Hate Well

It is a tremendous failing of the last century to focus only on the love of God, for without knowing what he hates it is impossible to truly know him. If I tell you that I love Mexican Food, puppy dogs, motorcycles, and God, then you get a basic understanding of who I am, but the details are largely lost. If you find out I hate socialism, capitalism, infanticide, and blasphemy, you learn a lot more about me.

You learn far more about a person (and God) by what they hate than what they love. To only know what someone loves is to know very little about them. One place this has been exacerbated is in the translation of love in the Bible, four different Greek words translate love (biblical: Agape, Phileo, Storge; extrabiblical: Eros), and another can mean love (Thelema) but is never translated that way, and they are considerably separated from one another. A parent loves their child in a radically different way than I love Mexican food. By associating eros with love in our culture, the love between a husband and wife, Jesus Christ has become the great cosmic girlfriend of the United States. The King James translators recognized that they were translating a lot of words as love and that all of those words didn’t mean the same thing, so much so that they began, in many places, to translate agape love as charity instead of love. Charity is an infinitely better translation for agape than love, and we’ll look at why a little later.

This “God is Love” (God is not love, God is charity) culture has lead to an idolatrous pagan worship of a tender loving jesus christ who shares none more in common with the Faithful and True God than a name. If God loves you just the way you are, then beloved, you have no reason to change. But if God hates you just the way you are, then there is a call to action on the part of the sinner to be reconciled to God.

But does God hate you just the way you are? God hates the lawbreaker (Psalm 5:5), he is angry with the wicked everyday (Psalm 7:11), he hates not only the one who sheds blood (Proverbs 6:16-19), but also the one who loves violence. (Psalm 11:5) Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord (Proverbs 12:22); God hates you just the way you are.

But that’s the Old Testament God, the New Testament God is this lovey-dovey God who has nothing in common with that vengeful God of the Old Testament…Beloved, read your New Testament. Jesus Christ is exalted on his throne forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of his kingdom, he has loved righteousness, and he has hated wickedness. (Hebrews 1:8-9) Lest you kiss the Son, you will perish in the way. (Psalm 2:12, Luke 13:1-5) One of the most glorious pictures of Christ’s perfect wrath is found in Isaiah 63,

Who is this who comes from Edom, in crimsoned garments from Bozrah, he who is splendid in his apparel, marching in the greatness of his strength?

"It is I, speaking in righteousness, mighty to save."

Why is your apparel red, and your garments like his who treads in the winepress?

"I have trodden the winepress alone, and from the peoples no one was with me; I trod them in my anger and trampled them in my wrath; their lifeblood spattered on my garments, and stained all my apparel. For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and my year of redemption had come. I looked, but there was no one to help; I was appalled, but there was no one to uphold; so my own arm brought me salvation, and my wrath upheld me. I trampled down the peoples in my anger; I made them drunk in my wrath, and I poured out their lifeblood on the earth." (Compare Revelation 14:14-20)

On the Day of Wrath, as the song says, he will trample out the vineyards where the grapes of wrath are stored. On that day the murderer and the rapist will be punished, but so will the reviler and the swindler, the liar and the thief, the gossip and the self-righteous, the coward and the unbeliever. Beloved, Jesus hates you just the way you are, and lest you repent, such will be your fate.

But what about that song? Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so. The Bible tells no such thing, it is a dastardly translation of agape and one that has murdered souls. Agape is a sacrificial lovingkindness offered freely without prior instigation or promise of recompense, in other words, Charity. The song would be much better sung,

Jesus has a long-suffering sacrificial lovingkindness towards me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.

And Jesus does have charity towards everyone, but do not presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, for this kindness is meant to lead you to repentance, otherwise the wrath you are storing up to be revealed on the Day of Wrath will be poured out upon you.

If you want to know how much God hates sin and sinners, you need look no farther than Calvary’s cross, at which time the Lord of Glory, though God in every way, humbled himself to obedience to die on a cross, forsaken and crushed by his Just and Holy Father who was pleased beyond all measure to pour out his wrath upon his only begotten Son, who was made the embodiment of our sins and God held nothing back. John Flavel, of Puritan fame, expressed it this way in his presumption of speaking on eternity's eve,

Father: My son, here is a company of poor miserable souls, that have utterly undone themselves, and now lie open to my justice! Justice demands satisfaction for them, or will satisfy itself in the eternal ruin of them: What shall be done for these souls?

Son: O my Father, such is my love to, and pity for them, that rather than they shall perish eternally, I will be responsible for them as their Surety; bring in all thy bills, that I may see what they owe thee; Lord, bring them all in, that there may be no after-reckonings with them; at my hand shalt thou require it. I will rather choose to suffer thy wrath than they should suffer it: upon me, my Father, upon me be all their debt.

Father: But, my Son, if thou undertake for them, thou must reckon to pay the last mite, expect no abatements; if I spare them, I will not spare thee.

Son: Content, Father, let it be so; charge it all upon me, I am able to discharge it: and though it prove a kind of undoing to me, though it impoverish all my riches, empty all my treasures, yet I am content to undertake it.

