Faith-Full Witness

Free DVD From Fish-With-Trish!

2010-08-12T16:51:00.003-04:00

Hey everyone, Trish Ramos (aka Fish With Trish) is giving away a DVD called "The Mysterious Islands."

This 90-minute DVD records the journey of Doug Phillips, his 16-year-old son Joshua Phillips, and Dr. John Morris to the Galapagos Islands. They reveal Darwin's errors and prove that the creatures on this remote island chain actually support the biblical creation account. This is a film for the whole family. It is a beautifully filmed documentary featuring white-tip sharks, lava fields, salt-spitting marine iguanas, flightless cormorants, and much more. It can be your free!

Simply visit Fish With Trish for details and to enter. The giveaway ends Monday, August 16, and is open to US Residents only.

The Chicken Or The Egg?

2010-07-19T09:00:00.000-04:00

How many times have people pondered the question, "Which came first, the chicken or the egg?"

Before we answer this question with certainty, I would like you to consider another question: Why do people struggle with this question?

In general, people struggle to answer a question because they are not certain of the answer. But, we never struggle when we have an objective standard.

As plain as this sounds, consider a few examples.

How much is 2 + 2? (Answer along with me: "Four.")

No debate. No philosophy needed. The answer is clear.

Questions such as this, or "what time is it?", or "Is the light in the bathroom on?" are not debated. Why? Because there is an objective standard.

We can all do the mathematical proof (if we need to) to prove that 2 + 2 is four and only four. We can all agree on the time (though we may need to consult the Naval Observatory's DoD Standardized Clock). We can all agree when a light is turned on by looking at the standard, the light itself.

Why don't people apply the same standard to this age-old question?

The truth is, there is only one correct answer. (Can't we agree on that?)

The Bible says, "Then God said, "Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens." (Genesis 1:20)

God spoke this on the fifth day of creation. On the fourth day, there were no birds on the earth. On the fifth, birds filled the air. Perhaps later that day, or soon thereafter, the first egg was laid.

No birds on day four. Lots of birds on day five.

No eggs on day four.

The chicken came before the egg.

Interestingly, according to a story posted on FoxNews.com, British scientists have determined scientifically that the chicken came before the egg.

Take this story with a grain of salt, after all publishers update science textbooks every single year. Even if this story changes, we can rest assured that the Bible will never require an update (other than to keep up with the commonly spoken language).

When you realize that the Bible never changes, and that it's words are true, then you can use it as your standard.

Then, questions like "Which came first, the chicken or the egg?" are no longer a mystery.

More important that discussion questions such as this one, the Bible also answers the most important questions: What is truth? What is our purpose in life? What do I need to do to be assured of eternal life in heaven?

If you have never read the Bible before, start now. Read the book of Genesis (in the Old Testament), then read the book of John (in the New Testament). Examine yourself by God's standards. Then, repent of your sin; trust in the one true Savior; find a good church; and do what the Bible says.

You will have a true standard to guide your life and the answers to life's most important questions.

Obedience Includes Starting NOW!

2010-07-10T09:00:00.000-04:00

Second Chronicles 29 begins with Hezekiah becoming King over Israel.

Hezekiah's father, Ahaz, had just died. The legacy of Ahaz was one of disobedience to God. Scripture records, "he did not do right in the sight of the LORD" (2 Chron 28:1).

Ahaz was not alone. Today we might describe him as "just like any normal person." Scripture says it like this, "he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel." (28:2). In other words, he followed after the will of people. He did right in his own eyes, and most people would not consider this unusual.

Then, along comes his son, Hezekiah. Hezekiah's heart was directed toward pleasing God, and it did not take weeks, months, or years for his obedience toward God to be apparent.

Immediately after stating that Hezekiah became king, and giving a one-verse overview of who he was, scripture records, "He did right in the sight of the LORD," and then "In the first year of his reign, in the first month," he restored the house of the LORD, the Temple.

As you read on it becomes clear that Hezekiah made the restoration of Israel as God's people the top priority of his reign. He started immediately.

Why? Over and over in the books of Kings and Chronicles a similar story is told over and over: the people fall away from their love of the Lord, God punishes them, the people repent and cry out for mercy, God restores them.

Hezekiah knew that the people had once more, under his father's rule, neglected to serve and love the Lord with all their soul, mind, and strength. The time to repent was NOW. He told those responsible as priests, the Levites, "Consecrate yourselves now". The word consecrate means to set themselves apart, to prepare themselves once again to serve the Lord. In essence, repent and set your affection on God.

What about us?

We live in a day and age where people are encouraged to "do what is right for you". Here in the USA we still live very comfortable lives. We have the means to decide where we will live, how we will live, and how to spend our time.

Everywhere you look, people are deciding based on their own desires, their perceived self-centered needs, and how they feel. How wicked we have become.

It is time to repent, and the time to repent is now. If Hezekiah were here today, he would tell us to turn our affections to the Lord, now. He would tell us "do not be negligent now" (v11).

The New Testament puts it this way, 'Today is the day of salvation.' (2 Cor 6:2).

If you are not a Christian, do not wait.

If you are a Christian, today is the day to fully turn your affection to Christ.

How Many Clifford's Are Out There?

2010-03-03T09:00:00.000-05:00

One recent evening, returning from a hospital visit with my father-in-law, I had to stop for gas on the long ride home. It was late. I was thirsty and tired. That's when I noticed a sign with an offer I could not refuse: "Free Fountain Soda with 10-Gallon Fill-Up".

After pumping enough diesel to more than double the soda requirement, I glanced over at the convenience mart. I could easily see through the plate glass that the young man working inside was leaning against a counter reading a magazine.

I must admit that I routinely pass on striking up conversations with people at work if they look busy. I do not want to be the cause of a manager taking them aside to remind them they are paid to work, not talk. This young man was clearly not busy.

Just before heading inside I grabbed my Bible, a tract, and a copy of Mark Cahill's One Heartbeat Away, my favorite book to hand to non-Christians.

As I walked toward the door, I ran several conversation starters through my head and imagined how I might turn the conversation to the gospel. Such mental gymnastics are good, I suppose, but I've never had a conversation that followed the dialogue I construct in my head. The point here is to never talk yourself out of sharing the gospel because of an imaginary conversation. Give the Lord a chance to lead you in the actual conversation.

In I go. I asked about the free soda offer, then I struck up a short conversation with with the employee. Nothing special, just everyday talk. The young man, Clifford, seemed relieved to talk with someone rather than continue with his magazine. After a few minutes I decided to turn the conversation to the gospel with, "I'm working on a project, would you mind answering a question?"

People seem to love this question. I don't know if it's because they get an opportunity to influence the outcome of my research, if their curiosity is piqued, or if they simply recall their own struggles to complete some school project and now feel compelled to minimize my own pain. What I do know is that so far no one has ever said, "No, thanks."

"Sure," was the helpful reply, "what's the question?"

"On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being 'I could be entirely wrong,' and 10 being 'I am absolutely certain that I am right,' how would you rate your spiritual beliefs?"

Clifford told me "5." I asked what his spiritual background was and he told me, "Christian."

"Wow," I said, "You're Christian today but tomorrow there is a 50-50 chance you'll walk away?"

We chatted about his upbringing, how he once asked Jesus into his heart and now feels totally disconnected from the church. I told him that when I meet people who feel this way, I ask one important question: "Do you consider yourself to be a good person?"

"Yes, I think I'm a pretty good person."

"Interesting. Do you mind if I walk you through a quick test to see if that's true?"

Clifford was intrigued now, and smiling. He gave me an enthusiastic, "Sure!"

So, I walked him through a few of the Ten Commandments. In less than two minutes, Clifford's smile had faded and he was serious. He had quickly admitted to being a liar, a thief, an adulterer, and a murderer. When faced with the question, "If God judged you by the Ten Commandments, would you be innocent or guilty?" he clearly understood that a 5-rating is not comforting.

I spent the next few minutes clearly explaining the gospel to Clifford. Before I left he knew that he needed to repent and trust the Savior, not just recite a prayer.

As I left I told Clifford, "I don't believe God brought me here tonight just to get a free drink. We met for a reason." Clifford agreed, and thanked me for taking the time to talk with him.

How many Clifford's are out there? How many people have falsely convinced themselves that they are Christians without understanding the holiness of God, or their need to repent and trust in the risen Savior?

Armor up, Christian! Carry your Bible where ever you go. Read it to prepare yourself to defend the truth in season and out. Carry tracts and your favorite apologetic books to hand out. There are many more Clifford's out there who need to understand the true gospel, before it's too late.

A Great Conversation Starter

2010-03-01T09:00:00.001-05:00

I am always looking for ways to start conversations with people. Because of this, I try to listen carefully to the first few sentences when people begin speaking. Sometimes I hear a question or a statement that works well in nearly any situation. Some people call these statements and questions "Ice breakers". Two of my favorites, courtesy of Mark Cahill, are:

"Hello. Do you mind if I ask you an interesting question?" and,

"Hello. I'm working on a project, would you be willing to answer a few questions?"

In addition to these, I find it works well to begin a conversation simply by asking about something the person is wearing, a distinguishing mark (such as a tatoo), or something they are doing.

Recently, while listening to Todd Friel on Wretched Radio (WretchedRadio.com), I heard another conversation starter that I have added to my arsenal: "Hello. Can I ask you, on a scale of one to ten, how you would rate your spiritual beliefs: with one being, "I could easily be wrong", and ten being, "I am unquestionably certain that my beliefs are true."

There is nothing offensive or off-putting about this question, and it allows the person to tell you something about themselves before you share your own rating, and then the gospel. In addition, you gain tremendous insight into their willingness to hear what you have to say.

Why not give it a try the next time you feel the tug of the Holy Spirit prompting you to be a bold witness for Jesus Christ?

Do You Think It's Wrong To Wear Polyester?

2010-01-28T09:00:00.002-05:00

It is sometimes amazing that folks who do not follow the Lord will attempt to use His Holy Word to challenge those who do. The headline of today's article, "Do you think it's wrong to wear polyester?" is one such challenge. Let's look at this challenge in today's post.

When sharing the gospel it is common for a non-believer to become uncomfortable as you reveal truth. Darkness does not seek the light, so when the doorway to truth begins to open and light pours in, they seek to escape. Perhaps by moving the conversation in a new direction, the door will pause in its progress, halting the approaching brightness of truth. This type of defense is a non-sequitur, or a topic that does not fit in the logical progression of a conversation. A frequent type of non-sequitur, including tossing out random Biblical verses, is called a red-herring.

A red herring is used to divert attention, or change the course of the conversation. This tells you that the person is uncomfortable, and wants to either put you on the defensive or create a line of discussion that is more to their liking.

Do not allow the conversation to suddenly move off topic. Your reply should immediately lead back to the main point of the gospel. Consider handling it with a simple, "That's an interesting question, let's talk about it after I finish this point." I've heard Ray Comfort deflect red-herrings with the simple statement, "Interesting," before immediately returning to the point he was making. You do not need to get off track, but you do need to understand what is happening: the person feels convicted. Despite their protests and defensive moves, the truth is making a difference. Later, if you have the opportunity, you can address the question.

As for the red-herring that led off this post, "Do you think it's wrong to wear polyester?" this probably comes from reading into the text of Leviticus 19:19, which says (in part): "You shall not... wear a garment upon you of two kinds of material mixed together." Atheists and agnostics read this and conclude that Christians should not wear blends of material, such as polyester.

The fact is, Biblical scholars do not know the reason behind this commandment, which was given to the nation of Israel as they wandered in the desert shortly after the Exodus from Egypt. Some scholars believe the reference was to an idolatrous practice of the day, and the Lord was warning the Jews to not allow any appearance of sin.

If you think this might be far fetched, consider a reader in the future, without access to most of the literature of today, who reads the following: "It could be deadly to wear purple and gold in the city." Would they be right to conclude that our society thought that these two colors, when in close proximity, would create some deadly toxin? Would someone in the future mock a historian with, "Gee, do you believe that colors can kill?"

What if they discovered that these colors are the mark of a particular gang in a local city, and that wearing those colors into the territory of another gang could spark gun-fire? Suddenly the warning makes complete sense.

The fact is, we do not have enough information to determine why the Lord gave the command in Lev 19:19, but we do know clearly that someone who dies in their sin, without trusting the one and only Savior, will be eternally in torment.

Be bold, Christian, and do not allow red-herrings to deter the gospel.

But I Don't Know How To Share The Gospel...

2010-01-07T09:00:00.001-05:00

Frequently, when discussing evangelism with other Christians, I hear some version of the statement: "But, I don't know how to share the gospel."

Other versions of this statement include: "I don't have the gift of evangelism" or "I'm not equipped to answer people's questions."

Perhaps you have thought the same thing, or responded with similar sentiments after hearing a sermon on evangelism, or when faced with someone who tells you about the latest time they shared the gospel with a friend, loved-one, or stranger.

If you have, then you may think that my next statement is harsh. However, I believe that what you are really saying is: God's Word is wrong.

Before you click that "close-window" button, let's look for a moment at what God's word says:

Matthew 28:18-20, "And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. "Go therefore and make disciples of call the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."" (NASB 95)

2 Timothy 4:1-2, "I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction."

2 Timothy 3:16-17, "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work."

As Christians we are commanded to "go... preach... make disciples... be ready...". We are also told that God's Word is profitable for training and will equip the man of God for every good work.

Since we are commanded to preach the gospel, then sharing the gospel must be a good work, and since God's Word is adequate to teach and prepare us for every good work, then it can prepare us for evangelism!

In addition, God provides the Holy Spirit to further teach us and guide us. Luke 2:12 says, "For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say."

Read 2 Corinthians 2. Paul describes how his preaching was not based on his knowledge or fine oratory skills, but on the Holy Spirit guiding him.

To me, all of this means that when Christians conclude they are not capable of sharing the gospel, what they are actually saying is, "God, you've met your match in me. You gave me a responsibility that I cannot perform. You made a mistake."

If you still think I am being too harsh, just know that I used to be the same way. I made every excuse in the book for not sharing the gospel. In retrospect my excuses were nothing more than pride and disobedience.

Thankfully I was challenged by a God-fearing man who refused to soft-pedal the commandment to share the gospel. Since then I have studied God's Word, studied various world-views, had numerous conversations with the lost, and learned to trust the Lord more and more as a result.

Trust God's Word. Learn from God's Word. Trust the Holy Spirit. Leave your pride and disobedience at the foot of the Cross. Share the gospel before it is too late.

A New Year's Challenge For You And Me

2009-12-31T09:00:00.000-05:00

It is not uncommon, as one year clicks over to the next, for people to commit themselves to new patterns for living. Such New Year’s Resolutions typically focus on self-improvement themes: lose weight, quit smoking, or improved organizational skills.

This year why not make a resolution that will matter for more than a few days or weeks? Why not make a resolution that can last for eternity? Why not boldly share the gospel more than ever before?

It is a sad fact that most Christians did not share the gospel with anyone during the previous year. Many endeavor to live their faith or give to missions, but most Christians ignore passages commanding us to “go into all the world and preach the gospel” (Mk 16:15) or to act as “a royal priesthood” and “proclaim the excellencies” of God (1 Ptr 2:9).

Do you realize that between last New Year’s Day and this one an estimated 56.6 million people took their last breath and passed into eternity? How many of them had friends or relatives who are Christian, but never shared the gospel? How many delivered pizzas, provided home repairs, or worked with Christians who were willing to be friendly and talk about every subject imaginable: football, the weather, golf, the latest unemployment rate, but never the gospel?

