He has attended our church on and off for several months and this morning he called to offer some friendly advice:
“Pastor, you need to get up with the times and preach a more positive message…You need to lighten up…you should just pray and help people to think good thoughts…most people are going to heaven they just need encouragement…you’d be more popular.”
His call was not well timed. I had just been reading A. W. Tozer’s warning to the Church. “Modern preaching does not deal with a genuine call to repentance from sin and a separation from the world to the cross of Christ.”
Literally minutes before he called I had re-read the words of Catherine Booth, “Popular Christianity is a misnomer. Neither Christ nor his work has ever been popular. When it becomes popular it ceases to be Christian.”
So, on the one hand I was being encouraged by a friend to “get up with the times” so that the church would be more popular. On the other hand I was being reminded that popularity is anti-thetical to Christianity.
+ + + +
Observers of Evangelicalism are reporting that mega-churches are growing. They also are alarmed that American church attendance is falling. For the first time in our nation’s history, those attending services on an average weekend will number less than 20% of the population. (See Christianity Today, “Christianity in Crisis.”)
The mega-churches have learned how to market the church, how to manage the church, and how to make their messages “relevant.” But they are not producing mega-spiritual results. The more they have chased after relevance to the culture, the less relevant they have become to Christ. They have unwittingly embraced a humanistic gospel that seeks to make men happy to the neglect of making men holy.
One pastor recently admitted that after spending millions of dollars in programming and marketing their message to “seekers,” they have failed in their mission to produce fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.
What is our goal? Is it popularity or is it Pentecost? Is it influence with men, or power from God? Is it affluence, or is it the riches of Grace?
+ + + +
In reflecting on the state of contemporary Christianity, I have found myself asking God to reveal the Truth about our worship.
1. Is our worship spirit-ed or spiritual? Spiritual worship is ordered by the Holy Spirit and inspires holy love that results in holy lives.
2. Is our philosophy of ministry geared to “fit in” or to “stand out?” Are we trying to look, sound, and act as worldly as possible to attract a crowd, or are we trying to separate ourselves from the love of the world in honor of our coming groom—the Lord Jesus Christ?
3. Does our music call attention to the musician or to the Master? Is our music geared to entertain, or does it inspire virtuous living and Scriptural thinking? Does our music, and our presentation of it, appeal to the carnal nature or to the spiritual man?
4. Do we depend more on our technology to “wow,” than we do on the majesty of God’s presence to “Woe!” Remember Isaiah’s reaction when he stood in the presence of God? “Woe is me for I am undone.” (Isaiah 6)
5. Does our preaching bring comfort more than conviction? Are our messages burning in our souls and bathed in fervent prayer and fasting, or are they simply adaptations of the latest greatest evangelical book hot off the press? Are we more likely to say, “Thus saith Rick Warren, or Max Lucado or Joel Osteen, or some other popular author” than we are to say, “Thus saith the Lord?”
6. Are we producing Christian spectators or Christ-like participants? If the ministry is fulfilling its God-given assignment, it will “perfect the saints for the work of the ministry.” Ephesians 4:12.
7. Is our Christianity self-absorbed or does it move converts to “turn the world upside down?” Are we producing pray-ers or play-ers? Are we “me” oriented or mission minded? Are we, like our Lord, “moved with compassion” when we see the multitudes scattered abroad like sheep having no shepherd?
8. Are we giving to get from God or are we giving to Glorify God? Do we give incidentally or do we give sacrificially? Do we tip or do we tithe? Do we give to be loved or do we love to give? Jesus said, “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Matthew 6:21)
9. Do we seek to justify our sins or are we seeking to be justified (made righteous) from all sin?
Do we love sin or do we hate even the garment spotted by the flesh? (Jude 23). Do we desire to sin, or do we desire to be sanctified wholly?
10. Is the accent of our ministry on this world, or is it on the world which is to come? C. S. Lewis says that those who are the most heavenly minded are the most earthly good.
+ + + +
On the day that Jesus announced there would be no more free fish suppers so many of his followers left, that Jesus turned to the disciples and asked, “Will ye also go away?” (John 6:66)
As it was in the first century, so it is in the twenty-first century. Jesus is still asking his followers, “Will ye also go away?” Sadly many have.
But we agree with Peter, “Lord to whom shall we go, thou hast the words of eternal life!”
With the song-writer we have decided to follow Jesus! “Though none go with us, still we will follow! No turning back. No turning back!”
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Friday, March 5, 2010
WORTHY IS THE LAMB!
We come now to the holiest season of the Church year--remembering the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
While baptizing converts along the Jordan River, John the Baptist introduced Jesus--"Behold the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world." (John 1:29).
He recognized Jesus for who He was, who He is, and who He will always be.
BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD
The instant sin entered the world, God's great plan to redeem us was set into motion. Sacrifices, the shedding of blood for sins, would impress upon all--"without the shedding of blood there is no remission." (Hebrews 9:22).
Time and time again God's people found their way to the altar of sacrifice. Noah offered sacrifices. Abraham offered sacrifices. Moses offered sacrifices. Aaron offered sacrifices. David offered sacrifices. Elijah offered sacrifices.
Every time the Jewish High Priest sacrificed a perfect Lamb then entered into the Holy of Holies it was symbolic of the day when Christ would shed his His blood, and offer Himself as a sacrificial Lamb for sin.
Every time a guilty man brought a pure and spotless lamb to the laid on the altar of sacrifice, it pointed to a day when Jesus would sacrifice His life on an old rugged cross.
Every time the sacrificial blood overflowed the altar, it reminded sinners of the horrid price of sin, and that there was a great day coming when the Lamb of God would sacrifice His blood.
There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel's veins;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains...
Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood shall never lose it's power,
Till all the Ransomed Church of God be saved to sin no more.
Yet God's men knew that animal sacrifices could not take away sin.
Animal sacrifices could appease the wrath of God, but they could not purify the hearts of men.
They could atone for sin, but not cleanse from sin.
