ReformedGirlCrusader

Suffering As Worship

2011-09-18T07:04:00.000-07:00

I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel – Philippians 1:12 ESV

Many professing Christians like to hold God to His promises – and we are right in doing so. He is good and He is faithful to keep His Word. What many however, fail to realize is that not all of God’s promises are pleasant; and a particular promise is one we daily strive to avoid at all cost. The promise of suffering. God’s Word to us promises that we will suffer for His sake if we belong to Him. We the redeemed, are not only saved from the wrath of God, but He has saved us to service to Him – and that will include suffering because of our allegiance to Him and in order to make Him known.

“For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake – Philippians 1:29

What in the world does this mean when God’s Word tells us that for the sake of Christ, those who believe will suffer? And if it is true that all of life is worship – we either worship God or worship an idol – how does suffering become worship to God? Tough stuff!

The children of God have a two-fold problem with the notion of suffering as worship:

1.) We aren’t warned that suffering is a promise and will come,

and

2.) We aren’t taught that this suffering is ordained (brought on) by our utterly sovereign, loving God for personal good - and good beyond ourselves.

Champion and martyr for Christ’s sake, Dietrich Bonhoeffer aptly stated this essential gospel-truth, “When Christ calls a man, He bids him ‘Come and die’.” How the sovereignty of God intertwines with the sin and suffering of man is one of the most difficult dilemmas in our day, but the understanding of the absolute sovereignty of God is essential in suffering as worship to God. If there be one rogue molecule in the whole of existence that is outside of the providence and control of God, then God is not Who He says He is. All knowing. All powerful. Unchanging. Ever present. If He is not Who He says He is, then He is not a god worthy of allegiance and worship, for He would be a liar.

The Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms defines ‘worship’ as “The service of praise, adoration, thanksgiving, and petition directed toward God through action and attitude. Christian worship is Trinitarian in form as praise is offered to God through Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

“By the power of the Holy Spirit” is key – for without His indwelling and enabling, this worship of our great God is impossible. This is grace. We are only able to suffer as worship unto God by the Holy Spirit’s enabling power and grace. For the redeemed, God’s grace is sufficient in our weakness.

This sweet, God-given, enabling grace in Christian suffering is why Pastors John Piper and Matt Chandler and Mike Pohlman can boldly exhort us to “not waste our cancer” but rather to use it as a platform and an opportunity to tell people about our great God who is worthy of all praise and honor – even in suffering much. In this grace, the oncology department becomes the field to plant and nourish the gospel seed. God is the gospel.

This is why John Farese can be so content and purposeful as he lays in his bed with a crippling and utterly debilitating disease all the while testifying and affirming the Psalmist’s truth, “Those who fear You shall see me and rejoice, because I have hoped in Your Word. I know, O LORD, that Your rules are righteous, and that in faithfulness You have afflicted me. Let Your steadfast love comfort me according to Your promise to Your servant. – Psalm 119:74-76 ESV

This is why Horatio Spafford could pen the lyrics to one of our most treasured hymns after learning of the death of his four daughters as they crossed the Atlantic with their mother and proclaim to all It Is Well With My Soul.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. – Hebrews 12:1-2 ESV

For Christians, all of our life is a platform and an opportunity to proclaim the worth and beauty and treasure of Christ. There is purpose to our life – it is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever – to reflect Him as glorious and worthy even in our suffering so others might know Him and make much of Him and have joy.

That His Name May Be Exalted Among The Nations ~

Jill

Summer Reading - LOADED!

2011-06-09T08:58:00.000-07:00

"For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another."

~ Paul to the Roman Christians ~

Letter to the Romans 12:3-5

Ladies,

We have what we have by the mercy and grace of God and not any of our own doing. When we remember this, we can be humble .... When we realize that not only are we undeserving of His goodness toward us, but truly ill-deserving of His goodness toward us, we can't help but be humble. This is true humility; all else is pride.

One thing I left off from our Monday evening follow up:

Encouragement for summer reading!

With all the discussion Monday night about theology - especially pertaining to the theology of salvation - called soteriology (so-teary-ology) - I wanted to point you toward some resources for further study. I am also sending this e-mail to my Sister, Erin, since she is studying this as well. I will have integrity and not only recommend resources that support my particular soteriological view. (I detest that kind of 'help'.) I'm a believer in studying all the orthodox views in order to know what you believe and why you believe it. You can't possibly have a ready answer to the hope within you if you are willfully ignorant of other orthodox stands ..... Facts are, there are differing 'orthodox' stands. We are seeing through the glass dimly. (I Cor. 13:12)

Remember, God calls us to be a work(wo)man approved in the study and proclaiming of His Word. (2 Tim. 2:15) This requires our effort. Good news is - this is God's will for you. If you are alive in Him and His Spirit is within you, He will grow you in this. God will grant the desire and He will grant the effort and He will grant the greater understanding. He is GOOD that way! Do not let the enemy discourage you. You may feel behind, but God is outside of time. He will honor your efforts to learn more about Him. He can restore what the locust have eaten and grow you exponentially. (Joel 2:25) I've seen it!

You need to know that concerning our doctrine of soteriology, the battle has been on since the early Church fathers - because Truth concerning God and man matters:

(Click on Links)

TWO ANCIENT VIEWS ON RECORD - View of Man

Augustine - Man inherited fallen sin nature from Adam, unable to do anything to aide in being made alive in Christ - God must provide regeneration. We sin because we're sinners. We are incapable of not sinning. (today called the Reformed/Calvinist view)

Pelagian - Man did not inherit fallen sin nature from Adam, able to do what it takes to be 'right' with God. We're sinners because we sin. One is capable of not sinning. (today called Pelagian view - very few people are fully this position)

VIEWS ON RECORD MEDIEVAL PERIOD

Luther - Man's will is in bondage to sin. (monergistic view)

Erasmus - Man's will is free from the bondage of sin. (synergistic/semi-Pelagian view)

Helpful mini-lesson on YouTube.

TWO VIEWS LATER ON

Calvin - Monergistic view of God's work in regeneration and keeping of those saved.

Arminius - Synergistic view of the work of salvation between God and man.

(By the way, the website: http://www.gotquestions.org/ is a very good resource and I refer to it often even though I disagree with some points from their statement of faith. I provide this website to maintain the personal conviction of not 'tossing out the baby with the bathwater." The website link below is unapologetically monergistic in conviction. Being that I am now a 'monergist', I rely on it quite a lot.)

http://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/articles/onsite/monergism_grid.html

(There are people who decry, "Why not just learn from the bible?! Shouldn't we just rely on the Word and not read men." This sounds pious and sound, but it isn't. To this, I say - "yes and no". Yes - we should be Bereans in all things and reconcile Scripture with Scripture for a biblically sound understanding BUT .... No - God gave His church teachers and ministers of the Word. If you are of the notion that we should not learn from men the things of God, then to be consistent in your stated ethic, you should refuse to attend church and listen to a preacher or listen to a teacher. This of course is absurd, for God gave us Preachers and teachers for edification. This 'I'm a biblicist' position is a cop-out. That is why we must always be Bereans, for they were recognized for readily and eagerly listening to what Paul was teaching, but they confirmed it through the Word.)

Debating Calvinism: Five Points - Two Views by Dave Hunt and James White

(Product Description) A centuries-old belief system is put to the test as two prominent authors examine and debate the subject of Calvinism from opposing viewpoints. James White, author of The Potter's Freedom, takes the Calvinist position. Dave Hunt, author of What Love Is This, opposes him. The exchange is lively and at times intense as these two articulate men wrestle over what the Scriptures tell us about God's sovereignty and man's free will. This thought-provoking, challenging book provides potent responses to the most frequently asked questions about Calvinism.

I like this book because two prominent 'theologians' from their particular view are represented in one tidy little book.

Don't forget about Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology - Part 5 is especially helpful. You can find the section on salvation in a stand alone book titled Making Sense of Salvation.

I just found a DVD resource by Grudem on systematic theology - oh, how I'm wanting this!

Remember, I really like Grudem because he plainly states what 'take' he believes to be true to the whole counsel of the Word, but he doesn't stop there. He has integrity by teaching all the orthodox views within systematic theology. He's not a pitch-man! That is worthy of respect.

For more one-sided takes on soteriology, consider:

Why I am Not a Calvinist

Why I am Not an Arminian

That said, one of the best books I've read on the Reformed (Calvinist) theology of soteriology is by RC Sproul titled Chosen By God. It is a small but meaty book. (I really appreciate the fact that Sproul points out that BOTH Calvinism and Arminianism LIMIT the ATONEMENT. One does so in it's application and the other does so in it's power. Amen!)

ALSO -

I love, love, love Paul Washer - his Pastoral heart is so evident with this young man. Watch it. Of course, Paul Washer believes a monergistic view of God and man and of salvation, but alerting you to this, you can hear how he answers this man's very common questions according to the doctrines of sovereign grace.

Loved Ones, this is beautiful stuff. I know what I believe and why I believe it. I have precious close friends who disagree with me. We can and do have vigorous theological discussions - and that is okay. We shouldn't be scared of having passion and vigor for what we believe to be the gospel-truth. We are not to be ashamed of the gospel. WE ARE STILL FRIENDS! We are still Sisters! We still enjoy biblical fellowship.

I love you!

Shine bright for Him! Flourish this summer for His Kingdom!

That His Name May be Revered Among the Nations ~

Jill Grier
Kingdom-MindedMoms
http://www.kingdom-mindedmoms.com/
http://www.livingwaters.com/good/
http://reformedgirlcrusader.blogspot.com/
http://www.carepages.com/carepages/NicholasWilliamBraveheart
Isaiah 58:11-12
“I am. I can. I ought. I will." ~ Charlotte Mason

ALL PARENTS HOMESCHOOL THEIR CHILDREN

2011-05-11T15:07:00.000-07:00

You know this!

No matter where your child attends school, both the content and the context of that schooling is discipling your child. Parents who elect home-based, parent directed schooling are in greater control of both the content and the context - we have an easier time screening and selecting truth-filled curriculum, and we can scrutinize and hand-pick the teachers we enlist to help us on our journey. Christian parents who outsource their children to institutional schooling - whether that be government schooling, private schooling, or even Christian schooling - must be evermore vigilant in tearing down those things that set themselves up against the knowledge of God and evermore diligent to root their children in Truth. They have a harder job! A Christian-thinking education for our children is not optional - says God. We parents have been given a sacred stewardship of our children to raise them for His glory, and we only have a limited amount of time to do it and the deck of cultural and ecclesiastical decay is stacked against us.

Q1: What is the chief end of man?
Q2: The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

Here, the word glorify does not equate 'making much of', although that is our privilege and delight, but rather the word 'glory' here means to reflect or to mirror. Like the moon, having no light of it's own, it shines bright in the night sky by simply reflecting it's light source - our sun. We benefit from this reflecting of the sun's light by illuminating our night sky. Likewise, we glorify God by mirroring Him and reflecting Him to the world - His attributes, His nature, His will. John Piper puts it this way, "'Glorify' does not mean make glorious. It means [to] reflect or display as glorious." When we glorify Him rightly, we are a benefit to this world in our applying His Truths to every sphere of our living - we shine forth His majesty and rightful reign in the darkness.

Facts are, most professing Christians - profess Him with their mouth, but deny Him in their hearts and their minds and actions. What shapes your thinking, shapes your living! It's not sufficient to have a little "Jesus" sprinkled on a compromised lesson or to know even heaps of bible trivia. When we don't think God's thoughts after Him concerning our family life, church life, community life, politics, economics and finances, entertainment, vocation, education, history, the arts, conduct and ethics, etc - we obscure His nature and majesty and infinite worth to a world in desperate need of Him, and provide grounds for God-directed scorn and mockery. This issue is not about you. This issue is not about your child. This is a Great Commandment and Great Commission issue (Luke 10:26-28, Matthew 28:16-20). The issue is the glory of God!

“There are a several troubling patterns to take notice. First, although most Americans consider themselves to be Christian and say they know the content of the Bible, less than one out of ten Americans demonstrate such knowledge through their actions. Second, the generational pattern suggests that parents are not focused on guiding their children to have a biblical worldview. One of the challenges for parents, though, is that you cannot give what you do not have, and most parents do not possess such a perspective on life. That raises a third challenge, which relates to the job that Christian churches, schools and parachurch ministries are doing in Christian education. Finally, even though a central element of being a Christian is to embrace basic biblical principles and incorporate them into one’s worldview, there has been no change in the percentage of adults or even born again adults in the past 13 years regarding the possession of a biblical worldview.”

~ The Barna Group ~
(Click to read full report.)

"Secular Education is the most powerful ally of Humanism [Atheism], and every American public school is a school of Humanism. What can the Theistic Sunday Schools, meeting for an hour once a week, and teaching only a fraction of the children, do to stem the tide of a five-day program of humanistic teaching?"

- Charles Francis Potter, Humanism: A New Religion, p. 128

Battle-Ready

2010-09-17T07:13:00.000-07:00

"Like a sailor I once saw pounding a soldier 'because', said the sailor, 'he insulted my mother,' so my Lord is insulted and His Church slighted. And, believe me, under this double injury, I smart. The Church has many adversaries. Can my sword sleep, then, in my hand? Never!"

~ Leonard Ravenhill ~
Why Revival Tarries

Sisters in Battle,

One of the greatest compliments - and challenges - spoken over me was by my children several years ago. You see, we have always loved movies - battle movies in particular. Among our favorites is the Lord of the Rings trilogy. These films are rich in spiritual allegory and I believe they are a gift to the Bride to remind her of her many foes and her call to defend, liberate, and to advance - that ours is battle, not respite.

The compliment? The challenge? That I remind them of the warrior princess of Rohan, Lady Eowyn. Her highest scene - protecting the injured King of Rohan from the witch king and his nazgul. Facing great terror. Cutting off the dragon's advancing head. Killing the witch king as no man could. (Scene) Indignant, the witch king seized her throat hissing, "No man can kill me!" At the same time the little hobbit who, all but Lady Eowyn believed had no business being in battle thrust his dagger into the witch king's leg, compelling the evil one to let go of Eowyn's throat. Now freed from his grip, she ripped off her helmet to reveal the powerful truth hidden behind the armor - and defiantly announced, "I am no man!" as she thrust her sword through his helmet killing the beast.

This battle was for the little hobbit.

This battle was for Lady Eowyn.

My sons paid me that compliment as they gave me a trading card of Eowyn. A prized possession from their collection. I keep this card my wallet - to remind me of who I've been crafted and called to be. A warrior princess of the Great King and His Kingdom. The picture of the Christian life is likened to the soldier in battle. Do we see ourselves as soldiers in battle?

Ours is not the time for the summer soldier and sunshine patriot, for the battle for Truth and liberty is fierce in our land, in our day. We must not deny. We must not shrink back. We must be people of emergency. So much is riding on it....

I pray you are invigorated and animated by what you have read so far in Let Us Highly Resolve and When A Nation Forgets God. One is the why; the other the how. Are these books stirring you? Are you getting a fire in your belly?

As you know, I am the kind of person who reads several books at once. I have books everywhere I frequent so I can make the most of my time - powder room, master bath, night stand, coffee table, car, purse. Presently, I'm reading our books for September as well as gift book from our own Katy Kelton titled Why Revival Tarries by Leonard Ravenhill. I find it hard to read this silently and find myself many times wanting to jump up and shout with joy in affirmation. A powerful read! A needful read! Yesterday, it's message broke me to tears and drove me fervent prayer. THANK YOU KATY!

I want to share some of this treasure with you. From the Foreword:

"Great industrial concerns have in their employ men who are needed only when there is a break-down somewhere. When something goes wrong with the machinery, thees men spring into action to locate and remove the trouble and get the machinery rolling again.

For these men a smoothly operating system has no interest. They are specialists concerned with trouble and how to find it and correct it.

In the kingdom of God things are not too different. God has always had His specialists whose chief concern has been the moral breakdown, the decline in the spiritual health of the nation or the church. Such men were Elijah, Jeremiah, Malachi, and others of their kind who appeared at critical moments in history to reprove, rebuke, and exhort in the name of God and righteousness.

A thousand or ten thousand ordinary priests or pastors or teachers could labor quietly almost unnoticed while the spiritual life of Israel or the church was normal. But let the people of God go astray from the paths of truth, and immediately the specialist appeared almost out of nowhere. His instinct for trouble brought him to the help of the Lord and of Israel.

Such a man was likely to be drastic, radical, possibly at time violent, and the curious crowd that gathered to watch him work soon branded him as extreme, fanatical, negative. And in a sense they were right. He was single-minded, severe, fearless, and these were the qualities the circumstances demanded. He shocked some, frightened others, and alienated not a few, but he knew who had called him and what he was sent to do. His ministry was geared to the emergency....

