Jesus is all the World to me

The Great Exchange Video

2011-04-17T23:27:00.004-05:00

Here is the video of the message I gave on March 27, 2011. It is about 45 minutes in length, broken into four parts but combined into one player.

For a copy of the transcript, click on this link.

The Great Exchange sermon

2011-03-29T21:30:00.002-05:00

Here is the sermon that I preached on Sunday, March 27, 2011:

Good Morning.

I want to talk about what has really been heavy on my heart the past 4 years or more. The church in America is losing focus about what is really important today and that is trickling, or rather gushing, down to our youth. The latest statistic that I have heard is that 88% of the church youth will walk away from God and the church when they leave home. They are so immersed in the things of this world and are not being grounded in the Word of God. That has always been a problem to some degree but it is getting progressively worse. If they are not outright walking away from the church, they are being affected by relativism and humanism even within the church, so that the message of the Gospel is effectively lost.

The message that our youth are hearing today is that God is love and that if you live a relatively good life compared to those around you then you will go to heaven. There are no absolutes - everything is relative. It does not matter what you believe in as long as you believe in something. They believe in reincarnation, they believe that God is simply a God of love that would never send anyone to hell. Premarital sex has become the norm or at the very least it is not something to be concerned about. And these are the kids that go to church. Humanism has invaded the church, making all of us think that the end of all being is the happiness of man rather than the glory of God. If you think I am exaggerating about the youth of today, I would challenge you to get out and go talk to some youth at a concert or the LifeLight festival, and your eyes will be opened. In fact, I will be doing some street evangelism at the LifeLight Festival again this year and I would welcome anyone that wants to join me. Let me know and I will contact Josh Brewer, who is in charge of it.

Youth are growing up in the church with very little understanding of the Bible. Most have never actually read it on their own and that is why camp is so great. We will be having Camp Sunday in a little more than a month and we will have the opportunity to send many youth to Camp Shetek once again. For many it is the first time that they have had devotions on their own, trying to understand what God is saying through His Word. It was that way for me way back in the 70’s and I did not have all the gadgets that occupy kids now. I went to church all my life but never studied theology. I had no understanding of what propitiation, expiation, and substitutionary atonement were, and no realization of what my sin meant to an infinitely holy triune God. I basically just learned that Jesus died for my sins, that I needed to pray a sincere prayer for salvation, and that I would go to heaven when I die. The rest of my life I was on my own, except for the rules that I needed to follow so I would look like a good Christian.

I believe the church in America as a whole has lost the truth of the Gospel. We are afraid to talk about sin and the wrath of God, and thus the message of the cross has become foolishness to those who are perishing. We do not understand the holiness of God and how vile our sin is to Him. "

William Farley tells a story of a British officer captured by the Japanese in WWII. His captors wanted him to confess certain secrets, but they could not break his iron-willed British discipline. So they searched for a personal weakness with which to break him. Finally, they discovered that he was fastidious. He hated filth. So they dug a pit, lowered him into it, and filled it up to his neck with human excrement. Within several days he became delirious, lost his mind, and told them everything. They broke him by immersing him in the one thing he most hated. Sin is indescribably more offensive to God than human excrement was to that officer. The Old Covenant makes God's animosity agonizingly clear. To think that God willingly took sin upon himself - that which he hated with all the infinite intensity of omnipotent - is incomprehensible."

That brings me to the topic of this morning’s message. I would like to talk about one of my favorite verses in the Bible. I memorized this verse as a child but never really understood what it meant or even thought about it. Hopefully, through the power of the Holy Spirit, I can do that today. Coincidentally, I have been assisted in this endeavor by another optometrist, Bob Bevington, who has co-written a couple books with Jerry Bridges. My biggest problem was actually reducing it down to one sermon because I could probably make this into a 6 sermon series, but since I have only one day, I had to reduce it down to 3 hours. Just kidding, I hope.

Our text for this morning is a single verse, but it is a very important verse. In fact, Many over the centuries have pointed to it as the key verse of the entire Bible. It is 2 Corinthians 5:21.

2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV) He made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

When you look at the verse the first thing we have to do is clear up these personal pronouns. We need to look back to the previous three verses and figure out who the he and the him’s are. Once we do that, we read the context of this verse earlier we see that it reads:

(God) made (Christ) to be sin who knew no sin, so that in (Christ) we might become the righteousness of God.

So now that we have cleared that up, I want to tell you that this verse absolutely changed my life. I desperately wanted to change, to be transformed, thinking it is about a list of things you do and don’t do. But the reality is that because of who Jesus is and what He has done, I am clothed in the very righteousness of Christ. And that will never change, because Jesus Christ never changes. And what He did is a finished work. And once I realized that, everything changed. You can not fathom everything that is there in that verse in a lifetime or even throughout eternity. But I can tell you this, that verse has the power to change your life and the lives of those that God places in your path as you share the Good News.

The next thing that we notice about this verse is that the word SIN appears twice.

Sin For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

And the verse itself does not define sin. What is it really? Here’s a quote from God that puts it into perspective. This is God telling us what sin is.

Jeremiah 2:13 GOD: “. . . for MY people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.”

This is the essence of sin. Two steps: forsaking God and going our own way, digging our holes in the dirt to hold water. But it doesn’t work, it leaks.

What does it mean to “forsake” God? It means you disrepect or disregard him. All other sins are rooted in that. We push Him out of the way so we can do what we want. We get Him out of the picture before we proceed to commit any specific sin. Have you ever done that? I have.

Over the first 43 years of my life I have to admit that I seldom thought about Christ and the sacrifice that he made for my sins. I felt that I somehow deserved God’s favor because I served in the church, and had not committed any of what I thought were more serious sins, not realizing that all sins are an offense against an infinitely holy God. I felt that I was better than those that struggled with certain sins, not understanding that it was only through God’s grace. I would see people around me that I knew were struggling with things and instead of reaching out and sharing the cross of Christ, I would simply look at them as unworthy. These were people that Jesus died for just like me.

Do you know what God thinks about getting treated like this? If we look to the previous verse, He tells us, in verse 12.

Jeremiah 2:12 “Be appalled, O heavens, at this; be shocked, be utterly desolate” declares the Lord.

He says it is appalling, it is shocking. He says I am appalled that you would act like that, that you would treat me like that. He calls it evil, because that is what it is.

How about you? Maybe you will understand sin better if instead of talking about me we talk about you. Not the person sitting next to you, by the way. Have you ever disregarded God? What do you think about the rest of the week when you leave church, is it watching or playing sports, making money, taking vacations, looking at things you shouldn’t on the computer OR is it the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for us upon the cross. Is there a persistent pattern of sin in your life? We all have them. We put God on a shelf, and then go our own way - do our own thing. But it doesn’t satisfy. It is sin. We should be upholding the glory of God at all costs. And instead we fall short of the glory of God. It is cosmic treason. Before the God of the universe we say “NO”. You’re on the shelf. If we have a clue who it is we are disrespecting, we will shudder. Do we have a clue who we’re messing with? King David knew. He wrote: “Against Thee, Thee only have I sinned.”

Charles Spurgeon said this: “We did not know the meaning of our self-righteousness. We used to think, some of us, that we had a righteousness of our own. We had been to church regularly. We were christened; we were confirmed; or perhaps, we rejoiced that we never had either of those things done to us. Thus, we put our confidence in ceremonies or the absence of ceremonies. We said our prayers; we read a chapter in the Bible night and morning; we did--oh, I do not know what we did not do! But there we rested as righteous in our own esteem. We had not any particular sin to confess nor any reason to lie in the dust before the throne of God’s majesty. We were as good as we could be, and we did not know that we were even then perpetuating the highest insult upon Christ. For if we were not sinners, why did Christ die If we had a righteousness of our own that was good enough, why did Christ come here to work out a righteousness for us?”

We have a great dilemma here. It is the greatest dilemma any of us will ever face. Our Great Sin Dilemma is the very reason we are desperate for The Great Exchange

Okay, so let’s go back to our text.
The Great Exchange For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin,
so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

When we look at it, we see the Great Exchange there. We see that there is sin - and there is righteousness. We see that there is Christ -- and there is us. Now when you look at the sin , whose sin is it? We know it is not Christ’s sin, because He knew no sin. It is our sin. Whose righteousness is it? It is not ours. It’s His. So you see the exchange. He gets the sin, we get the righteousness. What a trade.

It’s literally an exchange of my sin for Christ’s righteousness.

If that’s what happens, if my sin is exchanged for Christ’s righteousness, there is nothing more important in all the universe. It changes everything forever. We need to understand this and we need to apply it. So let’s unpack it.

Let’s start by breaking it down into Three Basics:

The Great Exchange Basics: Three Things We Need to Know

1. The Person who makes it possible: Who can make this happen
2. How the exchange works: The mechanics
3. How the exchange works for sinners like us:

Another way to put these three things is:
Who He is
What He did
How we get connected to who He is and what He did

That is what I am hoping you will go away from this message with.

1. Who he is: It takes The Greatest Person to do the Great Exchange and make it possible.

The Incredible Glory of Christ:

Hebrews 1:3-4 tells us what Jesus is like.

He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature
and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.

And best of all: After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high That is where He is. The most glorious position in the universe, and that is where He is right now, interceding for us as our mediator and advocate. He is the right hand of the majesty on high. It doesn’t get any more valuable than that.

There’s one particular aspect of his greatness we need to understand in order to understand The Great Exchange:

The perfect righteousness of Christ

He never did anything wrong: he was sinless
He always did what was right: he had positive obedience
He is unique- no one else ever came close

The perfect righteousness of Christ is affirmed by all four of the major writers of the New Testament:

2 Corinthians 5:21 “(Christ) knew no sin . . .”
Hebrews 4:15 “(Jesus) in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”
1 Peter 2:22a “He committed no sin . . .”
1 John 3:5b “. . . in him there is no sin.”

All four of the major New Testament writers affirm the perfect righteousness of Jesus, but the most astounding statements about it come from His own mouth.

Jesus affirmed his own sinlessness and positive obedience:

He looked His enemies in the eyes and said: “Which one of you convicts me of sin?” and then He said “I always do the things that are pleasing to him.” He always fulfilled righteousness. He was positively obedient. Not just the lack of sin, but all the obedience He fulfilled. He always did that which pleased the Father. You know Jesus didn’t grow up in a vacuum. The Gospel of Matthew even records the names of some of Jesus’ half brothers? When we look at the book of James some people think it was the Apostle James that wrote that. It isn’t. The Apostle James was the first martyr. Most scholars agree that the one that wrote the book of James is the half-brother of Jesus. Now growing up in a family your siblings certainly know whether you are a sinner or not. James would not have written his letter after the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ if he did not know that Jesus was without sin. He would have read what John wrote, and if it wasn’t true, he would have pointed it out. “Oh yeah remember that time”. Jesus Christ’s own half-brother affirms it. Why is it important?

The perfect righteousness of Christ is important for two reasons:

It qualifies him to be the perfect sin sacrifice - the perfect sacrificial Lamb of God. for our sins. No animal was like him, no person was like him. He’s unique. He has perfect righteousness that qualifies Him to die for the sin of all who would be redeemed by Him.
The perfect righteousness of Christ is important because that’s the righteousness that we get. That’s the righteousness in 2 Corinthians 5:21. So it is vital that we understand this.