They could suffice for sin, but could not sanctify sin.
Only the blood of Christ could purge the conscience from dead works to serve the living God. (Hebrews 9:14).
WHO TAKES AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD.
The weakness of the Old Covenant sometimes called "The Old Testament" or "The Law" was that it could only reveal our profound need for God's grace and His truth. (Read Romans 6-8 and see how the inspired Apostle Paul so eloquently expresses the difference between salvation under the Law and salvation through Christ.)
But to the glory of God, God sent to us THE LAMB OF GOD WHO TAKES AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD! He sent a Savior...
...to rescue us from the curse of sin.
...to relieve us from the guilt of sin.
...to release us from the power of sin.
...to re-make us into children of God.
...to restore in us the image of God.
...to refine and perfect in us the Love of God. And finally,
...to receive us into the Kingdom of God, the Heavenly City!
Praise the Lamb for sinners slain. Give Him glory all ye people!
This is no fairy tale. This is not fiction. This not make-believe. "This is my story, this is my song!" Recognize the Lamb of God! He is Worthy of our Praise.
RECOGNIZE, RECEIVE, AND REVERE THE LAMB!
But it is not enough to recognize Jesus Christ as the Lord of the Universe and Savior of all mankind. It is not enough to believe facts about Jesus. The devil knows the facts yet he is destined to hell.
OUR SALVATION RESTS ON OUR RECEIVING THE LAMB OF GOD AS OUR LORD (literally our Sovereign King--without any rival) AND SAVIOR (The one and only sacrifice sufficient to save us). Pray now that God will forgive you, for Christ's sake. Then determine to serve the Lord until the day you die. This is the way into the Kingdom of Heaven.
And join us as we revere the Lamb of God this and every Sunday throughout this Holy Season.
"Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive Power, and Riches, and Wisdom, and Strength, and Honour, and Glory, and Blessing!" Revelation 5:12
A
While baptizing converts along the Jordan River, John the Baptist introduced Jesus--"Behold the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world." (John 1:29).
He recognized Jesus for who He was, who He is, and who He will always be.
BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD
The instant sin entered the world, God's great plan to redeem us was set into motion. Sacrifices, the shedding of blood for sins, would impress upon all--"without the shedding of blood there is no remission." (Hebrews 9:22).
Time and time again God's people found their way to the altar of sacrifice. Noah offered sacrifices. Abraham offered sacrifices. Moses offered sacrifices. Aaron offered sacrifices. David offered sacrifices. Elijah offered sacrifices.
Every time the Jewish High Priest sacrificed a perfect Lamb then entered into the Holy of Holies it was symbolic of the day when Christ would shed his His blood, and offer Himself as a sacrificial Lamb for sin.
Every time a guilty man brought a pure and spotless lamb to the laid on the altar of sacrifice, it pointed to a day when Jesus would sacrifice His life on an old rugged cross.
Every time the sacrificial blood overflowed the altar, it reminded sinners of the horrid price of sin, and that there was a great day coming when the Lamb of God would sacrifice His blood.
There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel's veins;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains...
Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood shall never lose it's power,
Till all the Ransomed Church of God be saved to sin no more.
Yet God's men knew that animal sacrifices could not take away sin.
Animal sacrifices could appease the wrath of God, but they could not purify the hearts of men.
They could atone for sin, but not cleanse from sin.
They could suffice for sin, but could not sanctify sin.
Only the blood of Christ could purge the conscience from dead works to serve the living God. (Hebrews 9:14).
WHO TAKES AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD.
The weakness of the Old Covenant sometimes called "The Old Testament" or "The Law" was that it could only reveal our profound need for God's grace and His truth. (Read Romans 6-8 and see how the inspired Apostle Paul so eloquently expresses the difference between salvation under the Law and salvation through Christ.)
But to the glory of God, God sent to us THE LAMB OF GOD WHO TAKES AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD! He sent a Savior...
...to rescue us from the curse of sin.
...to relieve us from the guilt of sin.
...to release us from the power of sin.
...to re-make us into children of God.
...to restore in us the image of God.
...to refine and perfect in us the Love of God. And finally,
...to receive us into the Kingdom of God, the Heavenly City!
Praise the Lamb for sinners slain. Give Him glory all ye people!
This is no fairy tale. This is not fiction. This not make-believe. "This is my story, this is my song!" Recognize the Lamb of God! He is Worthy of our Praise.
RECOGNIZE, RECEIVE, AND REVERE THE LAMB!
But it is not enough to recognize Jesus Christ as the Lord of the Universe and Savior of all mankind. It is not enough to believe facts about Jesus. The devil knows the facts yet he is destined to hell.
OUR SALVATION RESTS ON OUR RECEIVING THE LAMB OF GOD AS OUR LORD (literally our Sovereign King--without any rival) AND SAVIOR (The one and only sacrifice sufficient to save us). Pray now that God will forgive you, for Christ's sake. Then determine to serve the Lord until the day you die. This is the way into the Kingdom of Heaven.
And join us as we revere the Lamb of God this and every Sunday throughout this Holy Season.
"Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive Power, and Riches, and Wisdom, and Strength, and Honour, and Glory, and Blessing!" Revelation 5:12
A
Thursday, February 18, 2010
SANCTITY AND SEPARATION
How essential is separation from the world to the cause of Scriptural holiness?
Here is what we know:
There are some who have confused the effect of holiness (separation from the world, the flesh, and the devil) with the cause of holiness, and in so doing they have entirely missed the heart of holiness (i.e. righteousness, joy, peace, and love). Their bitter, censorious, and harsh critique of those who do not live “by the book” (that book usually being the Church Manual) has turned many away from the highway of holiness.
In reaction against those who have accented separation from the world (especially in entertainments, adornments, and lifestyle), there has risen a large contingent of “Anti-Pharisees” who believe themselves to be “Super Saints.” Like the Gnostics of the First Century they suppose that they know the real truth, and so how they live their lives is not important. They criticize their critics and unwittingly fall into the same bitter attitude as those they despise.
