an uplifting message (some are not written by them), the lyrics are mostly your usual modern worship lyrics centered on what God does for us, and NOT Who God is… So the lyrics do not necessarily explain the Jesus Culture phenomenon.

The answer is that Jesus Culture popularity has to do with the package they have become.

1. In their interviews and concerts they are focused on promoting “deep encounters” with God and experimental trance-like scenarios built around receiving power and baptism with fire. At the Los Angeles concert they performed a maneuver where after a 10 minute instrumental and light show build-up to a climax, everything suddenly stopped, the crowd went nuts and received power on command from the speaker who declared “receive it, receive it, receive it.” This transfer of power is practiced in the “tunnel of fire” at their church as well. Wild expressions of ecstasy on command from the speaker were common throughout the event.

2. They advertise “new experience” when attending their conferences. This makes them highly attractive for those who seek this type of physical stimulation of the senses. We live in a world which loves sensational experiences, and Jesus Culture provides that. For example vocalist Kim Walker’s testimony of her physical/metaphysical encounter with Jesus is astounding (here, starting at minute 28). It sounds like a description of a scene from a badly made 80’s movie, where she hugs Jesus and presses Him to answer how much He loves her, and whether she was really meant to be a girl and not a boy.  For comparison… a look back at the encounter Paul had with Jesus on the way to Damascus which left him as dead, reveals a completely different type of encounter than the one experienced by Kim.

3. Another reason for their popularity is the fact that their message and conferences have nothing to do with repentance, the new birth, and the cross. Instead the message is focused on power. Power to perform miracles, heal the sick, raise the dead, etc. That is attractive! It makes the followers feel good, and it empowers them, but  in a misleading way.

So, the question will come up… Should we listen to this music because after all, the sound or the lyrics are not different from Hillsong and Gateway?

Can one can separate the recording from the band’s theology and practice, and be edified by songs with a biblical message like “There is power in the name of Jesus to break every chain…?”  One has to use his discerning ability and decide for himself.  I will personally never attend another Jesus Culture event, and I will warn the youth about their practices.

But if you really love this music and want to listen to it, I strongly caution you not to get sucked into the bad theology and mystical practice of Jesus Culture.

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Feb 19 2013

There Is Nothing New in NBC’s Mocking of Jesus

What was NBC thinking?

What was Saturday Night Live (SNL) thinking when they mocked Jesus Christ in this skit (here) this past weekend? What possible reason could they have in doing this?

For the purpose of entertaining the masses, SNL/NBC is portraying Jesus as a revengeful post-resurrection Christ out on a murderous spree. There is gory, blasphemous killing and blood spilling everywhere to the delight and comic relief of the studio audience.  How low will NBC go to mock our Savior?

Dear Christians, this is nothing new.

NBC is merely borrowing an old Satanic technique showing that depravity and mockery are siblings.

Evangelist Luke tells us in chapter 22 how they mocked Jesus after His arrest:

63 The men who were guarding Jesus began mocking and beating him. 64 They blindfolded him and demanded, “Prophesy! Who hit you?”

And Matthew details in chapter 27:

28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. 30 They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again.

NBC, enticed by Satan to obtain comedic value and ratings out of mocking Jesus, decided to go ahead and broadcast this clip for the world to see.  Unfortunately for them,  this clip will serve as eternal evidence on Judgement Day, evidence which will convict them before God.

Imagine if NBC/SNL did a skit linking Islam’s Mohammed to such images or to pedophilia.   They wouldn’t dare do such a thing because they fear for their lives.  They know that Christians respond differently from the followers of Mohammed, and that Christians do not respond violently to the mocking of their faith.

Should we be offended and protest against NBC?  No.  This is expected.  The work of Christ is based on mockery and death.  That is how he took our sins upon Himself, and apostle Paul teaches us that we must identify ourselves with the sufferings of Christ as we are united with Christ and hidden in Him.

Satan will continue to mock Jesus.