The obedience of Christ goes even further. There’s the ultimate obedience. He did not regard his equality with God a thing to be grasped, but He emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient (not just obedient but obedient) to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:5-6) That’s the ultimate obedience. He obeyed God to death.

There is one more point I would like to make about Christ righteousness and it is a quote from Charles Spurgeon. "If we had been in the Garden of Eden today, we could never have boasted a finished righteousness, since a creature can never finish its obedience. As long as a creature lives, it is bound to obey, and as long as a free agent exists on earth, it would be in danger of violating the vow of its obedience. If Adam had been in paradise from the first day until now, he might fall tomorrow. Left to himself, there would be no reason why the king of nature should not yet be uncrowned. But Christ the Creator, who finished creation, has perfected redemption. God can ask no more. The law has received all its claims. The largest extent of justice cannot demand another hour's obedience. It is done; it is complete. Let us rejoice then in this that the Master meant by his dying cry that his perfect righteousness wherewith He covers us was finished." Do you understand? We do not receive the righteousness that Adam had before the fall, or our own righteousness simply made perfect, but we receive the righteousness of Christ himself.

The Person who makes The Great Exchange possible is absolutely unique. He is the God-man who unites divine nature with human nature in one person. And then He lives the life we should have lived and died the death we should have died because He can.

2. So how does this Great Exchange work? There are 2 parts

The first part is: My sin is charged to Christ
The second part is: His righteousness is credited to me

Charged and credited. Basic accounting terms.

Part One: My sin is charged to Christ.
So what does that mean? 2 Corinthians 5:21a (ESV) . . . he made him to be sin who knew no sin . . .
It means that my sin is transferred to Christ. It means that my sin is imputed to Christ. He became sin. Now notice that he did not become a sinner. He did not start sinning. He became sin. The sin came from us.

Peter put it brilliantly when he wrote
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree . . . (1 Peter 2:24)

He bore our sin - our sin was there, in that body, on the tree, He also bore our guilt, our condemnation, and our punishment. He was our curse bearer. and bore the curse of our sin, that we deserved. He is our wrath bearer - he bore the wrath of God that I deserved.

So often when people talk about the cross of Christ they think about the physical beatings and the suffering through the crucifixion itself. I want to back up for a second. In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus prayed, “ My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” (Matthew 26:39) A little later at his arrest, He said to Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?” (John 18:11) It is obvious that the cup was very much on Jesus’ mind that night. The question, then, what was in the cup?

We generally associate Jesus’ cup with his crucifixion. We assume that when He prayed that the cup might be taken away, He was asking that, if possible, He might be spared from the horrible and demeaning death on the cross. There is truth in that assumption, and certainly the cup was connected with the crucifixion. But still we have not answered the question: What was in the cup?

In both the Old and New Testament the cup of God is a reference to His Judgment. For example, in Psalm 75:8 we read, “In the hand of the Lord is a cup full of foaming wine mixed with spices; he pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth drink it down to its very dregs.” Jeremiah 25:15 it says, “Thus the LORD, the God of Israel, said to me: "Take from my hand this cup of the wine of wrath, and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it.” Here the cup is filled with the wrath of God.

So what was in the cup? It was the wrath of of God. It was the cup of wrath that we should have drunk. Jesus as our representative drank the cup of God’s wrath in our place. He tasted the last drops. And He did it for us as our substitute. Scripture tells us that while Jesus hung on the cross, darkness came over the land from noon until three o’clock. During those awful three hours Jesus drank the cup of God’s wrath in our place. It was toward the end of that time that He cried out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me.” (Matthew 27:46) in fulfillment of Psalm 22:1.

We do not know all that transpired during those three terrible hours when Jesus endured the wrath of God. Scripture draws a veil over them for the most part. We do know that the physical suffering Jesus endured was only a feeble picture of the suffering of his soul. And part of that suffering was the very real forsakenness by His Father, His utter abandonment by God. The night before, He had been strengthened by divine assistance, but now He was left alone. For our sakes, God turned His back on His own dearly loved Son. I find it interesting that he repeats the words “My God” twice and it makes me think that Jesus Christ was referring to both the Father and the Holy Spirit - how he has separated from the other two-thirds of the Trinity. I could not find any commentary on that but to me it would make sense and it also would be another piece of evidence regarding the Trinity.

That’s Part One. Now let’s look at Part Two:

His righteousness is credited to us - the same way that our sin was charged to him. By transfer, by imputation.

2 Corinthians 5:21b (ESV) . . . we might become the righteousness of God.

We don’t become “righteous” but we become “the righteousness of God” which is in Christ.

Here’s what God said through the prophet Isaiah in 53:11

Isaiah 53:11 . . . The righteous one (whose the righteous one? Christ), my servant, (shall) make many to be accounted righteous . . . They’re not righteous, He is. He makes them to be accounted righteous. This was written 700 years before Jesus was ever born. This was God’s plan from the beginning.

So the Great Exchange involves a transaction that has two parts:

Part One: My sin is charged to Christ
Part Two: His righteousness is credited to me

3. The Great Exchange: How it works for sinners like us

How can you be sure you are included in the Great Exchange?

The key is found in the vital, tiny word “in”

2 Cor 5:21 (ESV) he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that
in him we might become the righteousness of God.

You are included in The Great Exchange IF you are “in Christ”
“In” refers to a union with Him —we are united to Christ, but how?
The text doesn’t say, but Paul shows us in Philippians 3:9

Philippians 3:9 and be found in him (there’s the union and now he is going to show us how the transfer happens), not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ (in who He is and what He did), the righteousness from God that depends on faith.

Faith is the hand that connects us to Christ for righteousness.
But not just any faith, but it is the kind of faith that has two sides. It has a reliance on Christ’s righteousness and a renunciation of our own. I renounce my own righteousness, do you see it in the verse. Not having a righteousness that comes from me performing the Law. That is not the righteousness that connects me. That’s where people get it wrong. They think my good deeds will outweigh my bad deeds. That’s the biggest lie in the universe. No, it is faith in Christ, in who He is and what He did. That’s what connects us to Christ.

By FAITH: We receive: (who he is) and (what he did) on our behalf

Now if you are sitting here today and you have never done that, I would encourage you to do that today. Don’t hesitate. Hebrews 3:15 says, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” Now is the day of your salvation. You may not get another chance. None of us knows what tomorrow holds. Why would you not want to part of this Great Exchange?

Again Spurgeon, the Prince of Preachers says, “Take heed, I pray you, and be changed this day by grace lest you be changed later by terror, for the heart that will not be bent by the love of Christ shall be broken by the terror of His name. If Jesus upon the cross does not save you, Christ on the throne shall (condemn) you. If Christ dying is not your life, Christ living shall be your death. If Christ on earth is not your heaven, Christ coming from heaven shall be your hell. May God’s grace work a blessed turning of face in each of us, that we may not be turned into hell in the dreadful day of reckoning.” AND

“Either Christ must die for me. or else I must die for myself the second death. If He did not carry the curse for me, then on me must it rest forever and ever.”

If you are already in Christ: if you know that you have done that, you still need The Great Exchange every day

The Great Exchange becomes the basis for gratitude that will transform your life. We do become righteous, gradually, but we don’t do it it to gain merit with God. No, it is out of gratitude that I want to please Him. I love because He first loved me and I understand that this is love. This Great Exchange is love. In every area that you fail, Jesus perfectly obeyed. For you, in your place.

I would encourage each of you to preach the Gospel, the cross of Christ, to yourself every day, every hour of the day. Read about it, meditate on it, and pray that God would open your eyes more and more to the truth of what Christ did for us, not just intellectually but in your soul. I also listed a few books that I would highly recommend on your handout, but even more look for it in the Bible. It is there in virtually every book of the Bible in one fashion or another.

I would like to read a short passage from Jerry Bridges book, “The Gospel for Real Life”. The passage is entitled A Miracle of Grace.

“I believe that human morality, rather than flagrant sin, is the greatest obstacle to the gospel today. If you ask the average law-abiding person why he expects to go to heaven, the answer will be some form of “because I’ve been good.” The rich young ruler (see Matthew 19:16-20), the prodigal son’s older brother (see Luke 15:28-30), and the Pharisee praying in the temple (see Luke 18:9-12) all had this in common: They were confident of their own goodness. Their attitude is replicated throughout our society. And the more religious a person is, the more difficult it is for that person to realize his or her need for the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

I once read a story about two men who happened to be kneeling side by side at the communion rail of an English church. One was a former convict who had served time and was now out of prison. The other was the judge who had sentenced him to prison years before.
After the service the minister asked the judge, “Did you recognize the man kneeling beside you?”
“Yes I did,” replied the judge. “That was a miracle of grace.”

“You mean that a man you sentenced to prison should be kneeling beside you?”

“No, not at all,” said the judge, “The miracle is that I should be kneeling beside him. You see, that man knew clearly he was a sinner in need of a Savior. But I was brought up in a religious home, have lived a decent, moral life, and have served my community. It is much more difficult for someone such as I to recognize his need for a Savior. I am the miracle of grace.”

How do you respond to this story? Do you identify with it in the sense of having come to the place where you have made your own “great exchange”? Have you renounced any confidence in your own religious experience and trusted solely in Christ’s blood and righteousness? Perhaps you are somewhat like the English judge who grew up in a highly moral and religious family. You’ve always been good and essentially blameless in the eyes of other people. That’s nothing to be ashamed of. But if your hope of eternal life is based on that goodness then your “cargo” of religion has actually become dangerous to you. It will keep you from heaven.

Suppose, however, you identify to some degree with the former prisoner. You may think your sin is too great to be forgiven. But the prisoner kneeling beside the judge and the penitent thief hanging on the cross are witnesses to the fact that the blood of Christ can indeed cleanse us from all sin. Whether you identify with the judge or the former prisoner, you too can be a miracle of grace.”

Before I close, let me go back to what I said earlier. Growing up in the church, in this church in fact, I always knew about God and felt I loved God and I did my best to live right before him. But I also felt that I was basically good - that I deserved God’s forgiveness. After all, I did not commit any major sins at least in the eyes of the world. I would never have said this - but I lived as though I was 90% righteous on my own and I just needed Jesus to fill in the other 10%.. It was not until I came to terms with my sin, that I am totally depraved before a holy and just God, that I truly understood the depth of Christ’s sacrifice for me. That is why I believe that we need to do a better job teaching about sin in our churches today. Why do I believe it is so important?
Two reasons:
The Holy Spirit convicts us through the Law or knowledge of sin to bring us to Christ. Galatians 3:24 says “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”
When we understand what we have been forgiven, we will love Jesus so much more. Luke 7:47 says “Therefore I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; that's why she loved much. But the one who is forgiven little, loves little." This is what I was missing for much of my life. I felt I was forgiven little so I loved little. The older I get the more aware I become of my sin. And the more I become aware of my sin the more precious the cross of Christ becomes for me.

In closing, ask yourself these three questions:

Do I have a right relationship with God based on the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ?
Am I trusting in Jesus Christ alone for my salvation, or am I to some degree relying on my own morality and religious duties?
If I know that I am justified through faith in Christ, do I enjoy the reality of it in my daily experience, or do I look to my own performance for my acceptance with God?

My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.

NEW LIFE

2010-12-05T22:23:00.004-06:00

My Mother died on January 22, 2010 and stayed faithful to her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, to the end. Here is one testimony she left behind of her new life in Christ.

