Category: Emergent


Do People Actually Suffer from Low Self-Esteem and Self-Hatred? (Part 1) ~Martin and Deidre Bobgan

Filed under: Edifying Quotes, Emergent, Truth — 2 Comments
April 22, 2013

Self-Esteem pill bottleDo People Actually Suffer from Low Self-Esteem and Self-Hatred?

What about people who claim to hate themselves? Do they actually hate themselves or are they trying to gain sympathy and support? If they tell someone they hate themselves, the common response is to rescue them from that idea. In the process they receive sympathy and support not normally given. It is a predictable transaction that once begun can become a habitual way of relating to others and receiving support. There are also those who are unhappy about themselves and their circumstances and generalize them into some kind of self-revulsion, all the while loving themselves.

On the other hand, there are some who do experience personal revulsion because of their sin. In fact, unconfessed known sin, such as resentment, bitterness, hatred, and self pity, may make the person feel guilty and therefore uncomfortable. The actual guilt may then be transformed into feelings of self-hatred and worthlessness. In that case, the person does not need more self-love, self-acceptance, or self-esteem.

The person needs to repent and confess and be cleansed. We are not saying that there are no individuals who genuinely think they hate themselves. But, what they generally hate is something about themselves or their circumstances. They exhibit actual love for themselves in that they continue to spend most of their time concerned about themselves, even if it is with unhappy thoughts. They generally get to the point where they are unhappy about themselves because a discrepancy exists between their aspirations or desires and their performance or condition. This intensive hatred is evidence of high self-interest.

Thus a woman who aspires to be thin and beautiful rather than fat and ugly by cultural standards could end up hating her condition and thereby think that she hates herself, because her desire for a perfect figure is discrepant from the reality of being fat and “ugly.” She is reacting to the discrepancy, but the root of the problem is self-love and even pride. She does not actually hate herself. She hates the discrepancy. If she truly hated herself she would be happy, or at least satisfied, to be fat and ugly. But, her self-love in tandem with the discrepancy makes her miserable.

Dr. David Myers, in his book The Inflated Self, discusses research having to do with how people view themselves and others. The research demonstrates that there is definitely a self-serving bias at work in individuals. Myers says: Time and again, experiments have revealed that people tend to attribute positive behaviors to themselves and negative behaviors to external factors, enabling them to take credit for their good acts and to deny responsibility for their bad acts.

Numerous research studies contradict the common notion having to do with self-image. In his book, Myers presents research to support his statement that: Preachers who deliver ego-boosting pep talks to audiences who are supposedly plagued with miserable self images are preaching to a problem that seldom exists.

Excerpts from “12 Steps to Destruction” by Martin and Deidre Bobgan (pp. 57-67) http://www.psychoheresy-aware.org/e-books/12steps-ebk.pdf

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Comment

Who is the Real Enemy?

Filed under: Emergent, Truth — Leave a comment
April 21, 2013

Self LoveSo often people speak of Satan as being the enemy, which he clearly is. (1 Peter 5:8) However, there is almost no mention today of the enemy that follows us around everywhere we go. It wasn’t Satan that caused Adam and Eve to sin in the Garden and it surely isn’t Satan that forces men to sin today. Yes, he is the tempter, but we are personally responsible for our decisions. “…But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.” James 1:13-14

We sin because our flesh has chosen to place self, instead of God, upon the throne. Self is as much the enemy as Satan. The old man, cast in the image of his father the devil, doesn’t just vanish upon being born again. The old man, the self life, along with all its affections and desires, MUST be crucified daily by the power of Christ who lives in every born again believer. (Luke 9:23)

All the talk today from popular psychologists, authors, and preachers of self acceptance, self love, self worth, etc. is foolishness to the cross and the cross foolishness to their false teachings. Although unbiblical and destructive to the soul, sadly many professing believers have rallied around the idea of self love as if it is the saving Gospel of mankind. After all how can someone actually feel worthy to accept God’s forgiveness until they learn to love themselves?

How far we have come from the truth of Paul… “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing… O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” Romans 7:18a, Romans 7:24  Even popular, professing Christian singers have begun injecting self love into their lyrics. May the day never come when we sing, “I lift me up! Oh yeah and Jesus too.”