.... Those who know Leonard Ravenhill will recognize in him the religious specialist, the man sent from God not to carry on the conventional work of the church, but to beard the priests of Baal on their own mountaintop, to shame the careless priest at the alter, to face the false prophet and warm the people who are being led astray by him.

Such a man as this is not an easy companion. The professional evangelist who leaves the wrought-up meeting as soon as it is over to hie him to the most expensive restaurant to feast and crack jokes with his retainers will find this man something of an embarrassment, for he cannot turn off the burden of the Holy Ghost as one would turn off a faucet. He insists upon being a Christian all the time, everywhere; and again, that marks him out as different...." (A.W. Tozer)

Wow!

That was just the Foreword.

Leonard was born to godly parents. His mother laid hands on her two-hour-newborn infant and asked that God make him a preacher or not let him live. How God honored her request! The boldness of a mother! May there be found some mother Ravenhill in us as we raise and disciple our children.

Some Leonard Ravenhill quotable quotes:

I'm astounded, bewildered, confused, baffled when people tell me there are 75 million people in America that are filled with the Holy Ghost and we're the most rotten nation on earth.

Someone asked me, "Do you pray for the dead?" I said, "No, I preach to them!" I think every pew in every church is death row. Think about that! They're dead! They sing about God; they talk about God, but they're dead! They have no living relationship (with God).

I'm sick and tired of (only) reading about church history; let's make (some) by the grace of God!

I'm embarrassed to be a part of the (so-called) church of Jesus Christ today because I believe it's an embarrassment to a Holy God!

I read through Hebrews 11. These staggering men and women through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtain the promises, stopped the lions; women received their dead raised to life again. All the devilish things (they endured) and not one ever had a Bible! Well, in God's Name, (what) are you and I going to do when we stand before Him?! When I get there, I'll have to face up to having the whole revelation of God. Finney didn't have a bigger Bible; Wesley didn't have a bigger Bible, but somehow they got nearer to the heart of God. They got a revelation from God, they got convictions of the Spirit and they laid their lives on the line.

***********

What shapes your thinking, shapes your living!

For Christ's Crown and Covenant & His Kingdom Advanced ~

Jill Grier
Visionary Christian Home Educators
http://www.livingwaters.com/good/
http://reformedgirlcrusader.blogspot.com/
http://www.carepages.com/carepages/NicholasWilliamBraveheart
www.V-CHE.info
Isaiah 58:11-12, Nehemiah 4:14
“I am. I can. I ought. I will." ~ Charlotte Mason

Why So Serious About an Open-Handed Issue?

2010-08-31T13:23:00.000-07:00

“Education involves the training of the whole man and of all the faculties, of conscience and of the affections, as well as of the intellect...A purely non-theistic treatment of [English]...would not merely falsify the truth of the subject, but would necessarily make it an instrument of conveying positively anti-theistic and anti-christian ideas. All history is a product of divine Providence, and is instinct with the divine ends and order... It is self-evident that a non-theistic or a non-christian treatment of...history would be utterly superficial and misrepresenting. It cannot be questioned that morals rest on a religious basis, and that a non-theistic ethics is equivalent to a positively anti-theistic one. The same is no less true of science in all its departments...If God is not therein recognized he is denied, and a non-theistic science has always been and will always be a positively atheistic and materialistic one.”

~ A. A. Hodge ~

“Religion in the Public Schools,” The New Princeton Review 3, 1, 1887

Why so serious about an 'open-handed' issue?

THE SHORT ANSWER - The educational means and methods of our covenant children is not an open-handed issue of little consequence.

THE LONG ANSWER - We American Christians are more and more bound by antithetical group-think, political correctness, and populous power - - - and this is propagated by state certified, state funded preK through postgrad institutions as well as from the tithe funded and tax sheltered pulpits across our land. Gone are the days when those who educate and teach us care about what is right and true. Where are the men with chests? Where are the valiant and noble warrior Shepherds of our age?

As you may or may not know, tragically, less than 10% of professing born again Christians have a biblical lens through which to interpret the world and it's philosophies and theories. In truth, most professing Christians today are practical atheists meaning they conduct life without thought or care to what God has to say about it (Psalm 10). These professing Christians who function as atheists bifurcate faith from fact, head from hands, biblical conviction from public square, personal beliefs from public behavior. They vainly 'allow' Christ to be Lord over Sunday morning and Wednesday evening and small group, but place themselves as lord over the rest of the days and activities.

This fact has had a devastating effect on the individual, the family, the church, and the culture at large.

Professing Christians no longer think differently than the unbeliever. Professing Christians no longer conduct life differently than the unbeliever. Truth is - we do what we are! We may 'talk the talk', but our actual walk exposes us as what and who we really are. What shapes our thinking, shapes our living. They are utterly and always connected. Ideas have consequences. The faith in Christ that saves us from the just and deserved wrath of God involves an internal transformation that has external implications! "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." (Romans 12:2)

We are no longer equipped - and no longer equipping - to "(We) demolish arguments and every lofty opinion raised up against the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to obey Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:5) Many of us are actually held captive by false assumptions and outright lies and don't know it. Does a fish know it's wet? In our Christ transformed diligence, we are to "See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ." (Colossians 2:8) Romans 12:2, 2 Corinthians 10:5, and Colossians 2:8 are the foundational passages for loving God with all our mind and strength, intellect and vigor, orthodoxy and orthopraxy. This the goal for the education of the Christian mind. This is to be the great effort of educating the child of a Christian.

When only a fraction of professing Christians think and conduct life differently than the world, we have a huge captivity problem - which is a curse on everyone because the blessings and the cursings of a people and a nation rest squarely upon the shoulders of God's people - the regenerate. "If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14)

We are to be a blessing, not a cursing. We are to represent Christ and His will in this world. We are His ambassadors. We are to represent our King and His crown rights in this paradise lost. We are to be about His business by subduing entropy and decay and promoting His truth and treasure to all of life.

This is to be the grand charge of educating the child of the Christian. It comes down to discipleship - we are charged to make disciples, teaching them to obey everything whatsoever Christ has commanded, God makes converts - education and life together is discipleship. The curriculum disciples and the people disciple; the teachers and the peers. Message and messenger. Both are connected. Both are critical to the process. Content and context. "A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher." (Luke 6:40) This is not merely referring to the personality and character of the person or people doing the teaching, but the content of that teaching as well - what is being taught - the curriculum. We see the fruit of the what is being taught and the who is doing the teaching in America today - and it is not pretty - especially from those who take on the name of Christ. (CHRISTian)

You see the education of our children IS a gospel issue.

The call on the Christian life is to be conformed more and more into the image of Christ. To represent Him. To be about His business on earth. To speak His truth. To do what He did. To love people enough to liberate. Liberate from lies. Liberate from idolatry. Liberate from the consequence of ideas. Liberate from tyranny. Liberate from folly. Liberate from ignorance. Liberate from captivity. Perhaps in this great assignment, God will use us as a vessel to free them from Satan's grip. (Read 2 Timothy 2:24-26)

This is why we remain on earth even after we are made alive in Christ - born again. We have a work to do - to advance Christ's crown rights over creation; which is the carrying out of loving God and loving our neighbor. We live and proclaim Christ's rule and reign over individuals, over families, over church, over civics, over academia, over labor and vocation, over finances, over ethics, over leisure, over justice, over ministry and philanthropy - over everything. This is gospel-in-life! We need a good dose of it! The good news of the gospel isn't just for personal salvation and for eternity to come, IT IS FOR THE LIVING IN THE WHOLE, INTEGRATION OF LIFE HERE AND NOW - for Christ's name sake and glory, and for the benefit of others! We must be educated in this way of thinking and doing. (James 1:22-23)

Why must we speak up? Why must we risk being thought of as 'judgmental', 'legalistic', or - my personal ascribed label - 'divisive'? Why? Because we must be faithful to our King! As much as He cares about His people. He cares about His name more. "And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Lord GOD, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes." (Ezekiel 36:23)

There is more to 'taking the name of God in vain' than using His name as a expletive - truly, it comes down to calling oneself 'CHRISTian' yet thinking and acting like a captive child of the devil.

We must stop cutting our children in half. Today, King Solomon knew this - that a good parent would never allow her child to be cut in two. "As we see our schools, our churches, and our campuses constructing false dichotomies that sever our children's personal beliefs from their public behavior, their facts from their faith, and their head from their heart, do we tacitly let the king carry out his gruesome work or do we cry, 'NO - don't cut my child in two!'" (Everett Piper, Ph. D. in The Wrong Side of the Door - Why Ideas Matter, and President of Oklahoma Wesleyan University)

Too many professing Christian parents dismiss and deny the consequences of sending the children God has given them to steward for His name sake to government agenda institutions. Too many professing Christian parents see no threat of their child being cut in two. This is willful ignorance - agressively maintained!

The research data on the success of the public schools in indoctrinating the children of professing Christian parents with humanistic or neo-pagan worldviews is overwhelming. "The Nehemiah Institute’s worldview PEERS test shows that 83-percent of the children from committed Christian families in public schools adopt a secular humanist or Marxist socialist worldview. At the SBC’s 2002 annual meeting, the Southern Baptist Council on Family Life reported, among other disturbing things, that 88-percent of the children raised in evangelical homes leave church at age 18. Barna Research reports that only 9-percent of born-again teens believe in moral absolutes, and more than half believe that Jesus sinned while He was on earth. We believe the fact that 80-percent of Christian families send their children to public schools is a prime reason for this lost legacy." (E. Ray Moore, Exodus Mandate)

Amen!

How can we continue to believe that 14,000 seat-hours of God-ignoring, Christ-hostile, historical revisionist, materialistic, absolute truth reviling, and humanistic indoctrination is not a gospel issue? This is the lunacy of cognative dissonence to the utmost! I am very public about the utter folly of Christian parents thinking it is benign to send their children off to 14,000 seat-hours of secular humanist (or even 'Christianized' humanist) institutions. I am no fan of 'to each their own' since the child (or parent) who claims the name of Christ yet who thinks and acts like the world brings shame to His name, obscures His majesty, and confuses the glory of the gospel-in-life before the captive Lost and the World. This is a big deal. This is a critical point lost on most Christians. This is a critical point lost on most of the church of America.

This is why I am so serious about this open-handed issue. I am attempting to stand against evasive, noncommittal attitude toward Christian truth that is destroying the church and its witness.

"I can see little consistency in a type of Christian activity which preaches the gospel on the street corners and at the ends of the earth but neglects the children of the covenant by abandoning them to a cold and unbelieving secularism."

~ J. Gresham Machen ~

Theologian and Founder of Westminster Seminary and the Orthodox Presbyterian Church

“It is absolutely impossible to separate religious ideas from the great mass of human knowledge...where these are not positively implied they are virtually denied.”

~ A. A. Hodge ~

“Religion in the Public Schools,” The New Princeton Review 3, 1, 1887

Ambition - Godly Ambition Needed

2010-06-08T08:33:00.000-07:00

"God's pattern is to make you strong - so you are useful."

~ Eric Ludy ~
Bravehearted Gospel and Ellerslie Mission
http://ellerslie.com/The_Ellerslie_Passion.html

Ladies,

It was so nice to have you in our home last night (May 2010). I'm thankful for those of you who took time to make it.

I need to catch you gals up to speed:

The biggest change is that there will not be a typical V-CHE Tuesday class next year. These class sessions are scheduled to be recorded on MP3 media and will be available throughout the year online on a new V-CHE website (in development - to be launched sometime in September). This material will now be called V-CHE PRIME. PRIME will open this clarion call and information to any and all on the world wide web. Perhaps the year to follow will allow more confidence and ability in hosting a series of webinars - only God knows. May the Lord alone be magnified in this and may His people be emboldened to live out a biblical worldview for the benefit and joy of others.

2010-2011 will be a 'closed session' of intensive learning, fellowship, and accountability. It is called V-CHE AMBITIOUS. Many Christians have a negative, visceral reaction when they think of ambition - and this reaction is off base. We should be ambitious! Ambitious for God. Ambitious for being all God has designed us to be - for His glory, our joy, and the good of our neighbor. Ambitious for the integrity and craft and calling of our family to advance His kingdom in wartime. We ARE at war. Dare I admonish you - - - we are to be ambitious! This is part of loving our God. "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." (Luke 10:27 esv)

We will be reading a critical selection of books this next year in AMBITIOUS. A book club, of sorts. Here is the syllabus of books for 2010-2011:

Sept - Let Us Highly Resolve by David Quine

When A Nation Forgets God by Dr. Erwin Lutzer

Oct - Real Family Values by Robert Lewis

Nov - The Bravehearted Gospel by Eric Ludy

Dec - The Me I Want to Be by John Ortberg

Jan - Just Do Something by Kevin DeYoung

Womanly Dominion by Mark Chansky

Feb - The Radical Disciple by John Scott

The Discipleship Handbook by Dr. Peter Hammond

Mar - Assumptions by Christian Overman

Apr - Serious Times by James Emery White

May - Dug Down Deep by Joshua Harris

All but two books are available through CBD online (http://www.christianbooks.com/) and on Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/). Few are available as used books, as they are largely newly published books. Please understand, they are less expensive overall to buy at once (due to shipping), but may certainly be purchased monthly or by semester. There is no registration fee for next year. Books are tuition enough....

Scholarships (partial and full) are available for those who have need and who are accepted into the study.

V-CHE AMBITIOUS will be open only to those who have completed V-CHE PRIME in good faith and diligence. You must apply to participate. I will be the only person reading and making decisions in this application process. The application is attached. PLEASE DO NOT BE OVERWHELMED BY THE APPLICATION. Some ladies last night mentioned this application was more 'intense' than their bible college application. (That's sad, isn't it.) The questions are useful in assessing your level of personal interaction with the content covered in V-CHE and your commitment level for this next year. Be honest with yourself and with me. I am not legalistic.

The bar is raised in V-CHE AMBITIOUS. This level of commitment and accountability will not be appealing to everyone. We understand that. There is a season for everything. This is our season to rejuvenate and regroup; it may be your season to cut out everything that is extra in order to focus on the quiet importance in your life. THAT'S A GOOD THING!

Our ultimate accountability is to the Lord. We are to do all we do as unto Him - not as unto man. Diligence and excellence, not perfection. Whether you've attended V-CHE for the past 5 years in Wichita or this was your first year, I heartily encourage you to pray about joining us next year.

In the end, this next year will not be me teaching. We will be sisters in the Lord sharpening one another as iron sharpens iron; encouraging faithfulness to God, to self, to family, and to culture, and fanning the flame of one another. 2010-2011 will be relational and intimate. We will meet once a month in the comfort of my living room. We will stimulate. We will think. We will challenge. We will rejoice. We will cry. We will pray. We will laugh. We will exhort.

http://ellerslie.com/The_Ellerslie_Passion.html

Watch INTERCESSION. Eric Ludy - The Bravehearted Gospel.

Despise not the young!

This breaks me....

Let's close in the breach! Let's soak our shields in water and lock arms and advance! (Thank you Heather!) No holes. No breaches! No woman left behind.

Let's endeavor to be useful to God - outward focused. May we be strong, so we are useful. May we prayerfully consider locking arms as warrior sisters in Christ for our families and for our church and for our culture - for the joy of the nations - for His name sake.

My heart is full of love for you girls.

"God, you have made this life; and you have called me for more than just to save me. You have rescued me so that I can become a rescuer. Who needs rescue? Who needs help? Who needs me to stand in the gap and take the hit?.... When you behold Christ, you will say, 'God - do it ALL within me - - - for Your glory. Make me strong. Make me strong to give.'"

~ Eric Ludy ~
The Bravehearted Gospel
"Intercessor"

Serving His Kingdom Here and Now ~

Jill Grier
Visionary Christian Home Educators
http://www.livingwaters.com/good/
http://reformedgirlcrusader.blogspot.com/
http://www.carepages.com/carepages/NicholasWilliamBraveheart
www.V-CHE.info
Isaiah 58:11-12
“I am. I can. I ought. I will." ~ Charlotte Mason

Christian Conscience Controversy - Manhattan Declaration

2009-12-03T06:47:00.000-08:00

"We need to be a dangerous people; and let us be accursed if on that day - a far greater Day than this - if we have to admit that we were not there when things got dangerous."

~ Dr. Al Mohler ~

President at Southern Seminary - Convocation Message

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rguw1ewAkWg

The Manhattan Declaration - in a nutshell - firmly states:

"Because we honor justice and the common good, we will not comply with any edict that purports to compel our institutions to participate in abortions, embryo-destructive research, assisted suicide and euthanasia, or any other anti-life act. We also will not bend to any rule purporting to force us to bless immoral sexual partnerships, treat them as marriages or the equivalent, or refrain from proclaiming the truth, as we know it, about morality and immorality and marriage and the family. We will fully and ungrudgingly render to Caesar what is Caesar's. But under no circumstances will we render to Caesar what is God's."

Why is this declaration important in our day?