Calvary’s cross is the epitome of God’s hatred against sinners, all of the torments of Hell everlasting were demonstrated during six agonizing hours on the bruised and bloody Messiah. Recount his agony at the separation from his Father in Psalm 69,

Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me. I am weary with my crying out; my throat is parched. My eyes grow dim with waiting for my God.

and Psalm 22,

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest.

The face of God was turned from his Son, unable to look upon sin, Christ was abandoned by the God from whom all good things flow, so that in this perfect sacrifice, once for all, the Just for the unjust, the Christian will never know this hellish separation. While we were alienated from God and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, Christ has reconciled us in his body of flesh through his death. (Colossians 1:21-22) In this reconciliation, the Christian is adopted into the family of God into the love of the Father, but what kind of love? Storge love, an unconditional love demonstrated from parents to children. The Christian is also privy to Phileo love with the Son, a love demonstrated between siblings. As many as Christ philo's he also rebukes and chastens (Revelation 3:19), refining the Christian away from sin towards purity and holiness. (1 John 3:3, Hebrews 12:14) The Father also thelema's (loves/desires) the Christian's sanctification. (1 Thessalonians 4:3)

So, in our emulation of Christ, are we to love sin and sinners and keep hatred from our hearts? Heaven forbid! Emulate the Living Christ in a hatred of sin, hating even, as Jude exhorts, the garment stained by their sin. (Jude 23) True love is this: Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. (Romans 12:9) David said it best,

Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God! O men of blood, depart from me! They speak against you with malicious intent; your enemies take your name in vain!

Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you? I hate them with complete hatred; I count them my enemies. – Psalm 139:19-22

Leave all action up to God, do not hate in action, instead Paul exhorts thusly,

Never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." To the contrary "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. – Romans 12:19-21

Genuine love is a hatred of evil, it is a godly and holy love which hates the sinner for his sins against Heaven, and in this we must emulate Jesus Christ that we be patient and kind towards our enemies in hopes that they believe and are saved, not on their own merits, but on his. Even when the wicked boast and all of their thoughts are towards, “There is no God” (Psalm 10:4), we have a promise from God,

They will say, "Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation." For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.

But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. – 2 Peter 3:4-9

When God's lovingkindness towards a person runs out, then Christ will with an overflowing flood make a complete end of his adversaries, and will pursue his enemies into the darkness. (Nahum 1) God hates sinners, so ought we, but similarly we should extend reconciliation, as he does, because but for the grace of God, there go we.

Repent, and believe the Gospel, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.

What is the Gospel?

Jesus said that out of the mouth, the heart professes. It is not much of a leap at all to say that if you cannot articulate the Gospel, then your heart is in bad shape, and you have this promise that "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." If your heart is anything but pure, you will not see God.

The Apostle Paul noticed the problem in the Southern Region of Galatia, to include Lystra, Iconium, and Pisydian Antioch, that they had lost the Gospel. His Epistle to correct the problem is the only one which does not include a thanksgiving for the church.

Beloved, if you lose the Gospel, you lose everything, you become anathema; condemned, lost, and doomed. So what is the Gospel?

Is it that God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life? No.
Is it that God wants to have a relationship with you? No.
Is it that God created you with free-will to choose him? Heaven forbid!

Beloved, each of these has resulted in multitudes diving head-first into Hell expecting their idolatrous god to catch them...just because their made up god's name was jesus christ, that does not mean that he was mighty to save, just that he shared a name with Lord of Glory. There is only one Righteous God and Saviour, who besides him there is no Saviour.

If Paul was going to call the churches in Galatia condemned, then what ought he do? He should give a crystal clear Gospel presentation in order to correct those deceived and deceiving in Galatia.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. -Galatians 1:3-5 ESV

Let's break it down into its parts:

What?
Grace to you from God... Grace is unmerited favor, that when we did not love God, he loved us. We had transgressed the Law of God, and justice called for our recompense, which when considered that the sin was against an infinite God, the punishment must also be infinite. Had we received mercy, we would have been given a reprieve from Hell but denied access to Heaven and God. Grace has made us more than conquerors, being made inheritors with Christ of every good thing, including a place at the table of the Lord.

Peace from God... We are by nature enemies of righteousness, storing up wrath for ourselves to be revealed from Heaven on the day of wrath, using God's name as a curse word to express our animosity towards him. Jesus Christ said that when we lie, we are proving that we are of our father the devil, for he is a liar, and the father of lies, and our will is bound to his to do what he desires.

Being an enemy of God is not a good place to be; fear not him who can only kill the body, but do fear him who after killing the body, is able to kill the soul in Hell, yes, fear him. He has sharpened his sword against the unrepentant, he has bent his bow with flaming arrows at his enemies. He has promised to make a complete end of his adversaries, and will pursue his enemies into the darkness. (Nahum 1)

Paul put it beautifully to Colosse, that we were alienated and hostile in mind towards God, doing evil deeds, but he has now reconciled us. In Romans 5, if we have been justified, then we are declared to have peace with God through Jesus Christ.

Who?
God our Father... Once justified, with grace and peace, we are adopted into the family of God. God is the just judge who will by no means clear the guilty. He is a jealous God, a consuming fire, his glory will not be shared, he hates sin and sinners (Psalm 11:5, Proverbs 6:16-19), and yet he is a good stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.