Indeed “legalism has slain its thousands, while liberalism has slain its tens of thousands.” Sadly, both make shipwreck of their faith.
But God has brought us to the Kingdom for such a time as this! He is raising up a people who love heart holiness and who desire to live holy lives.
If God’s Word is inspired (and it is!), and if God’s Word reveals God’s will (and it does!), then God’s People will take seriously the spirit and the letter of God’s will as it is revealed in God’s Word and by God's Spirit.
To neglect separation from the world is folly, but to reject separation from the world is rebellion.
It is time for God’s people to stand for His standard and to march forward up the highway of holiness until we hear Him say, “well done, good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”
My father used to say, “All that is necessary to have a worldly church is nothing.” Let’s do something! And let’s say something!
Martin Luther was right! “If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the truth of God except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at that moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Christ.
Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved, and to be steady on all the battlefield besides is mere flight and disgrace if he flinches at that point.”
Here is what we know:
There are some who have confused the effect of holiness (separation from the world, the flesh, and the devil) with the cause of holiness, and in so doing they have entirely missed the heart of holiness (i.e. righteousness, joy, peace, and love). Their bitter, censorious, and harsh critique of those who do not live “by the book” (that book usually being the Church Manual) has turned many away from the highway of holiness.
In reaction against those who have accented separation from the world (especially in entertainments, adornments, and lifestyle), there has risen a large contingent of “Anti-Pharisees” who believe themselves to be “Super Saints.” Like the Gnostics of the First Century they suppose that they know the real truth, and so how they live their lives is not important. They criticize their critics and unwittingly fall into the same bitter attitude as those they despise.
Indeed “legalism has slain its thousands, while liberalism has slain its tens of thousands.” Sadly, both make shipwreck of their faith.
But God has brought us to the Kingdom for such a time as this! He is raising up a people who love heart holiness and who desire to live holy lives.
If God’s Word is inspired (and it is!), and if God’s Word reveals God’s will (and it does!), then God’s People will take seriously the spirit and the letter of God’s will as it is revealed in God’s Word and by God's Spirit.
To neglect separation from the world is folly, but to reject separation from the world is rebellion.
It is time for God’s people to stand for His standard and to march forward up the highway of holiness until we hear Him say, “well done, good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”
My father used to say, “All that is necessary to have a worldly church is nothing.” Let’s do something! And let’s say something!
Martin Luther was right! “If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the truth of God except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at that moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Christ.
Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved, and to be steady on all the battlefield besides is mere flight and disgrace if he flinches at that point.”
OUR BLESSED ASSURANCE
THIS IS MY STORY
It is the mission of the Church of Jesus to accurately and fervently speak the Gospel--the whole Gospel. For centuries the Gospel story has been the narrative upon which our Western Civilization rested. But the corrosive influence of modernism--with its viral skepticism, and the subsequent demise of modernism and rise of post-modernism, have left the West without any narrative or story upon which to build.
The story of Christ propelled the West forward because it is a true story that is filled with truth that transforms. Other cultures have had their own myths and narratives upon which they have built their civilizations. Those civilizations fell because their faulty foundations were not grounded in truth. The tragedy of our day is not that the Christian narrative, or truth cannot stand the strain of examination or the stress of experience, but that we have exchanged the rock solid foundation built on Christ our chief cornerstone, for sands of our own making.
Nearly 20 years ago Robert Jensen observed, "as the Church once lived and conducted her mission in the precisely post-Hellenistic and post-Roman-imperial world, remembering what had vanished but not knowing what if anything could come next, so the Church must now live and conduct her mission in the precisely 'post'-modern world."
If there was ever a moment when the Church of Jesus Christ needed to proclaim the old old story--of the blood that cleanses from all sin and of the Spirit that indwells and empowers and sanctifies believers--it is now! As all around our souls gives way--Christ is all our hope and stay! His Spirit answers to the blood!
THIS IS MY SONG!
But an intellectual affirmation of that old old story will only go so far. We must also have the Song in our hearts. The joyful melody rising from hearts "strangely warmed" and "purified by faith!"
Songs of "Victory in Jesus!" Songs of "Glorious Freedom!" Songs of "Holiness Unto The Lord...Now and forever!"
In seeking to win the teens and twenties of this generation, I have been struck with the stark contrast of their song, with my song. I listen to "He Touched Me!" "Because He Lives!" "The Old Rugged Cross Made the Difference" "I'm Free!" and "The King is Coming!" and my heart is stirred and memories of great Gospel services freighted with God's presence fill my mind. They are not stirred. They have no such memories. They have no song.
Only the mighty outpouring of Pentecost can produce that song in our souls! Without the Spirit, the dirge and the minor chords of defeat will characterize the nominal Christian. But where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty, there is truth, there is joy, and there is holy love.
PRAISING MY SAVIOR ALL THE DAY LONG!
Our Story and our Song is not reserved for a time specific, it erupts in a life of praise, "all the day long!" It is no wonder that those who believe the Story, and who sing the Song, are so mightily used by God. The Holiness people have been at the forefront of moral revolution (i.e. Wesley's England), social justice (i.e. anti-slavery movement), and ecclesiastical reformation (i.e. the Salvation Army and Campmeeting movement).
CONCLUSION
So the blind poet Fanny Crosby saw what many of us are failing to see. Until we grasp that which she so passionately expressed, "This is my Story!" "This is my Song!" "Praising my Savior all the day long!"we will never possess that BLESSED ASSURANCE!
It is the mission of the Church of Jesus to accurately and fervently speak the Gospel--the whole Gospel. For centuries the Gospel story has been the narrative upon which our Western Civilization rested. But the corrosive influence of modernism--with its viral skepticism, and the subsequent demise of modernism and rise of post-modernism, have left the West without any narrative or story upon which to build.