Bill Wilson, a Washington-based journalist and a part of Bill Koenig's Koenig's International News recently summed up the unstable tide of our times. He says, "The Senate is poised to debate socialized health care and take a vote on it despite its unconstitutionality and opposition from the American people. This bill shreds the Constitution and the rights of Americans under the false pretense that it will provide health insurance to every American. This bill is the linchpin to legislating unprecedented and unconstitutional socialist humanism as the form of government in America. These usurpers in Congress must be stopped, and the American people must be heard from. From a Constitutional perspective this legislation, in effect, surrenders the power of the people to the power of the government."

Beloved in the Faith,

Attached is the link to the Manhattan Declaration and it's many prominent signatories. There are some weighty names. Perhaps these signers will ease the temptation to be dismissive about this important document.

http://www.manhattandeclaration.org/sign/list-of-religious-leaders-signatories

Years ago, Evangelicals and Roman Catholics banded together to ensure ministry efforts were not hindered or duplicated with the Evangelicals and Catholics Together document. It raised quite a swell of emotion as there were several prominent Evangelicals who would not align themselves with this document claiming the joining together in ministry efforts to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and take care of the widows and the orphans would muddy the Gospel message as Roman Catholics and Evangelicals proclaim different gospels (but so do Monergistic Evangelical Christians and Synergistic Evangelical Christians - truth be told). I respect both signers and refusers-to-sign of this ECT Document.

This Manhattan Declaration has the same potential to create strong emotions, but I exhort you to study and think and pray about signing it. This document is not about the Gospel, it is about standing firm on biblical conviction and is a clarion call for professing Christians to adhere to their convictions and inform civil authorities that the signers will not—under any circumstance—abandon their Christian consciences.

There will come a day in these United States of America where we will be asked to stand firm on biblical truth and be faithful people or compromise away for the sake of false peace, obedience to a lesser authority, and bring further judgment on our nation.

Jesus Christ is our King - the King of Kings! He is our highest authority. His Word is authoritative! His Word is sufficient! Yes - He does place rulers and authorities over us whom we are to obey. But we are NOT to obey these earthly authorities if they:

1.) Require us to do what God has forbidden.
2.) Forbid us to do what God has commanded.

Biblical examples of civil disobedience.

A. Jochabed

1. Exod. 1:15 - 2:10; Heb. 11:23

2. Right to preserve God's people.

B. Esther

1. Esther 3:6,15; 7:4-6

2. Right to preserve God's people.

C. Daniel

1. Daniel 6:4-15

2. Right to pray and worship.

D. Peter and John

1. Acts 5:29,41,42

2. Right to preach the gospel.

E. Paul

1. Acts 16:35-40

2. Right to just treatment.

Don't forget the disobedient Hebrew midwives who would not kill the male Hebrew babies delivered in Egypt! They feared God above man! They obeyed God!

To obey earthly authorities when their laws violate God's laws, is to practice idolatry. People claiming His name (CHRISTian) will tested on our allegiance to His crown!

Although the Manhattan Declaration is locking arms with Orthodox Christians, Roman Catholics, and Evangelicals of monergistic and synergistic gospel messages - it is not a document about salvation but about Christian conviction.

Please take time to seriously consider the message contained within.

A respected voice of disagreement and refusal to sign -

Alistair Begg states, "In accord with others who have chosen not to sign, my reservation is not with the issues themselves, or in standing with others who share the same concerns, but it is in signing a declaration along with a group of leading churchmen, when I happen to believe that the teaching of some of their churches is in effect a denial of the biblical gospel. I wonder whether it might not have been more advantageous for Evangelicals to unite on this matter, rather than seeking cooperation with segments from Rome and Eastern Orthodoxy."

My perspective on this -

To be honest, I struggle with protests or claims of adhering to the 'biblical' gospel when the gospel can be maligned and perverted by both action and inaction - by word and by deed, by message and follow through, and message and outward apathy. I am trying to figure this out. If one proclaims out of the mouth a monergistic gospel, I - for one - am in agreement and comfortable with that. If one proclaims out of the mouth a synergistic gospel, I am in disagreement and very uncomfortable with that. Evangelicals aren't in agreement about the gospel. Is God sovereign in salvation or is He not? Does regeneration precede faith or does the new birth follow faith? One gospel is monergistic, one gospel is synergistic. The Roman Catholic gospel is synergistic, but so is the gospel of most Evangelicals in America today. Is the salvation of the gospel merely a future salvation or is it a here-and-now salvation? By that I mean, is the gospel power for the Judgment Throne only or is the gospel power for victorious righteous thinking and living here and now - as well as for the Judgment Throne. If one proclaims a gospel message I am comfortable with (monergistic) yet they have a disconnect between their orthodoxy and their praxis, it confuses me. Is not the gospel a powerful one? Is not the gospel power transforming in mind and in action? Does not this gospel require of us once we have been brought to resurrected (here and now) life? Is not this new life in Christ a costly gospel life?

I value the gospel message when it is backed up in action and in power. When those who are proclaimers of the message of Jesus Christ are about His business upon this earth, adhering to His priorities, speaking His heart, addressing and tending to His concerns, and taking a visible stand for His Truth.

I believe orthodoxy truly held begets orthopraxy, doesn't it - not just a list of don'ts, but a list of do's. Not just abstinence, but of righteous pursuit.

I have signed this document.

Christian Soldier or Holy-Huddle-Dweller?

2009-11-05T09:27:00.000-08:00

"I tremble when I think of the privileges which surround you in this country, and of the peril in which you stand so long as you neglect them."

~ J.C. Ryle ~
Occupy Till I Come tract
1816-1900

Brethren,

As many of you know, our country is at the the tipping point into Social Marxism. Please take time out of your busy day to phone and e-mail your Congressman (Representative/House of Representatives) to tell them you do not want this health care bill to pass in any form - period.

I'm sure you are getting several alerts about this and may even be tempted to think 'what can one phone call do ?' I want to encourage you that there is great power in one - remember Madalyn Murray O'Hair. There is even greater power in 1+1+1.... (Ecclesiastes 4:12).

May we never have to confess that we were too busy with daily life to prevent unbiblical chaos from overcoming our children's future on our watch. "We need to be a dangerous people; and let us be accursed if on that day - a far greater Day than this - if we have to admit that we were not there when things got dangerous." (Dr. Al Mohler - Southern Seminary Convocation Message)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rguw1ewAkWg

CALL and E-MAIL TODAY:

http://www.tiahrt.house.gov/?sectionid=12

Representative Todd Tiahrt - 4th Congressional District of Kansas - DC

2441 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: 202.225.6216
Fax: 202.225.3489

Wichita OfficeMain office for casework and state-related questions.

Rep. Todd Tiahrt
155 North MarketSuite 400
Wichita, KS 67202
Phone: 316.262.8992
Fax: 316.262.5309

**************

Dear Representative Tiahrt,

As the mother of three sons, one of whom was prenatally diagnosed with spina bifida and hydrocephalus and requires extensive and ongoing medical care to maintain his quality of life, I absolutely do not want this health care-hijack reform bill to pass in any shape or fashion. I do not want government in control of health care period. We are not a family who participates in any state or federal aid for children born with disabilities - we are so convicted on this. Please stand strong to defend our ability to pursue health care on our terms, in our timing, and to our liking. I will be praying for your strength and wisdom today as you stand for what is right for our country and for our children's future. Thank you for the work you do.

Sincerely,

Jill Grier"

For more information on the Bible's influence on HIStorical American government, see:

http://www.faithfacts.org/christ-and-the-culture/the-bible-and-government

Contrary to popular opinion, history is not 'just history' - and history is being made now. How will it turn on your watch as Christ's representative to the people? Will you be known by your children and grandchildren and great grandchildren as a doer of Christ's will on this earth - even in the health care debate? These matters matter! The ship has been going down for the past 2,000 years, let's not be foolish to think it will all end in 2012 so 'what does it matter'. As unpragmatic as it seems - we're supposed to 'polish the brass on the sinking ship'! Occupy until He comes!

"And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come."

~ Luke 19:11-13 ~

If you are not sure who your Representative is or how to contact them, go to the link below and type in your state and your zip code; there you will find the phone number, mailing address, and e-mail for your Representative.

https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

Serving His Kingdom Here and Now ~

Jill Grier
http://www.livingwaters.com/good/
http://reformedgirlcrusader.blogspot.com/
www.V-CHE.info
The palatability of a doctrine does not indicate its veracity.

DISCERNMENT

2009-05-01T06:05:00.000-07:00

"In an age where the greatest sin is offensiveness, and the greatest virtue is inoffensiveness; it is difficult to share a message where - at it's core - is offensive to the mind of fallen man."

~ Pastor Erwin Lutzer ~

I have been asked to teach a bible study at church this coming Fall. Last year, I was surprised to be allowed to teach The Truth Project to some women at our church. It is a powerful and needful study on the Christian world-and-life-view. Basically The Truth Project helps the Bride to recognize the philosophies and myths we've been taken captive by 'out there'. 'Out there' being in the culture - sociology, anthropology, science, history, government, humanitarianism, etc.... The Church seeing rightly looking out.

I believe God has opened the door for me to teach again this Fall because it is important to continue on in this theme. Whereas The Truth Project was addressing having a biblical worldview in subjects outside the Church, this next class would be about the need for biblical discernment and zeal for Truth within the Church. This course of study will do much to edify the women to understand why contending for the faith is everyone’s privilege and duty. Biblical discernment is the need within the Church.

The goal of this course of study is to help us become vigilant, high impact Christians who love Truth and who are willing to live by it and contend for it, even at great personal cost. Lofty goal indeed!

This is the Thursday evening study I am proposing – it would be an 11 week semester:

DOES THE TRUTH MATTER ANYMORE? (5 parts)

Teacher: Pastor John MacArthur
Publication: CrossTV/WordPictures

http://www.revver.com/video/926607/does-the-truth-matter-anymore-john-macarthur/

10 LIES ABOUT GOD (3 parts)

Teacher: Pastor Erwin Lutzer
Publication: CrossTV/WordPictures

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qooBBE_ktyQ&feature=related

WHO ARE YOU TO JUDGE (3 Parts)

Teacher: Pastor Erwin Lutzer
Publication: CrossTV/WordPictures

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9R_UsRDxuw&feature=related

You are able to watch a portion of the 1st part using the above link.

"The mission of amusement produces no converts. The need of the hour for today's ministry is believing scholarship joined with earnest spirituality, the one springing from the other as fruit from the root. The need is biblical doctrine, so understood and felt, that it sets men on fire."

~ CH Spurgeon ~

"I cannot endure false doctrine, however neatly it may be put before me.
Would you have me eat poisoned meat because the dish is of the choicest ware? It makes me indignant when I hear another gospel put before the people with enticing words by man who would fair make merchandise of souls; and I marvel at those who have soft words for such deceivers. 'This is your bigotry,' says one. Call it so if you like; but it is the bigotry of the loving John, who wrote, 'if there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him Godspeed; for he that biddeth him Godspeed is partaker of his evil deeds.'

I would to God we all had more of such decision, for the lack of it is depriving our religious life of its backbone and substituting for honest manliness a mass of tremulous jelly of mutual flattery. He who does not hate the false does not love the true; and he to whom it is all the same, whether it be God's word or man's, is himself unrenewed at heart.

Oh, if some of you were like your fathers, you would not have tolerated in this age the wagon loads of trash under which the gospel has been of late buried by ministers of your own choosing. The apostle spake by inspiration when he said, 'If we or an angel from heaven preach to you any other gospel than that ye have received, let him be accursed.'

According to modern effeminacy he ought to have said, 'Let him be kindly spoken with in private, but pray make no stir. No doubt the good brother has his own original modes of thought and we must not question his liberty. Doubtless he believes the same as we do, only there is some little difference as to terms.'

This is treason to Christ and treachery to truth and cruelty to souls.

If we love our Lord, we shall keep His words and stand fast in the faith, coming out from among the false teachers. Nor is this inconsistent with charity; for the truest love to those who err is not to fraternize with them in their error, but to be faithful to Jesus Christ in all things."

~ C.H. Spurgeon ~

Amen! Amen!

Oh, how I pray this course of study will be approved and God will be pleased to set aflame a passion for True Truth in the belly and bones of His Bride.

Good Friday 2009

2009-04-10T07:49:00.000-07:00

href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CJILLGR%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_editdata.mso">

FOR WHOM DID CHRIST DIE?

John Owen

The Father imposed His wrath due unto, and the Son underwent punishment for, either:

All the sins of all men.
All the sins of some men, or
Some of the sins of all men.

In which case it may be said:

That if the last be true, all men have some sins to answer for, and so, none are saved.
That if the second be true, then Christ, in their stead suffered for all the sins of all the elect in the whole world, and this is the truth.
But if the first be the case, why are not all men free from the punishment due unto their sins?

You answer, "Because of unbelief."

I ask, Is this unbelief a sin, or is it not? If it be, then Christ suffered the punishment due unto it, or He did not. If He did, why must that hinder them more than their other sins for which He died? If He did not, He did not die for all their sins!"

http://www.mountainretreatorg.net/faq/forwhom.html

http://www.the-highway.com/Death_Owen.html

I love this apologetic by the Puritan John Owen because it exposes the faulty thinking concerning the atoning death of Christ. Most people today assert (wrongly, I might add) that Christ died for all the sins of all men. IF this were the case, then certainly all people would be destined and secured of heavenly residence when they pass from this earthly life into the next. From Holy Writ itself, we know this is not the case. Consider the documentation of the wealthy man and the beggar Lazarus (not Jesus' friend who He raised from the dead, a different Lazarus) in Luke 16: 19-31:

"Now there was a certain rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, gaily living in splendor every day. And a certain poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man's table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores.

Now it came about that the poor man died and he was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried.

And in Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried out and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue; for I am in agony in this flame.'

But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, in order that those who wish to come over from here to you may not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.'

And he (the wealthy man in Hell) said, 'Then I beg you, Father, that you send him to my father's house - for I have five brothers - that he may warn them, lest they also come to this place of torment.'

But Abraham said, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.'

But he (the wealthy man in Hell) said, 'No, Father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!'

But he (Abraham) said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.'" (NASB)

So you see, we have documentation from Scripture itself that there are people in Hell. The logical and reasonable conclusion is that Jesus did NOT die on the cross to pay the penalty of ALL the sins of ALL men - or else there would be no person in Hell - only Satan and his demons. But from Scripture, we see there are people in Hell. This means either Jesus did not pay the ransome for all men, or the King of kings and Lord of lords is less than capable. Heresy! There is no impotence in God. He is all-powerful, all-capable, all-mighty. He lacks nothing. His will WILL come about. No one whom He died for will slip through His sovereign hand! When Jesus declared 'It is finished' on the cross, He was affirming the definite redemption of His people. God forbid we keep mute while heresy is released on simple, ignorant, unsuspecting ears. We may not be 'born again' until we're 30, but our eternal salvation was secure at the cross! AMEN! GLORY HALLELUJAH!

Today is Good Friday. My favorite day of Holy Week. Yes, Easter is the glory of the Passion, but Easter is nothing without a right understanding of Good Friday.

Just who did Jesus die on the cross for? That's the most important question - I think - and one that must be investigated instead of merely assumed. Christ died the death due to those God gave Him. In short, Jesus Christ was smitten, tortured, humiliated, forsaken by the Father, and died for the Elect as opposed to the universal 'world'. The Elect are those sovereignly chosen from before the dawn of time to be favored by God. (Ephesians 1:4)

"As many as were ordained to eternal life believed." Acts 13:48

"Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you and ordained you, that you should go forth and bring forth fruit...." John 15:16

"For the transgression of my people, He was stricken." Isaiah 53:8

"You are to give him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins." Matthew 1:21

"The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many." Matthew 20:28

"Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because He has come and has redeemed His people." Luke 1:68

"I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own." John 10:14

"It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for Him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved His own who were in the world, He now showed them the full extent of His love." John 13:1

"Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may glorify You. For You granted Him authority over all people that He might give eternal life to all those You have given Him...I pray for them. I am not praying for the world." John 17:1-2, 9

J.I. Packer has pointed out that the statement "Christ died for you," which has become so common in today's evangelism, simply cannot be found in any of the sermons recorded for us in Scripture. Packer writes:

"The fact is that the New Testament never calls on any man to repent on the ground that Christ died specifically and particularly for him. The basis on which the New Testament invites sinners to put faith in Christ is simply that they need Him, and that He offers Himself to them, and that those who receive Him are promised all the benefits that His death secured for His people. What is universal and all-inclusive in the New Testament is the invitation to faith, and the promise of salvation to all who believe.... The gospel is not 'believe that Christ died for everybody's sins, and therefore for yours,' any more than it is, 'believe that Christ died only for certain people's sins, and so perhaps not for yours.' The gospel is: 'believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for sins, and now offers you Himself as your Saviour.' This is the message which we are to take to the world. We have no business to ask them to put faith in any view of the extent of the atonement; our job is to point them to the living Christ, and summon them to trust in Him."