In the time it takes to read this sentence, about one second, two people died. Between now and tomorrow at this time, while you consider how to respond to this challenge, nearly 155,000 people will discover first-hand how Holy our God is. For many of them, the wrath which God has been storing up will begin to be poured out (Rom 1:18; 2:5-6; Heb 9:27).

There are many missionaries in the fields reaching the lost. There are many preachers boldly proclaiming God’s Word. You can find great men and women of faith who debate with the best and brightest minds foolish enough to challenge the authority of Scripture. However, none of those people have the ability to reach your friends, your neighbors, your relatives, or the people who come across your path every day. Who will reach them if not you?

For some time I have taken my car to the same auto shop. The girl at the counter, Kristine, is always pleasant. I usually have short exchanges with her as I drop off or pick up my vehicle. God convicted me recently that I was wasting opportunities to share the gospel. So the next time my truck acted up, I was ready. I had prayed for an opportunity, and I took along a few resources in case she had questions.

The first few minutes of our conversation were typical. I explained the problems that needed attention, and she thanked me for coming in. Next, I mentioned that the problems worsened the night before, as I drove to church. Then I asked “By the way, do you attend a church?”

This is a great question to ask. The answer gives you tremendous insight into the person’s beliefs and understanding of eternal matters.

Kristine, as it turns out, had a few bad experiences with churches as a youth and had only recently attended a couple services at the request of a friend. This naturally led to the next question, “You’ve gone to a few church services. What do you think happens when you die?” She explained that everyone goes somewhere. Now, most people believe life is not the end, but I wanted to know if Kristine had the right answer, so I continued, “Where do you think you will go?”

Kristine confidently stated that she would go to heaven, because she’s living a pretty good life.

This is one of Satan’s favorite and most successful lies. He used the same approach in the Garden of Eden that he uses today (Gen 3:1-5): convince people they can’t possibly understand what God’s Word means, there must be an alternative, another understanding, such as, live a pretty good life and you’ll go to heaven. This is a lie that Christians must correct, and we can only correct it if we ask and then speak the truth in love.

Kristine and I had a ten minute conversation about God’s standards, and how to know for certain what will happen when you face Him on Judgment Day. She soon realized that her destination was not heaven at all, and she was very concerned. I explained the hope that I have through repentance and faith in Christ, and I left her a book to read along with a gospel tract. Before I left, she thanked me for the conversation. The next time I go to the shop, I will follow up and see how she is doing.

I do not believe the statistics that claim 80% of those in America are Christian, but even if the real number is as low as 20%, if every one of those Christians shared the gospel with only five people, statistically every person in America would hear the gospel by the end of this year! Can you share the gospel with five people this year? Of course you can (1 Cor 1:5). The question is: Are you willing?

Don’t wait, because it might be too late. Think of the police officers gunned down in Lakeland, Washington, on November 29, 2009. If you had been in that coffee shop the day before, would you have shared the gospel with these officers? Because a short twenty-four hours later, it was too late.

Christian, you are like a doctor who knows the patient has terminal cancer. Don’t put off telling them about their illness because you might make them feel uncomfortable, or you’re not sure if you’re the right person. You have the cure. Share it!

I’m not saying that you should run up and down the street grabbing people, or screaming the gospel message, but when you have a conversation with someone, won’t you pray that the Holy Spirit will bring the strength and the right words to share the gospel? Won’t you pass out, or send out, a few gospel tracts? Aren’t you willing to start-up a conversation with a stranger and see how the Holy Spirit will use you, before it’s too late?

What New Year’s Resolution could make more of a difference for eternity?

What If Today Were August 8, 1945?

2009-12-24T09:00:00.002-05:00

What if today were August 8, 1945 and you were a citizen of Nagasaki, Japan?

Only two days ago, on August 6, a nuclear bomb was dropped on the city of Hiroshima. You stand in a city 198 miles away, perhaps a four or five hour drive.

Though hard to comprehend this new and massive weapon, you would know the stark realities of the destruction. In addition, you would have seen or heard of the warning pamphlets dropped by U.S. planes. You would have heard the allied radio broadcasts urging your government to accept an immediate cease fire. You would know that citizens of your city had been told to flee to safety or suffer a similar fate.

What will you do? You must decide.

You know the danger, but you can not know that if you put off your decision until Noon tomorrow, you could be one of the 30-40,000 killed when a bomb known as “Fat Man” detonates.

What if today, right now, you faced a similar warning? A warning you’ve seen on TV, heard on the radio, overheard people talk about? A warning that you now read with your own eyes.

Will you seek safety, or ignore the fact that tomorrow, or tonight, or one minute from now it might be too late?

The clear warning I speak of is this: “man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment” (Hebrews 9:27)

When you die and face judgment, will you be innocent or guilty? God will rule on your fate based on the Ten Commandments (Rom 2:6-11) How will you do?

If you have ever stolen anything (regardless of value), you are guilty of theft (the eighth commandment). In God's holy eyes, you are a thief.

If you have ever told a lie, you are guilty of breaking the ninth commandment. In God's holy eyes, you are a liar. The Bible warns that all liars shall have their part in the Lake of Fire (Rev 21:8).

If you have ever looked at someone other than your spouse with lustful thoughts, you are guilty of breaking the seventh commandment. In God's holy eyes, you are an adulterer.

The Bible says that no thief, fornicator or adulterer will inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor. 6:9-10).

There are many choices you can make, but only one will provide safety from the destruction to come. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." and "I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved." (John 14:6; 10:9)

Will you head this warning of your guilt and fate? Will you seek the safety of God’s Son, Jesus Christ? He paid for your sins. When Jesus died on the cross it was like a legal transaction where your crimes were paid in full. All that is required of you is to respond to these warnings. How? Agree with God that you have broken his laws and repent (decide right now to turn from all sin) and put your full trust in Christ to save you. He will forgive and forget your sin. Then read the Bible and do what it says.

It is up to you. You have been warned. You can repent and trust in Christ, or you can ignore the warnings just like tens of thousands of people who woke up in Nagasaki on August 9, 1945 but did not live to see the next day.

(Image is from pamphlet dropped in Japanese cities by the U.S. Office Of Warfare Information)

What Was Your Greatest Gift?

2009-12-11T09:00:00.002-05:00

While listening to a sermon last weekend, the pastor stated that the grace which God offers to sinners is the greatest gift ever. I wrote it down; not as a sermon note but as an idea for a conversation starter.

As Christians we are reminded to not conform to the world (Rom 12:2) but we do live in it, and for good reason: the world is the source of the harvest! (Matt 9:37)

Those who are in the world know the world and it's comings and goings. They do not care about the things of God, they dislike God's Word, and they hate Christ. (John 17:14, 16; Matt 10:22; 1 John 3:13)

Discussions about the news and other timely topics can frequently lead to discussions about eternity and the gospel. Because of this, Christians should be aware of such topics and ready to use them to begin or continue conversations.

Such was the case at a local restaurant the other day. Our waitress was taking orders when one of the men at our table mentioned Christmas preparations. I asked the waitress, "Kristi, speaking of Christmas, what is the best gift you've ever received?" She stopped and thought. After a moment I said, "Think about it, then let me know what you come up with."

One thing I learned from bold men of God like Mark Cahill and Tony Miano is that an interaction with a lost person should be a conversation, not a presentation. If your intent is to get through a checklist of the gospel, then do you really care about the person or getting another 'notch' on your gospel-gun?

I was looking forward to what Kristi might come back with, to continue our conversation, when she appeared with refills of water and iced-tea. She looked at me and told me of an item she had received many years ago. I asked her to think about gifts that last longer. I explained that as a boy I really wanted a toy ray-gun, but after a year or so I no longer placed any value in it and had moved on to wanting something else. She went off in thought.

When she next returned, she had a big smile on her face. "My dog! I bought my dog, as a gift for myself, and I love him." She showed me his photo, told me about his habits, and explained the breed. We discussed dogs that each of us had owned in the past, and then I said, "Even though you love your dog and he's been a great pet, I was wondering if you could think of anything that might last for eternity?" This led to a conversation in which I learned of her Catholic training as a young girl, and her disillusion with religion. I was able to explain that I'm not religious and was not trying to push any religion, I simply wanted to explain what I thought the greatest gift is, as described in the Bible.

We had a brief discussion of sin, our need for salvation, the Holiness of God, and the simple steps required of us: repentance and faith. Before leaving I gave her a copy of "One Heartbeat Away" by Mark Cahill, along with a note and an email address for her to send questions to me.

Between now and Christmas approximately 2.1 million people will die. Many of them will stand before God and suddenly understand how Holy He is and how wrong they were to believe the world's lies and false hopes. They will have eternity to think about their rejection of a God who stood ready to forgive. Before that happens, are you willing to put aside your pride, your shyness, and your fear of rejection to share the gospel and give these people something to think about while they still have time?

Today is the day of salvation, now go and plant a seed!

Proof That God Exists

2009-12-07T09:00:00.001-05:00

Don't take my word for it... take this test for yourself.

How Bad Is The "How Good Is Good Enough" Book?

2009-11-10T09:00:00.001-05:00

I must admit that I was suspicious of what I would find even before I cracked open the book "How Good is Good Enough?" by Andy Stanley. Stanley has made his theology clear, and I would argue that he is wrong on a number of points. Still, I wanted to see what he had to say about the most important topic each of us must consider during this lifetime: our eternal destination, and how to plan for it.

This book claims to address "what it really takes" to get to heaven. This is a powerful claim by the author, and one that has the potential to save or derail many people. Let's take a peek inside.

Stanley claims early, while talking about the common belief that good people go to heaven, "Every major world religion subscribes to the notion that our deeds here on earth determine our destination in the afterlife." (pg 21)

We could debate endlessly what Stanley means by "deeds" or "religion" I suppose, and this brings to the table early the problem with books such as this one: it remains nebulous enough to make it hard to pin anything down. Is Stanley including Biblical Christianity in his survey? Does he not consider Biblical Christianity a religion? There is enough squishy-ness here to make even a long-term politician admire the wiggle room he cuts out for plausible deniability. Unfortunately, Stanley is a pastor who should be clear in his message and take a firm position on the truth. Early on in this book, one wonders if that will be possible.

Stanley next makes the curious claim that the Old Testament is of no help, and specifically claims that "there is no connection between the Ten Commandments and heaven. None. Nada. Zero. It doesn't exist." (pg 40)

How any serious student of the Bible can make such a claim is beyond me, unless he is purposely attempting to redefine God's plan. The Bible is clear that the Ten Commandments are a mirror that reveal our sinful nature. They are a tutor to lead us to Christ. They expose the futility of trying to live a good life, and clearly reveal that there is "none good but God."

Stanley soon dismisses the entirety of the Old Testament as "a system of rules to live by" with "no eternal ramifications to keeping or breaking God's law." (pg 43) He even states that the Old Testament "seemingly ignores the issues of eternity". (pg 43) What of passages such as Isaiah 66:24, which clearly teaches that transgressions (breaking the law of God) will result in eternal torment? Look also to Isaiah 1:28, which warns that sinners will be crushed and those who forsake the Lord are doomed. Look too at Psalm 9:5, "You [God] have rebuked the nations, You have destroyed the wicked; You have blotted out their name forever and ever." Who are the wicked? Those who transgress God's law. What happens to them? They are blotted out forever. These points are repeated and clarified in the New Testament in verses such as Second Thessalonians 1:8-9.

The Bible is not a collection of disassociated books, like Stanley implies here, it is God's revelation to mankind of His redemptive plan of salvation through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

As Stanley begins to get to the heart of his argument, he plays loose and fast again with the truth. In rapid succession he states that "Jesus taught that good people don't go to heaven." (pg 49) and states that this idea "was so unsettling that Jewish religious leaders had the man arrested and crucified" for it. Nonsense. Jewish leaders had Jesus arrested and crucified for claiming to be God, not for teaching that "good people don't go to heaven". Even this claim that "Jesus taught that good people don't go to heaven" is twisting scripture mightily. Christ went well beyond this Kindergarten-level exegesis by teaching there is "none good, not one." He was building upon the Old Testament declaration of Jeremiah that "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked;" (Jer 17:9, KJV)

We get additional insight into Stanley's mind-set when he proclaims judgment upon God on page 53. After showing that Christ magnified the Ten Commandments prohibition on adultery by stating that God also examines the heart, regardless of the completion of the act (Matt 5:27-28), Stanley dares to state, "Now that's not fair, and certainly not reasonable." Dangerous ground indeed.

This also is where Stanley begins to go completely off-track with his understanding of the gospel. He ends Chapter 7 speaking of how Jesus seemed to contradict Himself when he assured "bad people" that they had a place reserved in heaven while the "best people" did not. In fact, what Christ was pointing out was that unless people recognize their sinfulness, humble themselves, repent and believe the gospel (that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah) they would not be saved.

Stanley's misunderstanding of repentance is evident a number of places following this poor introduction in Chapter 7. Not only through the balance of this little book but also on his church web-site. It is clearly shown, for example, in his discussion of what happened at Calvary with the salvation of one of those crucified alongside Christ. According to Stanley there was "no turning over a new leaf" for the thief who asked Christ for mercy. Yet, it is clear from scripture that the thief did exactly that. Read Luke 23:39-43,

One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, "Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!" But the other" [criminal] "answered, and rebuking him said, "Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong." And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!" And He said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise." (NASB)

This is the Biblical model for salvation through repentance and faith. Note that the first criminal was defiant to the truth, even taunting the Lord on the cross, "Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!" His heart was deceitful and wicked, with no humility or sorrow.

The second criminal was completely different. He was sorrowful, "we indeed suffer justly". He was humble, "we are receiving what we deserve". He was repentant, "do you not even fear God?" and realized his lost state without salvation. He then sought expressed his faith in Jesus Christ. "Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom." This last statement was an admission of who Christ is, and His power to save. It was an act of faith and a hope for the future.

Stanley sees only part of the picture, and for that his book is to be avoided.

Stanley does point out that most worldviews and religions get this all wrong by believing that good people go to heaven. It is unfortunate that he then scrambles the true message of hope that God offers for those who will repent and believe in the gospel.

In Part II of this book, Stanley focuses in on the forgiveness offered by God, and gets the basic idea right. It is a shame that he neglects to point out that forgiveness is not possible without humility and repentance. Scripture is clear that darkness has no place in light, and that those who continue in sin are of the devil. Stanley ignores these warnings. He apparently hopes he can charm people into agreeing with the easy part of the gospel (accepting unconditional forgiveness) without having to change anything about their sinful lives. The Bible teaches otherwise, and a clear warning for those who follow the easy path (described as "the wide gate" in Matthew 7:13) is given in Matt 7:15-23:

Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits. Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.

Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?'

And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.'

Stanley clings to the mistaken view that "believing in Him is the only requirement" for salvation, but the Bible teaches otherwise. "Even the demons believe, and shudder." - James 2:19

Given the choice between the entirety of the Bible, and Stanley's interpretation, I will choose the Bible. I hope you do too.

There will be many who die believing they are Christians, who have some level of confidence that they will breeze into heaven on the day of Judgment. But many will be wrong. Please do not be led astray by the ravenous wolves who would lead you off the true path. Recognize your sin, repent (turn from it with a firm commitment to avoid sin with the help of the Holy Spirit) and put your trust in Jesus Christ to save you. He will save you, you cannot save yourself. Trust Him now. Today is the day of true salvation.

A Review Of Ken Ham's "Why Won't They Listen?"