It is a real thrill and joy for Sterling and I to once more start a new year with you good people here in Worthington. Ever since we left Worthington, way back deep in our hearts was a desire to come back, but we left it wholly in the Lord’s hands as to what we should do -- and we have seen his leading all the way. Especially it is a thrill to start the new year in your new church that all of you have labored so diligently and faithfully.

When we first came back to Worthington one man remarked, “The Baptists must really have a lot of faith.” If God be with us, who can be against us. This is just like a little boy who stepped out into the dark all alone. He couldn’t see the path ahead and was frightened. He called to his father who heard him and came and put his hand in little Billy’s. All the way home, Billy felt perfectly safe and secure because he knew his father was with him and would watch over him.

You know that is much like God’s plan of salvation. Paul told the Corinthian church, “Eye hath not seen nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9) “For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:2-5)

Man, by human nature, is inclined to want to do everything for himself -- the food we eat, the clothes we wear, the house we built -- WE worked hard for them. And you know that is just what many men are doing with God today, trying to work out their own salvation.

I know, because I tried it for many years - at the same trembling for lack of assurance. I went to church. Yes, I tried to live a clean moral life, not realizing that my righteousness is as filthy rags, or that my evil temper and biting tongue were just as much sin as smoking and drinking. All are sin in God’s sight.

But the devil was getting control of my life more everyday and I began to feel a NEED for a new life. In the meantime the Lord had led me into fellowship with born again Christians, people who were happy without partaking in the many things of the world. They didn’t have to preach to me for their lives were a living testimony.

Okoboji ...... So I thought I’d try to live the type of life they did - every Sunday hearing the gospel plan of salvation, but rejecting it. I kept thinking that I would stop dancing for I really felt that it was sinful - but I didn’t. It seemed as though the devil worked overtime during that year, using my old friends as his stooges to tempt me.

I praise God for the night when he, not only convicted me of sin, but also, convinced me I needed to do something about it - that I needed to step out for Christ. He has provided the way, for he has said “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6) “With the heart, man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Romans 10:10) “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (I John 1:9) For the Scripture saith, “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)

“For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) The gift was there all the time, but O had to accept it, believe it, and confess it. First of all, though, there was to be a need for salvation. That need, I am convinced, is what is lacking in the lives of most unbelievers today -- for our people and nation are losing conscientiousness of sins. I have heard many people say, “My folks made me go to church, and how I disliked it. I’m going to leave it up to my children to decide whether they want to go or not.” But you know, I’d rather insist on my child going to church and grow up with a conscience than not to have any conscience at all. There has to first be a need.

With a growing congregation many of you saw a need for a new church building here in Worthington and, although you could not see the end when you launched out on this building program, you did have faith to believe that God would supply all your needs. Only God knows the sacrifice and unceasing effort you have all made and only God can reward you justly. Yes, there is a price we must pay, that of sacrifice. There is an old saying that “anything worth having is worth working for.”

You know we as Christians too often stop to count the cost before stepping out on faith and prayer. There are also many unsaved people today who want the assurance of salvation and the real peace and joy that only Christ can give our sin-sick souls, but who are counting the cost first. As a result they are saying, “not yet, but someday I want to become a Christian” or else they are hardening their hearts toward the things of God saying, “I can’t be as good a Christian as so and so.” I thought I had to give up dancing, shows, etc. in order to become a Christian, not realizing that when Christ come into a life he washes away those things that hinder our testimony for Christ. “Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature, old things are passed away, behold all things are become new.” That is just what Christ did in my life, for he washed away my old desires and gave me new ones.

Yes, old things do pass away as we seek to serve the Lord in witnessing to others of the great love of God when he sent his only begotten Son. There is no greater joy than to lead some lost soul to Christ and then to see this one reading God’s Word regularly and growing in Christ.

My one prayer is that “I may know Him and power of his resurrection” (Philippians 3:10)so that others may see Christ in me for we are the only Bible many people read. A Spanish woman told Dr. Bias one time “the better I know Him, the better I love Him. The better I love Him, the better I serve Him.” etc. and round it goes.

We need daily fellowship with God as well as other Christians. Isn’t it wonderful that God has permitted the building of this beautiful temple where we can gather together to sing His praises and study God’s Word with other believers? Help us to never loose this new-found joy tonight by neglecting the privilege of regular church attendance and then by supporting our wonderful pastors in prayer.

Give us a real burden for those lost souls round about us as well as in foreign lands so that we might not only sing, “Rescue the perishing, care for the dying, Jesus is merciful, Jesus will save,” but that we might go out into the highways and byways and bring them in.

End of Testimony.

Here are a couple notes in mom's Bible that I thought were interesting and demonstrates the difference that Christ made in her life. It explains why she changed when she surrendered her life to Jesus.

Clipping pasted in front of Bible:

"So often a young believer, or even an older one, will ask if it is wrong to do certain things, such as going to the movies, or smoking, etc. It may not be wrong for a racer to tie a fifty pound weight to his leg, but it certainly would not help him to win the race. Likewise anything that would hinder our winning a prize in the Christian race should be laid aside. It is not our question whether a thing is wrong or not, but simply whether it helps me to bear a testimony for Him in this dark and needy world." A.V.R.

5 tests of determining whether you should partake in worldly pleasures:

1. Does it hurt my testimony?
2. Does it offend your brother?
3. Does it give the devil a chance?
4. Does it crowd your prayer life?
5. Does it waste time?

If you are on Facebook and would like to see a video of her life and read other posts go to "In Memory of Irene Johnson"

Robbery evangelism

2009-10-12T21:03:00.003-05:00

Here is a great example of always being ready to share your faith. She talks to a would-be mugger about the truth of the the Gospel and his need for Jesus Christ.

The Law and the Gospel video

2009-09-08T18:31:00.009-05:00

Here is the video of the message I gave on August 16, 2009. It is about 40 minutes in length, broken into five parts but combined into one player.

For a copy of the transcript, click on this link.

End Times

2009-08-19T20:25:00.002-05:00

I was reading Luke 18:1-8 a couple days ago and this is what it said,
"And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, "In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, 'Give me justice against my adversary.' For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, 'Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.'" And the Lord said, "Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"

Is Jesus referring to the falling away from the faith, as in the days of Noah, that precedes his Second Coming? We need to not only share the Gospel to unbelievers, but also encourage those in the church to examine their own lives.

The Law and the Gospel

2009-08-16T21:03:00.002-05:00

I was supposed to preach the following sermon on May 3rd, but never had the opportunity because of my dad's fall and subsequent death 11 days later. I later gave this message on August 16,2009 with a few changes after filling in for our youth pastor, again as a result of a death in their extended family.

The Law and the Gospel

Good morning. I did not think I would be giving this message this morning. I originally was scheduled for May 2nd on Camp Sunday but then my dad fell the day before and was airlifted over to Sioux Falls. On Thursday evening we moved my mom into the Maple Lawn nursing home in Fulda and then on Friday we were packed and ready to move Kari up to Bethel when we received the call about Melissa’s brother, Terry, and was asked to fill in. I would like to start this morning in prayer for the Knudtson family and for the message today. Dear Father, we come humbly before you this morning and ask that your Holy Spirit would fill this place. Speak to us through your Word, convict us of our sins, and give us the desire to grow in holiness before You. We also lift up the Knudtson family as they grieve for yet another family member taken away unexpectedly. We ask for your peace and your comfort for them as they go through this difficult time. Thank you for the hope that can only be found in and through you. We ask this all in the name of your precious Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

But this morning I want to share what I am most passionate about in life. God has revolutionized my life the past couple years and I will never be the same again. Some of what I share may be difficult to accept. I know it was for me. It took several years for God to penetrate my hardened heart. My prayer is that you would search God’s Word and pray before you immediately dismiss it. I also am not saying I have all the answers or that I have arrived. I am simply a sinner saved by grace who hopes to spend the rest of his life telling others about Christ. So this is basically my life’s story. These are things that God has convicted me about in my own life.

I would like to begin with my testimony - some which is in the letter I put in your box. I first put my trust in Christ at a Good News Club that my mom held in our home. It was a club after school where she shared Bible stories with neighborhood kids. I put my trust in Christ at the age of 7 after one of those meetings. I pretty much led a good life and tried to serve Christ to the best of my abilities. However, I never had confidence in my decision to trust Christ because I fell short so often and never had a passion for the Bible or to share my faith.

I continued serving in churches, doing Bible studies, and all the good things a Christian is supposed to do. But at times I felt listless and sometimes distant from God. I held some bitterness towards God because of the health issues I had to go through. But it is not about my health. I also struggled with some of the things that have happened in the church over the past several years. But again, it is not about this church. A few years ago I reached I crisis of faith. I still believed in God and knew Christ died for me, but I simply lacked a passion for the things of God. I did not read my Bible, my prayer life was dormant, and I did not know what to do other than to ask God to reveal Himself to me. I struggled being involved in youth group, because I saw so many kids claim to come to Christ, only to walk away in high school or college. I felt like I was not making any difference and to be honest, I did not know what difference God made in my life. My trying to be good was just that, me trying to be good. After all, I really had never done anything really bad in my life.

Then about 3 years ago, an acquaintance mentioned a book that he had read by Mark Cahill called “The One Thing You Can’t Do In Heaven”. It is referring to the fact that we can not witness in heaven or bring anyone with us. After reading it, the Holy Spirit convicted me about my lack of sharing the Gospel. Then, I heard a message by Ray Comfort on Hell's Best Kept Secret and I realized that I was not the good person I felt I was. I deserved hell because of my sinful nature. I violated every one of God's Law, the 10 Commandments, at least in my heart or thoughts.

If I was judged by God by his Law, I would be found guilty, and would deserve hell. God is loving, but He is also just and Holy. He can not allow sin in His presence. My only hope is Christ - He came to earth to not only die but to endure the wrath of God that I deserve. It says in Isaiah 53:10 that it “It pleased YAHWEH to crush His Son” Can you understand what that means. I did the crime, but Christ paid my fine. Because Christ became sin for us, God the Father could not look at His own Son. That is why He cried out "My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?" We have been watching “The Gospel Journey Maui” on Wednesday nights in youth group. This week the video was on “Who is Jesus?”, Greg Stier, the preacher, talked about this fact - how when Christ cried out on the cross - for the first time in eternity, the Son was separated from the Father as He bore our sin upon Himself. How that happened, I cannot explain, but it is incredible that God would do that for us.

Christ took the punishment I deserve, defeated death, and rose again. Because of His death, I can live. I Corinthians 5:21 states it this way: “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Christ took on my sin, and I received Christ's righteousness. My response to the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit is simply to repent and believe the gospel and keep on repenting and believing. Mark 1:15 quotes Christ’s first words as “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” It is in the present tense which means to keep on repenting and believing.

Since that time my whole goal in life is to share the gospel. That is my passion. I try to tell everyone I can. I read my Bible because I want to hear from God and want to know more how to share with others, not because I feel I have to. I am more excited about Christ that I thought possible. Some say I have the gift of evangelism, but I am not so sure. I am shy and would prefer to sit quietly and not make a scene. But I just know that if Christ means everything to me, I must share the gospel with others. Charles Spurgeon says "Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then you are not saved yourself. Be sure of that." Now that may seem kind of harsh, and I know it struck a nerve in me when I first read that. Obviously, that is not always the case, but it does make you think.