Further, "a good example of the kind of preaching Packer describes is Charles Spurgeon. Spurgeon...believed in a definite atonement. But this did not stop him from becoming one of the most effective evangelists of his age. He did not lie to people. He did not say, 'I know you are elect; therefore, Christ died for you.' For Spurgeon, it was enough to say, 'You are a sinner, and Jesus died for sinners. If you would be saved, you must repent of your sin and believe the gospel.'" (The Doctrines of Grace by James M. Boice, pp.133)

There are merely two kinds of people - Elect and Reprobate. Children of God or children of the devil. "Jesus said to them, 'If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceed forth and come from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. But because I tell you the truth, you do not believe Me. Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.'" (John 9:39-47 NKJV)

Powerful!

It is humanly impossible to know for certain who is which, but one day it will be known. That's why we are commanded to preach the whole truth of the Gospel in it's entirety to every tribe and tongue - the Elect are 'in there somewhere'!

"Do not say, 'But I do not know if Jesus died for me or not.' You cannot know the answer to that in the abstract. The only way you will ever know is if you will come to Jesus. If you do come, then you know that you are one for whom He died. Therefore, come to Jesus! And if you have not done so before, come now!" (The Doctrines of Grace by James M. Boice, pp.134)

Now that's a biblical alter call!

SOMEBODY'S DAUGHER AND INTERNET ETHICS

2009-02-14T14:37:00.000-08:00

Beloved Brother in Christ,

“…the word of the LORD came to me: 17 "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. 18 When I say to a wicked man, 'You will surely die,' and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. 19 But if you do warn the wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his evil ways, he will die for his sin; but you will have saved yourself.
20 "Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block before him, he will die. Since you did not warn him, he will die for his sin. The righteous things he did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. 21 But if you do warn the righteous man not to sin and he does not sin, he will surely live because he took warning, and you will have saved yourself."

(Ezekiel 3:16b – 21)

It is my fervent prayer you will take the time to prayerfully consider my message to you today. I have been held to give an account. I’ve been admonished and rebuked about being a hypocrite. I have a confession to make…. I’ve had an eye-opening week this past week that has convicted me on some points I feel compelled to share with you – as a way of warning from the wall.

There seems to be such an attack on marriages through 'little ole' innocent FACEBOOK'. Satan is prowling and saw an opportunity to invite men (and women) to do what they otherwise would never think of - befriending and sharing personal information with a member of the opposite sex without their spouse being present or privy.

We are tempted to think, “Because it's not 'real', God's boundaries and wisdom does not apply here.” But men and women – even professing Christian men and women - are getting lured into inappropriate relationships through this social networking site. With the progressive nature of sin, it begins with dismissing God’s wisdom of boundaries with members of the opposite gender and can quickly lead to emotional infidelity and even further on to virtual and actual sexual infidelity. Christian witness is ruined…. The integrity of the professing Church is tarnished…. The sanctity of marriage is sacrificed. Families with children are being decimated.

I believe many Christians have bought the lie from the pit that tells us to 'mind our own business' and that we are not our brother's keeper. We don't see ourselves as the very vessel God uses to make the better hour. We are too timid and cold. We are too self-absorbed and too 'clean' to want to bother and get messy and risk offending. This is sin. Sin! Is it not better to err in action rather than in passivity? Not that we are busy-bodies or self-elated, but where God has providentially brought something to our attention that is obviously serious we pray and do what we can to help.

As I indicated earlier, I’ve become aware of several infidelities this week and the problem of pornography within a professing Christian home. (Pastor Kelly rightly says, “Profession is not necessarily possession.” AMEN! Look up Matthew 7:21 – and these were men who at least did godly things.) With all but one, FACEBOOK seems to be the greatest common denominator (aside from being a professing Christian) in coddling and feeding this sin. This prompted me to wonder how this could be? How could we get so lackadaisical about our relationships and guarding our marriage vows and the marriage bed? How is it we know we are not to be alone with a man – if you’re a woman, or alone with a woman – if you are a man in real life, but its okay to do so on the Internet?

Here's how: We’ve despised the wisdom of the Lord. We’ve entered into a form of PRACTICAL ATHEISM – the living of our life without regard to God’s Word and ways…living as if He has nothing to say. (Psalm 10:4-6, 11)

“In his pride the wicked does not seek him;
in all his thoughts there is no room for God.
5 His ways are always prosperous;
he is haughty and your laws are far from him;
he sneers at all his enemies.
6 He says to himself, "Nothing will shake me;
I'll always be happy and never have trouble."
11 He says to himself, "God has forgotten;
he covers his face and never sees."

THIS IS HOW THE ATHEIST FUNCTIONS! HENCE, PRACTICAL ATHEISM.

For the professing Christian, there is not one moment of our time or effort where Jesus Christ is not to be KING. He is our Sovereign ruler. He is our LORD. He is Lord of our thoughts, Lord of our time, Lord of our relationships, and Lord of our deeds, Lord of our body. We do not have the option of carving out a portion of our life where He does not rule…to believe otherwise is a deadly seduction.

Because I’m not a person who believes in coincidence but believes in divine providence, having several marital infidelities brought to my attention within a matter of days - with the common denominator of

1.) Christian profession,
2.) Pornography participation
3.) and FACEOOK emotional and sexual infidelities

- - I’ve confronted my husband to see if the Lord was trying to tell me something.

God sure was!

Kurt assures me he does not view pornography; either on print, in life as at Hooters or so-called ‘gentlemen clubs’ or on the Internet. Per my request when our sons were little, he even turns away when the pornography of Victoria’s Secret commercials slither on the television screen. Further, he doesn’t want, or have time for, social networking online, he has a glass door on his office since he is in management and wants to be above reproach when women come into his office to speak. He has established business boundaries where he will not go to lunch with a woman co-worker without a group of witnesses. He is willing to be held accountable to an Internet accountability service such as COVENANT EYES and have them send the documentations to me. Perhaps most telling, he is not intimidated to give an account in the dreaded ‘chair’ in my dad’s office; my dad is a private investigator and a licensed renowned polygrapher for sex offenders and perverts. I believe him. I sooooooooooooo respect the man he is!

After answering my many questions, he admitted keeping upright and above reproach is an exhausting effort. Images are everywhere. Malls. Churches. The workplace.. Friend’s homes. Television. Movies. Sports magazines. Sales circulars. Satan has his foothold everywhere through the enticing of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. Many don’t respect the effort to be a man of integrity, if you take this stance, you’ll be faced with ridicule and mocking. The road is narrow and few there be who travel it.

I asked him why he thought the Lord was bringing this circumstance to my porch. By the grace of God alone, we are not presently trapped in sexual sin. Why is God bringing this to me? Why now?

Kurt suggested God has been preparing me as a Shepherd for years and this must be a part of the need of the flock. Teaching bible studies, teaching homeschooling mom’s worldview and philosophy classes and discipling women; these are real needs within the people I minister to.

I told him I was going to write a letter like this exhorting professing Christian men to ruthlessly guard their heart from inappropriate attachments. Friendships with women other than their wife are OFF LIMITS. That’s when he said it…. That’s when I knew God was trying to tell me something. Not something about my husband, but something about me! Kurt told me I couldn’t write a letter like this because I was a hypocrite!

You see, I got a FACEBOOK page because I wanted to keep track of, and monitor our sons and the friends they allowed ‘in’. I told them I wanted to be able to get to know the kids they allowed into their circle of friends and give them guidance on how to guard their personal witness. Basically - - - I spy. I’ve even rebuked their 'friends' a couple of times because I’ve covenanted with these people through church membership.

I invited our Youth Pastor to be my ‘friend’ because he has such a heavy responsibility at our church and I wanted to ‘get to know him better’ by what he wrote about. (You can tell quite a lot about someone by what they think is important enough to make public and write about. By the way, narcissism is rampant in the Church! Twaddle, self-promotion, self-obsession I will dare to call sin. The Apostle Paul would probably have a FACEBOOK to encourage the cross-centered life and share the gospel with the lost.)

This inviting of the Youth Pastor to be my FACEBOOK friend was the hiss of the snake and the slippery slope (CH Spurgeon) for me. He did nothing wrong, I did. I fell into the delusion that inviting a man to be ‘my friend’ on FACEBOOK was not a danger or a threat to my marriage or the Church because he is an upright man who loves the Lord. But it was. Allow me to explain:

As a married Christian woman, I have absolutely NO business being friends with men online; not for any reason – even men I believe to be ‘safe’ like Pastors or the husbands of my friends.
Kurt rightly called me a hypocrite because I was wanting to write a letter of exhortation to the men I know on FACEBOOK warning them of the threat of emotional affairs and even sexual affairs through this social networking vehicle. However, my participation in having men as 'friends' on FACEBOOK legitimized this practice and gave the impression it is okay for someone who has a heart for God, for her husband, and for TRUTH and integrity. This is false. It is not okay. It is playing with fire and setting up a stunbling block for those less spiritually mature.

I’ve listened. I heartily agree.

Please forgive me for not guarding my testimony as the Lord’s vessel online. I got a FACEBOOK page to monitor my boys and their ‘friends’ and then I became convicted to use it as an opportunity to preach and teach. I will still use it to monitor the character of those my children interact with. Youth - of both genders. I will still use it to preach and teach truths; but I hereby must DEFRIEND you out of my love for my High King, out of my love for my precious husband, out of my love for our sons, out of my love for the Body of Christ, and out of my desire to be blameless in the stumbling of another.

I encourage you to DEFRIEND your friends of the opposite sex on FACEBOOK (or any other social networking system). Guard your heart and affections. Guard your mind. Guard your marriage. Your spouse is your best friend and gift from God this side of the cross and, although we can be friendly with others, it must always be within the context of our covenant marital relationship. Satan is seeking to kill and destroy and we’ve let our guard down making it easy for him. We are all too easy prey.

If I contact you by e-mail, you can be sure I will send a carbon copy to my husband so he knows my encounters with men other than himself. I will copy your wife as well. If you must e-mail me, please do not e-mail me directly but go through my husband at kgrier@ebycorp.com. He is my priest, my prophet, my provider, and my protector. If ever you see something that concerns you about my walk, please don’t hesitate to contact him.

CHRISTIAN INTERNET CODE OF ETHICS
by http://www.haznet.com/ethics/

As a Christian who is active on the internet, I hold myself to certain standards of conduct. They are:

I guard my online relationships. I recognize that attachments develop as easily on the Internet as anywhere else, and sometimes more easily because of the anonymity involved in initial exchanges.

I particularly guard against relationships that encroach upon the level of trust and faithfulness that is to exist only within a husband/wife relationship.

I am careful to visit websites that do not compromise my life in Christ. I am aware that there are sites on the internet that Christians must avoid, including those that contain pornography. I do not visit such sites, even out of curiosity. When, by accident (and it happens to everyone), I find such a page loading, I leave it immediately.

I take care that my written communications reflect Christ in my life. Even on issues about which I feel passionate, I avoid saying things that I feel might be displeasing to the Lord. I represent myself, and my intentions in a truthful and upright manner in all my exchanges.

I guard my time to assure that my time online is kept in proper balance with the rest of my life. I realize that the internet can consume time that should be invested elsewhere: family, church, work responsibilities, and other activities that make for a well rounded life. I especially guard against spending time on the internet that should be spent with the Lord.

********

Here are a couple of the ministries I shared with a woman this week who is suffering tremendous harm and pain from her husband’s use of pornography, his emotional infidelity, and his marital treason via the Internet.

One such resource is Pure Life Ministries. You must do yourself a favor and read their history page. Powerful example of vision and DOING.

Here is their homepage. Wealth of resources and wisdom.

http://www.purelifeministries.org/index.cfm

Here is their promo on Tangle (formerly GodTube).

I AM A FAN OF CROSSTV's teachings called WordPictures. They have a DVD specifically that deals with a Christian being victorious over habitual sin. It's called HABITUAL SIN. Here is the description of the teaching:

"Beer. Porn magazines. The &*^%$# word. Old habits die hard. And there are entire industries that thrive on the bondage of the habitual sins that millions of people - including many Christians - remain in. Steve Gallagher of Pure Life Ministries knows the destruction of habitual sin first-hand. His ministry and this message are based on the processes the Bible spells out in order to be free from the bondage of sin. A humbling but encouraging program for anyone who is ready to take the necessary steps. Interlaced with actual testimonies from real people who once struggled with specific sins.
Presented by: Steve Gallagher"

It is $24.95 in DVD form.

http://www.crosstv.com/GuestTeachers.htm

This would be a great resource for the repentant professor in Christ. This is not a WordPicture I have...yet.

There is a new documentary out on the subject of professing Christians trapped in the sin of pornography. It is titled: SOMEBODY'S DAUGHTER. I've lent it to Pastor Kelly. It is a powerful telling of the devastation of this sin. Several men featured are all in church ministry. Two Pastors, one Sunday school teacher, and one worship leader. The married couple will break your heart and soften you to the brokenness of a 'pervert'. I never imagined I could feel mercy for a sexual predator and a funder of sex slavery and the objectification of women, but his grief and his wife's grief softened my heart towards him as a broken, repentant adulterer-at-heart.

I encourage you to get this. Family Christian bookstore has it. I may have purchased the last copy on the west-side. My mom was with me when I purchased it after Christmas at the after Christmas sale. She was troubled why I was buying it. Thought it was odd. Frankly, I thought it was odd. We don't have this problem, but for months I felt the Lord had been prompting me to buy that DVD. For some reason. To have it on hand in case anyone I knew needed to watch it. Oh the providence of God! I just purchased a second copy to have on hand when one is being lent out.

I purchased it and watched it that day. I wept and wept. You will too.

SOMEBODY’S DAUGHER TRAILER:

AN INTERVIEW WITH THE PRODUCER OF SOMEBODY’S DAUGHER:

There is a booklet of facts and lyrics on the documentary. About the sin of porn and the victims of pornography. The sex industry in America makes more money (Internet sex isn't free!) than the NFL, NBA, and another professional sporting industry put together. People involved are funding an industry that exploits and victimizes women and even children. People involved are funding this industry to pay for the kidnapping of people and enslaving them as sex slaves. Sex slavery is alive and well in America!

Here is the SOMEBODY'S DAUGHER website link:

http://www.somebodysdaughter.org/

They have a study guide/discussion guide that augments the DVD. It is $20.00

https://secure2.tallent.com/music/store/store.aspx

It was produced by musicforthesoul:

http://www.musicforthesoul.org/somebodys.html

https://www.visionvideo.com/pdf/SomebodysDaughterInsert.pdf

An Internet accountability service called Covenant Eyes will track all activity on the Internet and send a copy of the report (every site visited/every pop-up tracked) to the spouse. Lying and half-truths are insidious with porn.... The darkness must be brought out to light. Secrets only feed the sin. Ephesians 5:11 says, "Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them."

http://www.covenanteyes.com/?promocode=37204mfs

“How does Internet Accountability work?

Covenant Eyes software monitors a person's Internet use and emails a report of all websites visited for Accountability Partners to view. Accountability Partners are trusted individuals selected by the member to review reports and discuss how the Internet is used. Reports are emailed to the Partner or viewed online from our Member Center.”

I know this has been long. Thank you for taking the time to read it. I pray you will take this to heart and act to protect your marriage and the purity and integrity of the body of Christ. Though you are precious, you are effectively DEFRIENDED.

Serving His Kingdom Here and Now ~

Jilly Grier

DEEP MONDAY's Week 10

2009-02-07T06:20:00.000-08:00

"Try Giving Your Employer (or your teacher) What You Give God And
See How Long You Last."

~ Paul Washer ~
HeartCry Missionary Society

DEEP Girls,

As you know, we've begun our simplified and swift inductive overview of James' letter to the Bride of Christ.

You are to be reading through the five chapters of James each week, and this particular week examine a cluster of verses on the same topic in Chapter 2. For example, chapter 2 deals with the topics of favortism and faith without deeds is dead. Choose a topic and do a simplified inductive study on it. Key verse. Key words. Interpret. Apply. Remember to use www.BibleGateway.com, your concordance, and a bible dictionary. Please come prepared Monday to discuss what God taught you through His Word this week and some of your 'I Will' statements. Bring your filled out study chart.

ALSO:

Take time before Monday to watch this YouTube clip on why it is important to study the bible objectively - not subjectively. This past Monday I made a shocking statement to some of you - it is not 'what this passage means to me/you', but 'what is God actually saying in this passage?' This below YouTube clip will help to explain my statement.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Clh5-7V8IVA

Because our time in James needs to be swift, I will be sending you e-handouts that will help to augment the neglected content of each chapter of James. For example: James 1:27 is the last verse in James 1. It ends with a profound statement overlooked and understudied in today's Youth Culture - even in otherwise well-meaning, bible teaching Youth programs. "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world."