2009-10-23T09:00:00.000-04:00

Ken Ham, the well known founder and president of Answers In Genesis and the Creation Museum in Petersburg, KY, is the author of numerous books.

Why Won't They Listen was originally titled Creation Evangelism, explores one of the key problems faced by Christians hoping to fulfill the Great Commission in the U.S.A. of the early 21st century, and countries with similar cultures.

What similarities, specifically? A poor understanding of the Word of God.

Mr. Ham equates many societies with the Greeks of the 1st century, with little knowledge of the Bible, little knowledge of the attributes of God, little care for moral absolutes, little history of mankind in a moral sense, and an assumption of the Bible as being little more than stories believed by a strange group of uneducated people.

In the United States, for example, there is a significant downturn in moral values, and a resulting rise in crime and other societal ills, which all seem to date back to the point in the 1960's when public schools became hostile to the Bible and prayer. Adding to this was the introduction of evolution indoctrination as the only viable explanation of why things are the way they are. In an arena where truth was supposed to be king, evolution became the truth, the Bible was relegated to the status of a kept-at-home relic.

As a result the USA adult population, raising younger generations, which have little or no confidence in the Bible as the true Word of God, and little understanding of the moral truths and consequences contained in the Bible.

Mr. Ham contends that evangelists must treat the members of such societies the way Paul did in Acts 17: First you must explain the basic truths contained in the Bible, only then can they understand the true meaning of their sin and their peril without a savior. Part of this explanation must include conveying the fact that evolution is based on faith and theory, it is not the scientific fact so many believe it to be.

The effects of evolution on society is deep and wide-spread. If evolution is true, then we are all the result of random mutations, we are all the result of prior organisms fighting for survival and doing whatever they had to get a step ahead of weaker organisms, if there is no God and no afterlife, then there are no moral absolutes. I can do whatever I can get away with, or convince you to let me get away with. If I amass power, I can do significantly more. There are no boundaries, there is only what someone can get away with.

This is exactly what we find in leaders around the world who reject the concept of God and rise to positions of power. Suddenly pragmatism and greed are king. Murder is a tool to repress opposition, or to motivate the masses.

But we do not need to look at the Hitlers and Pol-Pots around the world to see evidence of those who discount God, we see it in increased child-abuse, abortion, sex-slave rings, divorce, embryonic stem-cell harvesting, all manner of sexual perversions and combination's, and much more.

Why are there so many side effects to evolution? As Mr. Ham states, "[evolution] is a philosophy of life which teaches that man, independent of God and independent of revelation, determines truth. Thus, man’s opinions determine truth."

This is the world that modern evangelists increasingly face.

What is the answer? In the words of Martin Luther, "It was by the Word that the Church was founded and by the Word also it shall be re-established." Put simply: Christians must defend and expose the truth by enlightening people with the Word of God.

The answer espoused by Mr. Ham is not to attack issues, but to proclaim the truth.

As Christians we can reject abortion, we can stand for marriage, we should work to help those who are helpless, we should proclaim the need for civility and honor, but each should be defended and proclaimed using God's word, including Genesis 1 through 11.

When a Christian gets into a conversation about right and wrong, the way to argue for absolutes is to declare the absolute moral giver.

Legislation is not the answer, slick marketing campaigns are not the answer, even passionate arguments are not the answer: the inerrancy and trustworthyness of God's Word, combined with the peril for those who reject it, is the answer.

Mr. Ham proposes a four-step process.

1. Christians must understand and proclaim the inerrancy of Scripture, from Genesis 1:1 through Revelation 22:21, and churches must teach how to defend these truths.

2. Christians must understand that the humanistic movement is an attack on Christianity, and be prepared to give a defense to their falsehoods and propaganda.

3. Those ministries that can reach into the broad media and around the world must join in to promote these truths and pound the foundations of the evolutionists, humanists, atheists, and others.

4. When Christians fight issue battles, they must do so using the Word of God, the only way to prick the heart and achieve long-lasting change.

I agree with Mr. Ham that the earth is relatively young. A day is a day, and not billions or millions of years. I also agree with the literal reading of Genesis 1-11. There was no death until the fall of Adam and Eve, and consequently evolution is a fallacy. I also agree with his call to action: proclaim the truth and stand upon God's Word!

However, I think he overstates his case a bit with statements of how no one can understand God, including Christians, if they disagree. Mr. Ham states,

"And because the non-Christian has been indoctrinated to believe in millions of years of death, suffering, disease and bloodshed, he doesn’t understand how there can be a God of love. This person is not going to understand about a God of love until he puts on the true, uncompromised, biblical glasses, including the timeline of history: from Creation, through the Fall, the Cross and Resurrection, and the final Consummation of all these. Also, until the Christian has put on these same glasses, he will not be able to explain this seemingly contradictory world of death and life, health and disease, and joy and suffering to the non-Christian."

I must disagree with the distance Mr. Ham attempts to reach here. I was, until enlightened, just one of these non-Christians. I was, until enlightened, just such a Christian: believing in the atoning work of Christ while also believing that people in lab coats were diligently working to find truth wherever it lay. My heart ached for the lost, and in my own poor way I was attempting to share the gospel.

I now know the lengths to which scientists will go to bend the results and the interpretation to preclude a conclusion of anything divine. Take for example the declaration of Richard Lewontin, an evolutionist biologist and geneticist:

"We take the side of science in spite of the patent absurdity of some of its constructs, in spite of its failure to fulfill many of its extravagant promises of health and life, in spite of the tolerance of the scientific community for unsubstantiated just-so stories, because we have a prior commitment, a commitment to materialism. It is not that the methods and institutions of science somehow compel us to accept a material explanation of the phenomenal world, but, on the contrary, that we are forced by our a priori adherence to material causes to create an apparatus of investigation and a set of concepts that produce material explanations, no matter how counter-intuitive, no matter how mystifying to the uninitiated. Moreover, that materialism is an absolute, for we cannot allow a Divine Foot in the door." Richard Lewontin, Billions and billions of demons, The New York Review, p. 31, 9 January 1997.

I also understand that many Christians, with a desire to understand God's handiwork displayed before us, are responsible for many scientific discoveries, and their faith is enhanced, not challenged.

Mr. Ham makes a great point, however, in that by neglecting our responsibility to defend God's Word modern Christianity has self-inflicted cracks to form in our own foundation.

Overall, Mr. Ham has produced a book that is a worthwhile read which sheds light on the difficulties a Christian will encounter in modern "civilized" society.

This book is available online, for no cost, in its entirety. It is also available in paperback from the same page.

Armor up Christian!

Those Who Are To Be Accursed Can Be Closer Than You Think

2009-10-22T09:00:00.000-04:00

"False prophets are to be found in the circles of the most orthodox, and they pretend to have a fervent love for souls, yet they fatally delude multitudes concerning the way of salvation. The pulpit, platform, and pamphlet hucksters have wantonly lowered the standard of divine holiness and so adulterated the Gospel in order to make it palatable to the carnal mind...Any preacher who rejects God’s law, who denies repentance to be a condition of salvation, who assures the giddy and godless that they are loved by God, who declares that saving faith is nothing more than an act of the will which every person has the power to perform is a false prophet and should be shunned as a deadly plague." - A. W. Pink

"As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!" - Paul, Galatians 1:9

Be on guard and be ready to give your defense.

Dave finds it "disturbing" that someone is watching?

2009-10-21T09:00:00.001-04:00

David Letterman, who found it "creepy" and "disturbing" to discover that someone was watching him, seems to have missed the fact that God is omnipresent.

If Dave Letterman thinks the man who planned to blackmail him wanted payment, he needs to consider the fix he will be in on Judgment Day without a savior.

This interesting article by Russell D. Moore examines all of these issues, and the irony, in detail.

Show Me The Proof!

2009-09-15T11:53:00.005-04:00

A frequent argument proclaimed by atheists and agnostics is: "There is no proof of God. Show me some proof."

There are many answers to this. I will discuss two in this post.

First, such non-believers do not want to know the truth, so they simply deny the obvious. This has been true ever since the first men walked the earth.

It was true when the Israelites wandered in the desert; one minute in the presence of God, the next minute seeking their own solutions.

It was also true during the life of Christ that men denied who He was.

In Matthew 12:38-45, Jesus talks about those who see Him in the flesh, hear His words, witness His miracles, and still refuse to believe because He would not show them a sign when they demanded one. Christ said to them,

"An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet; for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."

What Jesus meant by this was that He would not be commanded by them, to show the particular sign that they wanted to see. He is God, not the sinner. He is not slave to the sinner, desperately hoping and waiting to be called upon to demonstrate His abilities. Instead, He says, He will demonstrate His divinity according to His timing, according to His plan. Amazingly, He lets them know exactly what to look for as The Sign: His resurrection from the dead.

Secondly, mankind already has many facts, many signs and many wonders that are certain proof of God's existence, they simply choose to deny them. Here are just a few:

1) Creation demands a Creator. Otherwise you must believe that nothing, with no cause, created everything in an orderly way. Not just animals, but space, time, dust, rocks, water, DNA, order itself, laws, mathematics, gravity, and on and on.

2) Evil demands God. What? Yes, I said that correctly. Here is how: You agree that there is evil in the world? Of course you do. But, how can there be evil unless we agree that there is a standard of good outside your opinion and my opinion? This standard of good must be something other than human, or the opinions of good and evil would vary widely, but they do not. This means there must be a Moral Law Giver who transcends humanity, and established the standard for 'good'. This Moral Law Giver is God.

3) The Bible. OK, I can hear some readers moaning already. You will argue, "You can't prove the existence of God by using the Bible." Why not? Can't I use the symphonies of Bach as proof that he was real, or the writings of Benjamin Franklin as proof that he was real? Of course I can, and therefore I can use the Bible, which claims to be the Word of God, as proof that God exists and caused the Bible to be written down.

4) The resurrection of Christ. Some will immediately say, "But there's no proof of that." Oh, yes, there is. First of all, eyewitness testimony is documented in the Bible (there were over 500 witnesses). Non-Biblical sources from contemporaries also establish that something quite unusual happened in Jerusalem after the crucifixion. They Jews, who tried to end the worship of Jesus, could not produce a body. In addition, the followers of Christ, who scattered widely during His trial and crucifixion, came back - bold and certain of their faith. Finally, the resurrection was such a momentous event in human history that the calendar suddenly changed.

These are just a few of the many proofs of God's existence. The most personal, however, is your conscience.

The word conscience means 'with knowledge'. You know that you have violated God's moral standard (the Ten Commandments) every time you stop and think about them.

Consider: how many lies you have told in your life, how many times you have been unjustly angry with others, how many times you have used God's name in a casual or disgusted way (this is blasphemy), or how many times you have taken something (regardless of value) that did not belong to you? If you have done each, you are a liar, a murderer at heart, a blasphemer, and a thief in God's eyes (and these are just four of the Ten Commandments). You know this is true because God placed the knowledge of His absolute good moral code inside you. Your conscience, which is right now telling you that these are wrong, and that (absent salvation) when you stand before Him on Judgement Day, you will be guilty.

You know it by how you feel: ashamed, perhaps embarrassed, convicted. You also know that guilt demands punishment, and the Bible tells us that the punishment for sin is eternity in hell.

If that concerns you, then you should also know that Christ died on the cross, and was resurrected three days later, just as He said He would, as a sign to you and all of humanity that He is the only way of salvation from the coming judgment. Once you understand this, you need do only two things: repent, and make Christ your Lord.

Repentance means to stop in your tracks, recognize that you are a sinner, that you are tired of a lifestyle as a rebel. You are ready to conform to God's desire: To seek after God; To live for God.

Making Christ your Lord means that you will pray to Him, read His Word (the Bible), and obey His commandments. You recognize that He is in charge and that you are ready to allow Him to control your every thought and deed.

If you are ready to repent and surrender, then cry out to Him in prayer. He will hear the prayer of the repentant. Then, read your Bible and do what it says. Find a local church (you can get help here or here). Living Waters also has some material that may help: Save Yourself Some Pain.

Men frequently deny the obvious. The Bible foretells that although men deny God's existence, they will have no excuse on Judgment Day:

"For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse." Romans 1:20

The time to stop denying is now.

Ask Jesus Into Your Heart? What Verse Is That?

2009-09-12T12:00:00.000-04:00

So many people today believe they are Christians because at some point they "asked Jesus into their heart". In addition, many of these same people try to lead others to Christ by giving a testimony and encouraging them to "ask Jesus into your heart".

Isn't this the way people are supposed to come to salvation, by asking Jesus into their heart?

No, it is not. To prove it to yourself, try to find a Bible verse to support it. You cannot. The fact is, asking Jesus into your heart is a man-centered gospel message.

I have asked several people who believe in this approach to salvation, "Where in the Bible do you find support for telling someone to 'ask Jesus into your heart'?" The responses are typically: Romans 10:9-10 and Acts 8:37.

Let's consider each of these verses, beginning with Acts 8:37, which reads (NASB):

"And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”

This occurs during a conversation between Philip and an Ethiopian eunuch. The conversation follows the command from an angel of the Lord for Philip to go over and speak to the Ethiopian.

During this conversation, Philip explains how Jesus was the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies, and clearly shares the gospel. In addition, from the context we can confidently infer that Philip explained baptism as an act of obedience to demonstrate your re-birth as a Christian. (Acts 8:25-40). It is at this point that Philip says, "if you believe with all your heart, you may." Philip is talking about Baptism, which should only follow true repentance and faith. Philip understood this, and it is clear from the context that the Ethiopian understood this as well. It is also clear that 'asking Jesus into his heart' is not what happened here.

In addition, the Greek word that is translated "believe" is pisteuo, which means to commit one's trust to, or to place your confidence in. It is clear that a belief such as this is not the type of hope that is associated with crossing one's fingers, or hoping that just maybe something might be true. This is a belief that is certain. This is a belief that allows you to take confident steps in an uncertain and ever-changing world.

What about Romans 10:9-10, which says:

"that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation."

Frequently, those who claim that "asking Jesus into your heart" is all that is required, skip right past the opening phrase, "if you confess with your mouth."

Confess what? Read on as the passage explains that you must confess "that Jesus is Lord."

Salvation is not about you asking Jesus into your heart, it is about confessing that Jesus is Lord. As Lord, He decides if He will provide salvation, not you. How does He make this decision? According to his own words, only if you "Repent, and believe the gospel." (Mark 1:15)

Repentance means that you agree with God that His standard is the right standard, that you have fallen short of His standard through the many sins you have committed, and you are ready to give up control of your life to Him. You are saying, 'Not my will, Lord, but yours. Not my way, Lord, but yours.' Turn from your life of seeking to fulfill the pleasures of the flesh, and begin to obey Christ as Lord of your life.

Once you confess in this way by crying out to God for mercy, you have demonstrated that you believe in your heart (that is, you place your confidence in God). Only then will Jesus save you from the wrath you deserve.

Jesus is not a product that can be taken off the shelf at your whim, consumed to make you feel better, and then put into the pantry until you need Him again. You are a sinner. Your lying, theft, lust, hatred, disobedience, dishonoring God, coveting others' possessions, and more have condemned you. You are not in control. You deserve to be cast out. Christ will save you only if you repent, and believe the gospel.

Christ endured horrific pain in the flesh, and (more importantly) the pouring out of God's wrath so that you and I could be forgiven. The fact that some people think salvation is a matter of placing a courtesy call to the Lord God makes me shudder in fear for their false confidence.. (Matt 7:21-23)

Revelation Song

2009-08-19T09:00:00.000-04:00

The Revelation Song is about how God has revealed Himself to us, not about some fresh understanding of God. We already have an understanding of who God is:

Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD God Almighty. He alone provides salvation, through Jesus Christ, for fallen sinners like you and me.