“I lay me down and lift Jesus up!” ought always be my love song to the One who died for a sinner such as I.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Comment

“More than Meets the Eye” ~Dave Hunt

Filed under: Emergent, The Good News, Truth — Leave a comment
March 30, 2013

OldRuggedCross_B&WQuestion: You claim that the payment for sins was not through the physical sufferings of Christ inflicted by man, but spiritual sufferings endured at the hands of God. Yet Isaiah 53:5 says “…and by his stripes we are healed.” The NASB has, “…and by his scourging we are healed.” Please admit your error!

 

Answer: The NASB is wrong. The Hebrew chabburah translated “stripes” occurs six other times (Gn 4:23; Ex 21:25; Ps 38:5; Prv 20:30; Is 1:6) and it and it never means Roman scourging. Do you really think (as Mel ibson’s film erroneously attempts to show that Roman soldiers’ torture of Christ paid the eternal penalty for all of the murders, rapes, wars, hatred, jealousy, and unimaginable evil committed by billions of people during the history of mankind? Sinful soldiers can’t mete out to the Holy Son of God the righteous punishment for the sins of the world!

 Peter specifically says Christ paid for our sins on the cross (1 Pt 2:24), not when scourged. It was during those 3 hours of darkness on the Cross that God laid on Christ the infinite penalty for the sins of the world—and only when He had paid for our sins in full did He cry in triumph, “It is finished!” Not because of His scourging, but as a result of what Christ accomplished on the Cross, the rocks were split, the earth quaked and the veil of the temple was ripped open (Mt 27:51). First Peter 2:24 indicates that the healing by “stripes” is not from disease (as some teach) but from sin: “Who his own self bare our sins….” That this refers to spiritual punishment is clear: “thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin” (Is 53:10). Like the soul, sin itself, though expressed in physical acts, is spiritual: “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness…” (Mk 7:21, 22).

Salvation is spiritual and can only be by faith. To receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life as a gift from God is the greatest spiritual good conceivable. Physical punishment executed by sinful men could never make that gift possible. Thus the physical stripes Christ received in fulfillment of prophecy could not pay the penalty for sin; only God’s spiritual punishment could do that. Healing from sin and its penalty is what the gospel is all about: “How that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures” (1 Cor 15:3) —not that “Christ died for our physical ailments.” The promise, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31) clearly pertains to salvation from sin, not from disease. Christians in general are neither healthier nor live longer in this life than unbelievers —but we have eternal life.

 The Hebrew noun chabburah translated “stripes” is singular in Isaiah 53:5, indicating one blow from God one blow from God wounding Christ “for wounding Christ “for our transgressions,” bruising Him “for our iniquities”—not the many stripes of scourging that were a major focus of Mel Gibson’s attempt to show that Christ’s physical sufferings paid for the sins of all mankind. Do you really believe that what Christ physically endured in the scourging and crucifixion was equal to what sinners will endure for all eternity in the lake of fire?

 There is nothing in any of the four gospels (other than crowning Him with thorns and mocking Him as a king) to indicate that Christ’s scourging and crucifixion were any worse physically than that suffered by thousands of others. That “Pilate marveled if he were already dead” (Mk 15:44) contradicts the idea that Christ was scourged and tortured within an inch of His life. Thus the statement that “his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men” (Is 52:14) could not be due to unusual physical beating, but to such intense spiritual agony that His features were so distorted that it was awesome to behold.

 The idea that the physical suffering Christ endured at the hands of men paid for the sins of the world is neither biblical nor rational for at least four reasons:

 1) Christ didn’t come even close to suffering more physically than any other person. Some men hung in agony for days on crosses, the Assyrians flayed their enemies alive, some victims of the Inquisition were roasted for hours over a slow fire, and the Inquisitors competing to develop the most excruciating torture—sometimes even bringing victims back from the brink of death, letting them heal, and then torturing them again;

 

2) if the physical “stripes” paid the penalty for sin, Christ’s physical tormenters would have played a vital role in our redemption and would in a sense be our co-redeemers (and what if they failed to torment Him enough to save us?!);

 

3) the punishment for those who reject Christ is eternal, but those who scourged and crucified Christ were incapable of inflicting eternal punishment; and

 