The story of Christ propelled the West forward because it is a true story that is filled with truth that transforms. Other cultures have had their own myths and narratives upon which they have built their civilizations. Those civilizations fell because their faulty foundations were not grounded in truth. The tragedy of our day is not that the Christian narrative, or truth cannot stand the strain of examination or the stress of experience, but that we have exchanged the rock solid foundation built on Christ our chief cornerstone, for sands of our own making.
Nearly 20 years ago Robert Jensen observed, "as the Church once lived and conducted her mission in the precisely post-Hellenistic and post-Roman-imperial world, remembering what had vanished but not knowing what if anything could come next, so the Church must now live and conduct her mission in the precisely 'post'-modern world."
If there was ever a moment when the Church of Jesus Christ needed to proclaim the old old story--of the blood that cleanses from all sin and of the Spirit that indwells and empowers and sanctifies believers--it is now! As all around our souls gives way--Christ is all our hope and stay! His Spirit answers to the blood!
THIS IS MY SONG!
But an intellectual affirmation of that old old story will only go so far. We must also have the Song in our hearts. The joyful melody rising from hearts "strangely warmed" and "purified by faith!"
Songs of "Victory in Jesus!" Songs of "Glorious Freedom!" Songs of "Holiness Unto The Lord...Now and forever!"
In seeking to win the teens and twenties of this generation, I have been struck with the stark contrast of their song, with my song. I listen to "He Touched Me!" "Because He Lives!" "The Old Rugged Cross Made the Difference" "I'm Free!" and "The King is Coming!" and my heart is stirred and memories of great Gospel services freighted with God's presence fill my mind. They are not stirred. They have no such memories. They have no song.
Only the mighty outpouring of Pentecost can produce that song in our souls! Without the Spirit, the dirge and the minor chords of defeat will characterize the nominal Christian. But where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty, there is truth, there is joy, and there is holy love.
PRAISING MY SAVIOR ALL THE DAY LONG!
Our Story and our Song is not reserved for a time specific, it erupts in a life of praise, "all the day long!" It is no wonder that those who believe the Story, and who sing the Song, are so mightily used by God. The Holiness people have been at the forefront of moral revolution (i.e. Wesley's England), social justice (i.e. anti-slavery movement), and ecclesiastical reformation (i.e. the Salvation Army and Campmeeting movement).
CONCLUSION
So the blind poet Fanny Crosby saw what many of us are failing to see. Until we grasp that which she so passionately expressed, "This is my Story!" "This is my Song!" "Praising my Savior all the day long!"we will never possess that BLESSED ASSURANCE!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
WHAT THE CHURCH CAN LEARN FROM SCOTT BROWN
Greetings Friends of Faith,
The election of Scott Brown to fill the U. S. Senate seat vacated by the death of Senator Ted Kennedy is another evidence that truth is often stranger than fiction! At the very moment when the United States Government was poised to take over the American Healthcare System, a socialistic plan that would have increased our national debt by trillions (one trillion dollars = $1,000,000,000,000.00), and would have applied taxpayer dollars to fund abortion, one of the plan's most liberal proponents is stricken with brain cancer and dies.
Into the political fray enters Scott Brown, a strict constitutionalist, a fiscal conservative, who is strong on national defense (He believes that American tax dollars should be used to capture terrorists, not defend them), and opposed to the President's Healthcare plan. He was written off with little or no chance of success. But on Tuesday of this week he won with more than 50% of the vote, a margin of 5% over his opponent. This was nothing less than a Massachusetts miracle in a state that is noted for its liberal legislators. (i.e. Barney Frank, the overtly homosexual Massachusetts congressman).
Across the United States of America there is a rising tide of voters demanding that their representatives return to the principles of the Declaration of Independence, (That all men are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights...life, liberty, and the pursuit of holiness) and the U. S. Constitution. If pollsters are correct these voters will profoundly change the composition of Congress in November.
To the extent that our country is true to our national DNA (The genetic code found in the nucleus of every cell), as expressed in our founding documents, we will be strong and prosperous. Enacting laws and engaging in practices that are unconstitutional will prove a malignant force that robs us of our freedom and our secure future. Unless malignancies are quickly identified and removed, our very existence is threatened.
There is a lesson here for the Church as well. To the extent that our church is true to our spiritual DNA as expressed in the inspired, inerrant Word of God, we will be found faithful in the sight of God. False doctrine and disobedience are malignancies that will ultimately destroy us. We, who have been called by the Lord to proclaim holiness, must not dilute or deny the faith. This is not the time for compromise. This IS the time for truth.
The election of Scott Brown to fill the U. S. Senate seat vacated by the death of Senator Ted Kennedy is another evidence that truth is often stranger than fiction! At the very moment when the United States Government was poised to take over the American Healthcare System, a socialistic plan that would have increased our national debt by trillions (one trillion dollars = $1,000,000,000,000.00), and would have applied taxpayer dollars to fund abortion, one of the plan's most liberal proponents is stricken with brain cancer and dies.
Into the political fray enters Scott Brown, a strict constitutionalist, a fiscal conservative, who is strong on national defense (He believes that American tax dollars should be used to capture terrorists, not defend them), and opposed to the President's Healthcare plan. He was written off with little or no chance of success. But on Tuesday of this week he won with more than 50% of the vote, a margin of 5% over his opponent. This was nothing less than a Massachusetts miracle in a state that is noted for its liberal legislators. (i.e. Barney Frank, the overtly homosexual Massachusetts congressman).
Across the United States of America there is a rising tide of voters demanding that their representatives return to the principles of the Declaration of Independence, (That all men are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights...life, liberty, and the pursuit of holiness) and the U. S. Constitution. If pollsters are correct these voters will profoundly change the composition of Congress in November.
To the extent that our country is true to our national DNA (The genetic code found in the nucleus of every cell), as expressed in our founding documents, we will be strong and prosperous. Enacting laws and engaging in practices that are unconstitutional will prove a malignant force that robs us of our freedom and our secure future. Unless malignancies are quickly identified and removed, our very existence is threatened.