If only people would not forget this.

He is Holy. He is Just. He is God. He is all we need.

There is nothing wrong with looking for a new revelation, a new understanding, a deeper, fresh understanding... as long as you are looking for it in God's Word.

That is called spiritual growth. Along with such growth comes an increased desire to please the Lord, to live for the Lord, to surrender to the Lord, to rely upon the Lord.

Unfortunately, too many people think they can find new understandings through men who proclaim new revelations, new insight, which God has revealed uniquely to them and only as they allow their mind to break free of the chains of the plain meaning of the text.

Such proclamations mock God. He was able to record His Holy Word for mankind to understand plainly. Mankind did not need to wait 2000 years before, suddenly through a fallen man, the Holy Bible could be understood.

"There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." -- Proverbs 14:12

Surrender to Christ alone. Read the Bible. Do what it says. Repeat. Spiritual growth is no more complicated than this. Then, go and tell the gospel to someone who does not know the Lord.

As for the Revelation Song... I love this song because it recognizes the holiness of God. This always leads to true worship.

Christian: Remember What You Have Heard

2009-04-01T09:00:00.000-04:00

Have you ever done a "double-take"?

You know, where you look at something, look away, then feel compelled to look again?

The term supposedly originates from movie directors wanting to study a scene one more time to make certain everything was filmed correctly. This double-look at the take eventually found its way into the common vernacular to mean: looking a second time, or looking more intently.

In a recent Bible Study, our group was looking at a passage from Revelation 3. As the discussion continued, I found myself doing a double-take, and looking intently at verse 3.

To quickly summarize, Revelation 3:1-6 documents a letter to the church of Sardis which Christ had the apostle John write down. Christ acknowledges the works of the church, but condemns them for activities that are empty of worship. In His words, "you have a name that you were alive, but you are dead."

Christ then says, "Wake up..."

It is a stern, forceful, attention grabbing command. He wants their full attention.

We now arrive at verse 3, where Christ gives the church direction. His instruction, which caused me to double-take, is "remember what you have received and heard;"

What had they "received and heard"?

We need to remember that Christ is writing a letter to the church in Sardis. The church is the body of Christ, so these are believers; or non-believers who are part of a body of believers. Therefore, what they had "received and heard" was the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, and very specifically, the gospel.

Why was it important for the church of Sardis to remember what they had received and heard? I think the answer is two-fold. On first read, I think he is telling them to remember the source of salvation: Christ alone. As they perform their works, they are to perform them as an act of worship to their savior.

In addition, I think He is telling them that going out into the world and doing a bunch of works is meaningless if they do not share the gospel!

How do I draw this conclusion? Because the church of Sardis was known as an active church in a mostly non-Christian city. They were actively involved in the community. This was probably similar to how many churches today are involved in communities: clothing drives, feeding the hungry, helping the sick, caring for those who are at the end of their rope, taking in the homeless, or repairing damaged homes. The list of things churches, then and now, get involved in is endless. But without the gospel, it is also meaningless for more than a short time.

Christian, "Wake up!" Remember what you have received and heard!

Looking good before a fallen world is meaningless if you leave those you help as hopeless, lost, and doomed as they were before you dug the new well, painted a few walls, or filled an empty belly.

Remember that "faith comes from hearing, and hearing from the Word".

Remember that we are not called to go into the world and act like nice people, we are to go into the world and make disciples! (Matt 28:19).

If you are involved in community activities, thank you for physically expressing the love of the Lord. But sooner or later your witness must become verbal. As Paul wrote in the second letter to the Corinthians, "But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed, therefore I spoke,” we also believe, therefore we also speak..." (4:13)

Overcoming The Fear Of One-On-One Witnessing

2009-03-20T08:03:00.002-04:00

Too frequently I have passed up opportunities to share the gospel. I’m not talking about the times I’ve looked back on a situation and suddenly realized that God gave me a perfect opportunity, but I did not recognize it. I am talking about those times when I know, clearly, this is an opportunity, and I don’t take it. I just could not get the words out. It’s nearly always because of pride, which manifests itself as fear.

Recently, I as I read through Paul’s letter’s to the Corinthians, I was struck by the fact that he, clearly one of the best examples we have of a witness for Christ, also struggled with fear and pride. Thankfully, his words can help us overcome these self-imposed feelings. Below are a few of the verses that helped me recently to share the gospel with a lost person. I hope they help you the next time you have an opportunity to share the good news of the gospel.

In 2 Cor 1:3-4, Paul tells us that God is “the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction...” The word for affliction can also mean crushing pressure, something we perceive as extremely difficult to overcome, such as fear welling up inside. Paul says that even in times like these, God is merciful, and comforting, even to the point of abundance (v5)! Imagine that. We can trust in God to fill us comfort to the point of overflowing!

In 2 Cor 1:8, Paul describes the mental and physical torment he suffered from, so much so that he and his companions were “burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life;” What was the source of this suffering? Was it similar to what we face today: the fear of asking a question, or of having someone get annoyed and walk away, or to refuse to speak with us? No, Paul’s torment was real and physical. He believed he was to suffer a horrific execution for his evangelism.

How our fears pale in comparison! Thankfully, we can depend on the same God to deliver us that Paul depended on to deliver him. Paul did not rely upon clever mental tricks, or smooth language, or in-depth study. 2 Cor 1:9-10 says Paul and his companions purposely minimized their own abilities “so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope.” God has the ability to save anyone, at anytime, from any peril. Trust Him. Set your hope in Him. Allow Him to conquer your fears.

Is there any fear we should cling to, that we should hope for? Oh, yes, but it’s a fear that God can use to save the lost.

2 Cor 5:11 says, “Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men…” Paul clearly understood what faced men after death, “it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment.” (Heb 9:27) The fear we should hope for is a genuine fear in the heart of the person we share the gospel with. Our fear should be nothing, their fear should be all consuming, leading them to realize that without God’s mercy, offered through Christ Jesus, they will face a God of wrath on Judgment Day.

Once you cling to the hope that others will fear God, then the love of Christ will control you (2 Cor 5:14) not a self-imposed fear of man. That’s when you will join the ranks of the “ambassadors for Christ” (v20), to become one of those who represent the One who sent them: not in fear, but in resolve and obedience.

From the letters to the Corinthians, we see that Paul clearly understood his hope as a forgiven child of Christ. You too can claim these promises and victories, such as 2 Cor 3:12, “Therefore having such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech...” to give up your fear to God and boldly share the gospel with the lost.

Just as their is no place for darkness in light, there is no place for fear in true faith, hope, and obedience. (John 8:12, 1 John 1:5)

Another Evolution Story Proving Creation...

2009-01-16T09:00:00.000-05:00

For many, this is the "Year of Darwin" as they celebrate the 100th anniversary of his birth.

I find tremendous irony in the activities planned not only here, but around the world, to celebrate the birth of Darwin. The same people who are celebrating his birth routinely mock or persecute Christians for celebrating the birth of Jesus. But, I digress.

The point of evolution is frequently to prove the Bible is in error. After all, if evolutionists can prove that creation is just a story, then they can argue that morals, salvation, redemption, Christ, resurrection, etc., are also mere stories. If the Bible is not the authority, then each person (well, actually, the biggest person) gets to set the rules. That's why they work so hard to prove that life spontaneously generated, and that we're all nothing more than gelatin that figured out how to grow eyes, legs, and complex organs.

Such is the case with researchers at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California.

According to Fox News, on January 13, 2009, this group of scientists are reporting that are witnessing self-replicating molecules in the lab-environment, that "even evolve and compete".

I am certain that evolutionists all around the world are greeting this story with glee, and are ready to confront the next Christian who dares mention the creation account given in Genesis.

They desperately (even through the power of law) try to force us to accept this evolution nonsense, but they refuse to consider the Hand of God in the wonderful design of the universe.

Consider this recent story, however, as another example of their desperation as revealed when we look closely at how they must qualify their work. To illustrate this, I've bolded some of their language as I quote portions of the article.

The title of the article contains the first clue: "Life As We Know It Nearly Created In Lab"

Nearly? Is that science? Nearly? My junior high science teacher would not have accepted a paper from me if I reported on the results of an experiment I "nearly" achieved.

The article then talks about the 'science' that pins the mystery of life "down to roughly" chemical reactions which occurred 4 billion years ago (a number which seems to change every year, and is almost certain to change again this year) to "perhaps in a primordial soup or maybe with the help of volcanoes or possibly at the bottom of the sea..."

I'm not making this up, and we're only 45 words into the article! So far the article has already identified numerous assumptions: "roughly... perhaps... maybe..." and "possibly". My science teacher called these "guesses".

Remember that this stuff is forcably taught to your children in public schools. Somehow the qualifiers are dropped and suddenly this stuff is described as fact.

But our article is just getting started. There's more we can find without being much of a detective.

The very next paragraph says that the scientists "have created something in the lab that is tantilizingly close to what might have happened" long ago.

Wait a minute! The scientists created this stuff? Um, are they arguing for the Bible now? Genesis 1 describes how God "created" the world, the universe, the stars, the planets, and everything else. Now, scientists are demonstrating that organized chemical reactions require creation. Why isn't that the story? Of course, God did not need a fancy lab, or a model to follow, or millions of dollars, or multiple researchers to make attempt after attempt until He sort of got it right.

Further, these researchers talk about materials that might be "tantalizingly close" to what "might have happened"? This is the state of modern science, and we are supposed to believe this?

Why are Christians afraid of any of this evolution nonsense? The best science can come up with is demonstrating that you need a modern lab environment, meticulous design, carefully planned out conditions, to maybe demonstrate something that might have happened?

Ah, but the article continues. The scientists then say that what they created is, "not life..." But they did manage to build molecules that self-replicate. Some accomplishment! They studied God's creation, then designed some simple replica that is not life. This is a scientific breakthrough? It seems like proof of God's design to me.

What they did was try to re-create simple RNA. But, the article admits, "RNA can't run a life form on it's own" but it "might have been" involved billions of years ago. It just needed some "chemical fix" to make the leap. I suppose that in the beginning the RNA phoned up the local chemical fix-it shop to request assistance?

Finally, the article talks about the known roles of RNA and DNA (the real building block of life), and reveals that "In today's world, RNA is dependent on DNA for performing its roles..."

So, DNA is needed for RNA to have any function. But, the scientists think that RNA somehow might lead to DNA. This means that their experiment is working in reverse! DNA is needed for RNA to have any function, but they are working to prove that RNA can lead to DNA? I think they should consult their textbooks. The experiment is in direct conflict with what is known by scientists today.

Come on, Christian, stand firm in your faith (1 Cor 15:58). The evolutionists have no certain knowledge, only a bunch of theories, money, and political clout to force feed their world-view upon others.

It's ironic that they are proving creation with their experiments, yet they work fiecely to force our silence regarding the magnificent design and creation recorded in the Bible.

New Survey Shows Most Self-Described Christians Ignore Biblical Truth

2009-01-08T09:00:00.002-05:00

Shortly after Christ was captured by Roman soldiers, at the insistance of the Jewish leaders, He was brought before Pontius Pilate. As the Roman governor of Judea, Pilate could pass sentence on Christ, or free Him.

As Pilate considered the fate of the Savior, he asked Him, "What is truth?"

The Greek word that is translated "truth" is aletheia (pronounced al·ay·thi·a). This word means, essentially: that which is objective in any matter. Another definition is: certainty, fact.

Truth is a question mankind has wrestled with, and, according to a new survey from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public life, Christians today fail to recognize what is truth.

Before I jump to the results of the survey, let's cover a few Biblical definitions of truth:

God is truth (Deut 32:4, Isa 65:16) and His truth is unchanging (Num 23:19, Titus 1:2)
The Bible is God's Word (Isa 34:16, Rom 1:2)
The Bible is True (Psalm 119:160)
Christ is truth (John 1:17)
The gospel is truth (Eph 1:13, 1 Thess 2:13)

From this we know that the Bible is the true Word of God, and that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is part of that truth.

What is the gospel of Jesus Christ?

In John 14:6, Jesus answers Thomas about the only path to heaven when He says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me."

Further, as you read the Bible, you discover that the path to Christ is repentance from sin (Matt 4:17, 2 Cor 7:10, Rev 3:3), and surrendering your life to Christ (Rom 6:19, Col 4:1, 1 Cor 7:22).

The Bible also warns us that many people will miss the truth of the gospel. Read Matthew 7:13-14:

"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it."

It appears that most of America's self-reporting Christians are looking at a wide gate.

Note: The term Christian, as used by the survey, is self-reported. That is, a person is a "Christian" if they call themselves a Christian. This is an objective standard. For the balance of this article, you can assume that I am using the objective standard. However, my desire is that people turn to God's standard (as shown above) and become true Christians.

Consider the fact that this new study finds that most Christians in America believe that you need not be a repentant slave to Christ to obtain salvation.

In fact, an astounding 65% of Christians say that many religions can lead to salvation! Before you dismiss this number and think, "well, there are Episcopal's and Baptists and Lutherans..." that is NOT what the survey respondents meant by "many religions". Upon further questioning, the Pew Forum discovered,

More than 8 in 10 say that at least one non-Christian religion can provide Salvation.
69% say that Judaism provides salvation
52% say that salvation can be found in Islam
53% say Hinduism can provide salvation
An astonishing 56% say that people with "no religious faith" can still obtain salvation, and
Most amazingly, 42% say that atheists can obtain salvation.

How? Well, according to the survey respondents, all of these people can achieve salvation by what they believe or by their actions. What Bible verse is that?

If these self-reported Christians do not understand how others can achieve eternal life, what does that say about their own walk with the Lord?

Please, if your views conflict with the scripture above about the gospel, consider the following passage from Matthew 7:21-23,

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.

Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?'

And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'"

The only way we can know the truth... the only way we can share the truth... the only way to obtain salvation is to search out the truth of the gospel in the Bible.

The Bible is truth. The gospel is truth. Surveys are not. Beliefs are not. Feelings are not.

Know the truth, and share it with others... even those who sit in church with you.

The State of Modern Evangelism

2009-01-02T09:00:00.001-05:00

I subscribe to a daily e-mail feed called Grace Gems. Each day I receive a devotional writing. Some are short, some are long. Some reference audio for listening.

I found the one from New Year's Day very instructive with regard to evangelism. I have reproduced it below (Grace Gems uses Public Domain materials, and gives permission for use of their material). This message was originally produced by Arthur Pink. The emphasis found is mine. I hope you enjoy this excerpt. If so, you can find the full message here.

Arthur Pink, "Present Day Evangelism"

The nature of Christ's salvation, is woefully misrepresented by the present-day "evangelist." He announces a Savior from hell--rather than a Savior from sin! And that is why so many are fatally deceived, for there are multitudes who wish to escape the Lake of fire--who have no desire to be delivered from their carnality and worldliness!

The very first thing said of Him in the New Testament is--"You shall call His name Jesus--for He shall save His people...[not "from the wrath to come," but] from their sins" (Matthew 1:21). Christ is a Savior for those realizing something of the exceeding sinfulness of sin, who feel the awful burden of it on their conscience, who loathe themselves for it, and who long to be freed from its terrible dominion. He is a Savior for no others. Were He to "save from hell" those still in love with sin, He would be a minister of sin, condoning their wickedness and siding with them against God. What an unspeakably horrible and blasphemous thing, with which to charge the Holy One!