The world will do the same.

By doing this they will mock His followers as well, which will continue and intensify until His glorious return.

Feb 18 2013

Abortion Tragedy Strikes Again in Maryland

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The older I get and the more I follow the Pro-Life movement and learn about these cases, the more I polarize myself against the abhorrent practice of killing the unborn.

So I write articles such as this one to educate the visitors of Delight in Truth about what the forces of evil are doing with abortion, and how a spiritual war has real and physical consequences.

The case of 29-year-old Jennifer McKenna-Morbelli, a teacher from New Rochelle, N.Y., who recently died after suffering massive complications following an abortion is truly striking.

There are two crazy events in this story.  First, a healthy young woman died as a result of massive hemorrhage stemming from abortion.  Second, the abortion involved a nearly FULL-TERM baby who could have survived without life support if he/she would have just been delivered by induction of labor.

The tragedy is grounded in the fact that a mother and child are dead, when both could have been alive by a delivery instead of an abortion.

That is the main story.  While the act of killing a nearly full term baby is an abomination, the details of the case are troubling as well.  New York is a liberal hot spot for abortion activists, but even New York will not allow the abortion of a late-term baby unless the life of the mother is in imminent danger.  As a result, the young mother and wife traveled to Maryland where abortion laws are even more lax, and where a very late-term abortion can be performed if the baby develops an “abnormality.”

Medical points are beyond the scope of this article, but a fetal abnormality (usually genetic) does not develop in the third trimester.  It develops from early in the pregnancy, and while I do not know the fetal ultrasound details of the case, it is unlikely that all of sudden, one finds a new fetal abnormality at 33 weeks gestation.

The fact that Maryland allows for such late-term abortion is detestable.

LeRoy Carhart, the abortion doctor who performed this particular abortion has had other such instances where young mothers have died as a result of his abortions, and he is currently being investigated and hopefully suspended soon.  A late-term abortion is risky procedure to begin with, and incompetent physicians who may be performing these procedures only compound the risk.

I continue to hold that abortion medicine  is a creepy field to be practicing in, and the vast majority of Ob-Gyn doctors do not want participate in it.  As a result we are have very old doctors (from the Roe v Wade) era still doing these procedures with added risk to patients.

I feel sorry for the family who lost two lives instead of none, and I will not invoke divine punishment in this case for the choices made because that is up to God.

But the Word of God is clear when it states that the shedding of innocent blood (abortion) of a nearly full term infant is an abomination in his sight. One of the seven things that the LORD hates is listed in Proverbs 6:

16 There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: 17 …hands that shed innocent blood…”

But the good news is that even the sin of abortion can be atoned for in the sacrifice of Christ.   If you were involved in an abortion and shed innocent blood, Jesus Christ can take that sin upon Himself and you can be made righteous before God, if you repent and believe in Him!  The cross is the only hope for any sinner.  That is the ultimate place where the grace and love of God meet the justice of God, and the sinner becomes a child of God.

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Feb 8 2013

Witnessing to the Jehovah’s Witnesses (part 1)

How does a born-again Christian kindly turn the tables and witness to a self-proclaimed Jehovah’s witness (JW)?

Jehovah’s witnesses are the folks who come to your door and proclaim their understanding of the kingdom of God in a way that is not consistent with orthodox Christianity.

One of their most important doctrinal points has to do with denying the divinity of Jesus and the Holy Spirit, therefore denying the Trinity.  They believe that Jesus was a created being just like Satan and the archangel Michael, and the Holy Spirit is a mere force.

There are also many other secondary doctrinal heresies involving earning salvation, failed end times predictions (see photo above), and bizarre eschatological and apocalyptic teaching.

When discussing the Bible with JWs, I highly recommend to first and foremost focus on the Person of Jesus and His divinity. That should be the center of your witnessing.  Everything else like deconstructing the failed apocalyptic predictions, and the unbiblical decrees of their society, should be used as plan B. The reason you must focus on Jesus is that you must minister to them almost like to an unbeliever.