4) physical suffering could never adequately cause the moral and spiritual pain which must be involved in the just punishment of sin—in fact, it would obliterate it. The error that physical scourging paid for our sins is also refuted by Scripture’s declaration that Christ “made peace through the blood of his cross” (Col 1:20), not “the blood of his scourging,” which took place before He was led to Golgotha. We are “justified through his blood” (Rom 5:9), which includes His death. Had he merely bled but not died, we could not be saved. The phrase “shedding of blood” (Lv 17:11; 2 Chr 29:24, etc.) always means death, not wounding as in scourging—and this is the only means of atonement: “without shedding of blood is no remission” (Heb 9:22). Christ “by himself purged our sins” (Heb 1:3). While this could not be without the shedding of His blood at the hands of others, there was something which He alone had to do to purge us from our sins. That could only have been to endure eternal punishment at the hands of God which no man could exact from Him—something far worse than the “stripes” of scourging. Christ’s spiritual sufferings for sin are beyond our understanding and Scripture only hints at them:

 “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me…? smitten of God, and afflicted…wounded for our transgressions…bruised for our iniquities…the chastisement of our peace was upon him…the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all…for the transgression of my people was he stricken…it pleased the Lord to bruise him…thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin…the travail of his soul…poured out his soul unto death…he bare the sin of many…he hath made him to be sin for us, [he] who knew no sin…” (Ps 22:1; Is 53:4-6,8,10-12; 2 Cor 5:21), etc.

Christ’s sweating in spiritual agony “as it were great drops of blood” (Lk 22:44) and pleading with His Father in the Garden to be spared “this cup” (Mt 26:39,42) could not have been in dread of the scourging and crucifixion (as implied in the film) which thousands of others also endured. “This cup” from which He shrank could only have been that He would be “made sin for us”—that He would “bear our sins in His own body” and be punished by God to the full extent demanded by His justice for the sins of the entire world. During those three hours of darkness on the Cross, all the “waves and billows” of God’s wrath against the sins of all mankind rolled over Him (Ps 42:7; 88:7; Jon 2:3).

Isaiah declares that Yahweh “bruised [Him] for our iniquities.” It is unbiblical and irrational to suggest that the Roman soldiers were guided by God in each blow as God’s means of punishing Christ for sin. Christ said, “No man taketh it [my life] from me, but I lay it down of myself” (Jn 10:18). It is God’s law which men have broken, He pronounced the penalty and He alone can execute it in righteousness. Therefore, the payment for our sins could only have been through the punishment Christ endured at the hands of God, not men. Christ had to be more than mere man: He had to be God manifest in the flesh to endure the eternal punishment due for the sins of all mankind in the three hours of darkness.

 We are told that He “by the grace of God should taste death for every man” (Heb 2:9). That had to include the “second death”—eternity of punishment in the lake of fire which is yet future for the lost. This could not have been at the hands of the Roman soldiers who scourged and mocked Him, but only at the hands of God.”  ~Dave Hunt

Q&A from The Berean Call Newsletter, May 2004, http://www.thebereancall.org/sites/2011.thebereancall.org/files/may04.pdf

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Comment

Prophecy is THE Proof!

Filed under: Emergent, The Good News, Truth — Leave a comment

magnifying-glassProphecy is THE Proof! 

Did you know the probability of Jesus fulfilling even eight prophecies would be 1 in 1017.

That’s 1 in 100, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000.

If you made that many silver dollars there would be enough coins to cover the face of the entire state of Texas two feet deep. To make some sense of such huge odds, say say we marked one of those dollar coins and then blindfolded a man, sending him out of Dallas by foot in any direction.  The odds of  him being able, on his very first attempt, to pick up one specifically marked silver dollar out of 100, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000 is 1 in 1017.  

Now consider that Jesus didn’t fulfill only 8, but a few hundred prophecies!  We truly serve an awesome God! 

———————————-

Carefully consider the prophecies centering on Jesus’ death and resurrection with a humble heart. Set aside all your preconceived notions for a moment and think about actual proof.  Christianity is based on Jesus Christ, not a church or the traditions of men.  

———————————–

The Jews at the time of Jesus’ birth were under the domination of the repressive Romans and were looking for a Messiah to deliver them from the hands of the occupying forces. They were looking for a man of war to lead them in an uprising. They totally overlooked the prophecies in the Old Testament that the Messiah would be ‘a man of sorrows, despised and rejected of men’. Many are still waiting for their Messiah to come.

Rejected by Jews and rulers

Matthew 21:42
“Jesus said to them, ‘Have you never read in the Scriptures:

The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone.
This was the LORD’s doing,
And it is marvelous in our eyes’?”