True, as the Christian grows in grace, he has a clearer realization of what sin is--rebellion against God; and a deeper hatred of and sorrow for it. But to think that one may be saved by Christ, whose conscience has never been smitten by the Spirit, and whose heart has not been made contrite before God--is to imagine something which has no existence in the realm of fact. "It is not the healthy who need a doctor--but the sick" (Matthew 9:12). The only ones who really seek relief from the great Physician, are those who are sick of sin--who long to be delivered from its God-dishonoring works, and its soul-defiling pollutions.

As Christ's salvation is a salvation from sin--from the love of it, from its dominion, from its guilt and penalty--then it necessarily follows, that the first great task and the chief work of the evangelist, is to preach upon SIN: to define what sin (as distinct from crime) really is, to show wherein its infinite enormity consists, to trace out its manifold workings in the heart, to indicate that nothing less than eternal punishment is its desert!

Ah, preaching upon sin will not make him popular nor draw the crowds, will it? No, it will not; and knowing this, those who love the praise of men more than the approbation of God, and who value their salary above immortal souls, trim their sales accordingly!

Are You Ready? (Part 2)

2008-12-31T09:00:00.001-05:00

My previous post asked what you might say to share the gospel at a funeral. But in thinking about this post, not much changes for other situations. Why? Because when sharing the gospel, God doesn't need your wisdom added to His gospel. You do, however, need to show love toward your audience. This may require some discretion in how you choose your words.

What would you say if given the opportunity to share the gospel? Would you talk only of God's love? Would you talk of peace and prosperity? Would you share scripture about blessings and long life, or trials and persecution?

I believe the right thing to do is rely upon scripture for the answers, and a great place to start is in learning how Christ shared the truth with those He encountered. One example is found in John 4:7-26. This is probably one of the best known examples on one-on-one evangelism. As you scan the passage, notice several things.

The passage describes Christ having a normal conversation with a woman at a public gathering place.

In verse 7 He turned the conversation to spiritual topics by relating the natural world to the spiritual world.

In verses 16-18, He shared the truth of her fallen state with her by using the Law (the Ten Commandments).

When she recognized her hopelessness, He revealed grace to her (v26).

As you study the New Testament, you find that this is the approach used repeatedly by the disciples and by Christ (see, for example, Acts 5 and Acts 17). It's clear this is the same approach we should use when sharing the gospel.

What about prosperity, love, and a better life? First of all, not everyone experiences prosperity, love, and a better life as a Christian. In addition, what do you say to someone who surrenders to Christ, then experiences serious illness or the loss of a job? Where's the prosperity, love and better life? Chances are that person did not surrender to Christ, they desired a better life now. More stuff. More leasure. Fewer worries. That's feeding pride, not surrendering to the Savior.

If you can't share the gospel without talking about prosperity, then you're not teaching a Biblical gospel message. Look what the disciples went through. Persecution, hard life, confrontation, and martyrdom. But, too many Christians today want to talk all about love and prosperity. It's simply not Biblical. Besides, what would you say to someone on their death bed, or on death row? That, "the sun will come out tomorrow!"? As Mark Cahill says, "If it doesn't preach on death row, don't preach it."

In addition, scripture promises that Christians are to be set apart from the world. In the words of Chris Walker, pastor of Hamilton Baptist Church in Hamilton, Virginia, "Conversion is a declaration of war against the flesh, the world, and the devil." In other words, you're in for a bumpy ride. It's a ride where you have the best pilot ever, but it will not be uneventful.

With all that as background, let's get you in front of your funeral audience. What do you say? If you haven't decided yet, allow me to share what I said.

I began by talking about the life of Mrs. Duncan. I noted one of her favorite songs, Amazing Grace, and read a few lyrics from the updated version by Chris Tomlin. Those lyrics are: "My chains are gone, I've been set free, My God my Savior has ransomed me."

I then asked what terms like chains, freedom, ransom... terms frequently used when discussing slavery, have to do with us? Then I turned to scripture, specifically, John 8:34-36, which reads, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.... if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed."

I then spent time talking about what sin is, examples of sin (by walking through a few of the Ten Commandments), the price for sinning against a Holy God, and our only hope for redemption... our only hope for a ransom that can free us from the chains of sin that hold us in bondage to sin (repentance and surrender).

If you find yourself asked to share the gospel at a funeral, or if you get an opportunity to share the gospel with a co-worker, friend, family member, or stranger, follow the model that Christ and the disciples gave to us:

Talk about the natural world.

Turn the conversation to the spiritual.

Explain sin by using the Ten Commandments.

Explain that without repentance and surrender to Christ, there is no redemption from the slavery of sin.

Until next time: Be ready. Then be bold!

Are You Ready?

2008-12-29T09:00:00.000-05:00

Mozelle Duncan passed away December 15th, just twelve days shy of her ninety-ninth birthday. Two days later, my wife and I were asked to speak at her funeral.

If you received this call, what would you say? I don't mean how would you answer the initial question. Of course you agree to speak. My question is, what would you say at the funeral service?

As you think about that question, let's talk for a minute about training.

In small and large communities across the country young people participate in competitive sports. When you talk to these young men and women, you eventually learn two interesting facts:

Training is hard work, and they would frequently prefer to skip it.
In competition you may face only a few critical moments, but without all the training, you will fall short.

In the same way, many Christians prefer to skip the hard work of daily Bible study, prayer, and learning all they can about their faith. But there is nothing like a sudden confrontation with life to make you realize that obedience to scripture is one way God prepares us for trials and challenges.

First Peter 3:15, for example, commands Christians to always be ready to explain their faith to others. It reads:

"...but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence"

To sanctify is to set apart, or to place in a unique (in this case, Holy) position. Christ should be the most important part of every Christian's life. Set time aside, set energy aside, so that you are always prepared to defend your faith and explain the gospel. Do this in concert with the Holy Spirit so that you can do so with love, gentleness, respect.

Is that what you do, Christian? Do you set Christ above your busy schedule? Do you prioritize reading His Word above other activities in your life? Do you study the common objections to your faith?

Or, like most people, do you base your theology on what you remember from Sunday School lessons, or the occasional sermon that you agree with? Do you spend more time watching TV or YouTube than studying God's Word? Do you talk to people at the office more than you talk to the Lord? If so, how can you be obedient to scripture such as 1 Peter 3:15?

Too often I am disobedient, and allow the activities of the day to consume my time and energy. Then, I was confronted with the phone call asking me to speak at a funeral. It was yet another reminder of why God's Word is vastly more wise than my best day-planner habits.

As my wife and I prayed about and discussed what do say, we soon decided that she would speak about memories of her grandmother, focusing on how her love of the Lord enabled so much of her love toward her children and others. Then, I would give a gospel message.

What would you do in this situation? Would you know what to say? Would you spend all your time talking about God's love, ignoring the persistent persecution documented in the New Testament? Would you talk about how God can make your life better, knowing that everyone struggles? What scripture would you choose if you have only one opportunity to share with a room full of people, many of whom you will never see again?

Next time, I will tell you some of the answers I have discovered to these questions. In the meantime, spend some time considering how you would share the hope that is within you if you were to stand behind the podium of a dear relative's funeral.

Do Not Just WATCH The Local Christmas Parade

2008-12-14T09:00:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was the local Christmas Parade in our small town.

I suppose it's not that small. We've grown quite a bit over the past few years. The total population is about 5000. Still, we're no New York City, or Washington, D.C.

The closest highly populated city is about 28 miles away, with about 50,000 people. Of course, we normally go there for shopping and events. They rarely come to our town.

This morning my son and I headed to town for the Christmas Parade. Not to stand and watch, but to hand out tracts.

We expected several hundred people to line Main Street and watch the local dog-owner clubs, Girl Scouts, Pee-Wee Football Team, and fire equipment roll past.

We arrived about 45 minutes before the start of the parade, and found no one on the streets. No one.

Our little shopping centers (there are two) were busier than usual, but not a single family or lawn chair lined the street.

Perhaps it was because of the temperature? Thirty-four degrees is cold, but not unusual, for this time of year. Still, the sky was blue, and the air was calm. If you stayed in the sun, you could stay fairly warm without being bundled like Randy, the little brother in the movie, A Christmas Story, who had to waddle to school and could not get up when he fell down.

My son and I decided to stick it out. I had prayed before we left, and I was confident there were people who needed to hear or read the gospel. So, we waited. Surely, someone would come.

Only fifteen minutes before the parade was scheduled to begin, we started walking toward the assembly point. My plan was to walk alongside the parade all the way to the end, handing out tracts as we went.

But as we walked to the starting point, we saw only a few people... perhaps three to five each block. Still, we could see that some people were there all along, remaining inside their cars, enjoying the warmth. The promise of small crowds increased as we approached the drums, bagpipes, and police auxiliary who milled about for the start of the festivities.

As the escort car began to roll down the street, I crossed over. My son would take one side, I would take the other, and we'd meet up at the end.

We handed out Christmas Cash from Custom Tract Source. They were perfect! There is a picture of Santa on what appears to be a million dollar bill. On the back is a wonderful gospel presentation.

All we did was walk along with the parade, say "Merry Christmas" and hold the tracts out. People snatched them up with a cheery, "Thank you. Merry Christmas!"

We handed out over 600 tracts!

Here is some of the work we saw God do today:

Many, many people appeared!
Only about six or eight people declined to take the tracts, and some of them were probably just trying to keep their hands warm.
We arrived at the end of the parade route at almost the exact minute the parade ended.
I ran out of tracts completely just as the parade ended. My son had another pack in his pocket, but he gave out the last of the open tracts at about the same time I did.
Just as the parade ended, and my son handed out his last two tracts, he was able to witness to two young men.
One witnessing discussion my son had begun with a young man stating that God does not exist, and ended with him confessing that he needed to repent and give his life to Christ!

Interestingly, we saw several people we knew from local churches along the parade route, watching. While there is nothing wrong with watching parades, if we always watch, who is sharing the gospel? No one.

Next year, consider walking with the parade and sharing the gospel. I can promise you, you will be glad you did.

Two Amazing Witnessing Opportunities - Part 2

2008-12-11T09:12:00.003-05:00

As a Christian, I am so very grateful for God's Word. It reveals God's character, answers most of our questions, and provides examples of true discipleship.

I did a search for the word "continually" in the New Testament, using the NASB Bible. I found that Christ's disciples were, at times, continually worshiping Him (Luke 24:53), continually praying (Acts 1:14), continually learning (Acts 2:42), continually loving others (Acts 9:36), and continually sharing the gospel (throughout the New Testament, but see especially the Book of Acts). So, when we share the gospel, the wrong attitude to have is, "Been there, done that." Our attitude should be to continually share.

Unfortunately, too often this is not my attitude. Sometimes I am tired, or upset, or allow my pride to get in the way, or have a conversation that went poorly. Rather than continually renewing myself in Christ, I stop sharing the gospel.

Thankfully, the day I shared the gospel with Beth was not like that. I had set my pride aside, decided that I would not allow Beth's eternal destination rest upon chance, and had a wonderful conversation with a sister in Christ.

That's when it struck me: I don't know if her mother is saved.

My wife and I are part of a support group that enables Beth's mother to work regularly. Some people spend a few hours with Beth, we spend one day each week with her. Beth's mom frequently comes home very late, and very tired. "How," I thought to myself, "am I going to share the gospel with Beth's mother?"

It never ceases to amaze me how inventive the human mind is. We can imagine all kinds of scenarios where a conversation will go poorly, or circumstances will prevent us from sharing the gospel, or how the other person will be insulted, etc., etc. Here I was imagining all the reasons why I would not be able to talk to Beth's mom about Christ.

So, I prayed.

I prayed that God would give me an opportunity. I prayed that my pride would not get in the way, and that I would not allow the opportunity He gave me to slip by.

Just a few hours later, God answered that prayer when Beth's mother walked in the house early, and energetic!

She even sat down to play a game with the three of us.

After a few minutes, I started praying again that I would take the next opportunity to turn the conversation from worldly topics to eternal ones.

Then, something amazing happened. Beth said to me, "Why don't you ask my mom what you asked me this afternoon?"

I did not have to bring up the gospel, Beth did! It was almost as if God was saying, "You want an opportunity? Here you go!"

So, I turned to her and said, "If you died tonight, are you 100% certain that you would go to heaven?"

Our conversation went on for several minutes, and since then Beth's mom has asked some interesting questions about the gospel. I now have an ongoing opening to continue our conversation about the gospel. "Hey, remember that question you asked me?" is a sentence I often use to restart the conversation.

If you haven't witnessed to a friend or family member, please do. Then, start sharing the gospel with the next member of the family, or the next member of your sports team, your club, or class.

And please pray for Beth and her mother.

Two Amazing Witnessing Opportunities

2008-12-10T10:37:00.004-05:00

You've probably heard people say that if you are willing to share the gospel, Christ will create opportunities for you, especially when you pray for such opportunities. This became amazingly real to me recently.

Remember: We should be more than willing to share the gospel if we love love Christ and those around us. As Christians, both should be acts of obedience and thanks.

In Matthew 22:36-39, Christ answers the Sadducees question about the greatest commandment. He says, "'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.'"

One way to love the Lord is to obey His commandments (John 14:15), and there are a number of commands in the Old and New Testament about sharing Biblical truth, especially the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Back to my story.

In June of 2008 a dear friend of ours was involved in a serious car accident, and nearly died. For this article, we'll call her Beth.

Beth is a sweet young woman, and we love her dearly. But, we had never shared the gospel with her.

She had attended church, so we assumed she was a Christian. I have learned, however, that this is not a safe assumption. There are many people who attend church every week, but do so out of obligation, or obedience to the parents, or because it's a great place to socialize. I once met a man who regularly attended church because it was a great place to acquire clients for his real estate business.

During recovery, Beth was in a coma for several months. My son and I decided that once she was able to interact and understand, we would share the gospel. We did not want to take another chance that she might die without hearing the gospel.

Now that my son is off at college, the responsibility fell to me. As the weeks went by and she continued to improve, it became obvious that Beth was lucid enough for a conversation about eternal matters. So, as the day approached for a visit, I prayed that I would have an opportunity, and that I would be bold and obedient enough to take it.

We have gotten into the habit of reading from the Bible after each lunch with Beth. So, as lunch wound down, I silently prayed again for an opportunity, and for boldness. We completed reading the passage from the Bible, and followed that with a short discussion. "Now," I thought, "is the time." So, I asked Beth, "If you had died in your accident, what do you think would have happened next?"

Beth smiled.

For any Christians who are reading this and are afraid to share the gospel, read that again.

Beth smiled!

What a blessing you are missing if you don't share the gospel. What a wonderful reward when you share the gospel with someone and they appreciate it, understand their predicament and trust in Christ, or share your love for the Lord.

Beth and I had a wonderful conversation about our standing before God, our need for the Savior, and salvation. I prayed for the opportunity, God provided one, and then blessed the encounter! Even more important, I now know for certain that Beth will one day be in heaven with us.

But, that's not the end of this story. You see, Beth has a mother, and it suddenly dawned on me: I don't know if Beth's mom is a Christian.

Next time... as Paul Harvey says... "The rest of the story!"

What Every Christian Should Know About Gospel Tracts, Part 2

2008-12-02T09:00:00.000-05:00

In the first part of this short series of posts, I discussed what a tract is, what to look for in a tract, and where to find tracts with sound gospel messages. I also explained why you should read every tract you plan to purchase or hand out.