There is a lesson here for the Church as well. To the extent that our church is true to our spiritual DNA as expressed in the inspired, inerrant Word of God, we will be found faithful in the sight of God. False doctrine and disobedience are malignancies that will ultimately destroy us. We, who have been called by the Lord to proclaim holiness, must not dilute or deny the faith. This is not the time for compromise. This IS the time for truth.
HEART HOLINESS
Dear Friends of the Cross,
In a shocking new survey, George Barna is reporting that less than 1% of all Americans between the ages of 18 and 23 have a Biblical worldview.(1) I’m hoping that something is really wrong with the methodology of his survey, but even if his margin of error is +/- 10% (an extremely unlikely possibility for such a reputable pollster), it is alarming evidence that the youngest adults in America are rejecting Biblical Christianity.
Furthermore, 61% of today’s young adults who were churched as teens are now disengaged from the Church (they do not actively attend Church, read the Bible, or pray). Only 20% of the twenty-somethings have maintained a level of spiritual activity that is consistent with their high school experiences.
We who contend for Scriptural holiness may be quick to criticize Churches that are failing to win their young people, but we too have witnessed our own “falling away.”
During the 19th Century, Methodist circuit-riders, Camp meeting Evangelists, and holiness writers were the predominant religious force in our nation. Today, many of our congregations iare struggling, several of our schools are finding it increasingly difficult to attract students, and the message of holiness has been relegated to a historical footnote.
Why? One thoughtful observer concludes:
We Evangelicals have failed to pass on to our young people an orthodox form of faith that can take root and survive the secular onslaught. Ironically, the billions of dollars we've spent on youth ministers, Christian music, publishing, and media has produced a culture of young Christians who know next to nothing about their own faith except how they feel about it. Our young people have deep beliefs about the culture war but do not know why they should obey scripture, the essentials of theology, or the experience of spiritual discipline and community. Coming generations of Christians are going to be monumentally ignorant and unprepared for culture-wide pressures.2
Michael Spencer’s diagnosis of our plight is right, but it is incomplete.
We believe with John Wesley that, “A man may be orthodox in every point, he may not only espouse right opinions, but zealously defend them…and yet it is possible that he may have no religion at all. He may be almost as orthodox as the devil, and may be a great stranger to the religion of the heart!” (52 Standard Sermons, Number 7:The Way to the Kingdom).
We need more than enlightened minds. Our greatest need is for the heart-purifying, life-changing, mighty baptism with the Holy Ghost and fire. (Matthew 3:11, Luke 3:16). We need flaming hearts.
The inspired Apostle Paul tells us, “God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind [or self-discipline].” (2nd Timothy 1:7). Indeed it is this power, this love, and this self-discipline, that is our most pressing need.
Without a personal Pentecost and the frequent fresh outpourings of God’s Holy Spirit into our lives—our Christ will not be exalted, the cause of Holiness will not be advanced, and our Churches will never be that winsome force God intended for us to be.
We need apologists who will defend our faith against the onslaught of heresy
…but we need more.
We need leaders who will strategize and organize God’s people …but we need more.
We need pastors and teachers who will minister and teach …but we need more.
We need writers, composers, and musicians who will communicate the Gospel to the masses…but we need more.
We need workers and supporters who will man their posts and finance the work
…but we need more.
More than anything else, we need Christians who are so “filled with all the fullness of God,” (Ephesians 3:19) that the fruit of the Spirit, (“love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance” Galatians 5:22ff) is existent in their hearts and evident in their lives.
We need Christians who “are Christ’s.” We need Christians who “have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts” and who are “quickened by the Spirit,” (1st Peter 3:18) “filled with the Spirit,” (Ephesians 5:18), “sanctified by the Spirit,” (1st Corinthians 6:11), “walk in the Spirit,” (Galatians 5:25), and are “led by the Spirit.” (Romans 8:14).
It is our conviction that Spirit-filled men of God are the only ones who will “earnestly contend for the faith” with the kind of power that can triumph over the onslaught of the world, the flesh, and the devil.
Enlightened minds and inflamed hearts will not dilute, nor deny the faith. They will deliver the faith!
We invite you, and all of like heart and mind, to join with us for next month’s St. Louis Holiness Convention. Our speakers are men of God. Our singers are anointed by God. Our services will be ordered by God. And it is our fervent prayer and anxious expectation that everyone attending will be blessed by God. Without Him we can do nothing. But “with God, all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26). This year our speakers and singers include:
WILLIAM CAWMAN (Emmanuel Church, Colorado) comes to us from New Jersey. Brother Cawman is a devout and thoughtful man of God.
BOB & ROWENA CLOUSE (Church of God Holiness, Missouri) pastor the Church of God Holiness in Mexico, Missouri. They are wonderful singers with a passion for the cause of Scriptural holiness.
BENJAMIN CRAWFORD (Bible Methodist, Alabama) is a young man with a passion for evangelism and the cause of Scriptural Holiness. He is currently a candidate for the Alabama legislature.
ANDREW DURST (Crusaders USA, Illinois) is Associate Pastor at Faith Crusaders, Urbana, IL, and the Field Director of GREAT COMMISSION CAMP. This year Pastor Durst will be leading teams in Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri.
DR. STEVE GIBSON (Midwest Pilgrim Holiness), Pastors Victory Chapel in Indianapolis. He is the author of five books including “The Essential Wesley, I Believe,” and “Practical Christianity,” and director of KEYSTONE URBAN INSTITUTE.
ERIC HIMELICK (International Conservative Holiness Association, Indiana) leads Victory Inner City Ministries. He is a church planter, a professor at Union Bible College, and author.
DR. MARSH W. JONES (Crusaders Church USA, Illinois) is serving his 3rd year as Bishop of the Crusaders, and Pastor of Faith Crusaders Church in Urbana, IL. He has written “The Pulpit, The Periodical, and The Pen: The Life of Joseph Benson.”