It is important to know that they use the New World Translation of the Bible, a specific JW Bible which has key verses like John 1:1 altered to fit their theology.

In this post as well as upcoming posts we will focus on the divinity of Jesus arguments. Your goal will be to show that Jesus is the same as the Jehovah revealed in the Old Testament, part of the Godhead. Anytime we see the name LORD (all caps) in the OT, it comes from the Hebrew word YHWH, and it can also be named Jehovah in English, and we will show that LORD applies to Jesus.

Let us start off with the “first and the last” argument. Here are two powerful verses from Isaiah spoken by the LORD (YHWH):

Isaiah 44:6 “Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.”

Isaiah 48:12 “Listen to me, O Jacob, and Israel, whom I called! I am he; I am the first, and I am the last.”

There are at least three places in Revelation where we can ascribe the title “the first and the last” to Jesus, as it is ascribed to Jehovah. For example, in Revelation 22 in the setting of the Second Coming, Jesus speaks by the angel:

12“Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done. 13I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

16“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”

Isaiah 42:8 also tells us “I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another,” another powerful statement that the LORD does not share His Name with anyone. In light of fact that Jesus calls Himself “the first and the last,” and in light of the fact that the LORD also gives Himself that name, we must conclude that Jesus is the LORD (YHWH).

to be continued…

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Jan 29 2013

PRIDE is the Root Cause of Evil

Yesterday was a sad day in our community.  The murderous spirit of Cain visited one of my medical colleagues in the form of an elderly man who shot and killed the doctor inside his medical office.

The perpetrator is in custody and he will pay for his crime.

But why? Why do humans kill other humans? Why do we harbor hate, greed, lust, pride, jealousy, revenge, and so many evil emotions?  Why do we lash out, revile, and follow our instincts to commit violence and so many other sins?

I believe the Word of God gives us the best answer to these difficult questions in Genesis 3.

All the evil intentions of man’s heart come down to one sin: PRIDE.

Before the original sin of disobedience by Adam and Eve there was the sin of pride.  The fall of Lucifer was based on this sin, and he kindled the same evil emotion in Adam’s heart, which eventually led Adam to disobey and fall. Pride made Lucifer desire to be like God, and the serpent enticed Adam and Eve with the same prospect.  Pride was born when Adam wanted to share God’s attributes, and human beings have been sinful ever since.

Pride is a product that is at the center of the human SELF.

Pride leads to hate because the SELF cannot bear when someone else is better than the SELF, or someone is a threat to the SELF.

Pride leads to greed because the intense desire to accumulate wealth and power satisfy the SELF, which further amplify pride… and the vicious cycle continues.

Pride uses lust to fan the SELF.  We are establishing a common theme here.  The SELF will stop at nothing to make the SELF the center of the universe.

Pride generates jealousy because the SELF is threatened by someone else’s achievement.

Pride wants revenge.  “I’ll show him I am the best…” And revenge can lead to murder.

Pride causes violence.  The SELF must be satisfied at all cost, and violence against others is a justification of the prideful SELF.

Even the “temporarily insane” who murder others get to that point because pride has driven them to obsession, compulsion and lack of logic.

Whatever the motive for this murderous act, the root cause was pride.  The SELF needed to perform this act to meet a revengeful, hateful, jealous, obsessive or whatever desire…

Can you imagine a world without pride?

There is only one man who did not experience the sin of pride, nor any other sin.  He is Jesus Christ.  And everything He did was the polar opposite of the evil things I listed above.

He substituted meekness for pride.  Instead of hatred He loved.  Instead of committing violence or reviling he allowed Himself to be violated and mocked.  He undid greed by giving Himself away.  He did all this to save His children, to undo the damage that pride has done in their lives.

Without the introduction of PRIDE, this world would have continued to be a perfect world.  But one day I believe Jesus will make things perfect again.