This time, I will briefly cover the cost of tracts (and give a couple pointers on how to reduce your costs), describe how to distribute them, and answer the biggest question: Are they Biblical.

Let's begin with the biggest question: Are tracts Biblical?

Yes, you will be glad to know, they are.

Take a look at John 20:31. It's one of the verses that says that the gospel is written down so that others may believe. Another verse I often reference is Isaiah 55:11 says, “So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.” Tracts are based on these truths.

For most people, tracts are the easiest way to begin sharing the gospel with others.

You can begin in complete stealth. How? Simply carry tracts with you and always have them around at home.

Begin using tracts by stuffing them into bills or junk-mail return envelopes. When I receive junk mail, I open it, discard all the advertising, stuff a tract into the envelope, and return it. I will even use stamps for envelopes that are not "postage paid". When I send a bill, a tract goes along for the ride every single time. I recently started an on-line business, and every single package I mail includes a gospel tract.

You you travel for business or please and stay in hotels or other lodging, help future guests by bookmarking the restaurants section inside the Yellow Pages. Then, when you check out, leave the maid a tip and a million dollar bill tract in the Thank-You envelope you often find on the dresser or desk.

Next, start taking them with you everywhere you go. I like to keep a stack in the convenient ‘tract slot’ of the driver’s door that every auto manufacturer builds into cars. I’m sure your car has one too - though the engineers mistakenly call them "map pockets". Then, rather than park right next to the store, park beyond the other cars and as you walk slide tracts between the window and the weatherstripping right above the driver’s door handle.

When you pull into a gas station, look for those little “Please take one!” containers and put a tract inside.

My son and I recently went to the grocery store. I did not mind taking an extra minute or two as he walked down the beer aisle and slipped a tract into the convenient tract-deposit slots on the top of beer cases (some people use these slots as carrying handles too!).

Another favorite way to distribute tracts is to leave one with my tip every time we visit a restaurant.

You can also leave them in magazines as you browse the local bookstore (they already have several inserts anyway). Another favorite is to slip them into books that we browse at the local public library. Everyone needs a bookmark!

Once you start carrying them around, you’ll find that the number of places to leave them is limitless. So, start taking them with you everywhere.

Tracts are not very expensive. A typical pack of 100 will cost between $5 and $8 (plus shipping, and possibly tax). This means that it only costs about 5 to 8 cents to share the gospel. An eternity of meaning for less than a dime!

But, there are ways you can reduce your costs.

Shopping on the Internet usually means you don't have to pay sales tax. This can reduce your overall cost by 5 to 10%. The key is that you purchase your tracts from a company that does not have a brick and mortar store (or distribution center) within your state.

If you order in bulk, your shipping costs are nearly always lower. If your supplier does not automatically reduce shipping, send them an e-mail and ask for it. Most companies would prefer to reduce your shipping than see you walk away (or, click-away when shopping on-line).

If you volunteer to coordinate the evangelism effort, or tract distribution at your church, you might be able to arrange to split the shipping cost if you combine your personal orders with church orders. The larger order will probably have lower cost shipping, and you might be able to order larger quantities for greater discounts. You and the church benefit!

Finally, like everything else, tracts do go on sale. Watch your favorite sites, or subscribe to their e-mail alerts or newsletters. Tracts go on sale for a variety of reasons: introductions of new tracts, selling off of old tracts, and the promotion of seasonal tracts. In addition, some suppliers occasionally send out "Thank You" discount coupons to prior customers.

Now we come to the part where most people become uneasy: How to hand tracts to people.

I find that the vast majority of people (probably 80% or more) take a tract and say "Thank you!". How? I think the key is not in what you say, or how you approach them, it is in your heart.

If you have a true heart of concern and compassion for the lost, you will literally be filled with joy when someone approaches who might need to read the gospel. The smile on your face is enough to disarm nearly everyone who would normally walk coldly past.

So, pray that God would give you strength, boldness, and true joy for reaching the lost. Go to a public place (the more people the better). Get a tract into your right hand, and the next person who walks by (or who you walk by) do the following:

Smile
Make eye contact
Reach the tract out to them
Joyfully say, "Hi, did you get one of these?"

Most people will smile back, take the tract, and thank you.

If the person hesitates, just keep smiling, and holding the tract out.

If they don't take it, you might follow up with something like: "It's free!"

If they continue walking on their way, that's fine. It means that this tract is meant for the next person... praise God that you didn't give it to the wrong person!

It's that simple.

You probably now know more about gospel tracts than you need to, and certainly more than most Christians do. I hope you have enjoyed these posts.

Now go get some gospel tracts with a sound gospel message, carry them everywhere, and share the gospel of Jesus Christ!

What Every Christian Should Know About Gospel Tracts

2008-11-26T17:34:00.009-05:00

Today's topic is: Gospel Tracts.

Over the next few posts I will answer questions like: What are tracts? How expensive are they? What should you look for in a tract? Where can you get them? How can a Christian spread the gospel through tracts? Are they effective? Most importantly, are they Biblical?

The term "Tracts" is short for "Gospel Tracts." Most people use the two interchangeably.

I find that the best gospel tracts use an attention-grabbing image on one side, use bright complimentary colors around the text, or both. A glossy finish is preferred to minimize the effects of rain and to help draw they eye. The use of a material that is stiff, similar to most post cards, is better than thin paper. As you read about how to distribute tracts and you begin to use them, the importance of a stiff, glossy material quickly becomes evident.

If an image is used, it has one purpose: attract the eye and generate curiosity. Therefore, you should look for tracts that you find attractive or interesting. Chances are, the same image will be attractive and interesting to others.

Next, read the tract! I really can't stress this enough. You must read every tract you plan to purchase and distribute. A great image may draw the eye, but poor text is more likely to be immediately discarded. Even more importantly, you need to ensure that the gospel message is Biblical. For example, I like a number of tracts from the American Tract Society, but I don't use very many. The text is well researched and written, and the materials are top quality. However, the gospel message is weak, so although I read them for the information I rarely give them to non-believers. Tracts from the web sites listed in the left-hand column (see Recommended Evangelism Supplies) typically have very sound gospel presentations.

You should also read each tract so you can answer questions about it. While most people will take a tract that you offer, some will ask, "What is it?" That's not the time to suddenly realize that you have no idea what it says.

Not only do you educate yourself with the facts and points made in the text of a tract, they also include great examples of how to switch conversations from worldly topics, to spiritual topics (see an example of how Christ did this in John 4:7-26).

For example, the Mind Game tract from the Living Waters gospel tracts page shows a simple card trick, then includes this two sentence transition from the trick to a gospel presentation: "Most of us feel unintelligent when we find out how it's done. Of course, the most unintelligent thing any of us could ever do is ignore where we are going to spend eternity." Think of all the other ways you can change the topic of any conversation to things of eternity using this model!

Most importantly, tracts such as this one include a concise, but clear, gospel message: Repent, and put your complete trust in Jesus Christ as your savior (Mark 1:14-15).

Next time, I will continue the discussion of gospel tracts. Until then, be bold and remember that Christ can only work through you if you put some effort into the work.

No One Can Know What Happens After Death

2008-11-25T09:00:00.001-05:00

I recall witnessing to three young men on the Boardwalk at Ocean City, MD.

The Boardwalk is a great place to share the gospel for several reasons, mainly because it is crowded most of the summer.

One evangelist said, "Let others gather the lost, we'll witness to them."

The beach, the sun, the sand... God's creation helps gather so many people, but so do the bars, the prospect of meeting people of the opposite sex, late nights out, and other not-so wholesome activities.

This particular night was clear and warm. I began the conversation by handing these teenagers a tract and asking if I could ask them an interesting question. When they said, "Sure." I asked, "What do you think happens when you die?"

This is a great way to share the gospel, originally taught to me by Mark Cahill (markcahill.org). Mark's book, "One Thing You Can't Do In Heaven" is filled with stories and tips for sharing the gospel.

One of these teens, clearly a skeptic, replied sarcastically, "No one can know what happens when you die. No one has ever come back to tell us."

Really?

The Bible says that after placing Christ's body in a tomb and sealing it with a rock that could only be moved with significant effort, two Roman guards were placed at the entrance. This was a time when guards knew that any prisoner who escaped meant they would be punished in the same way the prisoner was scheduled to be punished. In this case, the guards would be put to death. These guys were motivated to do their best to ensure no one moved the stone and disturbed this grave site!

But what happened three days later? The tomb was empty. Christ was gone!

This was astounding enough. But the Bible also tells us that Jesus appeared several times after this, including once when Peter looked closely at His wounds, and once when Christ stood in front of more than 500 people.

These facts were written down and disseminated at a time when these witnesses were still alive, meaning they could be interviewed for verification, or they could dispute the reports. None ever did. No doubter at the time challenged these facts either.

So, the next time someone says to you, "No one can know what happens after death..." just give them the facts.

One did!

See Matthew 28:9-10; Mark 16:12; John 20:11-18, 20:24-29, 23:1-23; Luke 24:13-32, and especially Matthew 28:16-20 and I Corinthians 15:6

People Are Basically Good?

2008-11-21T09:00:00.000-05:00

If you get out and talk to people about spiritual matters, you'll find that atheists and agnostics tend to want evidence.

Fact and figures, they say, are what they base their beliefs upon.

These same people, when asked about human nature, often state they believe that "people are basically good."

The Bible teaches the opposite. Jeremiah 17:9 says, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked;" (NKJV)

Which is right, the non-believer or the Bible? The one who wants "evidence" or the written record of the God of the Universe?

Let's look at some facts and figures, some hard evidence, to find out.

Note: all of the following are from government agencies in the USA, about the USA.

In the USA alone, there are about 16,000 murders annually. About 6000 of those murders go unsolved. That means 1/3 of all murderers are walking the streets with you and me.

About 93,000 times each year, someone commits the crime of rape. Some claim this number is artificially low since many rapes go unreported.

Robbery is defined as "taking something from a person against their will." This happens about 401,000 times each year.

Theft is the act of entering a property without permission and removing property. How many times does this happen in the USA? About 2,143,000.

The city of Boise, Idaho reported recently that 79% of all crime is unsolved.

It's not hard to see that every day each one of us probably walks past, stands next to, drives behind, or chats with a fugitive from the law.

So which is correct, the non-believer who says "people are basically good", or the Bible which claims "the heart is deceitful and wicked"?

You wanted proof? There's your proof. You wanted evidence? Done. You wanted hard facts and figures that can be tested and verified? You got them.

The fact is, the Bible is right and the non-believers are wrong.

If you are a non-believer, consider this: if you are wrong about this, what else are you wrong about?

Of course, the non-believer reading this may think, "well, others may not be so good, but I'm a good person."

Really?

Are you willing to test that too? If you are, then I challenge you to take the good person test now.

Just click: Take The Good Person Test or go to http://www.wayofthemaster.com/goodperson.shtml

Why Do You Stand Watching?

2008-11-04T09:00:00.001-05:00

The Book of Acts opens by describing an amazing scene.

Christ, the risen savior, has appeared to over 500 people on more than eleven separate occasions. He has walked with them, spoken to them, eaten with them, and shown them his scars.

Now, they stand on Mount Olivet and He gives them one final instruction: "you shall be my witnesses, both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."

Then Christ rises into a cloud, to sit at the right hand of God the Father until He returns to earth.

What do His disciples do? They stand and watch.

Scripture tells us that two angels ask them "why do you stand looking into the sky?"

Today's Christians are too often like the disciples standing on Mount Olivet that night. We know Christ's commandments to "preach the gospel," to "be ready, in season and out," and to be Christ's witnesses in all the world, and yet, too often we stand around and watch.

We watch sports, we watch TV, we watch people walk by, we watch time tick away... when we should be sharing the truth with others.

Why do we stand watching?

Perhaps a better question is, how can we stand watching when we know the truth? How can we keep quiet when we know that the path to destruction is wide, but the road to righteousness is narrow? How can we watch people walk by when we know that without Christ those people are doomed on Judgment Day?

Today, stop gazing. Today, stop watching. Today, start sharing the gospel by handing out tracts or sharing the gospel with those around you.

For information on how to hand out tracts, or share the gospel, see the resources listed on the left-hand side of this blog.

Festivals... Why they are the perfect place to share the gospel.

2008-10-23T09:00:00.000-04:00

Weekends can be beautiful here in the mid-Atlantic. The trees display magnificent colors, certainly better than any man-made fireworks display; the air is crisp and clean; the sky is sparkling blue. What better time for outdoor activities and festivals?

One local community held a typical fall festival a few weekends ago. They line the streets with vendors, community groups, businesses, or anyone else willing to fill out an application and pay a nominal fee. On some streets I found amusements for children, on others demonstrations by skateboarders and martial arts groups. Everywhere people were milling about to take in the sights.

Festivals such as this are perfect places to meet others and share the gospel. If you've never shared the gospel before, there are a number of reasons you should begin at the next festival near you.

For one thing, handing out tracts could never be easier. Chances are you will quickly run into someone who wants to hand you something: a sale flier, a map of the event, a list of activities, the latest offer from the neighborhood bank, even an invitation to a local church. This is the easiest time ever to hand someone a tract. I simply say, "I'll trade!" I have never had the person turn down a tract. Why would they, they want me to take their material, and I know they need mine.

Secondly, there a lots of people with time to spare. If they were in a hurry, they would not be at the festival, so they are more likely to stop and talk with you than, for example, people heading into a grocery store. Also, with so many people around you are sure to get into good conversations. Even if one does not go well, there are plenty of other people to chat with.

Next, you are likely to run into other believers who can encourage you and hold you accountable.

Other believers encourage with their strength, their prayers, their words. Christ, when he sent his disciples out, sent them in two's. I think part of the reason was so they could lift each other up when they were confronted with resistance or intimidation.

Fellow believers can also hold you accountable. You've probably spoken of your desire to share the gospel with others, well now is the time to show them that it's not just talk.

Finally, places like fairs, festivals, carnivals, and the beach all have one very important thing in common, it's what some might call a "target rich environment." No matter where you turn, there are people who need the gospel. This means if one person turns down your offer of a tract, there's someone else who will be along in a few seconds. It means that if you try to start a conversation with someone who is not interested in talking, there is someone else just a few feet away who will. You simply need to obey the commandment to "be ready" and to "share the gospel." God has already provided you with the field, and it is ready for the harvest.

Be bold! Head out to the next well attended event near you.

Are You Routinely Denying Christ?

2008-10-14T09:00:00.001-04:00

In the gospel of Mark, we read about the events leading up to the crucifixion of the Savior. One striking aspect of the night described in this passage is how Peter, who clearly loves Jesus, is told that before morning he would deny any association with Christ: not once, not twice, but three times. (Mark 14:27-31)

Later, we read that as Christ is being tried and tortured, Peter is asked if he was with Christ, if he was a friend or follower of Him.

What does Peter do when given an opportunity to acknowledge who Christ is, or to talk about who the Lord is? He denies any association with him. In fact, just as Christ foretold, Peter denies Him three times before daybreak. (Mark 14:66-72).

Sitting in your living room it may be hard for a believer to wonder how Peter could have done this. Peter is certain of who Christ is. Peter has a personal relationship with the Lord. Peter is warned what will happen. Still, he denies knowing Him.

What about believers today? We profess certain knowledge of our salvation at church or with fellow believers. We tell ourselves that we trust scripture, including the warnings to expect persecution from the world. We pray directly to the Lord as part of a personal relationship. Certainly we wouldn't deny Christ as Peter did. Would we?

I believe we not only would, but we do, probably every single day. I base this on my own life.