Jesus Christ... The Lord of Glory, uncreated, perfect, sinless, holy, pure, God manifest in the flesh, a coequal Person of the Triune Godhead, the judge of righteousness; he holds the keys of death and Hell. He was dead, but he is alive; he was despised, but at the final trumpet, at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. He too hates sin and sinners. (Hebrews 1:8-9)

How?
Jesus Christ gave himself for our sins to deliver us... We were undone, a people of unclean lips, woe to us, we were without hope! We had sinned against Heaven and our souls were the cost. But Jesus Christ, under no obligation to save sinners or even associate with them, stepped out of Heaven, humbling himself to be born in a cave and laid in a feeding trough, then he lived a perfect sinless life, tempted in every way possible but never succumbing, and then humbled himself to death on a cross. The wrath of God was pointed at us in the form of flaming arrows when Jesus Christ took those arrows willingly, and the Father held nothing back and it pleased him to crush his only begotten Son who was made sin for us, because God hates sin and will not allow it into his presence.

In his death we have found peace, in his resurrection we have found life. When we are buried with him in death, the death of our old self, and raised to walk with him in newness of life, his life, then we are delivered. We are reborn, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

from this present evil age... The system in which God is patient towards all mankind, not that he is slack in his promises, but if he did kill all sinners, then many whom he has predestined for salvation would not arrive at repentance. (2 Peter 3:9) Do not presume on the riches of God's kindness and forbearance and patience, since God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance.

Why?
according to the will of our God and Father... God, being omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent is not slave to the wills of men or the constraints of time. He created man to fall in order that his glory be displayed all the more brightly. His mercy, patience, love, kindness, wrath, vengence, hatred, goodness, ingenuity and a myriad of other attributes are demonstrated in the suffering death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. God's perfection was planned before eternity to be demonstrated in one culminating event on Calvary's cross.

God willed the events, he placed Simon of Cyrene in the right place to be the Hamite called to carry the cross of a Semite by Japhethites. Had Christ died inside of the city then hundreds of years of scape-goat prophecy would have been ruined. Had Christ died in any way other than on a cross with all of his bones intact, amongst thieves, and laid in the tomb of a rich man...then we would just throw the book of Isaiah away.

If there were any other way to be saved, then Christ died in vain. And saved from what? We are saved from Hell and sin and despair, but beloved, these are piddly in comparison to the true danger to our eternity, which is the wrath of a holy and offended God, but there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

to whom be the glory forever and ever... Your sins are forgiven for the namesake of Christ. Our sins were blotted out for the sake of God. The purpose of Calvary was to show that the God of Wrath and the God of Love are one, and that these entirely contradictory titles are reconciled in the death of the Son. Grace and truth have met; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Christ did not die primarily to save sinners, he died primarily to redeem the name of God which was blasphemed amongst the nations by the actions of men who are created in the image of God and were and are presenting a blasphemous picture of him.

Jesus Christ demonstrated that God is perfect in every good thing, his hatred is perfect, his wrath is perfect, his love is perfect, his actions are perfect, and his plan is perfect. He is God, and we are not.

Amen.

This is the Gospel, the whole Gospel, and nothing but the Gospel. Christ came to give life and more abundantly, indicating that before we had the life of Christ, we had death and an overabundance of it.

Know it, live it, preach it.

Put Away Falsehood; Share the Truth

I heard a quote by C.S. Lewis the other week which has rewritten my entire motivation. Lewis said, "Whatever is not eternally useful is eternally useless." It stands on scripture,

Ephesians 2:10, "We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
Galatians 1:10, "Am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ."
Colossians 3:1, "If you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God."

Beloved, Christianity is not congruous with the American Dream, we do not have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of stuff. It is not us who lives, but Christ who lives in us, we are not our own, we are bought with a price, we are to be content in times of plenty and times of need. But what we must do is preach the word, we must proclaim on the housetops what we read in our Bible, we must put away falsehood and share the truth with our neighbor.

There is no lack of scripture reference for the necessity of evangelism, Jude exhorted us to have mercy on those that are perishing, snatching them in pity from the flames, hating not only them, but also their garments which they have defiled. But why should we seek the salvation of those whose actions we hate? Because we are a people that had not known mercy but now have obtained mercy, having been dragged kicking and screaming into the light by the great and glorious King of Righteousness who died the most terrific death imaginable for a people who did not love him.

Saints, if the Christian were not to share their faith, they would be raptured at the moment of conversion. A select few witnesses, similar to the job that Dr. John MacArthur and myself want from Revelation 11, would stand there proclaiming John 3:16 until the person in front of us went zipping into Heaven, then we'd move onto the next. I imagine it would be quite fun. But it doesn't work this way, Paul said, and I desperately agree, that it is much better to go to Christ, but since our ministry is vital to souls here on earth, we stay.