Psalm 118:22
“The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone.
This was the Lord’s doing;
It is marvelous in our eyes.
Jesus said to them, ‘Have you never read in the Scriptures:

The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone.
This was the Lord’s doing,
And it is marvelous in our eyes’ ?”

Betrayed for thirty pieces of silver by one of his disciples

Zechariah 11:12
“Then I said to them, ‘If it is agreeable to you, give me my wages; and if not, refrain.’ So they weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver.”

Matthew 26:14-15
“Then one of the Twelve–the one called Judas Iscariot–went to the chief priests and asked, ‘What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?’ So they counted out for him thirty silver coins.”

Psalm 55:12-13
“For it is not an enemy who reproaches me;
Then I could bear it.
Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me;
Then I could hide from him.
But it was you, a man my equal,
My companion and my acquaintance.
We took sweet counsel together,
And walked to the house of God in the throng.”

Matthew 26:47-50
“And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people.

Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, ‘Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him.’

Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, ‘Greetings, Rabbi!’ and kissed Him. But Jesus said to him, ‘Friend, why have you come?’ Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him.”

Thirty pieces of silver used to buy the Potters field

Zechariah 11:13
“And the LORD said to me, ‘Throw it to the potter’—that princely price they set on me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD for the potter.”

Matthew 27:6–8
“But the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, ‘It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because they are the price of blood.’ And they consulted together and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in. Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day.”

Silent before His accusers

Isaiah 53:7
“He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He opened not His mouth;
He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
So He opened not His mouth.”

Matthew 27:12–14
“And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He answered nothing. Then Pilate said to Him, ‘Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?’ But He answered him not one word, so that the governor marveled greatly.”

Mocked by His accusers

Psalm 22:7-8
“All those who see Me ridicule Me;
They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
He trusted in the LORD, let Him rescue Him;
Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!”

Matthew 27:27–29
“Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him. And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’”

Beaten and spat upon

Micah 5:1
“Marshal your troops, O city of troops, for a siege is laid against us. They will strike Israel’s ruler on the cheek with a rod.”

Isaiah 50:6
“I gave My back to those who struck Me,
And My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard;
I did not hide My face from shame and spitting.”

Mark 15:19
“Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him.”

Matthew 27:30-31
“Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head. And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified.”

Scourged

Isaiah 53:5
“But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed.”

Matthew 27:26
“Then he released Barabbas for them; but after having Jesus scourged, he delivered Him to be crucified.”

Piercing of His hands and feet

Psalm 22:16
“For dogs have surrounded Me;
The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me.
They pierced My hands and My feet;”

Matthew 27:31
“And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified.”

Crucified with thieves

Isaiah 53:12
“Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong,
Because He poured out His soul unto death,
And He was numbered with the transgressors,
And He bore the sin of many,
And made intercession for the transgressors.”

Mark 15:27–28
“With Him they also crucified two robbers, one on His right and the other on His left. So the Scripture was fulfilled which says, ‘And He was numbered with the transgressors’.”

Prayed for His persecutors

Isaiah 53:12
“And He was numbered with the transgressors,
And He bore the sin of many,
And made intercession for the transgressors.”

Psalms 109:4
“In return for my love they act as my accusers; but I am in prayer.”

Luke 23:34
“But Jesus was saying, ‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.’ And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves.”

His side was pierced

Zechariah 12:10
“And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.”

John 19:34
“But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.”

Given gall and vinegar to drink

Psalm 69:21
“They also gave me gall for my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.”

John 19:28-29
“After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, ‘I thirst!’ Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!’ And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.”

Suffered no broken bones

Psalm 34:20
“He guards all his bones; not one of them is broken.”

John 19:32-33, 36
“Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, ‘Not one of His bones shall be broken’.”

Lots cast for his garments

Psalm 22:18
“They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.”

John 19:23-24
“Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top in one piece. They said therefore among themselves, ‘Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be,’ that the Scripture might be fulfilled which says:

They divided My garments among them,And for My clothing they cast lots.Therefore the soldiers did these things.”

Buried in a rich man’s tomb

Isaiah 53:9
“And they made His grave with the wicked
But with the rich at His death,
Because He had done no violence,
Nor was any deceit in His mouth.”

Matthew 27:57-60
“Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him. When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed.”