97.4% That is the going rate these days for how many churchgoers in one evangelical denomination will die without once - not once - telling another person how he or she can be saved through Christ Jesus. And yet many, if not most, if not all of the people in those congregations would probably say that their relationship with Jesus is the single greatest priority in their lives. How can this be? Evangelism is the responsibility of everyone. Not just the pastors, not just the full-time missionaries, but everyone. Paul tells Timothy, “But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” (2 Timothy 4:5)

Bill Fay in his booklet “The Sin of Silence” says, “End all doubt about your salvation. There are many in the church who have never truly bowed their knee to Jesus Christ, repenting of their sins, receiving His forgiveness by faith, and confessing Him as Lord. Believe it or not, that is just the facts. And if the sin of silence regarding sharing your faith is something you never intend to repent of - like any other sin that may have invaded your heart and life - I believe it’s fair to ask why you choose Christ and not care if anyone else does. The painful truth for why many people struggle with the sin of silence - why they don’t share the good news of Jesus with those they know and those they meet - is that a person can’t give away what he doesn’t have.”

Athiest Penn Jillette of Penn and Teller, says this in an YouTube video - “If you believe there is a heaven and hell and people could be going to hell, or not get eternal life, and you think it is not really worth telling them this, because it would make it socially awkward ... how much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize? How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?

I know that for much of my life my assurance of salvation was based on a decision that I made, not on the finished work of Christ. It was the sincerity of my words. How is that different from those that base their salvation on baptism, on communion, or any other good works? The Sinner’s Prayer has become just another good work. The verse that is usually used to support the sinner’s prayer is Romans 10:9-10, “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” Yet people do not look at the context. They were not in America, they were in a culture where confessing Jesus as Lord, could get them killed. It also means to make Jesus Lord, not just intellectual assent. Now I realize that many people do come to Christ through just such a prayer, but it is in spite of it not because of it. Pastor Chitwood used to say that many people will be surprised in heaven to find out when they really became born again. I have a sentence in my Bible that summarizes faith for me - “Father, I am going to trust only in what you have done for me in your son Jesus Christ and if that work is not strong enough to save me, then I am going to hell because I refuse to believe in any other thing.”.”

Why is there so little evidence of Christ in the lives of so many so-called Christians? Is it because they are basing their salvation on a decision that they made, on something THEY did, not on Christ and what He did? They think it is all about doing something to earn salvation. Do you think that you are covered because you prayed a prayer as a child or youth, so now you are free to ignore Him and live life for yourself. The evidence of whether you are saved, is if you continue to repent and believe. Do you have to live a sinless life? Of course not. But if you have no desire to live for Christ, then you must examine your life. Question: Do you love the things that God loves and hate the things that God hates?

2 Corinthians 13:5 says to "Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? - unless indeed you fail to meet the test!" This verse is what really made me examine my life and consider God’s call in my life. 2 Peter 1:10 also says “Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure.”

Mark Cahill notes in his book that, when witnessing to the lost,“if there is no desire to walk away from sin, the person is not really making a true heart commitment to the Savior. In John 6:44 Jesus says,‘No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him.’ If God is drawing someone to Him, He would also be drawing the person away from his sin.”

So why do so many kids walk away from the faith or why do so many so-called Christians show no evidence in their lives of the transforming power of the gospel. I believe it is because we no longer talk about sin. Growing up in the church, I heard all about Jesus dying on the cross, but it never really registered why I need Christ. After all, I was basically a good person, wasn’t I? But without understanding the depth of my sin, I can not truly understand the sacrifice that Christ made for me. John MacArthur says “Remove the reality of sin and you take away the possibility of repentance. Abolish the doctrine of human depravity and you void the divine plan of salvation. Erase the notion of personal guilt and you eliminate the need for a Savior”

In the early 1970’s Karl Menniger wrote a small book with the provocative title, “ Whatever Became of Sin?” In it he observed that the word “sin” and the concept it represented began to disappear from our culture around the middle of the twentieth century. However, he views sin on an entirely horizontal level, the sin of one person against another or perhaps against oneself. To fully comprehend the nature of sin, though, we must recognize its vertical dimension: sin is primarily an offense toward God.

David recognized this when he committed adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband killed. He says in Psalms 51:4 “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge.”

If you are like me, you want to say that you really are not that bad. I don’t do anything seriously wrong. We all tell lies. But consider this. It is not what you do, but WHO you do it to. If I tell a lie to a 5 year old, there is not really much they can do about it. If I tell a lie to my wife, I may end up sleeping on the couch. If I tell a lie to the government I will end up in prison. If I tell a lie to God, and ultimately all lies are against God, then I deserve hell. J.I. Packer says it this way, “There can be no small sins against a great God.”

But what is Sin? Growing up in the church I was taught not to gamble, smoke, drink, dance, or go to movies. While some of those things may not be beneficial to us, they do not reveal the true nature of our sin. I felt if I followed those rules and avoided those things, that I was okay. But sin is transgression of the Law of God. I John 3:4 says “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.”

God Law is found in the 10 Commandments. They have basically been removed from society today, so I am going to quickly review them. I have included a picture and statement about the picture to make it easier to memorize them.

The First Commandment is “You shall have no other Gods before me”. (Exodus 20:2,3) Mark 12:29-30 says: “Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment” Do we truly love Him with our whole being? We say He is lord, but do our lives reveal it?
****God should always be Number One.

The Second Commandment is “You shall not make for yourself any graven image.” (Exodus 20:4-6) Idolatry is perhaps the greatest of all sins because it opens the door to unrestrained evil. It gives sinners license not only to tolerate sin, but to sanction it. If you can make a god in your own image, you can create your own moral standards to go along with him or her. You make a god to suit yourself, one that does not talk about sin, righteousness, and judgment. Just make sure he or she likes the things you like and hates the things you hate. If you like lust, so will your god. If your god doesn’t mind lying and stealing, then you can lie, steal, and lust to your heart’s content. Your god will fill your heart with joy...right up until Judgment Day.
**** Don’t bow to anything but God

The Third Commandment is “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain; for the LORD your God will not hold him guiltless that takes his name in vain” (Exodus 20:7). To slur someone’s name is to insult the very person.
****Don’t use your lips to dishonor God.

The Fourth Commandment is “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8). The Sabbath was given as a sign to Israel (Exodus 31:13–17); nowhere is it given as a sign to the church. Romans 14:5–10 tells us that one man esteems one day of the week above another; another esteems every day alike. We are not to judge each other regarding the day on which we worship.
****Don’t neglect the things of God.

The Fifth Commandment is “Honor your father and your mother: that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God gives you”(Exodus 20:12). To honor our parents is to esteem them, show them respect, and obey them.
****It’s a “5” shaped like a Dad and Mom.

The Sixth Commandment is “You shall not murder”(Exodus 20:13). Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount,“You have heard that it was said by them of old time, You shall not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say to you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment”(Matthew 5:21,22).
****It’s a bomb shaped like a “6”

The Seventh Commandment is “You shall not commit adultery”(Exodus 20:14). However, Jesus explained that God judges even the thought-life. He said,“You have heard that it was said by them of old time, You shall not commit adultery: But I say to you, that whosoever looks on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart”(Matthew 5:27,28)
****Adultery leaves a heart broken.

The Eighth Commandment is “You shall not steal”(Exodus 20:15).
Most people don’t think that God considers theft to be theft until the value of what is taken impresses Him. However, if I open your wallet and take just one dollar, I’m a thief, and the Bible says that thieves will not enter the kingdom of God. Jesus asked,“What does a man profit if he gains the whole world, but loses his soul?”(Matthew 16:26).
****The thief’s mask looks like an “8”

The Ninth Commandment is “You shall not lie or bear false witness against your neighbor”(Exodus 20:16). Lying in order to cause harm to another, or to avoid the consequences of our own wrong behavior, is never acceptable to a holy God who knows our motive.
****This number “9” is lying down.

The Tenth Commandment is: “You shall not covet...anything that is your neighbor’s” (Exodus 20:17). Covetousness is the spark that sets off the fuse of sin. It is a sin that lies close to the surface of every human being.
****The door and ring together look like a “10”.

So what does this mean? Why did I go through the Ten Commandments? Am I trying to say that we must keep the Law to be saved or to gain God’s forgiveness. Absolutely not. It is only by the grace of God and the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

So what is the purpose of the Law of God?
Galatians 3:24 says “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” The Law does doesn’t help us; it just leaves us helpless. It doesn’t justify us; it just leaves us guilty before the judgment bar of a holy God. Psalm 19:1 says, “The law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul.”

If I approach an unrepentant sinner and say, “Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins,”it will be foolishness and offensive to him. It will be foolishness because it won’t make sense. The Bible says that “the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness”(1 Corinthians 1:18). And it will be offensive because I’m implying he’s a sinner when he doesn’t think he is. As far as he’s concerned, there are a lot of people far worse than him. But if I take the time to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, it may make more sense. If I open up the divine Law, and show the sinner precisely what he’s done wrong — that he has offended God by violating His Law—then the good news of the fine being paid will not be foolishness. It will not be offensive. It will be “the power of God unto salvation” (Romans 1:16).

Romans 3:19 says,“Now we know that whatsoever things the law says, it says to them who are under the law that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God.” So one function of God’s Law is to stop the mouth, to keep sinners from justifying themselves by saying,“There are plenty of people worse than me. I’m not a bad person, really. ”No, the law stops the mouth of justification and leaves, not just the Jews, but the whole world guilty before God.

Charles Spurgeon, stated,“I do not believe that any man can preach the gospel who does not preach the Law. The Law is the needle, and you cannot draw the silken thread of the gospel through a man’s heart unless you first send the needle of the Law to make way for it.”

We can see the work of God’s Law illustrated in civil law. For example, many people often drive over the speed limit, especially in large cities where everyone is going over the speed limit. Apparently each speeder says to himself that the law has forgotten to patrol his part of the freeway. After all he is violating the law by only 15 mph, and besides, he isn’t the only one doing it. However, notice what happens when the law enters with red lights flashing. The speeder’s heart misses a beat. He is no longer secure in the fact that other motorists are also speeding. He knows that he is personally as guilty as the next guy, and he could be the one the law pulls over. The fact that there are other people doing it is irrelevant. Suddenly, his “mere” 15 mph transgression doesn’t seem such a small thing after all; it seems to abound.

Now watch the Law of God enter with red lights flashing. The sinner’s heart skips a beat. He lays his hand upon his mouth. He examines the speedometer of his conscience. Suddenly, it shows him the measure of his guilt in a new light—the light of the Law. His sense of security in the fact that there are multitudes doing the same thing becomes irrelevant, because every man will give an account of himself to God. Sin not only becomes personal, it seems to “abound.” His mere lust becomes adultery of the heart; his white lie, false witness; his own way becomes rebellion; and his hatred, murder.

Charles Spurgeon said, “(Sinners) will never accept grace, until they tremble before a just and holy Law.” The Law makes grace abound, in the same way that darkness makes light shine. John Wesley advised a young evangelist, for effective evangelism, preach 90 percent Law and 10 percent grace.

So where does this leave us? We are not good. Psalm 14:3 says,“They have all turned aside, They have together become corrupt; There is none who does good, No, not one.” Each of us have broken God’s Law repeatedly. I have thought about this lately in regard to the alleged Craigslist killer, Philip Markoff. Here is a young man, 22 years old, in medical school, engaged to be married, who killed a young model. His fiancee, Megan McAllister, said that he would not hurt a fly. How many times do we hear that about a murderer? We all want to think that we would never do that, but the reality is that we are all capable of that. We have all done that in our heart at some point, by hating our brother.