God is the Creator of the universe, Christ is the Recreator of souls; Desidarius Erasmus said, "By a Carpenter mankind was made, and only by that Carpenter can mankind be remade." Beloved, a carpenter uses tools; you, as a blood bought saint, are that tool. Certainly God does not "need" us, he is the sovereign creator of the universe whom founded the principles of unconditional election and irresistible grace, but magnify your Lord by being a pliable and useful tool mighty in his hand. Do not fret, Christ will save his elect no matter how poorly you perform, but be certain that the more practice you have, the more effective you will be. I was saved by a preacher screaming on a street corner that the reason the world is going to Hell is because women are allowed to speak in church. Can you outpreach this man? He has at least one convert to his name, don't let him get more crowns than you.

Will you stand beside George Whitefield and brag on the huge house and big TV you owned during your stay on earth? Will you tell Jon Huss about the time you got insulted for the "christian" bumper-sticker on your car?

How about Jesus Christ? What will your excuse be for esteeming your life higher than his? You didn't know how to share your faith? Beloved, if you love Christ, you will obey his commands, and one of his commands is as unambiguous as it gets, "Study yourself approved so that you may show yourself a workman not ashamed."

Will you tell Simon Peter that you were afraid of being persecuted? The same Peter who bears the scars of an inverted crucifixion? Maybe your excuse is that you don't know if your motives are right; beloved, I don't know if my motives are right either, but you know what? Paul said it doesn't matter, preach the word. Perhaps your motives are to have a stack of crowns in Heaven, maybe your motive is that the Lamb that was slain receives the reward for his suffering. Paul, nor I, really care; as long as the word is preached, we rejoice. See Philippians 1:15-18.

Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel, woe to you if you do not preach the Gospel. How precious is the blood of the Lamb to you if you have not gone through the city and applied it to anyone? Read Ezekiel 8 and 9 and hope that you have that blood applied to yourself.

The steps to sharing your faith are simple.
1. Read Your Bible
2. Pray About It
3. Preach What You Read

These are enough, you can't convert anyone, Christ does that, but how blessed it is to be the instrument used by the Saviour God to redeem a soul, an event which is more monumental than the whole creation of the universe.

If you want more training, I beseech you to watch the following video:


In all things, preach, pray, and read your Bible. If you want to start small, begin by dropping Gospel tracts around, and then hand them out, my dear friends at customtractsource.com and onemilliontracts.com have been so helpful that I feel compelled to list them first, but many other tract sources exist, such as livingwaters.com and evangelismteam.com, but this is only a taste of available tracts. If you want to know if this works, watch this video:


The above video, while told in a story-like manner, has been checked for credibility and is 100% true.

Beloved, whether you've stepped over the line of hypercalvinism like me, or are a Wesleyan like Charles and John Wesley, it doesn't matter, preach the word, pray, and read your Bible, and God will use you to win trophies of grace to himself. He died for you, are you going to live for him? Will you set your mind on things that are above, or place your affections on things that are on earth?

You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Faithbuster

Can God create a rock so heavy that he himself cannot lift it?
(This post was inspired by a dear friend and brother in the faith)

Have you ever considered this question? It presents a very real problem for faiths that hold to an omnipotent God; if God can create a rock so heavy that he himself cannot lift it, then he isn't powerful enough to lift it. If he can lift anything, then it seems he cannot create a rock so heavy that he can’t lift it.

A conundrum is what we have. Perhaps this question has provided a nice cushion of comfort for you so that you feel as though there is no God or if there is a God, that he isn’t powerful enough to even tell you who he is, let alone judge you. Or maybe you’ve brushed this question under the carpet in order to keep believing in God, claiming that it is a nonsensical question.

There are things that are impossible for God, such as compromising his perfection, but creating a rock so heavy that he himself cannot lift it is not one of them. Dear reader, God wouldn’t be much of a God if a question as silly as this could disprove him, so not only did he provide us with the answer, he anticipated this foolishness.

On a fateful day in the First Century, a man condemned for claiming to be God manifest in the flesh was walking through Jerusalem carrying a Roman cross on his back. While the Roman cross is heavy, a grown man should be able to carry it; however, this man was being driven by the Roman soldiers who had whipped him masterfully so that onlookers could barely tell he was a man. In order to administer this torture with the flagrum, a soldier had to go through intense training, as it was very easy to kill the person being punished and that was not their intent; it was their goal to inflict the maximum amount of pain. Even still, many men died from this punishment, either because their body was breached and their organs fell out of the wounds, or because major arteries were cut and they bled to death.

But this man who claimed to be God had not died and was carrying his cross through Jerusalem, but because of his wounds, he was having a difficult time. The Roman soldiers forced a man named Simon to help carry the cross. The going was slow, and the soldiers were under strict orders to crucify the condemned man before sunset and they were running out of time, so in order to speed up the event, Simon carried the cross by himself the rest of the way.