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO KEEP ONESELF UNSTAINED FROM THE WORLD?

If we were afforded the luxury of really studying James for all it's worth, we could reasonably spend weeks on this portion of verse 27 alone!

"Worldliness is destroying the church of Jesus Christ. The time is thus right for us to biblically expose and condemn worldliness, and to promote the alternatives of genuine piety and holiness."

~ Joel Beeke ~
www.http://www.gracegems.org/wor.htm

This above (gracegems) website offers you a treasure of information on what it means to be stained by the world, or worldly. I highly recommend you spend some time reading these doctrinal (teaching) jewels.

Here is one of my favorite quotes from this site:

There is a common worldly kind of Christianity in this day,

which many have, and think they have enough.

This cheap Christianity . . .

offends nobody,

requires no sacrifice,

costs nothing,

and is worth - - nothing!

~ JC Ryle ~
Holiness

A Worldly Christianity?

(by Octavius Winslow, "Morning Thoughts")

"Do not be conformed to this world." Romans 12:2

"Professor of the gospel! guard against the world; it is your undoing! Watch against conformity to it . . . in your dress, in your mode of living, in the education of your children, in the principles, motives, and policy that govern you.

Do not grieve the Holy Spirit by . . . any known inconsistency of conduct, any sinful conformity to the world, any inordinate pursuit of . . . its wealth, its honors, its pleasures, its friendships, and its great things.

Pray against the sin of covetousness, that canker worm that feeds at the root of so many souls!

Pray against the love of dress, that sin that diverts the mind of so many professors from the simplicity of Christ, and takes the eye off from the true adornment!

Pray against a thirst for light and trifling reading, that strange and sinful inconsistency of so many, the certain tendency of which is to starve the life of God in the soul, to engender a distaste for spiritual nourishment, for the Word of God, for holy meditation, and for Divine communion and fellowship. Yes, pray against the spirit of worldly, sinful conformity in everything!

Reader! are you a professing Christian? Then guard against a worldly Christianity—a Christianity that wears a fair exterior, so far as it is composed of church attendance, but which excludes from it the cross of the meek and lowly Lamb of God—a Christianity which loves the world and the things of the world, "makes a fair show in the flesh," speaks well of Christ, and yet betrays Him with a kiss. Oh, awful state! oh, fearful deception! oh, fatal delusion!

The world is the sworn enemy of your Savior; let it not be your friend. No; come out of it, and be separate."
(end)

Is the Lord bringing to mind some of your own worldliness? Is the Lord pricking your conscience as to some worldly associations and friendships you continue to seek out, spend time with, and savor? Come to class Monday prepared to talk about worldliness.

TITUS 2:11-13 esv
11For(A) the grace of God(B) has appeared, bringing salvation(C) for all people, 12training us to renounce ungodliness and(D) worldly passions, and(E) to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in(F) the present age, 13(G) waiting for our blessed(H) hope, the(I) appearing of the glory of our great(J) God and Savior Jesus Christ,

Persevere girls!

Serving His Kingdom Here and Now ~

Now A Vision Forum Affiliate

2009-02-06T05:22:00.000-08:00

I am presently teaching a 'teen' girl's bible study on Monday evenings. Mainly girls from our church. I've been impressed, and I've been discouraged doing this. Impressed because some of the girls are so hungry to know God and to know and apply His truth. Discouraged because many more want to come if it is 'short and sweet' which means simple. We started out with over 20 girls. We looked at the reality of false converts - especially in well-meaning Southern Baptist Churches. We spent 8 weeks examining our profession of faith using I John and other marks of having the new birth. In that time, we dropped from 20+ to a handful of girls. Now we are introducing the process of Inductive Bible Study using the Letter of James.... I had wanted to hover spend many, many weeks so we could explore the topics of purity, worldliness, faith and deeds - a very needful for these girls. Lord willing, I will have this opportunity with the remaining girls as the girls who approached me to do this will be leaving at Spring Break to do another girls bible study.

I'm attaching a great article on worldliness from FamilyReformation.org

When Worldliness Is Next to Godliness (from Family Reformation www.familyreformation.org)

by Selah Helms

My teenagers’ peers often discuss the movie Bruce Almighty, the rock groups Switchfoot and Evanescence, country music, sexy actors, and personal appearance. In these cultural elements, young people seem to live, move, and have their being. In fact, my own teenagers tell me that hardly anyone they know listens to anything but rock and country music. All this occurs among some of the most conservative Christians in the most conservative churches.

Although I am past forty, I remember what my peers and I once talked about. Yes, there were kids who were “into” appearance, culture, and popularity, but I could still find plenty who weren’t. Not so long ago, the youth who attended church together kept each other accountable for memorizing Scripture, sang hymns and visited in nursing homes, witnessed to passersby at community colleges or parks, and handed out tracts. However, today these activities are passé even in many conservative churches. They are also absent from the desires of many “Christian” teenagers. Over the past ten or twenty years, as the controversy over rock music in the church has largely died down, its prevalence has exploded to the point that few now even question whether any type of music could be harmful to our spiritual well-being.

The reasons why pop culture has so possessed our teenagers could fill volumes, as could the reasons for such differing views on what our Christian liberty permits. Rather than laying down a list of rules that would only invite argument, we’ll look at general principles that will guide us in shepherding our teenagers’ hearts as they interact with a decaying culture. In order to do this, we must step outside our culture and look at it as objectively as possible.

First, we must recognize that our society reeks of relativism when it comes to cultural judgments. Perhaps at no time in history before the Sixties generation did relativism so dominate the cultural conversation as it does today. If a work of art touches me in some way, then it must be pretty. If a piece of music “blesses” me, then it must be good music. If I don’t think I’m being harmed by what I see on screen, then the movie must be acceptable. Notice that in all these evaluations I am the point of reference, rather than an objective standard of truth or beauty.

Setting self as the standard for cultural judgments paves the way for decadence. As Ken Myers says, “As Christians, we insist that there are permanent standards for culture. Culture is the human effort to give structure to life. But human nature does not exist as a law unto itself” (All God’s Children and Blue Suede Shoes). Sadly, many Christians have abandoned their responsibility to fight cultural relativism and have fallen prey to their subjective views.

The ancients understood this concept better than we do. Aristotle believed that the purpose of education is to teach the student what he should like and what he should dislike. Such an education must teach what is beautiful and virtuous as well as what is ugly and evil in art, literature, and music. An Aristotelian view assumes the existence of standards of goodness and beauty beyond our own judgment:

[I]n rhythms and tunes there are likenesses particularly close to the genuine natures of anger and gentleness, and further of courage and moderation . . . and of the other things pertaining to character. This is clear from the facts: we are altered in soul when we listen to such things . (Aristotle, The Politics)

To paraphrase, good music—even apart from its lyrics—influences a person for good; bad music—even if its lyrics are good—influences him for evil. Plato’s Republic suggests this as well:

Musical training is a more potent instrument than any other, because rhythm and harmony find their way into the inward places of the soul, on which they mightily fasten, imparting grace, and making the soul of him who is rightly educated graceful, or of him who is ill-educated ungraceful.

Plato thus taught that examining the music of a given individual or culture reveals spiritual temperature.

In contrast, most Christians today subscribe to the relativistic idea that music is amoral, with no inherent good or evil in tempo or combination of notes, only in lyrics. Hence the oxymoron: “Christian rap” or “Christian hip-hop.” Our inconsistencies betray us. Since most of us still believe that books can be anti-Christian and that a picture can be pornographic, why can’t we see that music itself is an art form, suggesting attitudes and bringing either good or evil to our souls? Can music that exudes emotions of violence and rebellion link arms with the Christian message?

Peter Kreeft, speaking to a modern college student through a Socratic character, says, “If music is a divine thing, it can become a demonic thing. It seems to me that you do an injustice and irreverence to the greatness of music by not allowing that it can ever be evil” (The Best Things in Life). Many cultures throughout history have believed that music bypasses the brain and speaks directly to the heart, shaping and molding emotions of gratitude or arrogance, gentleness or violence.

We must also realize the addictive nature of pop culture. Our world of instant gratification tells teenagers to have their fun and have it now. When I am hooked on sugar and refined foods, I gradually tend to want more and more of them and less and less of healthy foods. Vegetables and wholesome foods begin to appear bland and boring, and a few sweets lead to a sweet tooth. In contrast, when I abstain from sugar, real foods seem perfectly appealing. Junk food thus dulls our appetites to the pleasure of quality nourishment. The same happens in cultural exposure. Too much junk culture makes quality art and music seem dull and boring. Classical culture requires something of us: it requires us to grow. We must thus exert ourselves to enjoy it by avoiding cultural junk that destroys our appetites for quality alternatives and by focusing on the superior flavor of the genuinely beautiful, pure, and true.

Ken Myers lists the distinctions between pop culture and healthy culture this way:

Popular culture focuses on the new, discourages reflection, [is] pursued casually to “kill” time, gives us what we want, tells us what we already know, celebrates fame, appeals to sentimentality, relies on spectacle, tend[s] to violence and prurience, leaves us where it found us, reflects the desires of the self, tends toward relativism, [is] used. Healthy culture (traditional, high culture) by contrast, focuses on the timeless, encourages reflection, [is] pursued with deliberation, offers us what we could not have imagined, celebrates ability, appeals to appropriate, proportioned emotions, relies on formal dynamics and the power of symbol, transforms sensibilities, encourages understanding of others, tends toward submission to standards, [is] received.

Allan Bloom, professor at the University of Chicago, compares consumption of pop culture to drug addiction: “[Rock music] ruins the imagination of young people and makes it very difficult for them to have a passionate relationship to the art and thought that are the substance of liberal [arts] education” (The Closing of the American Mind). According to Bloom, rock music is like a drug that repeatedly induces an artificial emotional high until the burnt-out student finds it difficult to be enthusiastic or excited about life’s genuine pleasures. “Their energy is sapped, and they do not expect their life’s activity to produce anything but a living.” So, overdosed on pop culture, young people become jaded, losing the ability to enjoy life’s simple and wholesome pleasures.

Finally, and most importantly, Christians need to consider the true purpose of Christian liberty. Paul says that many things may be permissible, but not everything is constructive or beneficial (I Corinthians 6:12). Christians who fear legalism go to great lengths to enjoy their liberty, sometimes to the point of crossing boundaries and thereby damaging rather than edifying their spiritual lives. We must remember the Lord’s injunction: “Only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another” (Galatians 5:13b, NKJV). God gives us Christian liberty in order to free us to serve the cause of Christ. If a “liberty” causes us to be more worldly and shallow, less ministry-oriented, less heavenly minded, we have missed the boat.

Here, we find a good standard by which to measure our movies and music: does the work inspire an intense yearning for love, humility, submission, holiness, gentleness, and spiritual vitality? Does it make rebellion appear “cool” or repulsive? When we watched The Lord of the Rings as a family, we were challenged to the depths of our emotions to fight evil even when it seemed evil would win and to hold out hope when everything looked hopeless by obediently doing our part in our own life story.

Conversely, when we watched Pirates of the Caribbean, we were struck by the portrayal of a murdering, thieving pirate as a cool, fun guy who would fit perfectly into a teenage social clique. This kind of portrayal subtly wears our spirits down to the point where we minimize wrong and lose our repugnance toward evil. Myers reminds us, “[T]he erosion of character, the spoiling of innocent pleasures, and the cheapening of life itself that often accompany modern popular culture can occur so subtly that we believe nothing has happened.”

Therefore, my husband and I have come up with a checklist for evaluating the effects of popular culture on our teens:

Does my teenager regard spiritual exercises (reading the Word, going to church) as dull and boring?
Does my teen talk more about movies and music than spiritual things? Where is his/her heart?
Does my teen disdain wholesome, simple fun as beneath him/her?
Does he/she feel that he/she can only be communicated with through certain forms? (E.g., “This is my music. This is what speaks to me.”)
Does my teen feel that popularity in a crowd that exalts pop culture is a must-have?
Does the music my teen listens to exhibit irreverence or a casual attitude toward Christianity (not to mention sex or violence)?
Does my teen disdain high culture in any way?
Does my teen constantly push the boundaries, trying to go deeper and deeper into pop culture?
Does pop culture significantly shape the way my teen dresses, acts, and talks?
Does my teenager find rough, coarse, or rebellious people attractive?

f the answer to more than one or two of these is “yes,” the teenager’s heart has been drawn into the world. A fast from cultural junk food, along with lots of family discussion that prayerfully and intelligently evaluates art forms, can help purify his heart. We can minimize subjective judgment when we distance ourselves enough from the culture to evaluate it. The books quoted in this article can greatly enhance family studies.

Pastor John Piper relates that in his youth, the question many teenagers ask, “What is permissible?” paled, in his own mind, in comparison to the question, “How can I not waste my life?” (Don’t Waste Your Life). Teenagers need a cause beyond themselves to ward off the belief that entertainment and popular culture are the chief ends of life. Our teenagers should—and can be, with the right spiritual direction—consumed with godly cause. Even in this powerfully possessive culture, we can help our teenagers comprehend that their chief end is to glorify and serve God and enjoy Him in wholesome ways.

Selah Helms is a pastor’s wife and homeschooling mother of four. She has co-authored two books (Small Talks on Big Questions, volumes 1 and 2) that teach children the catechism using historical accounts. In a co-op setting, she studies through classic works with several other families.

Resources:

All God’s Children and Blue Suede Shoes by Ken Myers (Crossway, 1989).

The Best Things in Life by Peter Kreeft (InterVarsity Press, 1984).

The Closing of the American Mind by Allan Bloom (Simon & Schuster, 1987).

Don’t Waste Your Life by John Piper (Crossway, 2003).

The Politics by Aristotle.

The Republic by Plato.

Sanctity of Human Life Month

2009-01-16T06:33:00.000-08:00

"He has told you, O man, what is good;
and what does the LORD require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?"

~ Micah 6:8 ~

esv

Evangelical Pastor - Anywhere USA,

The above clip is from Dr. John Piper of Desiring God Ministries. This was a clip from a series of sermons on the issue of the Christian's concern with abortion in America. I want you to know that there are very sound, very God-centered, and very biblical Pastors who do not neglect to address the sin of abortion, but rather - to quote Father Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life: "Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:11, “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.”

Evil flourishes when it is hidden; injustice festers when the victim is unseen. And history demonstrates that those who have overcome social injustices have followed Paul’s advice to expose the evil. For instance, those who fought the slave trade in Britain went to the ports to draw pictures of the boats and how the slaves were kept in them like sardines.

Exposing evil causes it to collapse under its own weight, as it confronts the light of human conscience. Overcoming injustice does not require that everyone believe it is injustice. There is, rather, a critical mass at some point in the spectrum, when “enough” people are so convinced. The good news is that those people already have the conscience to reject the evil. The problem is that the evil hasn’t been sufficiently exposed for them to see it."

Each year for the past 11, I write to bible-teaching, evangelical Pastors to remind them that January is Sanctity of Human Life month; exhorting them to expose the prevalence and evil of this dark deed, and to admonish their flock to 'do justice', to 'love kindness', and to 'walk humbly before their God." In all those years, I've been invited to speak before a mere 3 congregations. One church asked me to speak twice. One church put me before a large adult Sunday school gathering. One church only allowed me to write an article for their church bulletin - which they took the liberty to butcher by editing out everything they deemed 'too strong' or 'too controversial'.

There are many ways to honor the sanctity of human life. I am always willing to provide a testimony concerning our prenatal diagnosis. I offer this to you again this year. It is an important message for the Church to hear as nearly a quarter of a million professing born again Christians in America abort their babies - and largely the pulpits remain silent on this controversial issue.

After Nicholas was born, and our life as a family with a special-needs child had hit a comfortable rhythm, I was asked to write about our prenatal diagnosis and the 'bedside manner' of the perinatologist and OBGYN who discovered our third son would be born with the severe birth defect of spina bifida and hydrocephalus. It was a horrible story, as I was treated poorly because I would not terminate my pregnancy. I was fired from my OBGYN who claimed he couldn't care for me since I would not follow his course of treatment. I had to beg an area group of perinatologists to 'take on' the care of my developing baby so he would have every chance of health and safety. With much groveling and persuasion (and excellent medical insurance), they agreed to steward over the rest of my pregnancy. That said, when asked to write about this for a national special-needs newsletter, I hesitated. I felt God prompting me to do something bigger with this experience...something that could help other parents who get a heartbreaking prenatal diagnosis.

That was the beginning of the process of writing what is now called The Heartland Hug - A Help for Prenatal Diagnosis. The Heartland Hug is a 100 page book with practical suggestions and words of encouragement for parents who have been given an adverse prenatal diagnosis. This book is free for the asking.