If we stood before God and He judged us according to His Law we would be found guilty. You and Me. If we are guilty that would mean an eternity in hell. C. S. Lewis summed up all the terrors of hell when he said,“There is no doctrine which I would more willingly remove from Christianity than the doctrine of hell, if it lay in my power. But it has the full support of Scripture and, especially, of our Lord’s own words; it has always been held by the Christian Church, and it has the support of reason.” We would know very little about hell were it not the words of Jesus recorded in the Gospels.

At this point most people will agree that they are not a good person, but they don’t think a loving God will send them to hell. But what they have done is idolatry. They have made a god to suit themselves, someone they can accept. It is true that God is love, but He is also holy, righteous, and just.

This is a scenario that I often use when witnessing. Suppose that you have committed a horrible crime and the punishment for that crime was $1,000,000 or life in prison. If the judge is a good judge he must punish you for your crime. If someone murdered your parents and then let the killer go free, you would not call the judge good. So the judge must punish you. As you are being led off to jail, someone you don’t know, steps forward, and hands the judge the $1,000,000. He sold everything he had so that your fine could be paid. Now the judge can legally dismiss your case and still be just. That is a what Christ for you and for me upon the cross. Only in this case it was a death sentence that He took in our place, and He is not an unknown person, but the judge Himself.

That is the Good News - the Great News. The Gospel. The Cross of Christ

Once we understand our sinfulness, our depravity, the cross because so precious. That is why we sang about the cross, about His sacrifice, about Christ’s blood shed for us. My mom has said that for years, and I am just finally beginning to get it - to really understand the depth of God’s love for a sinner like me. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

Christ took the wrath of God that I deserve upon Himself. In that moment in time, Jesus Christ, was separated from the Father as He became sin on our behalf. There was a cosmic shock wave throughout the universe as the Father turned His back on the Son. Isn’t that amazing! If you understand this in this depth of your heart, it will change you forever.

I would like to read a passage by R.C. Sproul from the book, “Preaching the Cross.” In in he says, “We are not justified by the doctrine of justification by faith. We can believe this doctrine, give intellectual assent to its truth, and even contend for it with our all without ever having the faith that alone will justify us. Our justification is not accomplished by a profession of faith. The evangelical world has never fully grasped that nobody is justified by a simple profession of faith. Professions of faith are good things, and those who believe are supposed to profess what they believe, but it’s the “possession” of faith - not its “profession” - that translates a person from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light. For that reason we who are preachers must be very careful how we preach the gospel, to guard against giving people a false sense of security, saying, “If you raise your hand ... if you come to the altar ... if you sign the card ... you’re going to get into the kingdom of God.” We wind up constructing all kinds of distorted theology to account for false professions of faith. We must remember that it is not the doctrine that saves anybody; the doctrine simply describes what brings us into a state of justification. When I became a Christian on September 13, 1957, at 11:00 p.m., I had never heard the word justification. I didn’t know what it was. I had never read the Bible, although I’d heard about Jesus. The night I became a Christian, a man sat me down and told me about Christ. He quoted from the book of Ecclesiastes: If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth, and if a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it will lie.” (Eccl. 11:3) That Scripture verse was illuminated by the Holy Ghost, and I saw myself as that fallen tree in the middle of the forest, lying there and rotting away. I am perhaps the only person in the history of the church who has been converted by that verse. That night I went back to my room overwhelmed by a sense of my sin and by the conviction that my only hope in life and death was the atoning work of my Savior. Beside my bed I fell on my knees. I didn’t recite the catechism; I simply said, “O God, forgive me for my sins.” I arose justified.”

Often we think that the Gospel is only for unbelievers. But it truly it is for all of us. Jerry Bridges says to preach the gospel to yourself daily. Not to save us again, because if we have been truly born again, nothing can snatch us from the Father’s hand. But we must be reminded of Christ’s sacrifice daily. If we begin each morning meditating on the Gospel, we will strive to glorify Christ with our lives through the power of the Holy Spirit. We will begin to see what is important in life - sharing the Gospel with others, helping the poor. Not making more money, buying more stuff, or entertaining ourselves to death.

What we must do is repent and put trust in Christ. Repentance is more than just sorrow for sin, it means to confess sin and forsake it - to agree with God that it is wrong and to turn and go in the opposite direction. We must turn from sin to the Savior. This is why Paul preached “repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Acts 20:21)

To be honest, repentance is an issue that I disagreed with for years but recently God has changed my own heart. I have searched Scripture and I can come to no other conclusion. However, I need to clarify one point. Even our ability to repent and put our trust in Christ does not come from us. It is God in His sovereignty that is drawing us to Him. Not only do we as sinners lack any spiritual good in ourselves, but we also lack the ability to come to God in our own strength. Paul says that “those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Romans 8:8)

The application to our lives is this: If God gives anyone a desire to repent and trust in Christ, he should not delay and should not harden his heart. This ability to repent and desire to trust in God is not naturally ours but is given by the prompting of the Holy Spirit, and it will not last forever. “Today, when you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts” (Hebrews 3:15)

In closing I ask 4 things:

1. Examine your life - allow God to show you the depth of your sin. If you are not sure you are truly born again, repent and put your trust in Jesus Christ alone for your salvation. Do it today.

As I have read through the Gospels I have found two phrases that seem to sum up what we may hear when we die or Christ returns. The first is found in Matthew 25:21 where the master says “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.”

The second is at the end of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7:21 where Jesus says,"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'

2. Preach the cross to yourself daily. Meditate on what Christ did for you and me on the cross, taking our sin upon Himself.

3. Read God’s Word daily. The Bible is God’s love letters to us. How would you feel if your spouse never read 66 letters that you had written to him/her. I have begun reading through the Bible where I read ten chapters a day, from ten different places in the Bible. If you want more information on it, go to my blog - it is on the letter in your box.

4. Share your faith wherever you go - take advantage of every opportunity to share Christ. If you don’t know how, ask me. I would love to talk to you, and if there is enough interest, I would love to do a class on evangelism. But begin somewhere: pass out tracts without saying anything, then get comfortable talking to strangers about everyday events, and finally tell people about the hope that you have in Christ. 1 Corinthians 9:24 says “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.”

As you leave I have about 100 bookmarks to remind you that sharing the Gospel is everyone’s job, not just a select few. I also have some Gospel tracts that are on the back of million dollar bills. I would encourage everyone to take at least one and challenge yourself to give it to someone. Use it as an icebreaker to share the Gospel. You may be surprised at how easy it really is.

Benediction:

Romans 16:25-27
Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.

Memories of my Dad

2009-05-19T21:04:00.002-05:00

This is what I said about my dad at his memorial and celebration service on Monday, May 18th.

Many people remember that my dad was a great ping pong player. What they may not know is that I am responsible for his greatness. When I watched him play when I was young, I would run upstairs crying if he would start to lose. And as he used to say, he had to work his fool head off to win so that I would not cry.

My dad also cared about people. He also loved to tell jokes over and over and over again. He also loved to brag that he was 100% Danish and loved to joke with our office assistants, especially the Norwegians. I will try to tell one of his favorite jokes although I can not tell them like he could or laugh at them like he could. There were a couple guys walking down the street talking about how they disliked Norwegians. They came upon a Norwegian playing an organ grinder along with his little monkey. The monkey would do lots of different tricks for which he would take tips from people. The first man gave the little monkey a $5 tip. That surprised the other man and he asked why he did that since he hated Norwegians. The first one replied, “Well, I do, but they’re just so cute when they’re young.”

My dad had a lot of good qualities but was not very patient. He always wanted to get to places early, and he never read directions. I remember helping him put together a couple bikes when I was about 10. Since he did not read directions, he was getting so frustrated. I tried to tell him what the directions said, but he just finally gave up and I ended up putting them together. After that, I think he just handed off all those jobs to me.

My dad was a good man and great father. He always cared about his family and spent most of his time, energy, and money on us. I remember driving home from a school function when I was sixteen and had only had my license about 6 months. It was a cool November evening with just a light mist. When I was less than a block from home the car started sliding and it slid around around hit a parked car. Mom and Dad came home later on and I figured he would be mad at me. When I started telling him, I discovered that he was not mad, just concerned about me. He did not care at all about the car. Of course I had to drive around with a banged up car. Bruce helped me repair it and put a very nice orange peel paint job on it.

My dad was looking forward to hearing me preach on May 3rd. Unfortunately, his accident was on May 2nd, the day before. While I am not going to preach a sermon, I do want to say a couple words that my dad would want me to say. I have talked to him quite a bit over the past couple years about what Christ was doing in my life. I have heard it said many times this weekend about what a good man my dad was, and he was by human standards. Despite being a good person, he would be the first one to tell you that it was not being good that saved him. My dad was born again when he was 14 and rededicated his life to Christ in his early ‘20s.

So many people think that if they are good enough they will somehow get into heaven. But that has nothing to do with it. We can be born again only because of what Christ did for us on the cross. It is not because of going to church. It is not by being baptized or taking communion. It is not even by repeating a prayer. Now I realize that many people do come to Christ through just such a prayer, but it is in spite of it not because of it. We must first realize that we all are sinners in thought, word, or deed. We have all broken God’s laws and deserve hell. We have lied, stolen, and even hated, which Jesus said is the same as murder. I know, If I was judged by God by his Law, I would be found guilty. God is loving, but He is also just and Holy. He can not allow sin in His presence. My only hope is Christ - He came to earth to not only die but to endure the wrath of God that I deserve. It says in Isaiah 53:10 that it “It pleased YAHWEH to crush His Son” Can you understand what that means. I did the crime, but Christ paid my fine. Because Christ became sin for us, God the Father could not look at His own Son upon the cross. That is why He cried out "My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?"

Christ took the punishment I deserve, defeated death, and rose again. Because of His death, I can live. I Corinthians 5:21 states it this way: “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Christ took on my sin, and I received Christ's righteousness. My response to the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit is simply to repent and believe the gospel. I must trust in Christ and Christ alone for my salvation.

I know my dad is in heaven waiting for me someday. I also know that my dad would find no joy greater than if, through his death, one more person would put their trust in Christ.

ESV Study Bible

2009-05-02T16:03:00.003-05:00

I love the new "ESV Study Bible". My favorite up until this time has been "The MacArthur Study Bible" and it still will be the one I read from everyday, but for more in depth studying, the ESV Study Bible is great. One of the best features is that it is all available online as well. Even now you can go to http://www.esvstudybible.org/online to read the Bible. However, if you purchase a copy of the ESV Study Bible you get a code to upgrade to the full version online. You can read the study notes, maps, charts, articles, etc. You can add your own notes and even highlight passages. When there is a cross-reference you do not even have to click on the link because when you move your cursor over the link, a box pops up with the text in the box. Best of all, you can view your information, notes, and highlighting from any computer. I highly recommend both the ESV Study Bible or The MacArthur Study Bible.

Read through the Bible

2009-05-02T15:51:00.003-05:00

I have started reading through the Bible using a method designed by Professor Grant Horner. I resisted using it at first because it seemed too complicated. You read ten chapters a day but they all are in different books of the Bible. Some sections like Acts you repeat every month and some like the prophets you repeat every 250 days. Someone figured it out that it will take 15 billion years before you will repeat the system from the beginning.