They arrived at their location just outside of the gates on a hill called Calvary, and the man that claimed to be God was nailed to the cross. A sign displayed on top of the cross declared his crime in three languages, that he had claimed to be the “King of the Jews.” The Roman soldiers realized that there was something different about this man, so did a thief on a cross beside him. What was different about him was that he had never transgressed the Law of God; he was an innocent man paying a criminals' fine. He had previously said that what he did not steal, he had come to repay, and as the Prophet Isaiah stated, he was numbered among the transgressors. He was perfect, but our sin was attributed to him; on Calvary hill three thieves should have been crucified, you and I hung in the middle, because everything that is stolen, no matter the value, is a transgression against a Holy and Just God, no matter if it was a million dollars or a pen, whether it was time from your employer or air from God, no thief will inherit the kingdom of God. Here hung this man bruised and wounded; a thief who had never stolen, a liar who had never lied, an adulterer and murderer who had never so much as looked with lust or hated without cause, and a blasphemer who had never taken God's name in vain. Upon his body were adorned our lies, our larceny, our fornication, our gossip, our blasphemy, pornography, idolatry, covetousness, pedophilia, rape, pride, arrogance, and unbelief. Every deed you've hidden in darkness, every idle word, and every evil thought were nailed to the cross in his heretofore unblemished frame.

Just before sunset, the soldiers would break the legs of those on the cross and the weight of their body would put full strain on their arms, and they would be unable to exhale and would suffocate. The man in the middle died before his legs were smashed, because 700 years before he died, it was written that none of his bones would be broken. With his last breath, he declared to the world that “It is finished.” The sky went dark, the ground split, and in Jerusalem the veil that kept men from the Holy of Holies, the ceremonial dwelling place of God on earth, was torn down the middle and all men were given opportunity to stand in the presence of God.

On that cross that was too heavy for him to carry, the man who claimed to be God died, having called out to his Father in Heaven, “Why hast thou forsaken me?” He was forsaken because our sins made him repulsive to his Father, just as our sins make us repulsive to the Father, unfit for Heaven, and condemned for eternity to Hell. In order to be sure that he was dead, the Roman soldiers thrust a spear into his side, and discovered that his heart had burst. He had not died of suffocation like most people who died on a cross; instead, he had died of a ruptured heart, forsaken by his Father and friends.

Three days later, the man who claimed to be God proved that he was God by defeating death and walking out of his tomb alive forevermore. This man’s name is Jesus Christ; he is the eternal and coequal Second Person of the Holy Trinity. God in every way, he commands everyone everywhere to repent; then while he was made sin for us, we can be made the righteousness of God in him, our fine paid on that cross on Calvary.

So if it was a silly question, whether God could create a rock so heavy that he himself could not lift it, that was keeping you from forsaking your sin and following the Eternal Son of God, now you know the answer. Two-thousand years ago, Jesus Christ created a tree which was carved into a cross that was so heavy that he could not carry it; logic follows that he has created plenty of rocks that are so heavy that he could not lift them. Every thing has been created through him, and yet, though he had the fullness of God dwelling within him, he esteemed it not, and made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Every question in Christianity has so easy of an answer, and if you are trusting in silliness to save you on Judgment Day, know that only the blood that was poured out for the remission of your sins can save you. Trust in Jesus Christ’s finished work on the cross, he is mighty to save.

Simony Says...

In Acts chapter 8, a magician by the name of Simon believes in Jesus Christ, which is good; even the demons believe and they tremble! This man is not saved, his baptism has not saved him, his belief has not saved him. Peter is very clear that the intents of Simon’s heart are keeping him from salvation.

Simon does the worldly thing; he offers God something in hopes that God will give him this wonderful feeling of joy through salvation. He has tried to bribe the Owner of the Universe, and is met harshly, “Repent of this thy wickedness, and pray God that the intents of your heart may be forgiven you.” Peter went on to tell him that his bitterness was the reason for his bondage in iniquity.

What can we, as a church who recognizes that God has no interest in silver and gold or hundred dollar bills, learn from this? Is it that God cannot be bribed?

Beloved, why then do we offer the Righteous Judge of the universe our prayers in return for his glorious Gospel? Why do we offer our desperately wicked and broken down hearts for his abode? Why do we offer to sell our soul, which is not ours for bargaining since it is firmly in the captivity of the devil, to the Lord of lords in full expectation that he will welcome us into his service?

These methods of works based christianity are none more than fanciful simony. We are as guilty as the sorcerer of Samaria by putting a price tag on the gift of eternal life. Our wicked offer will receive the same admonition it did for the magician, “May your offer perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with prayer! You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God.”

Paris Reidhead said it best, “Lord Jesus, I’m going to obey you, and love you, and serve you, and do what you want me to do as long as I live, even if I go to Hell at the end of the road, simply because you are worthy to be loved, obeyed, and served; and I’m not trying to make a deal with you.”

My dear reader, perhaps you feel as though you’ve made a deal with God for your soul; that you offered your bribe and he applied the price for your redemption. Perhaps you are saved, perhaps you are not; either way, your offer had nothing to do with it. God our Saviour saves for his own purposes and to his own glory, it is for his sake and through the redemption of his name you may be reconciled. At a time pleasurable to him he chooses to save, and when he does, the flood of his saving grace is inescapable.

Perhaps you have decided to believe in the Son of God in hopes that he will improve your magic act and/or other facets of your life, and the meagerness of your iniquity you have laid upon his altar seems to be a valid and fair price in your eyes. You are guilty of simony and you have neither part nor lot in the matter of the Holy Spirit and eternal life.

Repent, therefore, of this thy wickedness, and pray God that he may see fit to save a sinner like you, that none of those things which Peter nor I have spoken shall befall you.

