My God....

A few months ago, I had the opportunity to discuss religions with a young lady who had, to say the least, some very disturbing views. To begin with she held that Buddhist and Muslims had as much authority to their religions as Christians do. What she meant by this was that these people had as much right and opportunity to reach heaven as Christians do. Because deep down they are all good people who worship "god" in their own way.

I put the brakes on the conversation, and asked, "Where do you get this?" Her answer was that 'Her God' wouldn't allow people to go to hell just for worshiping Him under another name. I pressed her further, "Where do you get this?" (See a pattern here?) Her answer about knocked me out of the chair I was sitting in.

She said, 'Oh, it's in the Bible somewhere.'

There's the rub. That's where the problem is and the problem is prevalent not only among the lost and dying, but sad to say, it is creeping further and further into main-stream evangelical churches today.

If you cannot quote chapter and verse to support your view of God, do you realize what you have done? You have created a god that is NOT in the Bible. You have created an idol and violated the first commandment. God Himself tells us in Exodus 20:4, "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water below."

Now I am not saying that you have to know every bit of Scripture before you can have an idea of Who God is. There are kids in our AWANA program that can quote more Scripture verses than I can. What I am saying is that if you cannot back up your theology with the Bible then you have a man-centered theology. You have a theology that is based on touchy-feely opinions that make you sleep better at night with your sin.

When you have questions about the nature of God and what He wants and who He is, look to His Word to get your answers. If you can't find them ask someone. Not necessarily me, but a pastor or spiritual leader in your life. But let me warn you, if they start out with 'I think...', or 'In my opinion...', be wary. If they can't back up their thoughts or opinions with Scripture, then they are just as guilty of creating an idol out of their 'god'.

Sola Scriptura

Finding the Gospel in WHAT??

One of my favorite ways to kill a few hours is to browse through our local Christian bookstores. Sometimes I am in search of a specific title that I have heard about and others I am just hoping that in some supernatural way the Theology sections doubled. (I feel a soap box coming on, so let's get back on track.)

In one of my recent jaunts into 'Book-Land', I spotted book after book telling me how to find the Gospel in any manner of movie that is out today. I saw books that would point me to Christ from Harry Potter. Ways to find my Savior running around with hobbits in the Lord of the Rings. And of course the not so hidden gospel of Narnia.

Whoa! Don't close me down yet...I am not here to slam or uphold any of these movies. Where my problem comes in is that the Gospel of my Lord and Savior is not in any movie, it is in His Word. Hear me out for a sec.

We don't need any extra coating to get the Gospel out. The Gospel is finished in the form it is in. Jude put it this way, "I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints." (Jude 3b) It's done. It needs no help from us.

Think on this...If we alter the message that was handed down "once for all" in ANY way, no matter how good our intentions may be, we change what the perfect and holy God handed to us. I don't know about you, but I'm not capable of improving perfection.

Changing or sugar-coating the Gospel is nothing new. Paul faced it. In fact he wrote to the Galatian church, "If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!" (Galatians 1:9)

You don't need to seek Christ in the likes of Hollywood cinema, you need to seek Christ in the Bible.

Sola Scriptura

Lessons from the Golden Arches

When I was going through college, one of the jobs that I held was a manager trainee at the local McDonald's. Believe it or not, they actually have a pretty extensive training program.

Among other workbooks and texts that a manager had to work through, I had to read Ray Kroc's book. He was the founder of the McDonald franchise system. He had a great many ideas about how to manage the restaurants so that no matter which city in which you happened to visit a McDonald's, you received the same level of service. But he also had some pretty good quips about life in general.

One of my favorites was, "As long as you're green, you're growing." What that boils down to is that as long as you are learning something, you are growing. But as soon as you think you know it all you stop growing. If you can't find something each and every day that helps you grow you begin dieing on some level.

So what did you learn this last week? Or more pointed, what did you learn during the celebration of the Passion Week? What did you study or which point in Sunday's sermon is going to change how you live this week and the rest of your life?

While He was on the cross, Jesus cried out the words to Psalm 22, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Why had God forsaken His only begotten Son at that moment? Because of OUR sin. God is "Holy, Holy, Holy" (Isaiah 6) and cannot look upon sin and at that moment Christ had all of our sin on His sinless body. So because of our sin, for that short moment in time, God the Father could not look upon His Son.

If the Son would do that for us, what are we doing for Him? It is not enough to attend a few services a week. He deserves our commitment in and OUT of church. Are you living for Him as much on Monday morning as you are on Sunday morning?

1 Peter 1:13-16, "Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: 'Be holy, because I am holy.'"

Sola Scriptura

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Easter

He Is Risen!



May you have a blessed Easter in which you glorify Him Who is worthy of all honor and praise.


Sola Scriptura