This past year, a friend of mine published a book about the death of three of her children. She has a very biblical perspective on pain and suffering. The title of her book is
In Faithfulness, He Afflicted Me. It is a powerful read. Her website is no less powerful and needful. The introduction on the home page is the actual emergency call when her daughter was dying. It will make you cry. Lynnette asked if she could use some of my material to augment her website and help the people she is ministering to. Here is a link to the little part that was useful. (For some reason, the PDF parent packet is not coming up, but you can read my letter of motivation for writing such a help manual.)

http://www.growingthroughaffliction.com/AdversePrenatalDiagnosis.html

Choices Perinatal Hospice, here in Wichita, also uses the The Heartland Hug - A Help for Prenatal Diagnosis manual I wrote several years after Nicholas was born. By God's providence, a regional-specific copy of this helpful tool is now in every city we've lived in and several we haven't. I was privileged to have been asked to consult with mothers facing a heartbreaking prenatal diagnosis at the perinatal hospice. Choices is a wonderful show of the hands and heart of God working through His people. Dr. Stringfield and Pastor Joe Wright were quick to offer support and free medical/perinatal care to one area mother who phoned me for support when her OBGYN washed his hands of her after their unborn baby was diagnosed with spina bifida and hydrocephalus. They offered this expensive help without me asking - their kindness made me weep. I did not get kindness when our OBGYN fired me after Nicholas was prenatally diagnosed....

Christians are getting prenatal diagnoses every day. Prenatal testing is becoming a standard of care. 80% of the unborn diagnosed with spina bifida and hydrocephalus are terminated. Over 90% of the unborn diagnosed with Down syndrome are terminated.

It is my prayer you will seriously consider allowing a sanctity of human life testimony of some kind this month to recognize the issue publically; and bring a face to it, and to stimulate defense of those who cannot defend themselves - both in word and deed. I realize there are several at church serving in the pro-life arena, but it is important to speak truth as well as live truth. Life in word and deed. It is important from the pulpit because silence can be taken as apathy or tolerance - or, God forbid, - permission. This coming Presidential term has promised to levy a severe blow to the sanctity of the womb and the frail.

I'm sure there are many people within the church who have testimonies they can offer....

Thank you for your consideration.

"Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world."

~ James 1:27 ~

esv

Serving His Kingdom Here and Now ~

CHRISTmas Blessing 2008

2008-12-24T10:33:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas Family and Friends,

Every December as we consider our family Christmas letter, we scan the year for a resounding theme. Some years the theme is obscured. Some years the theme is obvious. Increasingly, we’ve become convicted that Christ’s birthday and His significance should be the theme of any Christmas letter we send out. This year, we have on our hearts to share with you some of the blessings brought about by that babe in a manger and how His is the cradle that continues to rock the world. With so much confusion about Who Christ is and what a Christian is, and with so much bias as of late concerning people who follow Christ, we believe sharing the blessing of Christ and His followers in the world is the one thing needful.

Most of the following material is from the book entitled What if Jesus Had Never Been Born? By D. James Kennedy and Jerry Newcombe – a most worthy read. *We hope everyone can enjoy this account in the delightful spirit of CHRISTmas.

Impact on the Value of Human Life

Women. In ancient cultures, a wife was the property of her husband. Aristotle said that a woman was somewhere between a free man and a slave. In India, widows were voluntarily or involuntarily burned on their husbands’ funeral pyres. Christian missionaries were a major influence in stopping these century-old practices and ideas.
Children. In the ancient world, for example in classical Rome or Greece, infanticide was not only legal, it was applauded. Killing a Roman was murder, but it was commonly held in Rome that killing one’s own children could be an act of beauty. Through a higher view of life, it was the early Christian church that ultimately brought an end to infanctide.
Slavery. While it is true that committed Christians have owned slaves in history, it is also true that slavery was ended in great measure by Christian activists. For example, historians credit the British evangelical William Wilberforce as the primary force behind the ending of the international slave trade (which happened prior to the American Civil War). Two-thirds of the members of the American abolition society in 1835 were Christian ministers.
Gladiators. A 5^th century monk, Telemachus is credited as being the pivotal force ending the gladiator spectacles.
Cannibalism. Missionary followers of Jesus are credited with stopping cannibalism in many primitive societies.

Compassion and Mercy

Kennedy and Newcombe in their book detail the rise of charity in the name of Jesus over the centuries. This is in stark contrast to history before Jesus. Historians record that prior to Jesus, the ancient world left little trace of any organized charitable effort.

An important aspect to Jesus’ ministry was his emphasis on helping the neediest and lowliest in society. For example, his Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37) is a classic illustration that is still part of our language today. While there are good charitable efforts outside of the name of Jesus, Kennedy and Newcombe argue that Christian charities stand out. They point to Mother Theresa, the Salvation Army, religious hospitals, and church supported soup kitchens and thrift shops in every community. Jesus has had such an enormous impact on charity that one wonders how different things would be if he had never been born.

The mythical character of Santa Claus points back to Christ. St. Nick unquestionably arose within the Christian tradition.

Education

From the beginning of Judaism, from which Christianity is derived, there was an emphasis on the written word. But the phenomenon of education for the masses has its roots in the Protestant Reformation.

In order to promote Bible literacy, Christians have been leaders in education. This trend was accelerated with the advent of the printing press at about the same time as the Protestant Reformation. Many of the world’s languages were first set to writing by Christian missionaries in order for people to read the Bible.

In America, the first law to require education of the masses was passed by the Puritans. The law was called "THE OLD DELUDER SATAN ACT." This name was a reference to the devil, who Christians believe gets his foothold into people’s lives because of their ignorance of Scripture.

For the first 200 years in America, children’s reading texts emphasized biblical literacy. The emphasis on literacy was so intense in colonial America, that John Quincy Adams said in the early 1800’s that the illiteracy rate was only 4/10^th of 1 percent. By comparison, it has been estimated that in America today, 40 million people are functionally illiterate.

All but one of the first 123 colleges in colonial America were Christian institutions. While these universities have lost their Christian identities, it is interesting to read the founding statements of these schools. Harvard, for example, was founded on this statement: "Let every student be plainly instructed, and earnestly pressed to consider well, the main end of his life and studies is, to know God and Jesus Christ which is eternal life. John 17: "

Government of the People

While America’s constitutional government is not specifically Christian, it can be argued that its roots are taken from biblical doctrines. Here are just a few possible arguments in this regard:

America’s first constitution was the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut. The Puritan framers of this document required that each aspect of it be grounded in Scripture. Other constitutions to follow contained many similarities to this one.
At least 50 of the 55 signers of the U.S. Constitution were orthodox Christians.
There is no doubt that the concept of our Constitutional checks and balances system is a direct result of the biblical doctrine of the sinfulness of mankind. All of our founders understood the importance of this doctrine to the social order.
America’s foundational idea of The Rule of Law rather than the authority of man traces back to the Old Testament, beginning with the Ten Commandments.
The idea that all men are created equal as enshrined in the Declaration of Independence is a biblical doctrine.
The notion of the sovereign authority of God (as mentioned in the Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of Independence, all 50 state constitutions, our currency, etc.)--rather than the sovereignty of the state--is certainly biblical.
The existence of moral absolutes (a biblical concept) is an important idea in our Declaration of Independence--specifically, self-evident truths and unalienable rights from the Creator.
Many other aspects of our laws come directly from the Bible--for example the judicial, legislative and executive branches trace to Isaiah 33:22. Fair trials with witnesses have numerous Old and New Testament support.
Regarding civil liberty, founding father John Adams (and others) emphasized 2 Corinthians 3:17 as the basis for American civil liberty. The slogan on the Liberty Bell is "Proclaim Liberty throughout the land unto all the Inhabitants Thereof" is from Leviticus 15:10. Kennedy and Newcombe argue that Jesus himself was the greatest civil libertarian of all time.

Science

Kennedy and Newcombe also argue that science has it roots in Christianity. They point out that other world religions may express a worldview of fatalism (everything is fatalistically determined) or of illusion (that the physical world is an illusion). Science could not have arisen from these worldviews.

Christianity on the other hand, is based on the notion that there exists a rational God who is the source of rational truth. This, they argue, gave rise to the possibility of scientific laws.

Evidence for this view is that nearly all the founders of modern science were Christians. These include men such as Keppler, Boyle, Pascal, Pasteur, Newton, etc.

Free Enterprise and the Work Ethic

Private property rights can be traced to the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:15, 17 (Thou shalt not steal,”Thou shalt not covet.")--as well as to other passages from the Old and New Testaments. Interestingly, there are over 700 references to money in the Bible!

It is noteworthy that Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations was written in 1776, the same year as the birth of America. But many historians credit theologian John Calvin from 200 years earlier as the person who is most responsible for putting together the principles that were always in the Bible into a system adapted by the American founders. For example, the biblical doctrines of self-reliance and self-denial are the foundation of the famous "Protestant work ethic." These doctrines are at the heart of our economic (and political) way of life.

A distinction can be made between biblical capitalism and evolutionary capitalism. The emphasis on biblical capitalism is on the importance of servanthood--a key teaching of Jesus. Evolutionary capitalism on the other hand relies solely on the survival of the fittest. America’s anti-trust laws are evidence that American capitalism emphasizes the former over the latter.

Anyone who doubts the relationship of biblical ideas to free enterprise need only to note the stark contrast with communism. Communism is specifically an atheistic system that relies on the non-biblical notion that all men are good (thus will work for the common good). But communism has been an abject economic failure.

Art, Music, Literature

The influence of Jesus on art, music, and literature is enormous. For example, the Christian faith has influenced literature in such Christian writers such as Dante, Chaucer, Donne, Dostoevsky, Shakespeare, Dickens, Milton, etc.

Had Jesus never been born, music would likely sound very different from what we’re used to. There may never have developed the cantata, the concerto, or the symphony. Handel, Vivaldi, and Bach were Christians who worked to honor God with their work. Bach, for example, signed all his works with Soli Deo Gloria ("Solely to the glory of God").

Art has likewise been magnificently impacted by Jesus. While much modern art seems to debase the human spirit, classical Christian art tries to bring out the best of mankind--pointing us to a higher plane. This is certainly a tribute to Jesus.

And think of all the incredible architecture through the years. Especially noteworthy are the beautiful cathedrals in Europe.

Contrary Evidence

Kennedy and Newcombe address the criticism of some who point to atrocities in history committed in the name of Christianity--specifically the Crusades, the Inquisition, the Salem witch hunts, and anti-Semitism. The authors acknowledge the sinful nature of these events. But they argue that those who committed them were acting contrary to the teachings of Christ, who taught to love even your enemies! The blame for committing such acts should be placed on those who perverted Jesus’ teachings--not at the feet of the Prince of Peace!

However, it should also be mentioned that many historians say that Christians have gotten a bad rap from the above events. For example, it can be said that all of the Crusades were defensive in nature--in the same way that one can accurately say that America's current War on Terrorism is defensive in nature. America is responding to an unprovoked attack first made upon us. Our goal in this war is simply to protect our citizens and our property. This is the same thing that the Christian Crusaders were doing, acting in self-defense against aggressors.

And in the case of the Inquisition, Kennedy has stated that he is convinced that the people leading the Inquisition were not Christians at all. (Jesus Himself stated in Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven….”) In every case in which Christians are blamed for violence, a closer look largely exonerates Christians."

Further, they point out that when Christian restraints have been removed from a society, the atrocities are magnified many times over. For example, the regimes of Hitler, Mao, Stalin, and Pol Pot were essentially atheistic bloodbaths. These twentieth century despots alone account for well over 100 million murders. The evidence is strong that when the restraining influence of Christianity has been removed from a country or culture, unmitigated disaster will naturally follow. As admitted by existentialist philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, "[Without God] all activities are equivalent."*

We pray you were blessed by reading just some of the beautiful fruit and sweet aroma of the Body of Christ marching through time in His honor and His name. May we continue to look well to the interests of our King and continue loving our neighbor as ourselves.

Kurt, Jill, Dakota, Dylan, Nicholas, and Pippin-the-Pooper (dog)

*taken from - http://www.faithfacts.org/christ-and-the-culture/The-Impact-of-Christianity

CHRISTMAS MIRACLE

2008-12-04T08:37:00.000-08:00

Why Is It So Important to Understand Conversion?

The above clip is from a WordPictures series called: How God Converts The Human Soul

It is an incredible teaching on the sovereignty of God's electing, amazing grace.

"EVERY CHRISTIAN IS EITHER A MISSIONARY OR AN IMPOSTOR."

~ Charles Haddon Spurgeon ~

With Christmas coming up, we are in the throws of planning our annual Family Christmas Outreach party. This is a party we've had since our oldest was 2 years old...that's 13 years! WoW!

We started this party in order to include entire families in celebrating the real meaning of Christmas. We were new to Phoenix, and didn't know very many people. We invited anyone who had little kids and who would smile back at us! My parents flew to Arizona to help. We had 24 people that first year - mostly children under 5. My dad was a good sport and dressed up as Santa and when we returned home from neighborhood caroling 'Jesus songs', he bound down the stairway and gathered the children around him and explained Christmas is about Jesus. He read aloud The Legend of the Candy Cane. Beautiful memories....

Through the years, we've refined the party to be evangelistic both towards our guests (specifically invite Christians and non-Christians and give the gospel) and towards the neighbors we carol for. During the party, the children are read several Christmas stories like: The Tale of Three Trees, The Legend of the Candy Cane, and The Pine Tree Parable. They make a Christmas tree ornament comprised of three long nails bound with crimson raffia to place on the tree to remind everyone that Christmas means absolutely nothing without Easter. We have the children make extra tree ornaments so we have one to give each family who allows us to sing carols to them. They assemble 'gift bags' for the homes we sing for - a biblical gospel tract, the tree ornament, and a book (last year, it was Lee Strobel's The Case for Christmas).

Each party guest family was given a copy of Mark Cahill's book One Heartbeat Away last year. I was thrilled to be able to purchase an 18 book box of discounted books from Mark Cahill Ministries and they arrived in record time the day before our party. Christian was encouraged to read the book and promise to pass it on to someone who needed Jesus in the months to come. Non-Christian was encouraged to read it. A wonderful book.

This year, just two days ago actually, I got an e-newsletter from Mark Cahill Ministries. He stated he realized times were financially tight this year and wanted to let everyone know he had discounted his One Heartbeat Away box of 18 at an even greater discount. Also, he was offering a box of 42 books for only $200.00 and free shipping. Christmas is a perfect time to share the gift of Jesus! Oh, how I wanted to purchase that box of 42 books!

Had it been last year, I wouldn't have thought twice about making the purchase; but 2008 is different. Our economy is fragile. Our family portfolio is radically different than it was last year. We have two mortgages and have yet to sell our little house on Tee Time. We lost much with the stock market crash over the past months. As much as I wanted to be able to purchase these great evangelism tools, I knew I could not. Not this year.

I was sad. I really wanted to be able to give One Heartbeat Away to each of the homes on our culdesac this year as we carol. Last year it was The Case for Christmas; this year, I had hoped to give out something that presented answers to skeptics as well as a forthrightly biblical gospel. I was sad it looked like this was not to be... "the Lord gives and the Lord takes away; blessed be the name of the Lord." I asked God to help me think of something significant to give to our guests and to the homes in our neighborhood.

A few short hours later, our doorbell rang. I went to the door to see the delivery truck pull away. I looked down on the porch to see a large box of, what I assumed to be, medical supplies for our youngest son. I bent down to pick up what I expected to be a light box, and to my surprise, it was incredibly heavy. I turned it over to read the shipping label:

To - Jill Grier

From - Mark Cahill Ministries

"OH MY! THERE HAS BEEN A MISTAKE! I'VE NOT ORDERED ANYTHING FROM MARK CAHILL MINISTIRES! Shipping this box back will cost an arm and a leg. We can't keep this - we can't afford to pay for it."

I set the heavy box on our kitchen table and opened it up. Atop the supplies, was a folded piece of paper with 'My gift to you' printed on the top. I picked it up and set it aside to see what was in the box. It was the box of 42 books I had wanted to purchase earlier that morning. The 42 books plus two of his teaching DVD's valued at an additional $40.00. Lukewarm No More and Pride Goes Before Destruction. I didn't know what to think. I had not ordered this. I hadn't even known about it until that very morning....

I called the boys to the kitchen to show them the box of books and the two DVD's and ask them if they knew how it came to us. Nicholas suggested it might have been Dad who ordered it. I assured him Dad doesn't order books. Dakota suggested I read the folded paper I had set on the table. (Good idea!)

I read the note on the outside aloud: My Gift To You

I opened up the invoice and began to cry. It listed the materials included in the box and had a personal note at the bottom. It read:

"Hey Jill, Please take these as a gift from the ministry. Pray over them and get them into the right hands during the Christmas season.

Lost people all around you. Don't let them get away!