TOM KISER (New York Pilgrim Holiness) is launching a new ministry to the streets of New York City. “Goforthall.org” is reaching thousands through prayer stations and discipleship groups.
P L LIDDELL (Church of the Nazarene, Michigan) has been an evangelist for holiness over 50 years. He has composed and written a number of great Gospel songs including, “When I Said Yes To Jesus.”
KENNY THOMPSON (Church of God Holiness, Missouri) has been used of God around the world in the advancement of holiness missions. His zeal for God and his love for people have endeared him to thousands.
WALLACE THORNTON (Church of the Nazarene, Missouri), Pastors in Moberly, Missouri, and serves as an adjunct professor and scholar to a number of Bible Colleges. He is the author of “Radical Righteousness.”
Meals will be provided on a free-will offering basis. We will do what we can to help you secure lodging. If you’re looking for rooms on Priceline, select the St. Louis Airport and Westport areas as they are closest to the convention site. If you need transportation to and from the Lambert International Airport, we will meet you.
Invite your family and friends to join us next month, Thursday, February 25 and Friday, February 26, 2010. If you have need of more information you may call my cell phone (314) 607-1424, or e-mail PastorRick@FCCToday.org.
Onward!
1The survey defined having a Biblical worldview as holding the following six beliefs:
1) Believing that absolute moral truth exists.
2) Believing that the Bible is completely accurate in all the principles it teaches.
3) Believing that Satan is a real being or force, not merely symbolic.
4) Believing that a person cannot earn their way into heaven by trying to be good or by doing good works.
5) Believing that Jesus Christ lived a sinless life on earth.
6) Believing that God is the all-knowing, all-powerful creator of the world who still rules the universe today.
2 Michael Spencer, “The Coming Evangelical Collapse,” in The Christian Science Monitor,
March 10, 2009
In a shocking new survey, George Barna is reporting that less than 1% of all Americans between the ages of 18 and 23 have a Biblical worldview.(1) I’m hoping that something is really wrong with the methodology of his survey, but even if his margin of error is +/- 10% (an extremely unlikely possibility for such a reputable pollster), it is alarming evidence that the youngest adults in America are rejecting Biblical Christianity.
Furthermore, 61% of today’s young adults who were churched as teens are now disengaged from the Church (they do not actively attend Church, read the Bible, or pray). Only 20% of the twenty-somethings have maintained a level of spiritual activity that is consistent with their high school experiences.
We who contend for Scriptural holiness may be quick to criticize Churches that are failing to win their young people, but we too have witnessed our own “falling away.”
During the 19th Century, Methodist circuit-riders, Camp meeting Evangelists, and holiness writers were the predominant religious force in our nation. Today, many of our congregations iare struggling, several of our schools are finding it increasingly difficult to attract students, and the message of holiness has been relegated to a historical footnote.
Why? One thoughtful observer concludes:
We Evangelicals have failed to pass on to our young people an orthodox form of faith that can take root and survive the secular onslaught. Ironically, the billions of dollars we've spent on youth ministers, Christian music, publishing, and media has produced a culture of young Christians who know next to nothing about their own faith except how they feel about it. Our young people have deep beliefs about the culture war but do not know why they should obey scripture, the essentials of theology, or the experience of spiritual discipline and community. Coming generations of Christians are going to be monumentally ignorant and unprepared for culture-wide pressures.2
Michael Spencer’s diagnosis of our plight is right, but it is incomplete.
We believe with John Wesley that, “A man may be orthodox in every point, he may not only espouse right opinions, but zealously defend them…and yet it is possible that he may have no religion at all. He may be almost as orthodox as the devil, and may be a great stranger to the religion of the heart!” (52 Standard Sermons, Number 7:The Way to the Kingdom).
We need more than enlightened minds. Our greatest need is for the heart-purifying, life-changing, mighty baptism with the Holy Ghost and fire. (Matthew 3:11, Luke 3:16). We need flaming hearts.
The inspired Apostle Paul tells us, “God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind [or self-discipline].” (2nd Timothy 1:7). Indeed it is this power, this love, and this self-discipline, that is our most pressing need.
Without a personal Pentecost and the frequent fresh outpourings of God’s Holy Spirit into our lives—our Christ will not be exalted, the cause of Holiness will not be advanced, and our Churches will never be that winsome force God intended for us to be.
We need apologists who will defend our faith against the onslaught of heresy
…but we need more.
We need leaders who will strategize and organize God’s people …but we need more.
We need pastors and teachers who will minister and teach …but we need more.
We need writers, composers, and musicians who will communicate the Gospel to the masses…but we need more.
We need workers and supporters who will man their posts and finance the work
…but we need more.
More than anything else, we need Christians who are so “filled with all the fullness of God,” (Ephesians 3:19) that the fruit of the Spirit, (“love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance” Galatians 5:22ff) is existent in their hearts and evident in their lives.
We need Christians who “are Christ’s.” We need Christians who “have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts” and who are “quickened by the Spirit,” (1st Peter 3:18) “filled with the Spirit,” (Ephesians 5:18), “sanctified by the Spirit,” (1st Corinthians 6:11), “walk in the Spirit,” (Galatians 5:25), and are “led by the Spirit.” (Romans 8:14).
It is our conviction that Spirit-filled men of God are the only ones who will “earnestly contend for the faith” with the kind of power that can triumph over the onslaught of the world, the flesh, and the devil.
Enlightened minds and inflamed hearts will not dilute, nor deny the faith. They will deliver the faith!
We invite you, and all of like heart and mind, to join with us for next month’s St. Louis Holiness Convention. Our speakers are men of God. Our singers are anointed by God. Our services will be ordered by God. And it is our fervent prayer and anxious expectation that everyone attending will be blessed by God. Without Him we can do nothing. But “with God, all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26). This year our speakers and singers include:
WILLIAM CAWMAN (Emmanuel Church, Colorado) comes to us from New Jersey. Brother Cawman is a devout and thoughtful man of God.