I love reading just one chapter out of Job, Genesis, etc. When I have tried other reading plans I would get bogged done in certain books, like Leviticus or Job. But when you read just one chapter it starts to sink in. Also there have been a couple days where things came up that made it impossible to read. That is not my preference, but at least I could just do it the next day. I never felt like I was behind because I was off on days, like most One Year Bibles.

I have made it my discipline that I will not read other Christian books unless I have read the ten chapters for the day. I have fallen in love with God and His Word rather than human authors.

To learn more, go to www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=46416541831

Mission Ball

2009-03-03T20:08:00.004-06:00

The following is the text from the Mission Ball at www.themissionball.org and it explains the gospel very well. This is also a good ministry to support if the Lord leads you.

God's Simple Plan of Salvation I
The most important question of your life is will you go to Heaven when you die? God says in order to go to Heaven, “you must be born again.”(John 3:7) In the Bible, God gives us the plan of how to be born again. First, you must realize you are a sinner. “For all have sinned and fall short of God’s standard.”(Romans 3:23) Because you are a sinner, you are condemned to die. "the wages of sin is death"(Romans 6:23) This includes eternal separation from God, in Hell. "Everyone is destined to die once and after that comes judgment"(Hebrews 9:27) But God loved you so much he gave his only begotten Son, Jesus, to bear your sin and die in your place. "But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners."(Romans 5:8) Although we cannot understand how, God said our sins were laid upon Jesus and he died in our place. “God commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him.”(Acts 17:30) Repent means to turn away from your sins and agree with God that one is a sinner, and also agree with what Jesus did for us on the cross. The question: "what must I do to be saved?"(Acts 16:30) The answer: believe in Jesus as the one who bore your sin, died in your place, was buried, and whom God resurrected. His resurrection powerfully assures us that we can claim everlasting life when Jesus is received as our Savior. "But to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God."(John 1:12)

God's Simple Plan of Salvation II
"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."(Romans 10:13) Believe, and you will be saved. No church or good works can save you. Remember, God does the saving. God's simple plan of salvation is: You are a sinner and unless you repent and believe on Jesus who died in your place, you will spend eternity in Hell. If you believe on him as your crucified, buried, and risen Savior, you receive forgiveness for all of your sins and his gift of eternal salvation by faith. If His plan is not perfectly clear, read this over and over, without laying it down until you understand it. Your soul is worth more than the entire world. "What do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?"(Mark 8:36) Be sure you are saved. If you lose your soul, you miss Heaven and lose all. Do not trust your feelings because they change. Stand on God's promises which never change. After you are saved, there are three things to practice daily for spiritual growth. The first is to Pray, which is when you talk to God. The second is to read your Bible, so God can talk to you. And lastly share your faith with others, so you can talk for God. "So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord."(2 Timothy 1:8) "Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven."(Matthew 10:32) You should be baptized in obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ, as a public testimony of your salvation, and then unite with a Bible-believing church.

How do YOU get to Heaven?
Look at the 10 Commandments. The requirement of the 1st is to love God above all else? Have you broken the 2nd by making a god in your mind to suit yourself? That’s called Idolatry. Have you ever used God's name in vain? Have you always honored your parents? Have you hated someone? The Bible says, "Whoever hates his brother is a murderer." The 7th is "You shall not commit adultery." Have you ever stolen or lied? On Judgment Day, will you be found innocent or guilty? Will you go to Heaven or Hell? The Bible warns that all liars, thieves, fornicators, and adulterers will end up in Hell. But God made a way for you to be forgiven. Jesus suffered and died on the cross to satisfy the Moral Law, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." Then Jesus rose from the dead, defeating death. That means that God can forgive you and grant you the gift of everlasting life. Confess your sins to God today, put your trust in Jesus to save you, and you will pass from death to life. You have God's promise on it. Pray like this: "Dear God, today I turn away from all of my sins (name them) and I put my trust in Jesus Christ alone as my Lord and Savior. Please forgive me, change my heart, and grant me Your gift of everlasting life. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen." The sincerity of your prayer will be evidenced by your obedience to God. Read His Word, the Bible, and obey what you read.

The 10 Commandments
1-You shall have no other gods before me. 2-You shall not make any idols. 3-You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. 4-Remember the Sabbath Day. 5-Honor your father and mother. 6-You shall not murder. 7-You shall not commit adultery. 8-You shall not steal. 9-You shall not lie. 10-You shall not covet. You will have to face God on Judgment Day. He sees lust as adultery, "Whoever looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart."(Matthew 5:28) He sees hatred as murder, “Anyone who hates another brother or sister is a murderer at heart.”(1 John 3:15) Will you go to Heaven? Here's a quick test. Have you ever told a lie, stolen anything, used God's name in vain, or looked with lust? James 2:10 says, "For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws.” Will you be guilty on Judgment Day? If you have done those things God sees you as a lying, thieving, blasphemous, adulterer at heart. The Bible warns that if you are guilty you will end up in Hell. God sent His Son to suffer and die on the cross. Jesus took the punishment upon Himself, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."(John 3:16) Then Jesus rose from the dead and defeated death. Repent (turn from sin) today and trust in Jesus, and God will grant you everlasting life. Read the Bible and obey what you read.

GOD’S WORD I
You need to be saved “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God” (John 3:3) All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own (Isaiah 53:6) But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve (Jeremiah 17:10) You will perish unless you repent of your sins and turn to God (Luke 13:3) You cannot save yourself God saved us, not because of good things we did, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5) There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death (Proverbs 14:12) Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me (John 14:6) No one can be made right with God by doing what the law commands. It simply shows us we are sinful (Romans 3:20) God has provided for your salvation Jesus carried our sins to the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds we are healed (1 Peter 2:24) Christ died for sins. Jesus was buried, and was raised from the dead on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:3-4) God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it (Ephesians 2:8-9)

GOD’S WORD II
Believe God’s word and be saved Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.”(John 6:29) “I tell you the truth; those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life (John 5:24) Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life. I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life (1 John 5:12-13) Confess Jesus before men If anyone is ashamed of me and my message, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person (Luke 9:26) If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. (Romans 10:9-10) Saving faith produces good works What good is it, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? (James 2:14) For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. (Philippians 2:13) Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God. (Romans 14:12) But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve, as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15)

Win Ray's New Book

2009-02-16T22:48:00.004-06:00

You can win a copy of Ray Comfort's new book at Fish with Trish.

Ray Comfort's new book "You Can Lead an Atheist to Evidence but You Can't Make Him Think" is written in a question and answer format and is filled with answers to questions from angry skeptics. One atheist said, "In reading your books...seeds of doubt about my atheism have been sown."

Escape from Hamas

2009-01-09T21:10:00.003-06:00

Here is an interview with Mosab Hassan Yousef, the son of one of the Hamas founders, who converted to Christianity. It all started because a Christian tourist to Israel gave him a Bible. Watch this and you will never again question the importance of sharing our faith. This young man could literally change the face of Islam, but in doing so he also puts his own life in danger.

I have included part of the transcript from the FoxNews Special because his testimony is so powerful.

Mosab Hassan: I’m not trying to offend Muslims. I love them. Those Muslims are my family.

Jonathon Hunt: But you are going to offend people and you are going to put your own life in danger, aren’t you, by doing this?

Mosab: Some of them will be offended. Some of them will be offended, but I am sure, I believe that many of them will wake up.

Jonathon: Some of them will try to kill you.

Mosab: They will, they will. If they will kill me, they will kill this body, but the question, what about my soul, what about my ideas, what about my beliefs that I shared with everybody. Will they be able to kill this? I don’t think so.

Announcer: Within days (of the August report), Al-Qaeda, the world’s most notorious terrist group responded, issuing a lengthy statement criticizing Hamas for allowing this young man to convert to Christianity and concluding by quoting the chilling words of Mohammed, “Whoever changes his religion - Kill him”

Jonathon: Are you scared?

Mosab: I don’t want to die and I don’t want to pretend that I like to die. I love to live. I love to serve my Lord. But if this will be the challenge, and this is how I prove my faith, I ask God to give me patience to do it.

Announcer: And Mosab Hassan says his family will likely also suffer.

Jonathon: How does that make you feel? Do you think you shouldn’t have done this? You shouldn’t have gone public?

Mosab: No, I had to do this. I had to do this because this is going to change so many people lives. Hopefully, my family’s life.

Jonathon: Do you believe your father will one day become a Christian?

Mosab: He is not too far from Christianity. He is very close. I told him that. I told him you are very far of Islam and very close to Christianity. That was my last sentence to him.

Jonathon: How do you think he reacted to that?

Mosab: He cried.

Jonathon: Tears of joy or despair.

Mosab: I don’t think it was joy at that moment. One day he will understand.

Jonathon: You’re depending on the charity of others. Your family back home is in tears. How do you cope with all of that?

Mosab: It’s a low price for Jesus. It’s even nothing. It’s like comparing to what He has done to us, it’s nothing.

Elvis's Last Words

2009-01-07T21:33:00.003-06:00

I was watching Mike Huckabee this past weekend and he was having an Elvis special. He talked to Rick Stanley, who is a step brother to Elvis and may have been the last person to talk to Elvis before his death 8 hours later. This is the conversation according to Rick.

Rick: There is this girl that keeps telling me I need the Lord.

Elvis: She's telling you the truth.

Rick: I've tried to kick this, I've tried to kick all that stuff. (I was under the impression that to become a Christian you have to stop, you have to kick something to come to Christ. I didn't know that you come to the Lord; that is how you kick. I had it backwards.)

Elvis: It's those people who talk to you about Jesus, they're the ones who truly care.

It's those people who talk to you about Jesus who truly care. Do we care?

Comments by an Atheist

2009-01-05T20:04:00.010-06:00

Do we really care that people are headed to hell? Here is an interesting video by atheist Penn Jillette of Penn and Teller.

Here is a transcript of a portion of the video.

Penn says: If you believe there is a heaven and hell and people could be going to hell, or not get eternal life, and you think it is not really worth telling them this, because it would make it socially awkward ... how much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize? How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?

Why is it that an atheist realizes the necessity of evangelizing more than most Christians? This should be a wake up call for all Christians.

Minimalistic View of Conversion

2008-12-11T23:23:00.003-06:00

What is the least we have to do to be saved? That seems to be the question that people seem to want to know without actually saying it out loud. After all, we have boiled down salvation to saying a prayer and saying we believe that Jesus died for our sins. It does not matter that we do not care about holiness and glorifying God in all we do. I have yet to read in the Bible where it says that we must pray to accept Jesus into our heart. The closest I can get is Romans 10:9 where it says “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Yet this is talking to early Christians who were being sent to the lions if they publicly confessed Jesus as Lord. That is a far cry from a simple prayer of acceptance. No wonder there is so little evidence of regeneration in the lives of so-called Christians today.

The following is a quote by Ravi Zacharias. See the rest of his article click here.

"Therefore, as Christians, we ought to take time to reflect seriously upon the question, “Has God truly wrought a miracle in my life? Is my own heart proof of the supernatural intervention of God?” In the West we go through these seasons of new-fangled theologies. The whole question of “lordship” plagued our debates for some time as we asked, is there such a thing as a minimalist view of conversion? “We said the prayer and that’s it.” Yet how can there be a minimalist view of conversion when conversion itself is a maximal work of God’s grace? “Old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17, KJV).