Rose from the dead

Psalm 16:10
“For You will not leave my soul in Sheol,
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.
You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

Isaiah 53:8, 11
“By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken. After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.”

Psalms 30:3
“O LORD, Thou hast brought up my soul from Sheol; Thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.”

Psalms 49:15
“But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol; for He will receive me. Selah.”

Matthew 28:2, 5-9
“And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it.

But the angel answered and said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.’

And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, ‘Rejoice!’ So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him.”

Mark 16:6-7
“And he said to them, ‘Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples and Peter, `He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He said to you’.”

Acts 2:31
“He, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption.”

Ascended into Heaven and sits on the right hand of the Father

Psalm 68:18
“You have ascended on high,
You have led captivity captive;
You have received gifts among men,
Even from the rebellious,
That the LORD God might dwell there.”

Psalms 110:1
“The Lord says to my Lord: ‘Sit at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies a footstool for Thy feet’.”

1 Corinthians 15:4
“And that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.”

Ephesians 4:8
“Therefore it says, “When He ascended on high, He led captive a host of captives, And He gave gifts to men.”

Acts 1:9
”Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.”

(All scriptures on this page are from the NKJ version.)”

(The actual prophecies section was originally from http://www.praise-and-worship.com/Jesus-death.html.

Note: I have not personally explored their entire site.  As always, read with biblical discernment.)

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Comment

The Battle Has Just Begun (Part 2)

Filed under: Emergent, Truth — Leave a comment
March 17, 2013

Bible Sword ImageAnother easily forgotten facet in this spiritual battle is this- people are not our ultimate enemies.  “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12. Oh, how easy it is to walk by sight, losing our eternal focus!  Although men are the enemies of God, may we never forget they are also blinded by sin, self, and Satan.  In the end God will be their judge, not us.

In an earthly battle, a sword is nothing less than an efficient and effective instrument of combat, one that has accompanied many a hand over the centuries.  Before His arrest, Jesus even instructed the disciples to buy swords to carry with them in their travels. (Luke 22:36) Although many around the world no longer own swords, spiritually speaking the battle still rages and only a sword will do.  God’s Word is our sword and the Word serves as the only effective offensive weapon in our spiritual arsenal.

The Word of God is both living and active, which reveals that the power of the Word does not merely come from the ink on the pages of the Book.  Rather it is the Lord Jesus Christ who is the Word of God.  Working through the power of the Holy Spirit, His truth and love flow from Heaven’s throne, bringing to life His Word, bringing the light of the glorious Gospel to life in hearts and minds of all willing readers.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Comment

“You Only Live Once”

Filed under: Emergent, Truth — Leave a comment

Bible Light Bulb Image“You only live once” has been used innumerably throughout the centuries to give people permission to do things they probably shouldn’t. In reality, they’re really saying they only live one time in this body, so let’s eat, drink, and be merry. But declaring “you only live once” really stands in judgement against those seeking to use it as a cloak to cover their sins. 

The truth is, living once means we only have one short lifetime to turn to Jesus. We only have one life to ask Him to forgive us of our sins. As born again believers, we only have one time in our earthly tents to walk uprightly, allowing His Holy Spirit to work in our lives so we can be effective witnesses of His glorious Gospel to the lost. 

Saying we only live once shouldn’t be a slogan that gives us permission to slide, but to stand firm on the Rock and live a life pleasing to the Savior. After all, we only have one time to live on this side of Heaven or Hell.

“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.

“Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God.” 1 Corinthians 7:23-24

Tags: , , , ,
Comment

THE BIBLE: Pros and Cons

Filed under: Emergent, Truth — Leave a comment
March 3, 2013

The Bible Movie

THE BIBLE: produced Roma Downey and Mark Burnett (Note: Both are Roman Catholics.  Roma Downey is also pastor via the internet.)

The Bible: Part 1 of 5  (Creation-Spies in the Land of Canaan)

The comments below are this writer’s observations from watching part 1 tonight.  My desire was to base both pros and cons on  biblical accuracy, not visual and acting quality.

Note: Too often it’s what is omitted that reveals what kind of story a person is trying to tell. Granted, the History Channel’s movie is meant to be a “docudrama”, and there are many constraints in attempting to pictorially portray God’s Word, however people are very influenced by sights and sounds.  We must be careful to weigh everything against the actual Bible.