BOB & ROWENA CLOUSE (Church of God Holiness, Missouri) pastor the Church of God Holiness in Mexico, Missouri. They are wonderful singers with a passion for the cause of Scriptural holiness.
BENJAMIN CRAWFORD (Bible Methodist, Alabama) is a young man with a passion for evangelism and the cause of Scriptural Holiness. He is currently a candidate for the Alabama legislature.
ANDREW DURST (Crusaders USA, Illinois) is Associate Pastor at Faith Crusaders, Urbana, IL, and the Field Director of GREAT COMMISSION CAMP. This year Pastor Durst will be leading teams in Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri.
DR. STEVE GIBSON (Midwest Pilgrim Holiness), Pastors Victory Chapel in Indianapolis. He is the author of five books including “The Essential Wesley, I Believe,” and “Practical Christianity,” and director of KEYSTONE URBAN INSTITUTE.
ERIC HIMELICK (International Conservative Holiness Association, Indiana) leads Victory Inner City Ministries. He is a church planter, a professor at Union Bible College, and author.
DR. MARSH W. JONES (Crusaders Church USA, Illinois) is serving his 3rd year as Bishop of the Crusaders, and Pastor of Faith Crusaders Church in Urbana, IL. He has written “The Pulpit, The Periodical, and The Pen: The Life of Joseph Benson.”
TOM KISER (New York Pilgrim Holiness) is launching a new ministry to the streets of New York City. “Goforthall.org” is reaching thousands through prayer stations and discipleship groups.
P L LIDDELL (Church of the Nazarene, Michigan) has been an evangelist for holiness over 50 years. He has composed and written a number of great Gospel songs including, “When I Said Yes To Jesus.”
KENNY THOMPSON (Church of God Holiness, Missouri) has been used of God around the world in the advancement of holiness missions. His zeal for God and his love for people have endeared him to thousands.
WALLACE THORNTON (Church of the Nazarene, Missouri), Pastors in Moberly, Missouri, and serves as an adjunct professor and scholar to a number of Bible Colleges. He is the author of “Radical Righteousness.”
Meals will be provided on a free-will offering basis. We will do what we can to help you secure lodging. If you’re looking for rooms on Priceline, select the St. Louis Airport and Westport areas as they are closest to the convention site. If you need transportation to and from the Lambert International Airport, we will meet you.
Invite your family and friends to join us next month, Thursday, February 25 and Friday, February 26, 2010. If you have need of more information you may call my cell phone (314) 607-1424, or e-mail PastorRick@FCCToday.org.
Onward!
1The survey defined having a Biblical worldview as holding the following six beliefs:
1) Believing that absolute moral truth exists.
2) Believing that the Bible is completely accurate in all the principles it teaches.
3) Believing that Satan is a real being or force, not merely symbolic.
4) Believing that a person cannot earn their way into heaven by trying to be good or by doing good works.
5) Believing that Jesus Christ lived a sinless life on earth.
6) Believing that God is the all-knowing, all-powerful creator of the world who still rules the universe today.
2 Michael Spencer, “The Coming Evangelical Collapse,” in The Christian Science Monitor,
March 10, 2009
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
FA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA?
We sing ‘Tis the Season to be jolly! Fa la la la la, la la la la!” (I think there are enough “la-la’s” in there.) But “jolly” does not really describe many of us today. I think we would identify more with the Christmas carol, “ye beneath life’s crushing load, whose forms are bending low, who toil along the climbing way, with painful steps and slow.”
It’s hard to be “jolly” as you watch your country being led by men and women who mock those of us who “cling to our Bibles” and who declare, “America is not a Christian nation.”
It’s hard to be “jolly” when the most defenseless among us, our unborn children, are at greater risk of being murdered in the womb, than they are outside. To add insult to injury, yesterday a majority of our United States Senators voted that healthcare reform would include government funding for abortion! Our tax dollars would be used to pay for the slaughter of the pre-born should this make it to the President’s desk.
It’s hard to be “jolly” when divorce is ripping our families apart and leaving millions of children confused and torn. Adding insult to injury, today’s parents are so self-centered their children are too often left to fend for themselves. We wonder why our schools are struggling to meet academic goals. We need look no farther than the disintegrating family unit.
It’s hard to be “jolly” when the vice is praised and virtue is mocked. Christianity is ridiculed in the public square while pornography is celebrated.
It’s hard to be “jolly” when government spending is growing at such an alarming rate. Today 20 cents of every federal dollar is spent on the military, while 54 cents is laid out for Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and Welfare programs. The other 26 cents goes for roads and other government projects and the interest on our debt. (Congressional Budget Office 2008). Right now the U. S. Government owes $12,000,000,000,000.00. That’s over $350,000 per American. At the current pace, our debt will equal the total value of all the goods and services our economy produces next year. That hasn’t happened since World War II.
It’s hard to be “jolly” when the Church, the one institution that God has ordained to be the conscience of the nation is for the most part AWOL (a military term meaning “Absent Without Leave.”). Our pulpits are silent on the great moral issues of our day. We refuse to confront sin, proclaim grace that delivers from sin, and promote holiness of heart and life. The fastest growing churches are those that have adopted sensual music and whose leaders embody the spirit of the age.
BUT WE WHO KNOW THE LORD JESUS CHRIST NEED NOT DESPAIR! While we are deeply concerned about the direction of our nation, we have an unshakable confidence, an optimism that is grounded on the unchanging, eternal Word of the Living God— Christ shall reign forever…and of His kingdom there shall be no end.
…Though our nation rejects the Savior—He shall reign forever…and of His kingdom there shall be no end.
…Though churches neglect the Gospel of the Savior—He shall reign forever…and of His kingdom there shall be no end.
…Though sinners oppose the Savior—He shall reign forever…and of His kingdom there shall be no end.
…Though the world denies the Savior—He shall reign forever…and of His kingdom there shall be no end.