Against Hyper Arminianism

In Heaven, there will be Calvinists, Augustinians, Wesleyans, a few Arminians, and maybe even one or even two Pelagians. I will not say that your view of grace is an essential in getting you into Heaven.

But, my brothers and sisters in Christ, your view of grace is an essential in how you approach getting OTHERS into Heaven. The Arminian beliefs of decisional regeneration and lordship salvation are outright heresy. They have installed works into salvation, provided an avenue for boasting, and will indeed result in multitudes knocking on the door to the Bema Seat and instead of being welcomed in, will be directed to the Great White Throne for judgment.

Salvation is by grace through faith. This faith is granted by God, it comes by hearing. God draws, Christ paid the price, the Holy Spirit justifies and sanctifies. There is no room for the sinner to do anything other than be saved. The Spirit will convict him of his sin, his pride will be killed through the Word, and the Spirit will grant him life. God given repentance will follow.

The most vilified person in history is the High Calvinist, the hatred against him is only slightly less than the hatred against Christ and considerably more than the hatred directed at the Accuser. Oh how the world, the American church, and the free-willers hate this godly man. Why? Because his trust is based too greatly in his God.

But, here I am to defend him who trusts too heavily in God. Saints, the most damning view of grace which forsakes the God given command to seek and save that which is lost is the HyperArminian; the overly tolerant deceiver who thinks that anyone can seek God on their own. He is the dumb dog who sees the danger but remains silent; the blind watchman who cares not for souls and will not remove his blindfold. Beloved, there is none that seeks after God; we like sheep have all turned aside after our own lusts. The HyperArminian sits on his porch boasting in his decision, content that his faith was his own doing and that his neighbor will eventually realize his need for a Saviour and find God if he keeps asking those girls down at the strip-club.

Tolerance is a cancer. There has never been a greater heresy to infect Christianity. Catholicism, Atheism, Evolution have nothing on the numbers of souls that tolerance has murdered. Your neighbor is a heathen, he will not seek God, how will he hear without a preacher?

Before you curse the High Calvinists who defend God, look at the plank in your own eye and remember what the Psalmist said, It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.

Beloved, if faith comes by hearing, who have you told?

Testimony Evangelism Quick Reference Guide

Two decades after his conversion, Paul is arrested for inciting a riot and uses the opportunity to give his testimony in front of his Jewish countrymen, and King Agrippa in Jerusalem. Paul called his captivity in Rome an “appointment” (Phil 1:17) and Jesus said that you will be dragged in front of men, for the purpose of preaching at them. (Matt 10:18) There is a time and a place for "Testimony Evangelism" and Acts 26 provides a good template for doing so. Acts 22 tells a similar story, but with a bad outcome. Certain portions of Acts 22 are added below:

Introduce Yourself v2-8 - Find common ground with your audience, tell the truth, if you were well on your way to being the highest Rabbi ever to live, don't downplay your position to say you'll never find true happiness without Jesus Christ. Saul had no such God-shaped hole in his heart.

Share Your Sins v9-12 - Give a good definition of your sins, always remembering that through the law comes the knowledge of sin (Romans 3:20) and why you need salvation, list the big ones first, then the smaller ones. Make sure to point them skyward! (Psalm 51:4)

Conviction v13-15 - Tell how you were introduced to the knowledge of your sins, if a light brighter than the noon-day sun shone on you (v13), or if the Word spoke to you (v14), or if your conscience convicted you (v14), or all three; the Holy Spirit loves to use this tool. (John 16:8-11)

Good News! 22v12-15 - Who and how you heard the Good News. In Paul’s case it was Ananias; who opened your eyes to the truth?

Grace 22v16 - Explain when you gained the knowledge that your sins were washed away. The truncated version in 26v16 shows the resurrection of Paul to walk in newness of life.

Fruit v17-20 - How has God used you since conversion?

Persecution v21-23 - You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you, if the world hates you, know that it hated Him first.

Defense v24-26 - Stand firm in your testimony. (John 18:37)

Call to Repentance v27-29 - Use your testimony to reach out to others that they may be made free of their spiritual bondage.

Notice specifically that Paul did not mention Hell in either of his testimonies. Paul believed fully in an eternal Hell (2 Thess 1:6-10), so the fact that he didn't mention it should be our lesson that Hell is not always necessary. Show your audience their offense against God and the reconciliation available only through Jesus Christ, then let the Holy Spirit do the rest.

Ecstatic Utterances are Heresy

One has to wonder how exactly it happened that tongues have been defined as speech, often incomprehensible, typically uttered during moments of religious ecstasy. (Merriam-Webster) These are the opposite of what the Bible calls tongues, this definition fits under the definition of an unknown tongue (singular) and is exactly the opposite of biblical tongues.

This pagan practice is outright condemned by the Bible. If your church is speaking in these utterances, otherwise referred to as Glossolalia, there is something wrong. The Apostle Paul caught one of his churches doing this, and he sharply rebuked them for it. Notice in First Corinthians 14, there is a real difference between Paul’s lauding of tongues (languages) and his disgust with an unintelligible tongue (language).

The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. (v.4)

Paul is clearly saying that a person who speaks an incomprehensible language isn’t doing it for the good of the body, but for the look-at-me! factor. Are you out to please men or God? If you are trying to please men, you are not a servant of Christ.

Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophecy. (v.5)

Speaking other languages is good for the propagation of the Gospel, especially interpreters who do much to build up the church by translating Greek and Hebrew into various languages. But listen to what Paul says about speaking in a made up language,

If with your tongue you speak words that are unintelligible…you will be speaking into the air. There are doubtless many different languages in the world, and none are without meaning. (v.9,10)

I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten-thousand words in a tongue. (v.19)

If you absolutely feel the necessity to speak in an unknown language, first find someone to translate, someone else who speaks your made-up language to test your message. If you can’t find someone else who speaks your language, Paul says sit down and shut up. (v.28) Your God is not a God of confusion, but of peace. I do not forbid the speaking of tongues, but I certainly forbid the speaking of gibberish, of an unknown tongue, of unintelligible, unordered, indecent language.

God esteems his word higher than we can possibly understand (John 1:1, 17:17, Hebrews 4:12, 11:3, 2 Peter 3:5), Koine Greek is one of the most precise languages ever created, and to say that this God, who uses such exacting language, would opt for gibberish is antithetical to the nature of the Bible. Daniel Webster felt called to compile his dictionary based on the idea that if God chooses to reveal himself to us through language, we should make every effort to rightly understand it. Since no useful ecstatic utterance has been recorded in history, this false doctrine of speaking in an unknown tongue shows its heinous origins.

A basic and foolproof test for biblical tongues is that if I can tell you're doing it, then you're not. Our brothers at Pentecost spoke in tongues, no doubt about that; notice though that they were perfectly understood and no one was needed to translate for them,

The multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. (Acts 2:6)

If the trumpet gives an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle? Beloved, we are in a battle for souls, if you’re running around going lalalalalabladaddaboopy, you are not building up, but tearing down, and confusing your troops.

Don’t do it.

Beautiful are the Fingers that Type the Good News

God asked Job, “Canst thou send forth lightnings, so that they go and say to you, Here We Are?"

It only took three thousand years, but we can momentarily take our hand from our mouth and say, “Yes, God, we can.” Don’t forget to firmly clamp your hand back over your mouth after saying as much.

Jesus Christ said that when he returns, some would be out working in the fields, and others would be home sleeping, but he said that everyone would see the Second Coming. Isaiah makes it clear that the world is round, Jesus knew this, after all, he created it. How then do we expect everyone to witness the return real time? If he manifests himself over Jerusalem, then California will be in the eclipse, if he begins his reign over England, then Australia will wonder what’s going on. How will everyone see this happening real time?

Television and the Internet, that’s how. You are currently reading this on a tool for the prophecy completion of the Second Coming.

I have a ministry to Muslims. If I stood in front of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem or on the Moon Rock in Mecca and preached my message, I would be sans head pretty quickly. But using the relative safety of the internet, I have been able to preach at hundreds of Muslims with a very offensive message, and in this respect the internet has been a wonderful tool. Click Here

All things are good if used lawfully. This is true even for the Bible. The Bible can be used maliciously and for bad just as easily as the internet, consider the ministries of Benny Hinn, Joel Osteen, and Jim Jones. Each is deadly in its own rite, some only to spiritual death, others to the death of both body and soul, truly these men are murderers of souls.

Paul tells Timothy, “Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent.”

Paul laid out six of the 10 Commandments explicitly, the other four are in there, although not quite so explicitly. I won’t judge you, but I do ask you to judge yourself. Have you ever told a lie? Does that make you a liar? Do you believe the Bible when it says that all liars will have their place in the Lake of Fire? Have you ever used God’s name in vain? This is called blasphemy, and God will not hold him guiltless that takes his name in vain. Have you ever killed anyone? Did you know that Jesus said that if you just hate someone, you will be judged as a murderer at heart?

The internet is lawful, if used for good. It is good for expanding your knowledge, for keeping in touch with long lost friends, for a lot of good things. But it can also be used very unlawfully. Children are propositioned for and exposed to all sorts of evilness every day, and you’ve heard it said of old, thou shalt not commit adultery, but Jesus said at the Sermon on the Mount, “Whosoever looks upon a woman to lust after her has committed adultery already with her in their heart.” Have you ever done that? If so, you will be judged as an adulterer at heart. I won’t even ask if you’ve taken it farther, to rape or fornication at heart.

I can’t judge you, I don’t have that authority, but you have an appointment once to die, and then THE judgment, by Jesus Christ as your judge. How will you look? God knows the thoughts and intents of your heart, deeds done in darkness will be brought to the light, and you will give an account for every idle word.

We have all gone aside, turned to our own lusts, and all of us have transgressed an infinitely holy God, and thus will face the infinite punishment of Hell. But it is not God’s will that you should perish, but that you should turn from your sin and turn towards him. He has made a way for you to be forgiven; 2000 years before the Internet and invitro fertilization were invented, Jesus Christ was born of a virgin, God manifested himself in the flesh to be subjected to this world which we have broken, he was tempted just as we are tempted, but he didn’t succumb, and he gave himself up to be hung on the cross in your stead, charged and scourged on the claim of being God. What he did not steal, he came to repay, and he paid your fine in his own life’s blood. But because he is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living, on the third day he defeated death and rose from the grave to live forevermore.