Some Pros from the Movie–

Some Cons-

  • God’s angels never killed people with swords in Sodom. There are no examples in God’s Word of the Lord’s angels ever killing people.  See Genesis 11
  • The sacrifice of Isaac left much to be desired. The biblical description of a ram caught in the thickets by his horn was made out to be a little lamb in the movie.  There is important biblical symbolism to the ram. The horn represents power, and only Jesus had the power necessary to overcome sin. Although other OT places talk of the lamb as a sacrifice, the ram here is key.  Also during the sacrifice Isaac cries and begs Abraham not to do it.  Isaac is a type of Christ, and the Bible says nothing of Isaac begging his dad to stop.  Isaac trusted Abraham just as Christ trusted to Father all the way to the cross.  After the sacrifice, Isaac pulls away from his dad and runs to his mother who is at the bottom of the mountain.  See Genesis 22
  • Again, according to the Bible, Abraham’s servants went with Isaac and him. The movie has Sarah running after them as if to stop Abraham.
  • The movie is very misleading as to how Isaac’s family ended up in Egypt.
  • The movie states that the Israelites all left the Promised Land due to a famine and went into Egypt where they were slaves for 400 years and Abraham was just a distant memory.
  • Unfortunately there is no mention of Joseph, even though there dozens of parallels between Joseph and Jesus. See Genesis 30-50
  • The key prophetic details of the lamb’s blood in the tenth plague in Egypt are omitted. See Exodus 12:6-7
  • In part 1, God is never referred to as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob even though this is one of His names in the Bible. Even Muslims recognize God as the God of Abraham. See Exodus 3:6, etc.
Tags: , , , , , , ,
Comment

The Battle Has Just Begun (Part 1)

Filed under: Emergent, Truth — Leave a comment

Public domain image, royalty free stock photo from www.public-domain-image.comIn the eternal Kingdom of God, those who’ve chosen to be raised anew by the life of Christ are then called to reach back into the kingdom of darkness, allowing the power of Christ to work through them, rescuing the blind and the lame. And as with any battle, the enemy of our souls doesn’t stop attacking simply because we’ve defected to the true King’s side. In fact, now we can, for the first time, begin to understand the reality of the battle. The side we once fought for is now the side which fights so ardently against our souls. Now openly engaged, the battle has really just begun.

In this spiritual war, there will be many important lessons to learn, relearn, and teach to others.  This three part series  is written to share a few simple, but key points that can hopefully serve as lamp posts for those just joining the battle and for seasoned vets as well.  The first key to remember and continually return to is that of our own powerlessness. 

Street LightCall it a negative profession if you want, but it is a reality none the less. We cannot fight this spiritual battle in our own strength.  In Psalm 103 it says, “For He [the Lord] knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.” 

Again in Matthew 26:41, Jesus says, “Watch and pray, that you enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”  

In our own power, we are at best using dust in a battle that is more powerful than we can begin to fathom.  We are powerless against temptations and trials if we depend on our own resources.  In fact, our flesh would love for us to try fighting in our own strength.  After all, in our power, it is our flesh that gets all the glory and God gets none.  In the end, we cannot win against the enemy of our soul, but Jesus can.  Jesus did.  And that same God who died for our sins and had the power to raise Himself from the grave is the same God who will fight for us every day.  Just as in so many of the battles recorded in the Old Testament, the Lord promises to go before us and guards behind us.  “The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” Exodus 14:14. “For you shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the LORD will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.” Isaiah 52:12.

No matter how strong or weak we think we are, may we never resort to fighting our own battles.  God is our daily bread and He will fight our daily battles from now until eternity!  “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwells no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  Romans 7:19,24,25a

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Comment

Inside or Out?

Filed under: Emergent, Truth — Leave a comment
January 20, 2013

Boy Reading the holy bible“It’s all inside” is a popular slogan from one American retailer.  Although it might sound good and maybe even help sell a few sweaters, in reality nothing could be further from the truth.  Is everything we need for life really inside?  Yes, our bodies have a variety of organs, most of which are inside, all working together to sustain our physical life.  So technically, we could say that without the stuff inside we couldn’t be physically alive. Yet there is much more necessary than what’s on the inside.