…Though the self-righteous crucify the Savior—He shall reign forever…and of His kingdom there shall be no end.
…Though the carnal ignore our Savior—He shall reign forever…and of His kingdom there shall be no end.
…Though families renounce our Savior—He shall reign forever…and of His kingdom there shall be no end.
…Though schools disallow our Savior—He shall reign forever…and of His kingdom there shall be no end.
…Though professors and scientists repudiate our Savior—He shall reign forever…and of His kingdom there shall be no end.
…Though cynics and comics deride our Savior—He shall reign forever…and of His kingdom there shall be no end.
…Though the enemy and all the powers of hell are bent on destroying our Savior—He shall reign forever…and of His kingdom there shall be no end.
You know, the more I think about it, the more thrilled I get! Fa la la la la! La la la la! Hearing the bells of Christendom on Christmas day, Longfellow wrote:
Then peeled the bells more loud and deep
God is not dead, nor doth He sleep
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, goodwill to men.
And that we know is true, for He shall reign forever…and of His kingdom there shall be no end.
So look up this Christmas season. Whatever the burden you bear, whatever the concern you have, the virgin-born, crucified, buried for three days, risen from the grave, ascended into heaven, and coming-again King of Kings and Lord of Lords shall reign forever! And of His Kingdom there shall be no end.
If this Christ Jesus is not your Lord and Savior He wants to be. No matter how far you have strayed from His will, He loves you with an everlasting love. He longs to see you reconciled to God.
Repent of your sins—confess your sins and decide to do the will of God.
Believe—Trust only in Christ’s sacrifice for your salvation and believe Him. He told the truth, and He is “the way, the truth, and the life.”
Love—Live life from this day forward loving God, loving His Word, loving His will, loving His church, and loving your neighbor as yourself.
It’s hard to be “jolly” as you watch your country being led by men and women who mock those of us who “cling to our Bibles” and who declare, “America is not a Christian nation.”
It’s hard to be “jolly” when the most defenseless among us, our unborn children, are at greater risk of being murdered in the womb, than they are outside. To add insult to injury, yesterday a majority of our United States Senators voted that healthcare reform would include government funding for abortion! Our tax dollars would be used to pay for the slaughter of the pre-born should this make it to the President’s desk.
It’s hard to be “jolly” when divorce is ripping our families apart and leaving millions of children confused and torn. Adding insult to injury, today’s parents are so self-centered their children are too often left to fend for themselves. We wonder why our schools are struggling to meet academic goals. We need look no farther than the disintegrating family unit.
It’s hard to be “jolly” when the vice is praised and virtue is mocked. Christianity is ridiculed in the public square while pornography is celebrated.
It’s hard to be “jolly” when government spending is growing at such an alarming rate. Today 20 cents of every federal dollar is spent on the military, while 54 cents is laid out for Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and Welfare programs. The other 26 cents goes for roads and other government projects and the interest on our debt. (Congressional Budget Office 2008). Right now the U. S. Government owes $12,000,000,000,000.00. That’s over $350,000 per American. At the current pace, our debt will equal the total value of all the goods and services our economy produces next year. That hasn’t happened since World War II.
It’s hard to be “jolly” when the Church, the one institution that God has ordained to be the conscience of the nation is for the most part AWOL (a military term meaning “Absent Without Leave.”). Our pulpits are silent on the great moral issues of our day. We refuse to confront sin, proclaim grace that delivers from sin, and promote holiness of heart and life. The fastest growing churches are those that have adopted sensual music and whose leaders embody the spirit of the age.
BUT WE WHO KNOW THE LORD JESUS CHRIST NEED NOT DESPAIR! While we are deeply concerned about the direction of our nation, we have an unshakable confidence, an optimism that is grounded on the unchanging, eternal Word of the Living God— Christ shall reign forever…and of His kingdom there shall be no end.
…Though our nation rejects the Savior—He shall reign forever…and of His kingdom there shall be no end.
…Though churches neglect the Gospel of the Savior—He shall reign forever…and of His kingdom there shall be no end.
…Though sinners oppose the Savior—He shall reign forever…and of His kingdom there shall be no end.
…Though the world denies the Savior—He shall reign forever…and of His kingdom there shall be no end.
…Though the self-righteous crucify the Savior—He shall reign forever…and of His kingdom there shall be no end.
…Though the carnal ignore our Savior—He shall reign forever…and of His kingdom there shall be no end.
…Though families renounce our Savior—He shall reign forever…and of His kingdom there shall be no end.
…Though schools disallow our Savior—He shall reign forever…and of His kingdom there shall be no end.
…Though professors and scientists repudiate our Savior—He shall reign forever…and of His kingdom there shall be no end.
…Though cynics and comics deride our Savior—He shall reign forever…and of His kingdom there shall be no end.
…Though the enemy and all the powers of hell are bent on destroying our Savior—He shall reign forever…and of His kingdom there shall be no end.
You know, the more I think about it, the more thrilled I get! Fa la la la la! La la la la! Hearing the bells of Christendom on Christmas day, Longfellow wrote:
Then peeled the bells more loud and deep
God is not dead, nor doth He sleep
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, goodwill to men.
And that we know is true, for He shall reign forever…and of His kingdom there shall be no end.
So look up this Christmas season. Whatever the burden you bear, whatever the concern you have, the virgin-born, crucified, buried for three days, risen from the grave, ascended into heaven, and coming-again King of Kings and Lord of Lords shall reign forever! And of His Kingdom there shall be no end.
If this Christ Jesus is not your Lord and Savior He wants to be. No matter how far you have strayed from His will, He loves you with an everlasting love. He longs to see you reconciled to God.
Repent of your sins—confess your sins and decide to do the will of God.
Believe—Trust only in Christ’s sacrifice for your salvation and believe Him. He told the truth, and He is “the way, the truth, and the life.”
Love—Live life from this day forward loving God, loving His Word, loving His will, loving His church, and loving your neighbor as yourself.
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