Mark"

You see, about 6 months ago, I woke with a pressing urgency to write Mark Cahill a letter of appreciation for his passion and his ministry. I felt led to share with him how we had used his One Heartbeat Away book for our Family Christmas party outreach last December. I felt like God wanted him to learn how a family was using his book and how much we appreciated his truth-filled writing. I told him I believed his book to be one of the best evangelistic tools I've seen because it combines apologetics and answers to the skeptics and uses the Law to prepare the soil of the heart to hear the good news of the gospel. I told him this book was a perfect blend of Ravi Zacharias, Josh McDowell, and Ray Comfort - all in one.

I mailed the letter with the US Postal service and didn't give it another thought. I didn't really expect him to read it. I just felt like it was a letter God wanted me to write and send.

I think Mark read my letter. I can't imagine why else he would have sent me a box of evangelism books free of charge.

I PRAISE GOD FOR PROMPTING ME TO WRITE THAT LETTER. I PRAISE GOD FOR MARK CAHILL AND FOR HIS OBEDIENCE TO GOD'S PROMPTING HIM TO SEND US BOOKS TO GIVE OUT THIS CHRISTMAS. I am humbled to know God had this in motion even before I knew about this special deal on this larger box of books. Humbled to know God cares about our little Family Christmas party outreach. Humbled He would orchestrate such a surprise to encourage me that He cares and He will provide even our wants. I love God's timing. I was so sad yesterday knowing this year we couldn't afford to do our Christmas party outreach like I wanted.

I am writing this down so I don't forget. So my children will know the praiseworthy deeds of my God. So the children yet to be born will know God's providential and faithful hand in my life.

I LOVE YOU JESUS!

I am so thankful You show yourself to Me. Please help me be faithful! Please help me to walk worthy. Please make sure these truth-filled books make it into the hands of those You want to read it - and be transformed by it. Please Lord, if I may ask, let my children see fruit of these books given as gifts this year. They so need to be encouraged. I so need to be encouraged. Even now, please be preparing the hearts and minds of those who get the gift of this book. Protect us from evil. Protect us from fear. Help us reflect your beauty this Christmastime. Help us love in word and in deed. Help me be winsome. Help me be a sweet aroma. Help me glorify you.

Thank You Jesus!

Thank you Mark Cahill!

Professing CHRISTian - Barak Obama?

2008-11-01T09:46:00.000-07:00

The below link is to The Christian Anti-Defamation Commission.

There is a lot of confusion today about 'who is a Christian'...someone who says they believe in Jesus...someone who says they are a Christian? Jesus said you will know a tree by it's fruit. We must contend for the faith given once for all. (Jude 4)

https://secure.conservativedonations.com/cadc_woinac/?a=1845

BEWARE: It is a very dangerous thing to take the name of the Lord your God in vain.

CHRISTian

If you are doing this - if you are calling yourself a Christian because at one time you walked 'the aisle', or because you 'prayed the sinner's prayer', or because you 'invited Jesus into your heart', or because you were confirmed in a 'Christian' denomination or live in a so-called 'Christian' country, or because you were baptized - - - and you do not care about Truth, you do not bother to scour the bible to learn God's thoughts concerning the issues of the day, you do not hunger for communion with Him through reading His Word regularly coupled with prayer, you do not deny yourself (what you think is acceptable, what you prefer) and pick up your cross and follow Him in obedience and trust...evidence mounts against you.

Much confusion reigns today because people call themselves Christian and still:

1.) advocates for a 'woman's right to choose' (but what about the *10 Commandments' 'Thou shalt not kill', and what about the rights of that baby not to be murdered?);

2.) advances for a anti-biblical Socialist/Marxist economy (when the bible explicitly sets forth 'no work, no eat' and families take care of families - the Church is to care for the widows and the orphans only when the family cannot);

3.) continues to be obstinate and careless in their personal affiliations and relations ('Do not be deceived: Bad company corrupts good character.' I Corinthians 15:33 nasb)

4.) calls what is evil 'good' and what is good 'evil' -

- all-term abortion, partial birth abortion, infanticide when attempted aborted survive
fetal and embryonic stem cell therapies
- Robin Hood economics: taking earned wealth from others to give to the poor
- elevating the rights of one people above the other

"Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness....Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,And prudent in their own sight!" Isaiah 5:20-21

"Do not be conformed to this world.... Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. " Romans 12:2

People who dare to call themselves CHRISTian are duty-bound to think God's thoughts after Him - and behave accordingly. We are duty-bound to know the Bible (Genesis-Revelation) so we can determine what God calls good; what God calls evil. There IS good. There IS evil.

If My people, who are called by My name will humble themselves and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways;
then I will hear their prayer and heal their land.

~ God ~

We cannot expect unregenerate people to agree with God. In elections gone by, we could assume the wealthy cared more about keeping their money than other social issues and thus would vote the Republican ticket BUT those days are gone. The lie of

COEXIST

and lure global peace and the 'love' Oprah extolls weighs more than their love of money.

"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written:

"I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate."

Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength." I Corinthians 1:18-25 niv

* Legitimate confusion abounds concerning the Commandment not to murder and how a country or civil authority can engage in war or enforce the death penalty. This confusion indicates a heart for doing what is right. Without biblical literacy, one can easily assume this commandment is applied in every sphere of life: However, this commandment is only applied to the Family and the Church institution (sphere). God has created 3 social institutions with 3 very specific functions. The Family. The Church. The State. We are not to take revenge on our neighbor. 'Vengence is Mine,' sayeth the Lord.' Lynch mob and vigilante - God calls evil. However that is not so in the sphere of the government. God instituted the sphere of government to be agents of His wrath against wrong-doers. (Romans 13:4 ) He has ordained individuals within the office of civil magistrates and civil servants to weild the sword to punish evil and promote good. Police officers. Soldiers.

"Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance? But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when His righteous judgment will be revealed. God "will give to each person according to what he has done." Romans 2:4-6

BARAK OBAMA IS NO CHRISTIAN. We must call a spade a spade. We must pray for him - perhaps he is among the elect, only God knows. (This is not to say John McCain is a Christian - I do not see that he is, but the fruit of Sarah Palin is evident.) The point is this: We must encourage every professing Christian to make their calling and election sure and examine themselves to see if there is evidence of being made a new creation in Christ. We must not allow people who sully the name of Christ to do so without counter.

Much weighs in the balance of this election. No matter what the outcome, Christians must stand for Christ's Crown and Covenant.

Truth matters.

I urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints!

I urge you to walk the talk.

I urge you to vote accordingly.

Read the Party platform.

Vote your conscience; for by your conscience and your conduct, you will be held to give an account.

What If Jesus Had Never Been Born? The Truth of the Blessings of Followers of Jesus Christ

2008-10-10T09:06:00.000-07:00

"I am an historian, I am not a believer, but I must confess as a historian that this penniless preacher from Nazareth is irrevocably the very center of history. Jesus Christ is easily the most dominant figure in all history."

~ H.G. Wells ~

PART 1 -

PART 2 -

One of my favorite vocal artists - from Kansas even - is Jennifer Knapp. This is a song that comes to mind when I begin to get discouraged about the state of the Church in America. The visible state of the Body of Christ. Oh, His great love for us! Glory!

Listen to the lyrics. Brings tears to my eyes even now....

HOLD ME NOW by Jennifer Knapp

From glass alabaster she poured out the depth of her soul
O foot of Christ would you wait if her harlotries known?
Falls a tear to darken the dirt
Of humblest offerings to forgive the hurt
She is strong enough to stand in your love
I can hear her say....

I'm weak
I'm poor
I'm broken, Lord
But I'm your's
Hold me now, hold me now

Let he without sin cast the first stone if you will
To say that my bride isn't worth half the blood that I've spilled
Point your finger and laugh if you choose
To say my beloved is borrowed and used
She is strong enough to stand in My love
I can hear her say.... (King Jesus)

I'm weak
I'm poor
I'm broken, Lord
But I'm your's
Hold me now, hold me now

*************

Isn't it humbling to be reminded of His great love for His bride? Isn't is encouraging to know that even with a bride who is broken, a bride who fails so often, a bride who is so often faithless - He can cause her to stand and walk in His ways and bring glory to Him - for the good of the world! We see evidence of this all around.

Read Ezekiel 36: 26-27

A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. (God)

THANK YOU JESUS FOR ALLOWING ME TO BE A PART OF YOUR STORY! THANK YOU FOR ORDANINING ME TO BELIEVE, AND FOR APPOINTING ME TO THIS TIME AND TO THIS PARTICULAR PLACE. I LOVE YOU SO!

EXPELLED: No Intelligence Allowed DVD Releast Oct. 21

2008-09-28T06:11:00.000-07:00

Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed Trailer:

Beloved, Just to let you know - this important film will be released on DVD October 21st.

Right now, you can pre-buy it through either Answers in Genesis (www.answersingenesis.org) or through your local Family Christian Bookstore at a significant discount. I encourage that.

I believe this DVD should be in every Christian family library. It is so important to expose the agenda to squash any dissent that deviates from Darwinian Evolution. Dialogue is not acceptable. This is always a bad sign. Typically, when people don't want to engage in conversation - resorting to name-calling, yelling, firing, or 'shut-up'ing; it is because they are not confident in their preheld suppositions. We need not fear them. We need not retreat from the conversation. They are on shakey ground. Our Armor - which includes the breastplate of righteousness - doesn't indicate protection for our backside! Turning tail and running, isn't in the battleplan. Walking off the field isn't our calling....

After an intense battle to get EXPELLED: No Intelligence Allowed to release here in Wichita on opening day, we had a poor showing of people to demonstrate to the Warren management and to the NorthRock management it was worth it. (Our family attended the opening evening showing at the Warren East. I have no idea how many people attended at the Warren West or the Warren Downtown, or even at NorthRock.)

Now we have an opportunity to gather people to see this again. Let's be creative about this. Perhaps we could approach our local Pastor to see if he would be willing to set aside one Sunday evening for a full-length 'movie night'. Perhaps we could show this within our small groups. Perhaps we could invite families over to our homes to have a movie night complete with discussion and prayer for our nation.

LET'S DO SOMETHING TO ENCOURAGE CHRISTIANS TO SEE THIS FILM!

Let's not put it off. Let's not get discouraged when we meet rejection after rejection. Let's not be quitters. Let's pray and let's invite and let's discuss.

Here is a letter I wrote to our pastor to encourage him go see it on opening day and to encourage our congregation to see EXPELLED: No Intelligence Allowed when it was to be released in local theaters months ago.

(You know we can write letters of personal testimony and encouragement to our Pastors and elders, don't you?)

Here's the letter from this past Winter:

"If people think God is interesting, the onus is on them to show that there is anything to talk about. Otherwise, they should just shut up about it."~ Richard Dawkins ~Rabid Contemporary Atheist - Evolutionary Biologist, Oxford University

Dear Pastor,

I am thrilled, thrilled, thrilled you are teaching on Genesis on Sunday mornings! I believe the very foundations of credibility and integrity within the American church are in Genesis chapters 1-11.

How I could go on and on about my own confusion trying to reconcile what I was taught in Sunday school as a child and what I was taught for 12 years in Wichita Public Schools – not to mention State universities I attended.

Interestingly enough, I believe I represented the vast majority of professing Christians who desperately try to ‘believe both’ in that it wasn’t until a few years ago I came face to face with the need to research and make some conclusions as to the age of the earth and Creation. I was setting out to teach Ancient History and was told I needed to decide from which ‘angle’ I would be teaching – Old Earth or Young Earth. I had never heard of Young Earth…I had grown up believing God used the process of evolution and massive amounts of time to make what we know today. I didn’t agree with Carl Sagan who screamed volumes of ideology when he made his claim: “The Cosmos is all there ever was, all there ever is, and all there ever will be.” I believed God used the Big Bang to create and start the process, but that He ordained evolution to complete the process. Much assumption followed….

Then I was faced with teaching Ancient History. I had to make a decision… a thoughtful and informed decision. We set out to do some research on the subject. We drove from Flower Mound, TX to Glen Rose, TX to tour the Creation Evidence Museum. A road trip that changed my life!

http://www.creationevidence.org/

I remember clearly walking INTO that humble museum a Christian (my particular flavor of Theism) Evolutionist and walking OUT a confident and excited YE Creationist.

Glory!

We are living in an increasingly pagan America where people have no concept of God and why He matters and this drastically effects and limits our evangelism. Peter was talking to people who ‘knew’ and feared God. He told them to repent and be baptized. Paul, however, was talking with people who had no clue about the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. On Mars Hill, he had to start at the BEGINNING! Sadly, that is where we are today, but most Christians don’t know it. We are usually Peter talking to the men of Athens! It is worthy to spend corporate time teaching on the essential doctrines of the Genesis Record.

Surely you are aware, but in case you are not, there is a wonderful movie coming out this Friday and it will be playing at the Warren East and Warren West Movie Theaters.

EXPELLED: No Intelligence Allowed is an important film and – believe me – it was a battle to get it to show here on Opening Day in the Box Offices.

I’ve attached a Leaders Guide and a Press Packet. Perhaps these will give you some added material to use in your sermons. PERHAPS YOU WILL GO SEE THE FILM ON OPENING DAY.

“If you meet somebody who claims not to believe in evolution, that person is ignorant, stupid or insane.”

~ Richard Dawkins ~

"I think religion is a deadly threat to the survival of the species and to the continued evolution of the brain."

~ Christopher Hitchens ~

"The fact that 40% of American scientists believe in God indicates that 60% of scientists aren't doing their jobs."

~ Sam Harris ~

The Warren Theaters East and West will be showing Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed this Friday (Opening Day in the Box Office)! Praise the Lord.

Tickets go on sale Wednesday, April 16th.

West side show times for Opening Day are: 1:45; 4:20; 6:50; and 9:20

"THE FOOL SAYS IN HIS HEART, 'THERE IS NO GOD.'"

~ Psalm 14:1 ~

Serving His Kingdom Here and Now ~

Truth Project Veritology - Lesson One

2008-09-01T09:26:00.000-07:00

"What is truth" is the most important question we can ask - and many of us do.

What is the truth?

Last week, I taught our first session of the 13 week biblical world-and-life-view class The Truth Project for the interested women at our church. What a thrill! What a privilege!

So last Thursday, the first topic in the curriculum was the issue of Veritology. Veritas is Latin for 'Truth", and 'ology' indicates the study of something. Biology. Zoology. Embryology. Theology.

VERITOLOGY. What is Truth?

We scoured Old Testament and New Testament and I came away with two key points to ponder:

1.) In Jesus' own words, stating why it is He came to earth: "Jesus answered, 'You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me." (John 18:37 niv)

I'd like to make a couple observations here in this seemingly simple statement.

a.) From Christ's lips Himself, He stated the reason He came to earth was to TESTIFY TO THE TRUTH.

Evidently, truth is critical. Evidently, truth is important. We, as Christians, should care what truth is; and as we, as Christians, are ultimately called to become Christ-like - shouldn't we be duty-bound and obligated to do the same - namely, to testify to the truth.

With so many different 'truth'-claims floating around professing Christian communities, shouldn't we be more concerned to flush them out, research them, and studiously investigate, and then articulate which ones are legitimate? I have come to the conviction that the answer to this question is a hearty YES!

I'm going to list a couple I tend to tangle with on a regular basis.

- "What's right for you may not be right for me."

- "God is sovereign, but man still has to choose to be 'saved'."

- "The Kingdom of God is in the near-but-not-yet future."

- "There is a difference between Israel and the Church."

- "God allows, but does not decree bad things to happen to good people."

- "Jesus died for all the sins of all men."

- "The lordship of Jesus Christ is optional, but not required for the Christian." (Put another way, "You can accept Jesus as your personal savior without bending knee to Him as LORD of all.")

- "God wills all people go to Heaven."

- "Our kids are salt and light in public schools."

- "We live under the New Covenant... Old Covenant law does not apply."

- "There is a difference between secular and sacred."

- "Times have changed, to be successful in this day and age, this (a college degree, a six-figure income, separate bedrooms for each child, etc...) is required."

b.) Further, and what I find to be most profound in this claim, Jesus adds, 'Everyone on the side of truth listens to me." This implies there are SIDES. A right side (Jesus'), and a wrong side (opposed to Jesus). Now that's quite a statement!

So I wonder, if we read the same Bible and come to different conclusions - for example, as in God's sovereignty + Man's 'free will' = heaven or hell destination - isn't at least one of the conclusions wrong? Both obviously can't be 'right'. Both can be wrong, but both cannot be right!
Arminians claim coming to Christ is a free-will choice; that God bids everyone 'come' and Jesus died for all the sins for all men - with the exception of unbelief and gospel rebelion. if one is intellectually honest and logical, they would see this claim as making man ultimately and finally sovereign - hence, negating the notion of 'the sovereignty of God.'