If you were proposing marriage to someone, what would the one receiving the proposal say if you said, “I want you to know this proposal changes nothing about my allegiances, my behavior, and my daily life; however, I do want you to know that should you accept my proposal, we shall theoretically be considered married. There will be no other changes in me on your behalf.” In a strange way we have minimized every sacred commitment and made it the lowest common denominator. What does my new birth mean to me? That is a question we seldom ask. Who was I before God’s work in me, and who am I now?"

Do I simply want heaven and nothing else? Do I want to have the ability to do whatever I want, without Christ interfering in my fun? Do I want to be able to watch whatever garbage there is on TV and in the theater without my conscience convicting me of my sin? People often ask “What Would Jesus Do?’, but since that is a standard so above our ability, we simple say that we are just being human. That is true, but if we are abiding in Christ shouldn’t the work of the Holy Spirit be at least somewhat visible in our life? A better question, is what would the apostle Paul or Peter do? Would they spend their time in worldly entertainment, or would they be trying to spread the Gospel wherever they go? Do I love the things that God loves and hate the things that God hates?

Jerry Bridges says, “I think one of the common misunderstandings of the grace of God is, “God’s cutting me some slack. Grace is God’s letting me get away with a few things.” That’s the furthest thought from the grace of God. The grace of God comes to us through Jesus Christ as a result of his sinless life and sin-bearing death for us, but that grace is more than just God’s kindness and benevolent feeling toward us. The grace of God is dynamic. The grace of God is God in action for our good. And so when the apostle Paul said, “By the grace of God I am what I am,” he was speaking about the empowering of the Holy Spirit that God in his grace supplies to each of us as we seek to live for Him.”

Try Jesus?

2008-12-09T21:20:00.001-06:00

On Hannity and Colmes, Pastor Rick Warren made a comment to "try Jesus for sixty days". Now I am not trying to tear down Pastor Warren, but I think think that idea has basically infiltrated the modern church. Try Jesus to see if He works for you, if not, then try something else.

I do a fair amount of evangelism on the streets as well as working with teenagers in our church youth group. The biggest challenge I have is people and kids who say that they have tried Jesus and He does not work. But it is not about us and our happiness. Jesus never promised us happiness - He said to take up our cross and follow Him. He said that we will have trials and tribulations. Most of the apostles and many of the early Christians died for their faith.

I did not repent and believe the Gospel because of what it would give me. I put my trust in Christ because of what He did for me on that cross and because He is worthy to be praised regardless of what happens to me. It was not just the physical agony of dying on that cross, but the fact that He exchanged His righteousness for my sin. He bore the wrath of God that I deserved and I received His righteousness in exchange when I repented and put my trust in Him.

It is so hard to see teenagers who prayed some prayer to accept Jesus, but never trusted in Him as their Lord and Savior. They have been told that if they try Jesus, He will give them happiness and peace. Then when trials come, they get disillusioned and reject Him. They have never been shown their sinfulness in view of the Ten Commandments, and they have not been told about the judgment that is to come. Therefore, the sacrifice that Jesus made makes no sense. For more information, listen to "Hell's Best Kept Secret".

Watchman

2008-11-21T23:19:00.000-06:00

I do not want to stand before God empty handed with blood on my hands of all those I come across in my daily life. I just read recently in Ezekiel 33:1-11 The word of the LORD came to me: Son of man, speak to your people and say to them, If I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and make him their watchman, and if he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows the trumpet and warns the people, then if anyone who hears the sound of the trumpet does not take warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet and did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But if he had taken warning, he would have saved his life. But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman's hand.

“So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul. “And you, son of man, say to the house of Israel, Thus have you said: Surely our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we rot away because of them. How then can we live? Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?

According to Mark Cahill: In ancient times, watchman were positioned on the wall surrounding a city to keep watch. Their job was to be on the lookout for the armies that were coming. When they saw an enemy approaching, they were to blow the trumpet to warn the city’s residents. It was not their job to make everyone ready; it was the people’s own responsibility to get ready. The watchmen’s job was just to sound the alarm. God has left believers on earth to sound the alarm to others, to warn the wicked that if they do not repent of their wicked ways and come to Jesus, they will regret it both here and for eternity. If we know the wicked are dying and going to Hell and we do not warn them, their blood is on our hands. We must tell the lost about Jesus. God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked and neither should we. Earlier in Ezekiel 3:11, the Lord tells Ezekiel, “And go to your people, and speak to them and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD, whether they hear or refuse to hear. “ Remember, it is our responsibility to speak the truth, whether our listeners listen or refuse the message.

Fellowship of the Unashamed

2008-11-21T21:17:00.001-06:00

I am a part of the fellowship of the Unashamed. I have the Holy Spirit Power. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure. I am finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tame visions, mundane talking, chintzy giving, and dwarfed goals. 
I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by presence, learn by faith, love by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by power. 

My pace is set, my gait is fast, my goal is Heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few, my Guide is reliable, my mission is clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, deterred, lured away, turned back, diluted, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity. 

I won't give up, back up, let up, or shut up until I've preached up, prayed up, paid up, stored up, and stayed up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I must go until He returns, give until I drop, preach until all know, and work until He comes.

And when He comes to get His own, He will have no problem recognizing me. My colors will be clear for "I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.." (Romans 1:16)

Happiness

2008-11-15T22:13:00.000-06:00

Christianity says, "The end of all being is the glory of God." Humanism says, "The end of all being is the happiness of man." And one was born in Hell, the deification of man; and the other was born in heaven, the glorification of God!

Well now, the philosophy of the atmosphere is humanism; the chief end of being is the happiness of man. There’s another group of people that have taken hum bridge with the liberals; this group are my people, the fundamentalists. They say, "We believe in the inspiration of the Bible! We believe in the deity of Jesus Christ! We believe in hell! We believe in heaven! We believe in heaven! We believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ!"

But remember, the atmosphere is that of humanism. And humanism says the chief end of being is the happiness of man. Humanism is like a miasma out of a pit; it just permeates everyplace. Humanism is lie an infection, an epidemic – it just goes everywhere. So it wasn’t long until we had this, that the fundamentalists knew each other because they said, "We believe these things!" They were men for the most part that had met God. But you see, it wasn’t long until having said, "These are the things that establish us as fundamentalists!" The second generation said, "This is how we become a fundamentalist! Believe the inspiration of the Bible! Believe in the deity of Christ! Believe in His death, burial, and resurrection! And thereby become a fundamentalist!"

And so it wasn’t long until it got to our generation, where the whole plan of salvation was to give intellectual assent to a few statements of doctrine. And a person was considered a Christian because he could say, "Ah hah" at four or five places that he was asked. If he knew where to say "Ah hah", someone would pat him on the back, shake his hand, smile broadly, and say, "Brother, you’re saved!" so it had gotten down to the place where salvation was nothing more than an assent to a scheme or a formula, and the end of this was that salvation was the happiness of man, because humanism has penetrated.

If you were to analyze fundamentalism in contrast to liberalism of a hundred years ago, as it developed, for I am not pinpointing it in time, it would be like this: The liberal says the end of religion is to make man happy while he’s alive, and the fundamentalist says the end of religion is to make man happy when he dies. But again! The end of all of the religion it was proclaimed was the happiness of man.

from "Ten Shekels and a Shirt"

Challenge

2008-11-09T22:02:00.003-06:00

I am challenging everyone to share Christ with at least one person by New Year’s Day 2009. The statistics are that 97% of Christians will never share Christ with one person before they die. Yet most of them will say their relationship with Christ is the most important thing in their life. How can this be?

Charles Spurgeon says, "Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then you are not saved yourself. Be sure of that." That may sound harsh, but it has really made me examine my relationship with Christ over the past year. If Christ was Lord of my life, why did I not care that people around me were going to spend eternity in hell.

Will you be fearful? Of course. Satan does not want you to share the gospel. If you don't know what to say, then get a good gospel tract to give to someone. Go to www.livingwaters.com to get more information or contact me and I will send you some material. Every day 150,000 people die, most without Christ.

Are we going to close our eyes or do something about? Can you imagine what could happen to this country if every Christian took Christ's last instruction seriously to go into all the world? Hold me accountable too - to see if I have shared my faith. I will be praying for you. Please pray for me as well.

Decisionism

2008-10-30T22:01:00.001-05:00

The Scripture does not say that Jesus Christ came to the nation of Israel and said that “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand, now who would like to ask me into their hearts? I see that hand.”

That is not what it says. He said, “Repent and believe the gospel.” Now men today are trusting in the fact that at least one time in their life they prayed a prayer and someone told them they were saved because they were sincere enough. And so in their salvation if you ask them, “Are you saved?” they do not say, “Yes, I am because I am looking unto Jesus and there is mighty evidence giving me assurance of being born again.” No. They say, “One time in my life I prayed a prayer.”

And they live like devils. But they prayed a prayer. And some of them... I heard of one evangelist who was coaxing a man to do that thing. Finally the man felt so uncomfortable the evangelist said, “Well, I’ll tell you what. I will pray to God for you and if it is what you want to say to God, squeeze my hands. Behold the power of God.”

Decisionism, the idolatry of decisionism. Men think they are going to heaven because they have judged the sincerity of their own decision.

Quoted from Paul Washer in his "Ten Indictments"

Why Do We Repent and Turn to Christ

2008-10-29T21:59:00.001-05:00

Why should a sinner repent? Because God deserves the obedience and love that he’s refused to give Him! Not so that he’ll go to heaven. If the only reason he repents is so that he’ll go to heaven, it’s nothing but trying to make a deal or a bargain with God.

Why should a sinner give up all his sins? Why should he be challenged to do it? Why should he make restitution when he’s coming to Christ? Because God deserves the obedience that He demands!

I have talked with people that have no assurance that sins are forgiven. They want to feel safe, before they’re willing to commit themselves to Christ. But I believe that the only ones whom God actually witnesses by His Spirit and are born of Him, are the people, whether they say it or not, that come to Jesus Christ and say something like this, "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, and obeyed and served, and I’m not trying to make a deal with you!"

From "Ten Shekels and a Shirt" by Paris Reidhead

To hear the audio of this sermon, click here.

True and False Conversions

2007-12-11T21:55:00.001-06:00

The subject of false conversions is a frightening topic to me, but it also motivates me to examine my own life. It says in 2 Corinthians 13:5, “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!”

If Jesus Christ lives in us, shouldn’t there be a huge change in our lives. Yet, poll after poll show basically no difference between those who call themselves Christians and the rest of the world. A.W. Tozer says, “It is my opinion that tens of thousands, if not millions, have been brought into some kind of religious experience by accepting Christ, and they have not been saved.” D. James Kennedy said it this way, “The vast majority of people who are members of churches in America today are not Christians. I say that without the slightest fear of contradiction. I base it on empirical evidence of twenty-four years of examining thousands of people.”