The body can only live several weeks without food and several days without water.  We cannot survive for more than several minutes without oxygen before brain damage will most likely occur.  Our ears are designed to capture external sounds and eyes to draw in light radiating from without, not from within. It’s as if the designer of the human body is carefully and repeatedly reminding us that even though our bodies are self-contained, they are far from self-sustained. We clearly need things from outside of ourselves, and although no one would disagree with this, the same cannot be said for the spiritual side of life.  Sadly, too many have been blinded by the misguided belief that all the answers we need for spiritual life are found within.

Growing up, I can recall numerous times being told that I must simply look within for my answers.  Over the years, so many movies, songs, video games, and teachings have delivered the same erroneous message, “If you want to know reality, begin by looking inside.”  I can’t remember ever stopping to ask one simple question – “How do you know?”  How is it that people know for sure they can accurately search within to discover the mysteries of eternity?  When asked this question, most might answer one of two ways.  The first is based on emotion, “It just feels right.” The second is based on a majority, “Many people I trust believe the same way.” There are numerous problems with both of these reasons. Just because if feels good, doesn’t mean it’s true, and just because many people believe something doesn’t mean it’s reality.

According to the true Word of God, men are not the answer.  There is nothing inside of us that will supply anything illuminating. Just as we cannot emanate physical light from inside, so it is that we are unable to find true spiritual light from within.

Carefully consider a few verses:

  • “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”  Jeremiah 17:9
  • “There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.” Mark 7:15
  • “There is none good but one, that is, God…” Matthew 19:17
  • “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” John 3:19
  • “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God…” Romans 3:23

So if we cannot find the light from within, then where does one go to receive the true light?  

The answer is not found in where to go, but to whom.  To all who have ears to hear, this is what the Word of God says concerning the Lord Jesus Christ: 

  • “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. That was the true Light, which lights every man that comes into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not.” John 1:1-5, 9,10
  • “This then is the message which we have heard of Him [Jesus], and declare unto you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.” 1 John 1:5
  • “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, “I am the light of the world: he that follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” John 8:12

BUYER BEWARE-

Not all claiming to be light are actually true light.  Jesus said of Satan that his ministers appear as servants of light, yet they lead people into further darkness.  There is light that is actually spiritual darkness.  Consider the following verses:

  • “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness…” 2 Corinthians 11:14-15
  • “But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!” Matthew 6::23
  • “You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” John 8:44

Within is only darkness.  We cannot look within for answers on eternity anymore than I can look within to be physically fed or to breathe air.  Jesus Christ, the true light from Heaven, entered this dark world to bring the truth.  His light reveals our own sinful, rebellious nature and the true light of God’s judgment and justice.  Praise God, He also brought the light of His love and forgiveness found in the full and free sacrifice for all mankind found in Jesus Christ alone.  (1 Corinthians 15:1-5)

May we humble ourselves and approach God’s true light, realizing that our complete and utter dependence is upon Him, not ourselves!

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Comment

Is Jesus or the Force with You?

Filed under: Creation, Edifying Quotes, Emergent, Truth — 1 Comment
January 12, 2013

star-wars-logo

“Jedi Knight, a popular religion,” dateline, London . Centuries after King Arthur, a new type of knight is wandering Britain . Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker would be proud. “When asked their religious affiliation on the 2001 census forms many Britain are writing in, ‘Jedi Knight’ government officials,” said Wednesday. So many in fact, that the government has been forced to give “Jedi Knight” its own category when compiling census results.” Bulletin, Bend, OR , October 6, 2001.

Sadly, Luke Skywalker was developed as a type of christ (anointed one, see: Matt: 24:11), but not to be the savior of others by dying for their sins so they could finally approach the One True God. Rather, he grew to become a savior of another sort. Becoming an ascended master, he leaves viewers of all ages with the foolish, unbiblical notion that they too can become wielders of some mindless, mysterious force, affording them the opportunity to become their own gods (Genesis 3:5).  The message is simple. You too can become an anointed one.  You too can become a christ. Instead of leading to true freedom, this message only leads its pursuers deeper into spiritual bondage and rebellion.

Over the the last 35+ years, many viewers, both young and old have left the theaters (and TV screens) emboldened to pursue the worldly notion that over time they too can “tap” into the force/power, giving them “supernatural” abilities.  Why is it that many in the world recognize the potential of this power, wholeheartedly embracing its occult message, while Christians also embracing the series argue it’s simply a harmless, make-believe story?

“My son, if you receive My words, and treasure My commands within you, so that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding; yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding, if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.” Proverbs 2:1-5

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Comment