Calvinists claim coming to Christ is a spiritual-state resurrection. A 100% doing of God. As in the word-picture of Lazarus, when Christ bid him 'arise' and he appeared, after being stinky-dead all wrapped up in his burial cloths. Lazarus did not 'choose' to be brought back to life. He did not 'seek' Christ while in his state of corruption, death, and decay. HE WAS DEAD. DEAD MEN DON'T REFUSE OR CHOOSE LIFE. THEY ARE ... D-E-A-D! When the Holy Spirit resurrects our 'dead in transgressions' spirit and breathes life into it and quickens us unto spiritual life, we will come. We are only so thankful to come to life. Satan's truth-claim in the garden to Eve, 'You will not surely die', was a half-truth presented as a whole truth --- which is a lie! She did not die physically or cognitively, but indeed she and Adam partook of the forbidden fruit and did die spiritually. (Hence, regeneration is literally a spiritual resurrection.)

Isn't stake on truth-claims within the professing body of Christ worthy of a wrestle?!

Jesus, in His own words said 'Everyone on the side of truth listen to me.'

Do we second-guess or manipulate the Word of God to fit our presuppositional impressions and beliefs? Do we BELIEVE GOD, or just believe in God? There is a big difference! Do we fall into moral relativism when we come against a professing Sister or Brother who disagrees with biblical truth, and copout by saying 'what's right for you may not be right for me.'? I wonder....

The second key point to ponder after listening to the Truth Project lesson on Veritology is this:

2.) God equates lies with idols!

In the book of Isaiah, chapter 44 it states that work can be an idol (v.12), people can be an idol (v.13), and a lie can be an idol (v. 15-20). Let's focus on Isaiah 44:15-20.

"He cut down cedars,
or perhaps took a cypress or oak.
He let it grow among the trees of the forest, or he planted a pine, and the rain made it grow.

It is man's fuel for burning;
some of it he takes and warms himself,
he kindles a fire and bakes bread.

but he also fashions a god and worships it;
he makes an idol and bows down to it.

Half of the wood he burns in the fire;
over it he prepares his meal,
he roasts his meat and eats his fill.
He also warms himself and says,
'Ah! I am warm; I see the fire."
From the rest he makes a god, his idol;
he bows down to it and worships.

He prays to it and says,
"Save me; you are my god."
They know nothing, they understand nothing; their eyes are plastered over so they cannot see,
and their minds are closed so they cannot understand.

No one stops to think,
no one has the knowledge or understanding to say,
"Half of it I used for fuel;
I even baked bread over its coals,
I roasted meat and I ate.

Shall I make a detestable thing from what is left?
Shall I bow down to a block of wood?"
He feeds on ashes, a deluded heart misleads him;
he cannot save himself, or say,
"It not this thing in my right hand a lie?"

Is this not remarkable! Scripture equates a lie with an idol! If we are living a lie - because we believe a lie, and we indeed live what we truly believe - we are idol worshippers. God has quite a judgement for idol worshippers! Read the book of Galatians!

"So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealously, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God." (Galatians 5:16-21 niv)

So here we can see: God equates idol worship with intentionally and naively living out lies - whether we are cognisant of the lie or not. Evidently, the issue of true Truth and salvation are connected. Truth has eternal consequences!

We ar wise to do the hard work to discover and bend knee to the truth of Scripture. Polar 'opinions' don't jive in the Body of Christ!

Whew! This is just the first week of study in the Truth Project!

Next week - philosophy and ethics. Can't wait!

The Truth Project

2008-08-18T10:21:00.000-07:00

"See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according too the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ."

Did you know this caution is addressed to THE CHURCH! To the regenerate believers?! It is! Christians can be captivated by false ideology, empty and deceptive philosophies and practices. Christian!... see to it no one takes you captive.

The Truth Project is all about transformation...transformed living based on THINKING CHRISTIANLY.

We are commanded to be transformed BY the renewing of our mind.

British philosopher Bertrand Russell declared, "Most Christians would rather die than think, in fact they do."

I couldn't agree more. Only 9% of professing born-again Christians think as Christians. There is a huge difference between thinking Christianly and knowing bible stories. Paul's clarion call to believers is to 'demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.' However, our marching orders are full circle - - orders are to advance, not just demolish; Jesus commissions us to 'make disciples...teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.' This is how we are salt and light. The Truth Project is an effort to fortify Christian thinking - which will fortify Christian living - so we can be the blessing we are created to be.

I'm very excited to have the opportunity this Fall to take women through The Truth Project. My husband and I were one of the first in Kansas to travel for Truth Project training in Colorado Springs when this worldview course first came out. That was the summer of 2006. Since that time, we have led two family-integrated groups through this course in the comfort of our home. Last year, we had to step back from family ministry as we were neck-deep in the process of purchasing, demolishing, and restoring another home. We've had a year off of leading others through The Truth Project.

Beginning Thursday August 28th, I will have the privilege of teaching The Truth Project through the Women's Ministry at our church. We will offer a morning class for at-home mom's and an evening class for students and working mom's. I am so thankful for this opportunity. I never thought I'd be able to use my spiritual gifting to edify our local body. I am thankful and everso humbled by how God brought this about. THANK YOU JESUS! May God be glorified and magnified by this course.

PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW!

Out of Africa

2008-07-05T09:52:00.000-07:00

I Saw What I Saw
by Sarah Groves
Tell Me What You Know CD

Last week our family attended The Rebelution Conference in Dallas with our best friends from Texas (now living in New York) and my parents and my older brother and his sons. What a grand time of exhortation and learning!

We attended my brother's church in Keller on Sunday and went to his home to change clothes and grab a quick lunch before heading back to Wichita. There, I saw an interesting photograph on his living room table. It was a photo of children in Africa...I'll come back to this in a moment. Many of you probably don't know, but my heart has been drawn to Africa ever since a missionary from the UK serving in Sudan came to admonish our church in Phoenix. Actually, he was admonishing the enitre American Church for her lethargy, apathy, and lukewarm spirit. He told of families in Sudan being butchered because they met in the bush with other Saints to take Holy Communion. They are not ignorant of this risk, yet gathering together for fellowship and communion is worthy. They treasured Christ and His Bride to the point of death! He rebuked us for thinking it was a big deal to get to church on Sundays faithfully. He rebuked us for allowing garbage to enter into God's Holy temple by the music we listen to, the literature we read, and the way we spend our time, the amount of pointless leisure we assume is due us - how we squander the time. I've never been the same. This was before Nicholas was born. I believe it was even before I was pregnant with him. I repented that Sunday. I've not been the same. From that Sunday, I longed to go to Africa and serve in any way I could....

My heart is in Africa.

Not a year goes by that I don't long to go to Africa. Lately, I've been even more encouraged to go because of a man in South Africa named Dr. Peter Hammond of FrontLine Fellowship. His ministry is powerful! I also have friends from our Southern Baptist church in Lewisville, TX who served in Senegal, West Africa. They are home on furlough, but will be going back as soon as possible. Lastly, a dear friend (who used to be a sixth grade Littleton, Colorado student of mine when I was a public school teacher) is headed to Zimbabwe to be a chiropractor. She will be a missionary who happens to serve people by chiropractic medicine. Incarnational ministry - not just drop and run Jesus Film blip. Then there is the picture atop my brother's living room table. A picture of children from Uganda. My brother supports a missionary who serves in Uganda. She used to be the children's ministry director at his church in Keller, TX. He told me she could get me to Uganda....

I don't know how God is going to get me to Africa, but I believe He will. I believe God is working out the details even now. I should not be discouraged but have hopeful expectation for what He is going to do.

Our family makes it a habit to listen to conference CD's when we take a road trip anywhere. Redeem the time! During the trip to Dallas, we were working our way through American Vision's Worldview Training for the 21st Century. While listening to Putting Your Faith into Action by Janet Folger, I was rebuked, humbled, and inspired. (By the way, if you've not 'met' Janet Folger, I encourage you to get acquainted with her!)

In the Putting Your Faith into Action CD, she shared how we Christians think little thoughts and expect little things of God. CHRISTian, this should not be! We hold God in contempt and despise Him because we are fearful and defeated by the 'giants' in the land. So true! Do you know God equates unbelief and retreat and withdrawl with holding Him in contempt? With despising Him? He does! WoW!

I have been guilty lately of little thinking and little belief and little faith. I've been guilty of ungodly fear and unbelief. I've been guilty of retreat! God, forgive me! Beloved, forgive me!

Janet told of the account in Scripture where the spies were sent to Canaan in Numbers 13 and Numbers 14. The first account of spies being set to scope things out. How only Joshua and Caleb believed God and sought to ready the people for victorious battle. How the other spies were fearful of 'the giants' and prompted the people to retreat, to even want to go back to Egypt (bondage) rather than risk dying by the sword. Let me share with you a portion of this text:

14:1 "Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night.
2 And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! 3 Why is the Lord bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?”
4 And they said to one another, “Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt.” 5 Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the people of Israel. 6 And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes 7 and said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, “The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceedingly good land. 8 If the Lord delights in us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey. 9 Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection is removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.” 10 Then all the congregation said to stone them with stones. But the glory of the Lord appeared at the tent of meeting to all the people of Israel. 11 And the Lord said to Moses, “How long will this people despise me? And how long will they not believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them? (ESV)

The NIV puts it this way: The LORD said to Moses, "How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the miraculous signs I have performed among them?

The NASB puts it this way: The LORD said to Moses, "How long will this people spurn Me? And how long will they not believe in Me, despite all the signs which I have performed in their midst?

The NKJV puts it this way: Then the LORD said to Moses: “How long will these people reject Me? And how long will they not believe Me, with all the signs which I have performed among them?

The KJV puts it this way: And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them?

What a rebuke! What a charge! I am praying I will not be guilty any longer of holding God in contempt. I have seen, time and time again, His wonderous works and His faithfulness. His mighty hand. He has not kept me from seeing His glory! I should not fear!

GOD IS WHO HE SAYS HE IS!
GOD CAN DO WHAT HE SAYS HE CAN DO.
I AM WHO GOD SAYS I AM.
I CAN DO ALL THINGS - THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME.
GOD'S WORD IS ALIVE AND LIVING IN ME.

I'M BELIEVING GOD!

Thanking God that He is faithful when I am faithless.

What If ... I'm Pretending?

2008-05-20T07:36:00.000-07:00

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!"

~ Matthew 7:21-23 ~
NIV

Beloved in Christ,

The boys and I just finished watching a new Ray Comfort DVD published by Vision Forum Ministries titled: We Cannot But Speak - How to gain a Passion for Evangelism. It is very good. If you've not 'met' Ray Comfort, I encourage you to 'introduce yourself to him' as soon as you can type in www.livingwaters.com I have become convinced tracts are an excellent witnessing tool (books are as well, just w-a-y more expensive). There is a great custom tract site where one can purchase Mark Cahill's tract based on his latest book: One Heartbeat Away. The book One Heartbeat Away is EXCELLENT and can be purchased from Mark Cahill Ministries at a bulk rate of $150.00 for a box of 18.

I was looking to purchase the One Heartbeat Away tract when I stumbled across a tract titled: What If... I'm Pretending. (There is also a tract titled: What If.... that is excellent as well, but targeted towards agnostics or those disinterested in Christ.) The tract What If... I'm Pretending speaks to my heart, as it is talking about me (my testimony) - and, according to Barna Research Group - between 49% and 51% of all professing born again Christians faithfully sitting in our pews each and every week - in Evangelical churches.

The tract concludes with a website: http://www.whatifimpretending.com/

Please visit it!

I LOVE how God works! How He orchestrates things in His perfect timing. The GodTube "Shocking Message" from Paul David Washer is something I stumbled across on Mother's Day Sunday after church. It is RIGHT ON! I pray you will take time to listen to it. I am delighted to see this same message on the What If... I'm Pretending website!

NOTE: The other GodTube message titled Revival - a Wake Up Call is long and at times, melodramatic...I haven't listened to the entire thing yet.

The resources listed on the Resources page include excellent video presentations from Ray Comfort/Kirk Cameron and the Living Waters Ministry. The best resource to impress on urgency of true and false conversions is available here, titled - you guessed it - True and False Conversions.

*You may purchase a copy of True and False Conversions from CrossTV. The free video presentation is from a series of programs called Word Pictures. www.crosstv.com

Do yourself a favor and review CrossTV's statement of faith! It will knock your socks off!!!!! Great stuff! (Can you tell I get excited about CrossTV and their Word Picture programs?!) NOTE: Satan hates CrossTV and some evil people have the domain name of crosstv.org - DO NOT GO TO IT! Often times we associate .com with commerce and .org with ministry, but the .org site is pornographic. Warfare!

I know this has been a lot of information, but digest it and may it bless your spirit and help to ignite a holy zeal for opening your mouth with a biblical gospel and a determination to set captives free!

Remember, there are sincere and deceived captives in our church! I used to be one!

I love you.

Serving His Kingdom Here and Now ~

Jilly

How Could I Ask For More?

2008-05-03T14:48:00.000-07:00

This is the most powerful song by Cindy Morgan. I sang this song as a solo when our quartet was active in Phoenix. I could barely get through it - the lyrics are so right and true.

I sang it in Phoenix for the wedding anniversary for the parents of one of the gals in our quartet. I want it sung at my funeral....

********************

There's nothing like the warmth of a summer afternoon
Waking to the sunlight, and being cradled by the moon
Catching fireflies at night
Building castles in the sand
Kissing Mama's face goodnight
Holding Daddy's hand
Thank you Lord, how could I ask for more

Running barefoot through the grass
A little hide and go seek
Being so in love, that you can hardly eat
Dancing in the dark, when there's no one else around
Being bundled 'neath the covers, watching snow
Fall to the ground
Thank you Lord, how could I ask for more

So many things I thought would bring me happiness
Some dreams that are realities today
Such an irony the things that mean the most to me
Are the memories that I've made along the way

So if there's anything I've learned
From this journey I am on
Simple truths will keep you going
Simple love will keep you strong
Cause there are questions without answers
Flames that never die
Heartaches we go through are often blessings in disguise
So thank you Lord, oh thank you Lord
How could I ask for more

**********

I am brought to tears again. THANK YOU LORD - how could I ask for more.

Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed

2008-04-15T12:37:00.000-07:00

"If people think God is interesting, the onus is on them to show that there is anything to talk about. Otherwise, they should just shut up about it."

~ Richard Dawkins ~
Rabid Contemporary Atheist - Evolutionary Biologist, Oxford University

"Education is a weapon whose effects depend on who holds it in his hands and at whom it is aimed."

~ Joseph Stalin ~

Beloved,

Please continue to pray that either the Warren East, Warren West, and NorthRock Theaters will follow through with showing Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed which is to debut nationally this coming Friday, April 18th.

For those of you who haven't seen the promo of Expelled, do take time to watch it. This is a battleground topic! Darwinian Evolutionary Theory is bad science, plain and simple. Here in Kansas, it is the only truth-claim allowed in elementary and secondary public school curriculum. Statistics show that an astonishing percentage of professing Christian parents (85% in fact) send their children off to government schools. No wonder most professing Christians are Theistic Evolutionists and only 9% of graduating Teens believe in absolute truth! (Need I mention that between 75%-91% of these kids abandon the faith by the time they exit their Freshman year in college.)

http://www.expelledthemovie.com/video.php

"Contrary to what many Christians have been led to believe, there is no such thing as a 'neutral' education.... All education is religious and conveys a worldview."

~ Bruce Shortt Ph.D. ~
The Harsh Truth About Public Schools

For more on the importance of Christian parents thinking clearly on issues of child education, Douglas Wilson's book titled Excused Absence: Should Christian Kids Leave Public Schools is a mind-sobering resource.

http://www.amazon.com/Excused-Absence-Should-Christian-Schools/dp/0970224516

Present-Day Rabid Atheist Quotes:

“If you meet somebody who claims not to believe in evolution, that person is ignorant, stupid or insane.”

~ Richard Dawkins ~

"I think religion is a deadly threat to the survival of the species and to the continued evolution of the brain."

~ Christopher Hitchens ~

"The fact that 40% of American scientists believe in God indicates that 60% of scientists aren't doing their jobs."

~ Sam Harris ~

"THE FOOL SAYS IN HIS HEART, 'THERE IS NO GOD.'"

~ Psalm 14:1 ~

The Warren Theaters East and West will be showing Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed this Friday (Opening Day in the Box Office)! Praise the Lord. Tickets go on sale Wednesday, April 16th.

West side show times for Opening Day are: 1:45; 4:20; 6:50; and 9:20

Serving His Kingdom Here and Now ~

Jilly

GOOD FRIDAY

2008-03-21T05:17:00.000-07:00

Originally written 04/06/07

FOR WHO DID CHRIST DIE?

John Owen

The Father imposed His wrath due unto, and the Son underwent punishment for, either:

All the sins of all men.
All the sins of some men, or
Some of the sins of all men.

In which case it may be said:

That if the last be true, all men have some sins to answer for, and so, none are saved.
That if the second be true, then Christ, in their stead suffered for all the sins of all the elect in the whole world, and this is the truth.
But if the first be the case, why are not all men free from the punishment due unto their sins?