When Jesus gave His disciples the Parable of the Sower, it seems that they lacked understanding of its meaning: “He said to them, ‘Do you not know [understand] this parable? and how then will you know [understand] all parables?’” (Mark 4:13). In other words, the Parable of the Sower is the key to unlocking the mysteries of all the other parables. If any message comes from the parable, it is the fact that when the gospel is preached, there are true and false conversions. This parable speaks of the thorny ground, the stony ground, and the good-soil hearers—the false and the genuine converts. Once that premise has been established, the light of perception begins to dawn on Jesus’ other parables about the kingdom of God. If one grasps the principle of the true and false being alongside each other, then the other parabolic teachings make sense: the Wheat and Tares (true and false), the Good Fish and Bad Fish (true and false), the Wise Virgins and the Foolish (true and false), and the Sheep and Goats (true and false). “The School of Biblical Evangelism”

Someday we will have to face God on the Day of Judgment to give account for our lives. Hebrews 10:31 says, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Jesus warned that many will say to Him on that day, “Lord, Lord”, but He will reply, “I know not from where you are; depart from me, all you workers of iniquity.” Luke 13:27

This is not about works, but about true repentance, humbling ourselves before the Creator of this universe. If Christ’s sacrifice on the cross means so little to us, that we are unwilling to allow God to change our desires, then we must examine ourselves. I once heard it said that a true Christian may fall or stumble into sin, but an unbeliever dives into sin. We are not called to be sinless, but to take up our cross and follow him. Matthew 15:7-8 says, “You hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, This people draws near to me with their mouth, and honors me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.”

Ten Commandments

2007-12-08T21:52:00.000-06:00

What is the purpose of God’s Law and why are atheists working so hard to remove the Ten Commandments from the public square? It is because God’s Law show our guilt before a holy and just God. Romans 3:19 says, “Now we know that whatsoever things the law says, it says to them who are under the law that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God.” So one function of God’s Law is to stop the mouth, to keep sinners from justifying themselves by saying, “There are plenty of people worse than me. I’m not a bad person, really.” No, the law stops the mouth of justification and leaves the whole world guilty before God.

Ray Comfort gives a good illustration in The School of Biblical Evangelism. “The Bible says in Psalm 19:7, “The law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul.” Scripture makes it very clear that it is the Law that actually converts the soul. To illustrate the function of God’s Law, let’s look for a moment at civil law. Imagine if I said to you, “I’ve got some good news for you: someone has just paid a $25,000 speeding fine on your behalf.” You’d probably react by saying, “What are you talking about? That’s not good news—it doesn’t make sense. I don’t have a $25,000 speeding fine.” My good news wouldn’t be good news to you; it would seem foolishness. But more than that, it would be offensive to you, because I’m insinuating you’ve broken the law when you don’t think you have.

However, if I put it this way, it may make more sense: “While you were out today, the law clocked you going 55 miles an hour through an area set aside for a blind children’s convention. There were ten clear warning signs stating that fifteen miles an hour was the maximum speed, but you went straight through at 55 miles an hour. What you did was extremely dangerous; there’s a $25,000 fine. The law was about to take its course, when someone you don’t even know stepped in and paid the fine for you. You are very fortunate.”

Can you see that telling you precisely what you’ve done wrong first actually enables the good news to make sense? If I don’t clearly bring understanding that you’ve violated the law, then the good news will seem foolishness and offensive. But once you understand that you’ve broken the law, then that good news will become good news indeed.

In the same way, if I approach an impenitent sinner and say, “Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins,” it will be foolishness and offensive to him. It will be foolishness because it won’t make sense. The Bible says that “the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness” (1 Corinthians 1:18). And it will be offensive because I’m insinuating he’s a sinner when he doesn’t think he is. As far as he’s concerned, there are a lot of people far worse than him. But if I take the time to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, it may make more sense. If I open up the divine Law, the Ten Commandments, and show the sinner precisely what he’s done wrong —that he has offended God by violating His Law—then when he becomes “convinced of the law as a transgressor” (James 2:9), the good news of the fine being paid will not be foolishness. It will not be offensive. It will be “the power of God unto salvation” (Romans 1:16). “

The Law doesn’t help us; it just leaves us helpless. It doesn’t justify us; it just leaves us guilty before the judgment bar of a holy God. Galatians 3:24 says, “ Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” I Timothy 1:8-10 says, “But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but ... for sinners.”

Charles Spurgeon stated, “I do not believe that any man can preach the gospel who does not preach the Law. The Law is the needle, and you cannot draw the silken thread of the gospel through a man’s heart unless you first send the needle of the Law to make way for it.”

Tracts

2007-12-01T21:51:00.000-06:00

Do tracts really make a difference?

According to Charles Spurgeon: “ I well remember distributing them in a town in England where tracts had never been distributed before, and going from house to house, and telling in humble language the things of the kingdom of God. I might have done nothing, if I had not been encouraged by finding myself able to do something ...[Tracts are] adapted to those persons who have but little power and little ability, but nevertheless, wish to do something for Christ. They may not have the tongue of the eloquent, but they may have the hand of the diligent. They cannot stand and preach, but they can stand and distribute here and there these silent preachers...They may buy their thousand tracts, and these they can distribute broadcast.

I look upon the giving away of a religious tract as only the first step for action not to be compared with many another deed done for Christ; but were it not for the first step we might never reach to the second, but that first attained, we are encouraged to take another, and so at the last...There is a real service of Christ in the distribution of the gospel in its printed form, a service the result of which heaven alone shall disclose, and the judgment day alone discover. How many thousands have been carried to heaven instrumentally upon the wings of these tracts, none can tell.

I might say, if it were right to quote such a Scripture, “The leaves were for the healing of the nations”—verily they are so. Scattered where the whole tree could scarcely be carried, the very leaves have had a medicinal and a healing virtue in them and the real word of truth, the simple statement of a Savior crucified and of a sinner who shall be saved by simply trusting in the Savior, has been greatly blessed, and many thousand souls have been led into the kingdom of heaven by this simple means. Let each one of us, if we have done nothing for Christ, begin to do something now. The distribution of tracts is the first thing.”

According to the American Tract Society, “Fifty-three percent of all who come to Christ worldwide come through the use of printed gospel literature.” God used a tract to save the great missionary Hudson Taylor. After George Whitefield read one called “The Life of God in the Soul of a Man,” he said, “God showed me I must be born again or be damned.” He went on to pray, “Lord, if I am not a Christian, or if I am not a real one, for Jesus Christ’s sake show me what Christianity is, that I may not be damned at last!” Then his journal tells us “from that moment... did I know that I must become a new creature.”

John Wesley organized 160 tract distributors in 1757 which literally reformed the Lord's day habits of the entire city of London! Martin Luther wrote more than one tract, booklet or book for every working week of his entire life! D. L. Moody began his very fruitful evangelistic ministry in Chicago by the simple act of distributing tracts to Great Lakes seaman!

Why should Christians use tracts? Simply because God uses them. That fact alone should be enough incentive for a Christian to always use tracts to reach the lost, but there are even more reasons why we should use them. Here are a few:
Tracts can provide an opening for us to share our faith. We can watch people’s reaction as we give them a tract, and see if they are open to listening to spiritual things.
They can do the witnessing for us. If we are too timid to speak to others about the things of God, we can at least give them a tract, or leave one lying around so that someone will pick it up.
They speak to the individuals when they are ready; people don’t read it until they want to.
They can find their way into people’s homes when we can’t.
They don’t get into arguments; they just state their case.

Oswald J. Smith said, “The only way to carry out the Great Commission will be by the means of the printed page.” Charles Spurgeon stated, “When preaching and private talk are not available, you need to have a tract ready ...Get good striking tracts, or none at all. But a touching gospel tract may be the seed of eternal life. Therefore, do not go out without your tracts.”

If you want people to accept your literature, try to greet them before offering them a tract. If you can get them to respond to a warm “Good morning,” or “How are you doing?” that will almost always break the ice and they will take it. After the greeting, don’t ask, “Would you like this?” They will probably respond, “What is it?” Instead, say, “Did you get one of these?” That question has a twofold effect. You stir their curiosity and make them ask, “One of what?” That’s when you hand them a tract. It also makes them feel as though they are missing out on something. So they are.

Perhaps you almost pass out at the thought of passing out a tract. Don’t worry; you are not alone. We all battle fear. The answer to fear is found in the prayer closet. Ask God to give you a compassion that will swallow your fears. Meditate on the fate of the ungodly. Give hell some deep thought. Confront what it is that makes you fearful.

If you are a friend of mine and you are convicted to share the gospel after reading this, I am willing to provide you with as many tracts as you want at no cost to you. I also have books by Mark Cahill that you give out or read yourself. My only requirement is that you actually use them. Tracts are not a substitute for talking to people, but I have found that tracts have helped me become more bold in my faith.

Reference: The School of Biblical Evangelism by Ray Comfort

Shocking Message

2007-11-10T21:34:00.003-06:00

Today I simply recommend that you listen to a message given by Paul Washer in 2002. It is based on Matthew 7:13-27 which says, “Enter through the narrow gate for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it. Beware of the false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but every bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits. Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name cast out demons and in your name perform many miracles. Then I will declare to them, I never knew you. Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness. Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and acts upon them may be compared to a wise man who builds his house on the rock. And the rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and slammed against that house and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded upon the rock. Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who builds his house on the sand. The rain fell and the floods came and winds blew and slammed against the house and it fell, and great was its fall.”

It is a very powerful message that every professing Christian needs to here. You can listen or watch it by here.

Is Repentance Necessary?

2007-10-15T21:31:00.000-05:00

I seldom hear about repentance in Christian circles today and, to be honest, until recently I felt that it was not necessary. I thought that the Holy Spirit would change you after salvation. But after studying God’s Word and after seeing so many teenagers claim to be a Christian because they said a prayer, I now have changed my mind.

Jesus said that He came to call “sinners to repentance” (Matthew 9:13) and his first public word he preached was “repent” (Matthew 4:17). Paul preached “repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21). In his book One Thing You Can’t Do In Heaven, Mark Cahill say that, “if there is no desire to walk away from sin, the person is not really making a true heart commitment to the Savior. In John 6:44 Jesus says, ‘No One can come to Me unless the Father who sent me draws him.’ If God is drawing someone to Him, He would also be drawing the person away from his sin.”

In Acts 2:38 it says, “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” In Acts 3:19 Peter further says, “Repent you therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.”

Ray Comfort in his book The School of Biblical Evangelism states, “If repentance wasn’t necessary for salvation, why then did Jesus command that repentance be preached to all nations (Luke 24:47)? When He sent out His disciples two by two, they “preached that men should repent” (Mark 6:12).”

One of the main reasons that so many people fall way from their Christian faith may be that they never truly repented in the first place. If so, they may have a false sense of their salvation. We do not have to clean ourselves up to come to God, but we do need to have the desire to turn away from sin. That does not mean that we will suddenly have no temptations or that we will no longer sin, but at least we are willing to give God control of our life.

Evangelism

2007-10-07T22:08:00.000-05:00

My main concern right now is for evangelism. As Mark Cahill says, do we care that our friends and other people we meet are going to hell, and even more important, do we care enough to do something about it. If you are reading this and do not know for sure that you are headed for heaven, go to NeedGod.com . If you do know for sure, why are you not telling others about the Good News. Bill Bright of Campus Crusade said that only 2% of Christians witness on a consistent basis.

One way to get started witnessing is by leaving tracts. I still remember one tract that my mom used to use when I was a child. It had a big impact on my life and made me think about where I would spend eternity. It is still available today and you can see it at Chick Publications . The other thing that is helpful is to listen to Hell’s Best Kept Secret by Ray Comfort at LivingWaters.com and Mark Cahill at MarkCahill.org . They give a lot of help in knowing how to use the Ten Commandments in witnessing. Galatians 3:24 says, “Wherefore the law is our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” Just imagine what this country could be like if all believers started obeying the Great Commission instead of living for themselves. Pray for a revival, but then join me in being part of the answer by sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ.