When Sarcasm Becomes Reality: Horton’s Call for Potted Plants to Report to the Grow Center
I have written many times on the new easy believism sweeping through reformed groups. The *gospel* is now a mystical narrative that we merely sit under in all its various forms at any given time; we are then automatically transformed from “glory to glory,” a “beholding as a way of becoming.” Oh, and by the way, every verse in the Bible is about the gospel. Yes indeed, it is like the grow-lamp that me and my bros formally used to make our pot grow. You are the plant, and the Bible is the light; groovy dude. But what about those commands God talks about that don’t seem to include gospel subject matter? Well, that’s supposedly due to the fact that “God is the Gospel.” Amen, pass the bong dude, and somebody turn out that hall light, it’s taking away from the strobes and the lava lights.
Here is how I sarcastically stated it in another post: “You can also greatly enhance change in your life by showing up at the “glory center” every time the doors are open and thereby putting yourself under the glorious light of the gospel that passively effects your life like sunlight causes flowers to grow.” Well, here we go again, sarcasm becomes reality as the *gospel driven life* movement becomes wackier with each passing day. The Gospel Four: Horton, Tripp, Powlison, and Piper, are always busy with the next concoction that will save God’s people from the former days of wilderness wondering under the heavy hand of the “perfect law of liberty” (James 1:25). Micheal Horton’s latest book, “Christless Christianity,” puts forth the whole grow-light idea in regard to corporate worship on pages 189-191:
“ God gathers his people together in a covenantal event to judge and to justify, to kill and to make alive. The emphasis is on God’s work for us – the Father’s gracious plan, the Son’s saving life, death, and resurrection, and the Spirit’s work of bringing life to the valley of dry bones through the proclamation of Christ. The preaching focuses on God’s work in the history of redemption from Genesis through Revelation, and sinners are swept into this unfolding drama. Trained and ordained to mine the riches of Scripture for the benefit of God’s people, ministers try to push their own agendas, opinions, and personalities to the background so that God’s Word will be clearly proclaimed. In this preaching the people once again are simply receivers – recipients of grace. Similarly, in baptism, they do not baptize themselves; they are baptized. In the Lord’s Supper, they do not prepare and cook the meal; they do not contribute to the fare; but they are guests who simply enjoy the bread of heaven. As this gospel creates, deepens, and inflames faith, a profound sense of praise and thanksgiving fills hearts, leading to good works among the saints and in the world throughout the week. Having been served by God in the public assembly, the people are then servants of each other and their neighbors in the world.”
We see five elements of the wacky world of *gospel sanctification * in this excerpt. First, this whole concept of born again Christians still being dead, and in need of daily salvation via the gospel that saved us: “The emphasis is on God’s work for us – the Father’s gracious plan, the Son’s saving life, death, and resurrection, and the Spirit’s work of bringing life to the valley of dry bones through the proclamation of Christ.” Christians today have come to like this whole idea that we are still spiritually dead. Why? Well, “when you are dead, you can do nothing.” Translation: we don’t have to do anything but gaze upon the gospel narrative; after that, whatever happens, happens. If we do something good, the Spirit did it, not us. And if we sin, hey, what do you expect from dead people? Sweet, no fault Christianity, if Christ didn’t make me do it, it’s not my fault.
Secondly, the sole purpose of the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation is to sweep “sinners” into the “unfolding drama”: “The preaching focuses on God’s work in the history of redemption from Genesis through Revelation, and sinners are swept into this unfolding drama.“ Forget about the Scriptures being profitable for “reproof, instruction, correction,” etc., Horton’s view of Scripture is here evident.
Thirdly, like Catholicism, interpretation of the Scriptures is best left to the experts and not the laity. Finding and making every verse in the Bible a “gospel narrative” is deep business indeed. So the news gets even better; you don’t have to labor in the word on your own: “Trained and ordained to mine the riches of Scripture for the benefit of God’s people, ministers try to push their own agendas, opinions, and personalities to the background so that God’s Word will be clearly proclaimed. In this preaching the people once again are simply receivers – recipients of grace.” In other words, real preaching is 100% vertical and has no instruction. It is totally grace oriented, and we are “simply receivers.” Anything that is more than the *gospel* alone in preaching is someones “agenda.”
Fourthly, our role in the corporate assembly is strictly passive. We are there to be served by God via the gospel alone: “As this gospel creates, deepens, and inflames faith, a profound sense of praise and thanksgiving fills hearts, leading to good works among the saints and in the world throughout the week. Having been served by God in the public assembly, the people are then servants of each other and their neighbors in the world.”
Lastly, We are also passive participants in the church ordinances, which also impart grace to the passive participant. This actually smacks of a transubstantiation like view of the ordinances: “Similarly, in baptism, they do not baptize themselves; they are baptized. In the Lord’s Supper, they do not prepare and cook the meal; they do not contribute to the fare; but they are guests who simply enjoy the bread of heaven.”
Furthermore, Horton then gives a contrast to the above concerning corporate worship:
“In this scenario, the people assume that they come to church primarily to do something. The emphasis is on their work for God. The preaching concentrates on principles and steps to living a better life, with a constant stream of exhortations: Be more committed. Read your Bible more. Pray more. Witness more. Give more. Get involved in this cause or that movement to save the world… Many of us were raised in conservative evangelical contexts in which preaching was chiefly an exhortation to do more, baptism was our act of commitment rather than God’s, the Lord’s Supper was a means of our remembering rather than a means of God’s grace, and many of the songs were expressions of our piety more than a recounting of God’s marvelous mercies in the history of redemption. The expectation that God was actually visiting his people to apply the benefits of Christ’s victory to sinners – both believers and unbelievers – was less obvious than the sense that we were primarily regrouping to get our marching orders.”
In closing, I am not going to address Horton’s exaggerations and numerous straw man arguments in his second scenario. But note how he makes no distinction between the lost and saved: “God was actually visiting his people to apply the benefits of Christ’s victory to sinners – both believers and unbelievers – was less obvious than the sense that we were primarily regrouping to get our marching orders.” His glaring contradictions to the plain sense of Scripture should be abundantly obvious. The book of James, I Corinthians, II Corinthians, and Hebrews, are replete with instructions concerning corporate gathering and worship. Horton chides believers for doing the very thing that Christ commands us to do in regard to the Lord’s table: “Do this in remembrance of me.” Furthermore, anyone who thinks that we gather together to “encourage each other unto good works” should apparently know better than to try personal interpretation of the Bible at home.
paul
1 Kings 8:39: Heart Theology Is Not The Real Reformation
“Nobody ever said we change ourselves through obedience, ……..We are to learn, apply, pray, obey inwardly (thinking), obey outwardly, seek wise counsel, love, encourage, instruct, rebuke, disciple, confess, and leave the changing and knowing of the heart to God.”
It happened in the early 90’s. I was in the process of absorbing and applying truth from what I think was in fact a contemporary reformation. There is no doubt, Christianity had relinquished its faith and confidence in God’s word; specifically, in regard to solving the weightier issues of life and godliness, deferring to the so-called “experts” of our day. Jay Adams, a reformed Presbyterian, introduced a structured biblical counseling system that radically changed lives through the power and instruction of God’s word. His thesis, after it was all said and done, and in a manner of speaking, begged this question by children: “Daddy, what did Christians do about serious problems before Sigmund Freud came along?” Surprisingly, and before evangelicals barely had a chance to catch their breath, something else came along, Heart Theology. Picking up again where my opening sentence left off, the following is how I was first introduced to Heart Theology. I was an elder in a church that was a training center for what was dubbed “biblical counseling.” The elder that was primarily leading this program was also in the process of obtaining his doctorate degree from another counseling center attached to a reformed seminary. This is where he was introduced to this new counseling theology. It was added as a level 2 program, or addendum to what was already considered radical among evangelicals; namely, the concept that God’s word is sufficient for all matters of life and godliness. I was skeptical in regard to this new twist. Let me explain the basic differences in the two approaches that fueled my skepticism.
First, in regard to the original biblical counseling movement, there are two basic characteristics of biblical counseling as originally introduced by Adams. First, it changed preaching, which was predominately, and still is to a large degree, “about” the Bible. For instance, there may have been many sermons “about” the importance of communication from the Bible. For example, instances where men misunderstood God and gee whiz, bad things happened after that, so don’t do what they did. Biblical counseling went beyond that to a deeper and technical understanding that was applied to real life situations. An example would be biblical precepts of communication that could readily be brought to mind in everyday life and applied accordingly. It was and is, technical wisdom from the word of God and specific instruction on how to apply it to real life. Once pastors learned to do this in the privacy of their office, it transferred to the pulpit where it became preventative medicine for God’s people. Yet another example. Say a young couple in your church decides to marry. What usually happens? We rejoice and marry them! Right? The Jay Adams approach would ask three questions: are these two young people experts on marriage? Probably not. Does God’s word have any wisdom that will prepare them for successful marriage that honors God? Of course. So should we just let them figure it out on their own? Probably not. This introduced Premarital Counseling in the church, with many pastors making it a prerequisite to that church’s participation in the wedding.
The other characteristic was an equal emphasis on justification and sanctification. Let’s be honest, the primary focus of evangelicals is getting people saved. Once there saved, we teach them the importance of church attendance, tithing, and learning about the Bible. Christ never told us to primarily get people saved; his mandate for the church is to “make disciples.” This is done by counseling with God’s word. Premarital Counseling, like many other aspects of biblical application, is “making disciples.” Preaching from the pulpit should also keep parishioners out of the counseling office as well as divorce court. The contention by Adams that pastors are to primarily counsel and not preach was indeed a shocker to many. Preaching should always contain counsel in regard to the technical application of God’s word to real life.
But in addition to these characteristics, one of the primary elements of this biblical counseling was its emphasis on objectivity. Jay Adams was, and I assume still is, a stickler for objective instruction rather than what was referred to as “fuzzy land.” However, I must concede this one weakness in the contemporary (about 37 years old) biblical counseling movement; there was a lack of emphasis on the monergistic resources that give us the strength to apply God’s wisdom to everyday life. But this is understandable, for Evangelicals were preaching about the forest in habitual fashion. The gargantuan task of showing the importance of the individual trees and their proper application was bound to distract. So, in regard to the biblical counseling movement, I have explained two characteristics, one element, and one fault.
Strange, In the midst of this revolution that was pouring out hope, seemingly without measure, there was another movement afoot that had a compliant against the former and the new; namely, biblical counseling wasn’t vertical enough, Adams had simply refined the emphasis on the outward and made Baptist Pharisees into super Pharisees. Yes, the new reformation (Adams) was bringing about lots of change, but it wasn’t “lasting change.” Their answer?; they contended that Christians must abandon all emphasis on outward behavior and partake in emphasizing change at the “heart level.” That would be the two elements of the Heart Theology movement: change at the heart level, and real, lasting change (theoretically).
So, what does that look like (not “how,” which might imply some kind of verb to follow)? Well, the key is deciphering the “desires of the heart.” Desires reveal the idols in our heart, or anything that we love more than God (supposedly, according to advocates). So, what does that look like? Well, we analyze desires of the heart three ways. First, by how we respond to circumstances. Second, by asking God to reveal the Idols through prayer. Thirdly, by imagining future scenarios and taking note of how it makes us feel. The second means is direct, God simply reveals it to us directly through prayer. The first and third means require the use of interpretive questions. So for instance, you are watching a football game and your wife demands that you take the trash out “right now!” And this in fact makes you angry. The most common interpretive question is “what did you want?” The answer is the following: you wanted to be left alone to enjoy the game and you wanted to be shown more respect by your wife. There you have it; football and being respected are idols in your heart. If you now repent of these idols, they are emptied from your heart and God then fills that void in your heart with himself. To the extent that your heart has idols, God is not present. Depending on the presence and filling of God verses idols, obedience is a “mere natural flow” that doesn’t require effort (works) on our part.
This now brings me to the major characteristic of Heart Theology, it’s nebulous and subjective. It also brings me to the fault of Heart Theology which is fatal. Unlike the understandable (lack of emphasis on God’s promised resources) and easily adjusted error of biblical counseling, The fatal error of Heart theology is its conflict with 1 Kings 8:39;
“then hear in heaven your dwelling place and forgive and act and render to each whose heart you know, according to all his ways (for you, you only, know the hearts of all the children of mankind),
This verse emphatically states that only God can know the heart. The Holy Spirit makes it a point to use the subject (God [“you”] ) twice with no words in between (modifiers ect.). This is clearly for the purpose of strong emphasis. We cannot evaluate the heart in regard to idols. Besides, scripture often identifies sinful desires as being located in the “flesh” to begin with.
Though we depend on God’s strength, He would have us to focus on the objective and plain sense of Scripture. Following God’s wisdom and instruction is our role. Knowing and changing the heart is God’s business. Nobody ever said we change ourselves through obedience, Adams certainly never said that. We are to learn, apply, pray, obey inwardly (thinking), obey outwardly, seek wise counsel, love, encourage, instruct, rebuke, disciple, confess, and leave the changing and knowing of the heart to God. Adams said it best in a counseling conference: “The commands in the bible are not to the Holy Spirit, they are to us” and, “Quietism will ruin peoples lives.” There is no new reformation that narrows God’s precepts and wisdom for living to “deep repentance” that requires us to know our hearts. We cannot know our hearts, only God can. If there has been any reformation in the past 30 years, it has been the ability to apply the word of God to every issue of life and godliness.
paul
Matthew 24:10-13: Love Has A Soul Mate; The Law
I am so, so happy concerning the emphasis that our church has on daily Bible reading. It is so powerful, this concept of disciplining yourself to read through the scriptures daily with the illuminating presence of the Holy Spirit within. It is also an important safeguard in this age of deception we live in. You are taught by somebody to believe a certain thing and then as you are reading, some verse hits you right between the eyes with the hammer of contradiction. Other times, you are just struck by the implications of what you just read and incited to dig deeper. Such was my experience a couple of weeks ago as I read the following in Matthew 24:
10 And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
Astounding. The love grows cold “because” of lawlessness. You would think it would be just the opposite. You would think a lack of love would lead to lawlessness as a natural result thereof. This would mean that there is no intimate relationship between law and love, lawlessness is just a natural result of a lack of love. But here in Matthew 24:11-13, a close relationship is shown.
Some translations have it “wickedness” or “iniquity” rather than lawlessness. This is a big deal. According to Vines Expository Dictionary, there are other Greek words for wickedness [poneros] and iniquity[adikia]. The latter can imply a general disfavor from mankind or various standards, not necessarily pronounced by God. The word used here and translated correctly by the ESV and many other translations is anomia which is a form of nomos or “law.” Again, according to Vines and others, the word comes from anomos and primarily means “without the law.”
So what is this law? Basically, it is ALL OF scripture. Here is what Jesus is saying specifically and in context: In the last day’s there will be a falling away from following scripture among professing believers and this will lead to lovelessness and persecution of true believers by false Christians. I will develop this as we go. But first, let me establish the fact that “law” is all of scripture and lawlessness is a turning away from following the word of God.
In Matthew 5:17-20, Christ says the following:
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
The “Law [with the definite article preceding]” included the Decalogue and the writings of Moses. The “Prophets” are the remainder of the whole Old Testament. It was a common term referring to the totality of the Old Testament [Neh. 9:14,26 Dan. 9:2,11 Luke 24:27]. In verse 18, Christ then refers to both as “the Law.” Then in verse 19, Christ refers to scripture as “these commandments” which encompasses any revelation by divine causation and approved accordingly. This can be seen by what the Apostle Paul writes to the Cirinthians in 14:37:
37 If anybody thinks he is a prophet or spiritually gifted, let him acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord’s command.
The mandate of Christ to the Church in regard to discipleship is “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded [Matthew 28:20].”
In reference to Matthew 5:17-20,Take note: The error of the Pharisees was not primarily an attempt to be justified by law keeping, it was a replacement of the Law’s true meaning with their traditions. After warning against the inaccurate application and teaching of the Law in verse 19, Christ begins verse 20 by saying “For I tell you.” The indictment of the Pharisees was an unrighteousness that resulted from the breaking [KJV], annulment [NASB], relaxation [ESV], of the commandments that make up the Law of God [verse 19].
In verse 10 of Matthew 24:10-13, the subject of this post, “then” is the last day’s. The ones who hate and betray one another are those who “fall away.” You have to be on something before you can fall from it. These are professing believers though false. What got them to verse 12, the centerpiece of this post, is verse 11: “And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.” The subjects that fall away and hate true believers were led astray by people who deal in supposed truth, false prophets. Whatever they were peddling, it did not conform with God’s law. It was “without law,” literally. The result will be a fall from love as well.
In first John, especially in regard to the “last days” and the spirit of Antichrist, I think we have further clarification regarding the association of law and love:
1 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
3 We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. 4 The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.
7 Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. 8 Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining
[1John chapter 2].
Note: God’s love is only made “complete” in an ACCURATE following of Jesus found in the Law of God which is all of scripture. Also note: If we fail in that, Christ is our advocate as we pray for forgiveness. Our failure to follow the Law of God is “sin.” 1 John 3:4 says:
4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.
In both places within this verse, it is the same Greek word that means “without law” as found in Matthew 24:12. In a matter of fact, all of the Greek commentaries I sought out in regard to this verse such as Vines and Wuest, interpret this verse the same as the Amplified Bible:
4 Everyone who commits (practices) sin is guilty of lawlessness; for [that is what] sin is, lawlessness (the breaking, violating of God’s law by transgression or neglect–being unrestrained and unregulated by His commands and His will).
Now observe the hard turn John takes right after saying what he said in 1John 2:1-8 as referenced above:
9 Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. 10 Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. 11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.
Furthermore, in regard to the latter verse quoted in 1John 3:4 that defines sin as lawlessness, John moves on to the righteous walk and then love in keeping with the biblical pattern, especially in 1John [1John 3:4-24 as one example]. The intimate relationship between Law and love is intertwined throughout 1John and many other places in scripture. It only stands to reason therefore from a defensive standpoint that we read this in 1John 2:18:
18 Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour.
John is writing to New Testament believers. Therefore, we are in the last segment of redemptive history. Indicative of our time will be an expectation of a grand antichrist to come, but with many forerunners of him running about presently. Do you know what is synonymous with antichrist? We have the answer in 2Thess. Chapter 2:
1 Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, 2 not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 3 Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. 5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 6 And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. 7For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. 8And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, 10 and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.
The Apostle Paul refers to the antichrist as the man of “lawlessness” four times in this passage. Anti-law [nomian] will be the spirit of this age. Matthew 24:10-13 is a thumbnail of what will come to a full picture of lawlessness in the tribulation period. False teachers will devalue the Law [Scripture] among God’s people which will lead to an eradication of true love in the Church. This will culminate into a full blown persecution of true believers by the world and the false church during the tribulation period. They will suffer persecution from within and without. This spirit is presently at work today via the many antichrist roaming about as a mark of this age.
But here is the first lesson for us: The way of true love is the learning and application of God’s objective word to our lives. This is how we love God and others. Love and Law are soul mates. This is the exact point of what Jesus said in Matthew 22:37-40:
37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
This is not saying that God’s law has been replaced by a subjective higher law of love. Those who teach this and devalue the rest of God’s law unwittingly do the bidding of antichrist. The rest of scripture defines the love that all of the Law hangs on. Love is the sum but is obviously defined by the rest of scripture. In a matter of fact, when Jesus taught the above to one individual, this individual sought to justify himself by questioning the definition of who a “neighbor” is. The single word “love” did not define that, Jesus did:
27And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” 28And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”
29But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”
Jesus said: “If you Love me, keep my commandments.”
- John 15:10
If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.
- John 14:21
Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”
- John 14:15
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
This isn’t rocket science and I am not going to make it any more complicated than Jesus did. If you want to love God and others, pick up a Bible, study it, and then apply it to your life. This is the way of love. Talk is cheap. The sin of the Pharisees was not primarily an attempt to justify themselves by Law keeping, it was the exact opposite. They redefined scripture according to their man-made traditions and failed to apply the remainder that happened to be truth, thereby becoming lawless and loveless:
42 “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.” [Luke 11]
1Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, 3 so practice and observe whatever they tell you—but not what they do. For they preach, but do not practice.” [Matthew 23]
The way of lovelessness begins with being dragged away from the objective truth of God’s word and it’s practical application. And remember, ALL of scripture is “the Law.” The book of love written by the Holy Spirit also contains instruction for protecting love. We are warned that a devaluation of the true law will be the juggernaut of darkness in this last age. Let us be on guard accordingly while applying the way of love.
paul
God’s Sufficient Wisdom In Trials: James 1:2-8
Manuscript for Sunday 06/21/2009: Germantown Baptist Chapel
2] Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,
3] knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
4] And let endurance have {its} perfect result, so that you may be perfect and
complete, lacking in nothing.
5] But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and
without reproach and it will be given to him.
6] But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the
surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.
7] For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord,
8] {being} a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
There is an old saying that says there are only two things certain in life, death and taxes. Sadly, for those without Christ, this is probably a true statement. When you are not a follower of Jesus Christ, you do live in a world of uncertainty, no doubt about it. But also notice, what few things that are certain in the life of an unbeliever are no cause for joy, only dread. This proverb mentions death and taxes, Job 5:7 says a man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward.
Not so with those who have a relationship with God and his Son. There are many many things that are certain for us. For the most part, a right thinking Christian lives in a world of certainty for even in uncertainty he can be sure what God has to say about it. It is also worthy to note that uncertainty is often a cause for joy in the Christian. We discussed last Sunday how even death is not a certainty for Christians in this age.
But we come this morning to what James says is another certainty in the life of a believer, trials. James says “when” not “if.” We know that as believers trials are coming. If for no other reason, we know this because it is one of the primary ways God molds us into the likeness of his Son. John 15:1,2 says:
1] “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.
2] He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does
bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.
Another good indication that trials will come is 2Timothy 3:12,
In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,
Trails are coming because he who has begun a good work in us will complete it. But James is going to instruct us as to what we are to do when trials come. The first thing we are to do is to stop and do the first thing first, “Consider.” The idea in the English is a good one according to the Greek commentaries. It means to count or evaluate. Ecclesiastes 7:14 says:
When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future.
James says to first consider the situation joyful. This would not be a natural response, nor does God expect us to break out in praise upon news of some tragedy. But when the initial shock wears off and the thinking process begins, we are to consider. What in the world could we consider or “count” that could produce joy in the midst of a trial?
Ecclesiastes 7:14, which we just read gives us a clue. God does not create any of the evil that is part of our trial, but he has preordained or predetermined that we will go through that trial. This is not so difficult to understand. God did not create any of the evil that hung Jesus on the cross, but he certainly preordained it according to his plan of salvation. Acts 2:23 says:
This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.
Here is the first thing you need to know and consider in any trial, God is in control. The trial is part of God’s purpose in your life. He was not taken by surprise in regard to your circumstance. God is up to something. Esther lost both of her parents. Thats pretty tragic. But read the whole book of Esther and see how God had a plan for Esther’s life, how all of the circumstances of her life played a part in God’s plan for her and others. As you read, remember this, you are no different. Your life reads the same way
but with different circumstances that all fit together for God’s purpose and sometimes I wonder if we can even mess it up. I doubt it. Yes, Oh yes, we will fail, but will God not use those failures to still establish his goal for our life? YES HE WILL!
Know this in any trial: God is there with you and his plan is right on schedule. This is why Job said to his wife:
“ You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?” [Job 2:10]
Trials are the hand of God on your life. We must not forget that in the midst of any trial. But Peter further explains why we must think biblically about trials we find ourselves in and why we can have joy in the midst:
1Peter 1:3-9
3] Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His
great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4] to {obtain} an inheritance {which is} imperishable and undefiled and will not fade
away, reserved in heaven for you,
5] who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be
revealed in the last time.
6] In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have
been distressed by various trials,
7] so that the proof of your faith, {being} more precious than gold which is perishable,
even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at
the revelation of Jesus Christ;
8] and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him
now; you believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of
glory,
9] obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.
Peter’s focus is the glorious salvation we will attain. This promise is eternal while trials are temporary, but the trials we endure increase our faith and assurance. Trials have a purpose, They contribute to our spiritual strength, confidence and service to others as we wait for his appearing.
Note that James mentions that our trials are “various.” This is absolutely critical. The King James says “diverse”, the Amplified says “any sort”, the NIV says “many kinds.” As Christians, what kind of trials can we expect? Anything. This is so critical. The kinds of tragedies and trouble that can befall Christians is sometimes shocking and leaves many bewildered and puzzled. Remember Job, what trial was he spared?, not many. It’s important, as much as possible, that Christians are not perplexed at the trial that they find themselves in. This is not a helpful state to be in and does not facilitate the healing process. Peter put it this way in 1Peter1:12,13;
12] Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as
though some strange thing happened unto you:
13] But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his
glory is revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
As Christians, we view trials through the big picture. Our life doesn’t look exactly like Job’s or Esthers, but it is the same principle. God is moving his plan forward and using trials to transform us.
James starts with the word “consider” in verse 2 and begins with “knowing” in verse 3. We know that the “testing of our faith”, the first step of any trial, leads to more endurance. This endurance comes from faith it’s self. The idea is like an athlete who conditions himself to gain strength for greater challenges. As his strength increases, he also gains confidence. The whole process leads to spiritual maturity in several different areas of life or as James puts it, “so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
This study has been a challenge to me in my own life. Do I value my own salvation and it’s sanctification process to the point where I will look at trials in a different way? Will my focus be the trouble and difficulty, or the spiritual benefits for myself and others? When you are strengthened by a trial, it is not only you who benefits, but the church body you belong to stands to benefit as well.
Now we come to another critical truth in this passage, absolutely critical. We must “LET “ endurance have it’s perfect work, verse 4. Let the endurance that is sustaining you in the trial by faith, have it’s perfect work. In other words, we must endure the trial God’s way in order for the process to have it’s desired effect intended by God. Listen to what Paul says in 1Corinthians 10:13;
No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.
Though there will be an escape, or a limit to the trial as James said, the way out is still going to require endurance. The testing of our faith that exercises our endurance is the whole purpose of the trial. Here is one of the critical things we must do in a trail, we must seek God’s way of escape, ie, scriptural wisdom and not the worlds way or the way of the flesh.
One example. I know of a Christian man some years ago who was falsely accused of a heinous crime. Though I do not remember the details exactly, it went something like this: In a plea offer by the prosecution, he was offered a few years probation verses a possible 25 year sentence for a guilty plea. I never heard what the results were, but the man would not take the shortcut out of the trial due to the fact that he would have lied to accept the plea. He rightly concluded that a lie is not God’s open door to escape in any trial.
So, in any trial, we must manoeuver through that trial according to God’s wisdom so the endurance can have it’s perfect work.
Yet another critical truth about trials, perhaps the most important one, verse 5 says: “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach and it will be given to him.”
In every trial, even among the unbelievers, this one thing must be present, GOD’S WISDOM. In the healing community of the church, it should be a given that God’s word will be the primary authority in that situation. But when you are privy to a trial among unbelievers, that is your call to bring God’s message to that situation. But you say “I don’t know how.” Will, as my grandma used to say, “then get a learnin.” If it’s not your gift, call on the leaders of the church.
Let me ask you a question, how often did Christ present the Fathers wisdom and the gospel in the midst of life circumstances? Life events always call for God’s wisdom and the opportunity for real hope. People flocked to Jesus because they heard he could heal. But the woman at the well did not get the whole town and bring them back to Jesus because he healed her, she went and told them because she perceived he taught God’s truth.
Likewise, in the age we live in, some churches are large because they feed peoples idols. Since Chuck ask in a message 2 weeks ago what our vision for this church is, let me share mine. My vision for this church is that the word will get out that this is a church that offers real answers and real hope for every life and every problem from the word of God.
Yes, yes. Many of life’s problems will require doctors, medicine, the police, the fire department, the army ect. ect. But the complete solution is never never complete without the implementation of God’s wisdom in every situation. Never.
Keep this in mind. The world knows this. The world knows that people need more than physical and emotional healing. Why do think there are so many philosophers in the world? By the way, just as an aside, do you know what group of professionals has the highest rate of suicide? Psychologist!
How bad is the situation in our culture? Let me give you a clue. People tune in to Oprah Winfrey to try to find solutions to their problems. Listen, in every trial, some kind of wisdom is going to be brought to bear. It will either be the worlds wisdom or God’s wisdom.
Let me give you a life example of this. My grandmother lived in an area heavily dominated by a works oriented denomination. This group was heavily ingrained in the geographical culture. For a lot of people, especially those without means, this was the only option for church. However, the pastor of the church she attended did not necessarily buy into much of the official doctrine of this denomination. When he took the pastorate there, another couple followed them and the husband started teaching the adult Sunday school.
The first trial under their watch was when my grandfather developed terminal cancer. He was not a Christian. Regardless of my grandmothers propagation of works salvation in the midst of the situation, The pastor was able to lead my grandfather to the Lord in a very sound way.
After my grandfathers death, the area was hit by heavy flooding. The Sunday school teacher and his wife used the situation to become involved in my grandmothers life. As they shoveled out her basement and listened to her speak, they detected many comments that did not line up with the word of God in regard to truth and attitude and confronted her accordingly. I have good reason to believe these many conversations led my grandmother to a true saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Trials always have a purpose, and it is the duty of Christians everywhere to make sure God’s purpose in every trial is maximized. This cannot be done without God’s wisdom.
When James tells you to pray for wisdom in the midst of trials, that is, if you do not already know what that wisdom is in your particular trial, this is not a call to pray and wait for some kind of premonition. It is a call to pray for the right understanding from God’s word. This is to be safely assumed from numerous other scriptures.
In many situations, prayer, encouragement and servitude will all be administered. But in most cases, if not all, the treatment is not complete without God’s wisdom and instruction. In verses 6-8, James says the one who prays with a double mind is not likely to receive what he needs from God to endure.
What does “double minded” mean? Simply put: It is a person who is unsure as to whether the bible has the solution, or Oprah Winfrey. James says those who doubt the total sufficiency of God’s word for life and Godliness are “unstable in all their ways” or in every area of life. Only God’s truth leads to stability.
So in conclusion, James has outlined 4 critical mindsets when you find yourself in a trial.
First, consider what scripture has to say about your situation, rather than the only other alternative which is to be dragged away by emotional and fearful thinking. Once dragged away from Godly consideration, you will be enticed to sin. Selfish desire will always rear it’s ugly head in trials, not wanting to accept the trial God has sovereignly allowed into your life. These thoughts will invariably arise, but you must answer them with God’s word and not allow them to control you. This is what James is talking about in verse 14 and 15. Also, consider that God is right in the midst of this trial with you, with the desire to execute his purposes for your life and mold you into the likeness of his Son.
Secondly, do not be perplexed by the severity or the kind of trial you are in. Christ clearly stated that God causes it to rain and the sun to shine on the just as well as the unjust.
Thirdly, you must be guided through the trial by God’s wisdom alone.
Fourthly, you must reject any wisdom that will lead to additional temptation, this is the way of the “double minded” man.
An Apostolic Call To Discernment In The “Last Days”
Manuscript on Sunday 06/14/2009: Germantown Baptist Chapel
Isn’t the view of the Christian landscape a pretty confusing sight? As your driving around, you can’t help but to notice all the different churches everywhere with all kinds of different names. You ever been to a Christian book store? Good grief!
Some recent comments by friends of mine on Facebook reflect the kind of confusion and questions bouncing around in our heads. One friend of mine recently posted a note on Facebook that said, “Doesn’t anybody have any discernment anymore?”
Another dear friend of mine wrote me an email recently in the same tone of exasperation, “I just do not understand why theologians today are always looking for a new twist rather than a true interpretation of each passage – allowing scripture to interpret scripture.”
Yet another friend showed frustration at God himself and ask, “why can’t God make things simple?” Why is everybody so confused”?
What is the deal? How can their be so many takes on “one faith delivered to the saints” as Jude put it.
Well, I’m here to tell you that our God is not a God of confusion. Perish the thought! Neither does God want us to be confused about the above questions, he wants us to understand the landscape and why things are the way they are.
This morning and tonight we will look at what the scriptures say in regard to these vital questions. But first, In order to understand the landscape of our day, we need to understand where we are at in the scheme of redemptive history.
Why? Because that is the prism that the scriptures use to describe WHAT WE SHOULD EXPECT AND LOOK FOR IN THIS TIME AND THERFORE NOT BE SURPRISED OR CONFUSED ABOUT IT.
Not only that, the scriptures also outline a course of action as well.
Therefore, let’s start in Hebrews 9:26;
“for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself” ESV.
Let me ask you a question. Are we in the last days? How do we know? Because of a book someone wrote? No, we know that we are in the last day’s because Hebrew 9:26 says the last days are marked by the coming of Christ to die for our sins.
What we are going to see is that the coming of Christ in the flesh to die for the world takes place in a specific time period that has a beginning and an end. Then we are going to look at the characteristics that come with this age. Before we go on, we see that this age is marked by the first appearing of Christ as a man, it is the last age among ages since ages is in the plural. All of the major and most used versions along with the Greek Interlinear reflect this.
This is also reflected at the beginning of Hebrews as well in Hebrews 1:1,2;
“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.”
The beginning of this specific time period is open for debate. Really, you could make an argument for the beginning of the Lord’s ministry being, the resurrection, the ascension or Pentecost. However, it is clear that the beginning is sometime during the coming of Christ and his ministry through the Disciples who later become the Apostles. It doesn’t much matter when exactly it started, we can be sure that we are now in it.
Next, this specific time period has a specific end:
First, the end is determined by the total gathering of all of those he foreknew and the beginning of what is known as the “Day of the Lord.”
2Peter 3:3-10
knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
Notice we have 2 separate events here, the “Last Days” and the “Day of the Lord.” The present age will continue until all that God foreknew are saved. The way Peter puts it is, the Lord is patiently waiting for all of his children to be saved, not willing that any perish. Others mistake this for the Lord being slack, or he is not coming back at all because it has been such a long time.
Another text that speaks of the difference between the “Last Days” and “The Day of the Lord” is 2Thessalonians 2:1-7
Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time.
So the end of the last days will be proceeded by the full gathering of God’s children and precede the appearance of the Antichrist and the day of the Lord according to the Apostle Paul.
Also, the end of the last days time period will end with an unexpected resurrection of many believers who are still alive.
1Corinthians 15:51,52
Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.
John 21:18-23
“Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.” Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who had been reclining at table close to him and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who had been reclining at table close to him and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” So the saying spread abroad among the brothers that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”
1Thessalonians 4:15-17
For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.
Also keep in mind that this resurrection otherwise known as the “Rapture” is what we call “imminent.”
In other words, it is likely to occur at any time without warning:
Acts 1:6,7
So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.
The Lord restores the kingdom to Israel at the end of the Day of the Lord . The beginning of the Day of the Lord marks the end of the Last Days. Christ also states the following in Matthew 24:36-44;
“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. “As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. “For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark,”and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. “Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. “Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. “Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.
The whole issue of imminence separates the Last Days and the Day of the Lord because if I’m a believer in the Day of the Lord, otherwise known as the “Tribulation Period”, I know exactly when the Lords coming back to the day. Let me demonstrate. Go to Daniel 9:27
“And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.”
The Tribulation period has designated times and not much on the imminent side is going on during this time. If I am a believer during that time, I know that the Lord’s return is 7 years from the date of a treaty made with Israel by the antichrist [other scripture] and 3.5 years from the “Abomination of Desolation” spoken of in 2Thesssalonians 2:4.
II.
So there you have it, this is the age we are living in, “The Last Days.” So what does the Bible say these day’s will be like? What should we expect?
Go to 2Timothy 4:2,3 and I will be reading from the NIV:
Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage-with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.
Men will not only be seekers of “A” truth rather than “The” truth, they will not TOLERATE “ sound doctrine!” When you go into a teaching situation, in many cases, they just aren’t going to reject your teaching, THEY AREN’T GOING TO TOLERATE YOU!, and really, some of us here have our share of horror stories.
Really, in the age we live in, there are 3 kinds of churches. Churches that are driven to follow “The” truth at all cost, churches that will follow the truth as long as it doesn’t cost them anything and churches that the apostle Paul said would be indicative of the age, seekers of “A” truth that feeds the evil desires of their heart with a rabid intolerance of truth tellers.
Go with me now to 1John 2:18
Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour.
You see the reference here to a future day that will be the time when the antichrist appears, but the apostle John says MANY of his forerunners will be active in this age. In a matter of fact, it’s how we know it is the last age!!!! Incredibly, the Apostle is saying “many antichrist” mark this age.
Go now to 1John 4:1
Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
This is a different group than what John spoke of earlier. There are also MANY “false prophets” in our age. Many antichrist’ and many false prophets mark the age we live in.
Additionally, there where also FALSE APOSTLES among them. Turn with me to 2Corinthians 11:13
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.
Revelation 2:2 also speaks of false apostles and there was even a problem with fictional letters being sent out as if from the Apostles telling the saints that they missed the resurrection. [ 2Thessalonians 2:1-3].
In the New Testament, of the 27 books that make up the cannon, 1st and 2nd Corinthians, Galatians, 1st and 2nd Thessalonians, Hebrews, 1st and 2nd Peter, 1st, 2nd, and John 3, and Jude deal primarily with error and false teaching as a theme. All other New Testament books contain portions that deal with false or erroneous teaching.
In Revelation chapters 2 and 3, of the 7 churches, 5 contain and tolerate false teachers and are warned by Christ accordingly. In a matter of fact, his specific charge is that they “TOLERATE” false teaching.
The first century church, always looked at as the ideal model, was entrenched in constant and vicious warfare to protect the truth. When the Disciples ask Jesus what the sign of the end of the age and his coming was going to be, the first thing he said was “BE NOT DECEAVED”
Well, maybe things have gotten better since then, right? Not according to the Apostle Paul and what he promised Timothy in 2Timothy 3:1-5
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God-having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.
Again, Paul says in 2Timothy 3:13
while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
Once you view the present Christian landscape through scripture, it’s not very confusing at all. The Church was engulfed in warfare for the truth from it’s conception and the powers of darkness have had 2000 years to perfect their schemes, neither have they retreated.
However, I am not challenging you to pass judgment on anybody, I am challenging you to be a Berean like those talked about in Acts 17, the ones the Holy Spirit called “honorable.” The Bereans would not even give the Apostle Paul a pass without searching the scriptures to confirm what he was teaching.
Therefore, you need not and should not give any teacher of this age a pass on what they teach. Christ made it clear that the way of destruction in this age would be a wide road while the way of life would be narrow.
I was once sitting in a Sunday school class where the teacher made this statement: “You need to run to the bookstore and get this book.” Listen, I don’t run to any teaching, I move in slowly with binoculars while hiding behind rocks and trees as I go, and so should you.
Why are there so many denominations, isms and teachings covered in spiffy book covers? Because we live in an age that will not tolerate sound doctrine. There is no middle ground in this war, you either stand with darkness or you stand with light, the choice is yours.
Paul's Passing Thoughts 
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