Once you have repented (turned from iniquity to God) and placed your trust in Jesus Christ to save you, you will be forgiven, born into the family of God, where you will inherit eternal life, and though your body will pass away, your spirit will never perish.

Today is the day of salvation, the Bible says faith comes by hearing, and hearing the word of Christ. Today you have heard him call, don’t put this off, be reconciled to God, and then thank God that we can send forth lightnings, so that they go and say to you, “Repent and believe, for the kingdom of God is at hand.”

Proof of Evolution (aka The Dying Religion of Evolution)

Proponents of the religion of evolution have inadvertently proved evolution with their transition to Scaredy Cats (felicae scaredicae). Although there is no discernable external difference between a true scientist and these pseudoscientific scaredy cats, the inward differences are enormous.

A scientist looks at evidence and forms a hypothesis, then produces a study to test the hypothesis. If a hypothesis cannot be proven, it is determined to be false.

A scaredy cat forms a conclusion, then desperately searches for corroborating evidence and becomes violent when scientists explain that what they are doing makes them religious fanatics instead of scientists.

It is unclear at this point if this is the ancestor of the common house cat, that the scaredy cat is the long-lost missing link between homo evolutionus and our feline friends. Further study is necessary to determine if evolutionists have genetic traits which may someday, in a million years or so, produce improved night vision, and whether or not evolutionists have a higher propensity for rodents or birds. Another area to be studied is whether or not evolutionists enjoy being scratched behind the ears.

It is clear, at this point, that the scaredy cat is ill-equipped to survive in its scientific environment. Studies show that this new species would be more suited to worship their gods, Father Time and Random Chance, in the intellectual vacuums of liberal colleges.

The natural enemies of felicae scaredicae are the domesticated canine, the scientifically minded human being, and the Righteous Judge of the Universe.

Whether you choose to believe evolution or not, you have to agree that it is separated from science by a vast margin. You could not start from a blank slate and build a worldview with the "evidence" for evolution. You have to start with the presupposition, 'Evolution occurs' and then you can pretend evidence fits the model.

When you go to the doctor, would you rather he said, "Welcome to my office, you have appendicitis, now let me examine you and find supporting facts for my guess." Or would you rather he examine you then make his diagnosis?

Just as a building proves a builder and a painting proves a painter, creation proves a Creator. Natural laws prove order, the conscience proves absolutes in morality. Conversion proves that a huge number of people have underwent a major lifechange in connection with the name of Jesus Christ.

In the lab, nothing has never produced something. Therefore, from evidence, there had to be a first cause, the big bang is simply a bad guess at a point in time when everything was small, the existence of everything goes unanswered.

In the lab, nonliving things have never created life. Therefore, from evidence, life could not begin without external input.

In the lab, gas is consumed when it burns. In the sun, gas is consumed when it burns. 20 Million years ago, the sun would have reached earths present position.

In the lab, salinity content increases as salt is introduced. Increasing salinity of the oceans, as measured from 1850 to today point to a relatively pure ocean in ~2500 BC.

In the lab, fossils require near perfect conditions to form. These conditions include instant submersion of bones into water.

In the lab, order requires external input. Failure to add external input results in disorder.

In the lab, no animal has ever transitioned between archetypes (except for felicae scaredicae).

In the lab, all dating methods break down after a maximum of 3,000 years.

In the lab, dating methods become inconclusive if specimens get wet.

In the lab, nothing has ever defeated death for an extended period of time.

In the lab, fossils of 80% of known living species have been found in the Cambrian layer, yet 0-0.0000001% of transitional fossils have been found.

In the lab, a disassembled Mercedes Benz remains a pile of parts for 1 day, 1 week, 1 year, 1 century, 1 millenium without external input despite all of the pieces being there.

In the lab, children, ranging in ages from 2-10 from a myriad of backgrounds, universally agree that a toy car, a cat, a painting, and the sun all have a creator.

It defies evidence that evolution could occur, so I gently implore these scaredy cats to stop saying, "The evidence points to evolution."

Whether this is the truth or not, it is a scientific analysis, it is both repeatable and measurable. Look at your keyboard, it proves a keyboard maker, your mouse proves a mouse maker, look at your eye, it is the most complex camera ever made, containing 137 million light sensitive cells which focus faster than you can think, with a protective covering and built in windshield wipers, not only so, but it contains a built in monocular method for depth perception in one-eye models; it proves an eye maker.

If the religion of evolution is true, why did nature decide to see light waves and yet I can't see 97.5kHz on the FM dial? How come I can't hear red? Why can't I feel B-sharp? Evolution missed out on a huge and useful energy spectrum.

On the other hand, God asks, "Can you send electricity so that when it arrives it says, "Here I am."" (Job 38:35) Our bodies are designed to receive various information just like a radio or a tv or an oscilloscope, it is the only viable answer to our strangely inadequate sensory perception.

Evolution claims you can build a worldview on a heap of hydrologically sorted and preserved bones and say that nothing became everything. So far the only evidence evolution has produced is the scaredy cat.