For example, I have made a commitment to distribute gospel tracts every time I go to the store. I always carry tracts in my car. I park far enough from the entrance to have plenty of cars to pass by. As I slip out of my car, I grab at least five tracts. But sometimes I see someone approaching the car I'm about to slip a tract onto, and I hesitate, stop, or move to a car where no one is around.

There are also times when I'm out running errands, and I'll see someone. "I should go talk to him," I think. But, I don't.

I think about numerous conversations I've had with people who are not saved, or who's salvation I don't know about, and how spiritual topics have either come up or could easily have come up. But rather than pursue the opportunity, I let it slip away.

Why? Why am I paralyzed into inaction?

I think it's because, just like Peter, too often I am fearful. By allowing the fear of man to control my actions, I am denying Christ just as Peter did.

What about you?

How often do believers deny the Lord by refusing to acknowledge their association with Him? How often do we deny Him by neglecting to obey His commandment to "preach the gospel, in season and out" or to "always be ready to give a defense" for the faith we have?

It's time to fully trust Christ. It's time to trust His promise to provide "strength upon strength" and not burden us beyond our ability. It's time to surrender our lives, our time, and our devotion to Him. It's time to stand tall and declare the truth of the gospel.

It's time to stop denying Christ.

Putrid Cake and You

2008-09-24T09:00:00.001-04:00

I attended a wedding this past weekend.

It was a wonderful event. Friends and family gathered together to witness the joining of a very happy couple. Unfortunately, it was held on Sunday afternoon. Due to travel requirements and the fast approaching work day, many of those who traveled from out of town had to leave after only a few hours.

When the bride and groom noticed the dwindling crowd, they decided to cut and serve the cake while there were still people who could enjoy it.

Wedding cakes, if you haven't seen one recently, are as much a centerpiece as a dessert. Cakes used to be made by bakers, then pastry chefs, but now there are 'Cake Design Teams', and the prices reflect the team effort. There's even a television show, "The Cake Divas", where teams show off their creations.

But for all the icing, decorations, lattice, bridges, and tiers, if the cake tastes bad, no one will eat it. The foul inner cake outweighs all the enticement and appeal of the outside.

People are the same way. You can put on the best clothes, be polite, smile often, and have a great sense of humor. You might even fool most people into thinking you are a good person, a fine citizen, or even a model church member. But our foul inner-self is clearly seen by God.

1st Samuel 16:7 says, "Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart!"

Jeremiah 17:9-10 says, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; Who can know it? I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings."

What will God give to those who are foul inside, and how do you know how He will see you? It takes only a minute or two to find out.

Have you ever told a lie? What do you call people who tell lies?

Have you ever looked at someone, a video of someone, or a photo of someone, and lusted? Jesus Christ said that if you look with lust, you've committed adultery in your heart. Since God searches the heart, He knows that you've done this.

Have you ever used God's name flippantly, in disgust, or to cuss? That's called blasphemy, and during the time of the Old Testament, the punishment for blasphemy was death. Why? Because you've taken the name of the Holy God, the One who allows you to wake up every day, and used it without reverence. You wouldn't do that with your mother's name, or your fathers, or anyone else whom you love, and you shouldn't do it with the name of the Creator.

How did you do with our short three question test? If you're like most people, you are an admitted liar, adulterer, and blasphemer.

Think that's no big deal? The Bible says, "All liars will have their place in the lake of fire" and that no blasphemer, no adulterer will inherit the Kingdom of God.

Does it concern you, that if you face God tonight, you'd end up in hell? It should.

None of us is guaranteed another day on earth. 150,000 people die every day. Today could be the day for you.

There is no second chance, no reincarnation or holding room. No lawyers to plead your case. Just you and God. The Bible says, "It is appointed for men to die once, and after this, judgment."

Life. Death. Judgment. Eternity in either heaven or hell.

What has God done to ensure you don't have to spend eternity in hell? He sent His own Son to earth. His name was Jesus of Nazareth. He lived a sin-free life, and for that authorities had Him killed on a cross. He freely gave His life as an offering for us. It was a legal transaction in which your sins were paid for if you are willing to respond. How do you respond to obtain this 'salvation'? Repent, and trust in Christ.

'Repent' means to turn from your sin. It's as though you're standing in a room where you're in charge, but you voluntarily walk out and never return.

Trusting in Christ doesn't mean that you simply believe in Him, or that you "ask Him into your heart." It means that you submit to Him. You live your life for Him. You study the Bible, and obediently follow His commands.

Please repent and trust Christ today. Eternity is a long time to wish you would have responded while you still had time.

Author of 100 Things To Do Before You Die... Dead

2008-09-12T09:00:00.001-04:00

On August 17, 2008, Dave Freeman, the co-author of "100 Things To Do Before You Die," died.

The book asked about life: "How can you fill it with the most fun and that you visit all the coolest places on earth before you pack those bags for the very last time?"

Freeman did not complete all 100 things before his death, but that's not important.

Let's assume that he did all 100, and more.

Assume for a moment that he achieved all his dreams of fun, and visited every cool place on earth he could think of. Imagine that he lived to a very old age, and literally packed his home full of photos, trophies, trinkets, souvenirs, and every form of achievement and recognition that he ever wanted.

He'd still die, eventually.

What about all those trophies and memorabilia? They'd go into boxes, they'd be sold or given away to admirers and family members. Some might go into museums. Many would go directly to the land-fill. Eventually all of them, including his checklist, would rust or rot and fall apart.

The Bible says, "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?" (Mark 8:36)

You can do everything you can dream of. You can earn billions of dollars. You can travel around the world, or into space, or to the moon. But when you die, none of that matters. The only thing that matters then is whether you've planned for what happens next.

What does happen next? The Bible says, "it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment..."

You will be judged for every thought and deed. Your travels won't matter. Your bank account balance won't matter. Your reputation in the community won't matter. The only thing that will matter is the Judge you stand before.

Since everyone will face judgment after they die, don't you think that the most important item on your checklist of things to do before you die is: "Plan for how I will do on Judgment Day"?

Of course it should. It should be number one!

How will you do on Judgment Day? It only takes a few minutes to find out.

The Bible says that "the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God." The Bible also calls the unrighteous, sinners.

How can you know if you are a sinner? Just as you might look in the mirror to see check your appearance, you can look at God's Law, the Ten Commandments, to see if you are a sinner.

The ninth commandment says, "You shall not bear false witness." This means, do not lie. Have you ever told a lie? If you're like everyone else, you have. In God's eyes, that makes you a liar.

The eighth commandment says, "You shall not steal." Have you ever stolen anything, even if it's small or inexpensive? If so, God sees you as a thief.

The seventh commandment is, "Do not commit adultery." You might think you're safe here, but during the Sermon on the Mount Christ said that everyone who looks with lust has already committed adultery in the heart.

During that same sermon, Christ said that everyone who is angry with his brother is guilty of murder! So, if you've ever been really angry with someone, God sees you as a murderer at heart, and you've broken the sixth commandment.

We've only looked at four of God's Ten Commandments, and chances are you are guilty of being a liar, a thief, an adulterer and a murderer at heart.

How will you do when you stand before a Holy God? Innocent or guilty?

If you're honest, you'll admit that you would be guilty. You're not alone. So would the rest of us.

Once you realize your peril, you realize you need a savior. That's why Jesus Christ, who is God, came to earth. When Christ was crucified, He took upon the sins of the world. He paid the fine for your crimes. That means that you can be found innocent.

How? Two things.

First, admit your guilt. Cry out to God for mercy. Decide that you never want to sin again - not because you want to be 'a good person' but because you want to obey God. This step is called repentence.

Next, depend upon Christ as your only hope. Make Christ the Lord of your life. This is called faith.

Then, read the Bible daily and join a church. You read the Bible to understand how to live for Him. You get involved with a church so you can fellowship with other believers and to obey God's desire that you join others in worship.

Don't wait another day. If there's one thing on your list you must accomplish before the other 99, this is the one!

I Witness With My Lifestyle and Actions...

2008-09-11T09:00:00.001-04:00

The Bible makes it clear that Christians are to share the gospel with non-believers.

But how?

Some people say, "I witness to others with my lifestyle and my actions."

Is this an obedient form of evangelism?

I think the answer depends on if you're trying to make disciples of Christ, or disciples of yourself.

Our heart should be to share the Gospel so others can know Jesus, not to convince them to live their lives just like we do. You might hope that people will think “Wow, there’s something really different about you” and come ask about it… but that’s never happened to me, and chances are it will never happen to you.

More importantly, evangelism based strictly on lifestyle and actions is not Biblical.

Jesus said “Go… Make… Baptize… Teach” responding to each requires action on our part to engage with others.

Of course, you should also live a life that demonstrates your faith. Your life should glorify God, but don’t let your obedience stop there. It didn't for the best examples of evangelists we have in the Bible: Jesus, Peter, and Paul.

John 4 is probably one of the best known examples on one-on-one evangelism.

It describes Christ having a conversation with a woman at a public gathering place. What did he do? Did He walk by, and let her marvel at Him? No. He engaged in a seemingly normal conversation. Then He turned the conversation to spiritual topics. He shared the truth of her fallen state with her, then revealed how to be saved. The result? She was saved, and immediately evangelized by going home and telling everyone she could! She didn’t attend Sunday school, or seminary, or worry about how people would react to her words. She was simply obedient.

In Acts 17, we read about Paul engaging people in dialog in the synagogues and the marketplace. Paul did not simply walk around so people could see the scars from the lashings he endured, or hope that people could see that he was prosperous. Paul wasn't prosperous in the earthly sense! He could have walked around all day, every day, and never been noticed. Paul shared the gospel verbally.

When you read Acts 2, verses 43-47, you see clear examples of how the early Christians practiced evangelism: everywhere they went they verbally shared the gospel. The result? The number of Christians grew daily.

Additionally, the Gospels of John and Luke describe literary evangelism (John 20:31), which today we can perform using e-mail, online postings, tracts, letters, and more.

One more thing... Even if you insist on living your faith rather than sharing it, what are you going to say when someone notices that you're different, and asks you “What’s different about you and why?” If you’re not prepared to go out and witness, you’re not prepared answer that question.

You must “be ready”, and as long as you’re ready, you should “Go and tell!” Right? That’s right.

Christianity is a crutch?

2008-09-04T09:00:00.000-04:00

People like Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and numerous other atheists are fond of ridiculing Christians. One tactic they use to belittle the faithful is to state or imply that belief in God is a crutch.

They believe that the ‘crutch’ of religion will help Christians deal with thoughts of death, illness, disaster, or other uncontrollable events in life. They see religion as a way of creating a false peace of mind. They see our faith as an imaginary opiate that creates a false serenity.

How poorly they understand the Christian life.

Of course, like all such arguments, there is an element of truth to it. Christians do enjoy the grace and lovingkindness of the Lord.

Isaiah 12:1 tells us that God provides comfort. Second Corinthians 1:3-7 reminds us that the Lord is our comforter no matter what the affliction. It tells us that God is the “Father of mercies and God of all comfort...”

Scripture reminds us of His lovingkindness a number of times. Psalm 63:3 describes God’s lovingkindness as “better than life...”

Christ promises peace and fearlessness through faith in Him. He says, in John 14:27, “Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”

How can a Christian help but have peace of mind when we consider that God pursued us, even as a wretched sinner and enemy? God’s amazing forgiveness and salvation is a thing of wonder. We can wholeheartedly rejoice in our freedom from slavery to sin, exchanged for slavery to Christ and righteousness (Romans 6:15-19).

In return for our repentance, faith in Christ alone, and obedience to the Lord, we share in the wondrous fruits promised in scripture: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).

This is where the atheists stop, with a partial (and flawed) understanding of Christianity.

The obedient Christian understands two facts that non-believers don’t: the peril awaiting non-believers, and our responsibility to preach the gospel to them.

For example, Scripture clearly describes the fate of the lost:

Everyone dies (Rom 5:12)
After death comes judgment (Heb 9:27)
Without Christ on judgment day, God’s wrath is poured out as you are cast into hell, where you will remain forever. (Eph 2:1-3, 2 Thess 1:9)

When talking with non-believers they sometimes tell me, “But, I don’t believe in heaven and hell.” That doesn’t matter. Consider this: if you don’t believe in traffic, and you suddenly run onto a busy highway, you’ll quickly be confronted with the truth about trucks, cars, and the frailty of the human body.

As a Christian, once you realize the fate of the lost you begin to see people differently. There’s no peace of mind in knowing that people you see every day, people you love, people you care about, will spend eternity in hell if they continue in their rebellion against God.

There’s more peace of mind for the atheist. What can be more peaceful than believing that there is no judgment after you die, or that if you were a biological and evolutionary accident once, and you just might be one again.

In addition, there is no peace of mind in knowing that it is our responsibility to preach the gospel to the lost, the enemies of God, those who find the gospel to be foolishness. It’s easier for the atheist to stand up and talk about evolution and proclaim falsehoods to people who want to have their ears tickled.

But it is our responsibility. Mark 16:15 says, “ Go into all the world and preach the gospel” and Acts 1:8 says, “you shall be My witnesses.” It’s not optional. Scripture does not say, “I hope you consider the possibility of being a witness of the gospel.” No! It says, “you shall be My witnesses.”

If you want peace of mind, take the easy way out. Deny reality. Make up your own reality. Be an atheist.

If you love the Lord, then read His word. Obey Him. Share the gospel. Forget about the peace of your mind, find your rest and peace in Him. Then find an atheist and explain the truth in love.

Evolution: The Numbers Don't Add Up

2008-09-02T09:00:00.005-04:00

One reason many people refuse to respond to God is evolution.

They think that over millions of years, anything is possible.

Anything but God, of course.

On the surface this doesn't make sense. Think about it, if "anything is possible" then the universe would be chaos, not order. Anything happening, including random mutations, would lead to shortened lifespans and life-forms that die out due to useless mutations. It certainly would not lead to order and stable life forms.

Oh, and there's that little problem of where did all the stuff come from, and how did life begin?

Yet, people still put blind faith into the billions of years = life theory.

Of course, they also believe in Shakespearean Monkeys.

You've heard the theory... if you put enough monkeys into a room full of typewriters, eventually they would reproduce Shakespeare's Sonnet 18.

SIDEBAR: These days the monkeys would use computers, not typewriters. No monkey worth his salt would be caught dead with an out of date Selectric.

Interestingly, the British National Council of the Arts decided to waste taxpayer money to test this theory. They placed a computer into a cage with six monkeys, then waited to see what they produced.

They waited for a month. The monkeys produced 50 pages of typed characters.

Shakespeare's Sonnet 18 contains only 114 words (488 letters).

Guess how many words the monkeys typed?

Have an answer? Don't look ahead until you do. Go ahead, get an answer in your head.

Don't cheat.

Ready?

None. Nada. Zero. Zilch. The monkeys typed no words. Not even the shortest words in the English language: A and I. (To be the word 'a' or 'I', a space is required before and after. They failed to do this.)

When probability theory is applied to this problem, you'll find that the chance of the monkeys randomly typing Sonnet 18 is: 26 raised to the 488th power (26 letters in the English language, 488 letters in the Sonnet). That's the same as 10 raised to the 690th power.

That's a big number.

How big?

Many of you realize that it's the number 10, followed by 690 zeroes. But, people have no grasp of how big that is.

Here's one way to think of it. The number of particles in the entire universe (protons, electrons, and neutrons) is a mere 10 raised to the 80th power. So, if you tried to track the progress of the monkeys, and you kept count by marking particles in the universe, you'd run out of particles eight times before they produced the Sonnet.

Here's another way to think of it. Suppose you turned each particle in the universe into a computer chip, and you programmed that computer chip to spit out random letters at the rate of one million per second. Suppose also that you were able to send them back to the beginning of time itself (as science calculates it). As of today, you still would not have produced the Sonnet! Enough time hasn't elapsed.

And that's to produce one Sonnet containing 488 letters.

Do you have any idea how many parts there are to DNA?

Three Billion.

That's six million, one-hundred forty-seven, five-hundred forty Sonnets (6,147,540).

Without those three billion individual parts, all arranged in exactly the right order, life would not exist.

There is absolutely no chance that monkeys can produce a Shakespearean Sonnet with only 488 letters.

What's the chance that the universe came into existence, then organized itself, then formed planets and suns, and all the stuff out there, followed by that life organizing itself, later branching out into new life forms by random mutation?

Not a chance.

Do People Think About Death?

2008-09-01T09:08:00.001-04:00

I met Tyler and Emily on the Boardwalk of Ocean City, Maryland.

The scene shown here is a typical late afternoon on the Boardwalk. As afternoon fades into night, families move down to the amusements. Teens and young adults line the storm wall (shown at far left) to watch and meet other night-owls.

This is a great place to witness to the lost. They have spare time, they're usually approachable, and if one person does not want to talk, you need to move only a few feet to begin a new conversation.

One this particular night I walked up to a young couple and offered a Million Dollar Bill tract. After a short conversation about how nice it would be if real, I moved on to one of my favorite questions: "What do you think happens when you die?"

I love this particular question. It gets right to the point, most people have thought about death and don't mind sharing their conclusions.

Not this time.

Tyler replied, "I don't know, I've never thought about it."

Emily, who was sitting by his side, holding his hand, apparently shared his lack of inquisitiveness. When I asked, "What about you? Have you thought about what happens after death?" She echoed his answer. "No, not really."

There was a time when I would have frozen when suddenly faced with someone who "never thought" about death. Oh. Well. Never mind then!

See, I'm the kind of person who tries to prepare for these conversations. Not only do I pray, but I also run through imaginary conversations in my head over and over, coming up with new challenges people might have and what responses I could give.

But once in a while, I'm thrown off. I remember one of my first witnessing encounters. I had prayed, read books, and gone through hundreds of conversations in my mind. I knew exactly how the conversation would start. Shortly after meeting a young man in the local mall, I asked, "What do you think happens when you die?"

I was all ready for the reply I just knew was coming. Once he said, "I'll go to heaven." I would move to my next question, "What do you think it takes for someone to make it into heaven?"

Unfortunately, he did not follow the script I'd neatly worked out in my head. He said, "Your body goes into the ground and rots."

"Oh. Umm. Uh..."

My mind was racing. He was not supposed to say that. He was supposed to say "Heaven" Now what?

I stammered something, then had a horrible conversation, and finally said "goodbye." I wondered if I'd ever try to share the gospel again.

Thankfully I soon recalled something Mark Cahill once told me: "The reason Michael Jordon is an amazing player now is that he dedicated himself to the sport, and practiced every chance he had."

So, I went back out. I started more conversations. I rehearsed more in my head. I learned from every rebuttal and question. Now, when someone like Tyler throws me a curve, like "I've never thought about it." I don't freeze.

Instead, I followed up: "Adolf Hitler. Is he in heaven, or hell today?"

"Hell" Tyler immediately responded.

"What about Mother Teresa? Do you think she's in heaven or hell?"

"Um, probably heaven," said Tyler. Emily agreed.

"So, you do think about it?" I was so glad that my practice was paying off.

Tyler, Emily, and I had a wonderful conversation. Before I told them good-night, they understood that they were liars, thieves, blasphemers, and adulterers at heart. They clearly understood that on Judgment Day they would stand guilty before God, and they were both very concerned. They also understood that their only hope of salvation was repentance and faith in Christ as Lord.

Please pray that Tyler and Emily have placed their trust in Christ.

Now get out there and practice!

Why Christians Must Share Their Faith

2008-08-29T22:37:00.010-04:00

For Christians, sharing the gospel is matter of love, mercy, and obedience. Let's take a brief look at each one.

Share Christ out of Love

The Bible tells Christians to love our neighbors, love other Christians, and to love our enemy. That pretty much covers all the bases.

We are to love others, just as Christ first loved us. We did not deserve His mercy, but He freely provided it.

If you love someone, would you let them come to harm if you could help it? Of course not. Then you can't keep quiet. The fact is, everyone you meet will die one day. Maybe today. If that person is not a Christian, they are headed for eternal torment. True love would never allow this to happen without at least warning them.

Charles Spurgeon once said, “Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then you are not saved yourself. Be sure of that." Why would he say this? Because once you understand the truth about heaven and hell, you simply can't remain quiet.

If you love the non-believer, you simply must share the truth with them. To do otherwise would be like a fireman who walks past a burning house full of people without a concern for their safety.

Share Christ out of Mercy

When the Bible speaks of 'mercy' it describes sparing someone from their deserved judgment. While Christian's can't provide the mercy, they can make a non-believer aware of God's merciful nature and His offer of grace.

It's not mercy to keep the gospel to yourself, that's selfishness. Demonstrate your love of others by mercifully revealing their lost state (their failure to follow the Ten Commanments), and the path to salvation (repentance and faith).

Share Christ out of Obedience

The Bible is clear on our responsibility to share the gospel.

Mark 16:15 says, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel."
2 Tim 4:2 tells us to "Preach the gospel in season and out"
Mark 13:10 says, "The gospel must be preached to all nations."
Acts 1:8 says, "you shall be My witnesses."

If you don't share the gospel you are disobedient, you are not merciful, and you are not loving. Are you a truly a Christian?

Many Roads To Heaven?

2008-08-29T12:13:00.007-04:00

Why should I, or any Christian, care what other people think about eternity?

After all, as Oprah Winfrey would say about God and faith, "If it brings her to the same point as it brings you, it doesn't matter whether she calls it God along the way or not... Does God care about your heart, or does God care if you call his Son Jesus?"

Um, neither.

First, denying Jesus Christ does NOT bring someone to the same point it brings a Christian. A non-Christian is NOT a Christian, so they are not at the same point.

Why does this matter? Although some believe that all religions are the same, or that there are many paths to heaven, Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me." (John 14:6). Christ Himself makes it clear: without understanding who He is, and trusting completely in Him (not one of the many man-defined paths to God), there is no hope.

Secondly, Oprah makes another common mistake: believing that people are basically good. Of course God cares about your heart, but He knows that without Christ, your heart is "deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked..." (Jer 17:9). God searches the heart. That's why it doesn't matter if you call his Son Jesus, as Oprah states. What matters is the condition of your heart, how you respond to that knowledge, and where you put your trust.

As we saw in the One From Column A, One From Column B post, men try to create many paths to heaven, but there is only one way: Repent from your sinful ways; cry out to God for His mercy; and put your complete trust and faith in Jesus Christ... The only way.

How Are YOU Doing?

2008-08-27T17:49:00.011-04:00

If you were to die right now, where would you end up?

According to Barna Research: "Half of all adults (50%) argue that anyone who "is generally good or does enough good things for others during their life will earn a place in Heaven.""(The Barna Group, Oct 8, 2002).

So, how are you doing? Are you a good person? Are you good enough to go to heaven when you die?

You can find out in less than two minutes by answering a few questions.

How? Take a quick look at a few of Ten Commandments, God's standard for who is "good" and who is not.

How many lies have you told? Most people will admit that the number of lies they've told during their life is rather large. If you tell lies, you are known as a liar.

Have you ever stolen anything? Even if the value is small, or the item was relatively insignificant, if you've ever taken something that didn't belong to you without permission, you are a thief.

Have you ever looked at another person and lusted after them? Just about anyone who is older that 13, and is honest, will have to admit that they have. Big deal? Well, Jesus said that if you've even looked at another person with lust, you've already committed adultery in your heart.

One more, then we'll see how you're doing.

Have you ever hated someone, or call someone nasty names? Because God knows your innermost thoughts, He knows that hate takes root before murder takes place. That's why Christ said, "everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty." You haven't committed the act, but you have already committed murder in your mind and heart.

So, let's have a summary. If you admitted to each of the above questions (and we've only looked at four of the Ten Commandments), then you are a liar, a thief, an adulterer, and a murderer in God's eyes.

If you stood before God tonight, and He judged you by the Ten Commandments, would you be innocent or guilty?

Everyone who is answering truthfully would admit to breaking at least one of the Ten Commandments. You don't need to break all of them, of even most of them, to be guilty. The Bible says that if you break even one, you are guilty of breaking all. So, you'd be guilty, just like the rest of us.

Would that mean heaven, or hell?

No one likes to admit it, or think about it, but the answer is clear. The Bible says, "all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone..." It also says that no one who breaks God's Law will inherit the kingdom of heaven (Rev 21:8, and 1 Cor 6:10).

The fact is, we've all fallen short of God's standard, and deserve our place in hell.

Does that concern you?

It should. After all, everyone dies, and all sinners will face God on Judgment Day.

What will you say?

Is there any hope? Yes, there is.

God is not only just, He is also loving and forgiving. Because of this, He offers a path to salvation.

Two thousand years ago, God took on the form of a man, called Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus (also known as the Christ) lived a sin-free life, but took the sins of the world upon himself during his death on the cross. Because of this, your sins and mine can be forgiven. His sacrifice was the same as a legal transaction today. It's as if He paid the cost for our crimes, and now we can go free.

All He asks in return is that you repent and put your trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior.

Repent means to recognize your sin, confess your sin to God, ask for forgiveness, and then turn from your sinful ways. You can't be a drunk, do drugs, hate people... say that you love Jesus, then be a drunk, do drugs, and hate people. Your actions show that you did not really repent, and you don't love the Lord.

Putting your trust in Jesus means that you place Him at the head of your life in every way. You recognize that there is no hope outside of your faith in Him. You then do all you can to follow after Him the rest of your life. That begins with prayer and reading His Word (the Bible).

Please don't wait.

Make up your mind. Putting it off is the same as rejecting Christ.

Today you still have time. You are, as Bob says, "Still vertical."

But, every day 150,000 people die. Believe me, few of those who died today planned to take their last breath. Many died suddenly in an accident, or a crime. Some died in their sleep. Some had an unexpected blood clot or anurism and died in a few short seconds.

Please don't put it off until tomorrow. Decide right now. Then, if you agree that you are a sinner who needs God's mercy, cry out to him... read the Bible... pray daily... and join a church of devoted believers.

The Startling Conclusion About Everything

2008-08-26T11:35:00.004-04:00

We've just concluded that there is a Creator. Not based on blind faith or fairy tales, or fear, or even the Bible, but based on reality. The reality that there is reality at all (something rather than nothing) and the reality that all people have a commonly understood set of moral standards which we call The Law.

Just as a particular brush-stroke is evidence of a particular artist, The Law is evidence of the Creator.

Now, it is time to bring the discussion to the Bible and the God described therein.

Why? Because of all the religions, and all the books, the Holy Bible is the one that describes creation in this way, and the one that describes the Creator (God) in this way.

Genesis 1:1, for example, says: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Something, from something... not something from nothing.

Romans 2:15 says, "they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness..." The commonly understood moral code... is inside everyone.

There are numerous other scriptures that touch on these subjects, but the two I've chosen are sufficient to illustrate the point. You may not agree, but I'd urge you to study the question. Don't continue to be led astray by the illogical argument that everything came from nothing. That's blind faith.

The God of the Bible is real. The evidence is all around you (creation), and inside you (your conscience).

What is God like? What are His attributes? They are clearly described in the Bible. They include: all-knowing, all-seeing, just, loving, creative, wise, eternal, holy, and faithful.

If those attributes don't make you uneasy, you're not thinking seriously about their meaning.

For example, suppose you broke the law and were taken into court to stand trial. There is no doubt that you're guilty. What should the judge do... let you go? Of course not. Not if he is a good judge.

When you break The Law (God's Law), which is understood by everyone (which means you know that you've broken it), what should a just and good God do with you?

Uh-Oh.

Just as a good judge would need to carry out the sentence, so will God.

We'll talk more about this next time.

Everything From Nothing, or Everything from Something?

2008-08-25T09:08:00.000-04:00

We're making progress in seeking the answer to these questions: Is there a God? If so, who is He?

We have not specifically proven the existence of God, but we have discussed direct evidence of Him: the commonly understood standard of right and wrong, which we call The Law.

Once you understand that this law exists, you can move on to the next question...

Where did this law come from?

For that matter, where did anything come from?

Why is there anything, instead of nothing?

There are two dominant views concerning how everything got here: The Big Bang, and Intelligent Design (the idea that someone, or something, purposely put it here).

Keep in mind that all this stuff around us: planets, solar systems, protons, and electrons, all follow predictable patterns in strict, measurable ways. Some stuff, which we call 'living' stuff (kittens, dogs, people) also follow predictable patterns, but in a less rigid way.

According to the Big Bang theory, all this stuff, which acts in predictable ways, did something very unpredictable... It blew up.

In fact, all this stuff blew up for no known reason as the result of nothing happening (because nothing existed, including time) at a time when none of it existed. Odd, don't you think?

On top of that, after all this stuff, which came from nowhere for no reason, exploded, it organized itself into an orderly, predicable, measurable universe. Then it randomly organized into air, water, proteins, crystals, planets, the suns, moons, and more.

Next, all this inanimate stuff that randomly came into existence organized itself into pairs of replicating life forms. Each life form didn't just randomly come into existence by itself... a second one randomly occurred at the same time so that reproduction was possible. How convenient.

These life forms, again by random chance, just happen to provide balances in the ecosystem. Insects, plants, birds, animals, parasites, flies... each create benefits for other creatures. Without some, others could not live, and yet they came to exist at the same time.

On top of all of that, all this stuff that began so explosively and randomly now acts very predictably.

If you believe all that. You've got a lot more faith than those of us who believe the other option: an intelligent force designed and created all that we know about, all that we can see, and all that we can measure.

Why this is so hard to accept amazes me. On the one hand: design. On the other: nothing from nothing caused by nothing randomly organizes into everything.

Nothing else in life or science follows any rule that says anything like, "it just happens out of nothing over gadzillions of years." Nothing. So, why does anyone think that everything could just appear out of nothing and over gadzillions of years organize itself into something?

Not believing in a designer is blind faith. Believing in a designer makes complete sense, and follows the patterns that we understand logically and scientifically.

Here are a few more things to think about:

Your car is proof that there are car-designers and car-builders.
Your shoes are proof that there are shoe-designers and shoe-builders.
If you find a series of seven or eight quarters lined up and spaced evenly, you immediately understand that someone (or something) did that... it wasn't random chance.

Therefore, order, design, creation and everything in it, is proof positive of a Creator.

Including the commonly accepted and understood Laws.

Just as a painter leaves behind traces and signatures of himself in the artwork... Just as a computer programmer leaves traces of his personality in the software... Just as a jeweler leaves telltale clues in his jewelry that it was his design... The Creator of the universe left clear indications of His design, including the Laws that are build into each one of us.

We'll explore this a bit more next time.

Is There A God?

2008-08-23T09:00:00.004-04:00

The next few posts will focus on the questions: Is there a God? If so, who is He?

This posting will begin to answer the question, "Is there a God?"

I think the best introduction to this concept was written by C.S. Lewis, in his book Mere Christianity. I've used his outline as my guide for this article.

Some of you may object to my use of a book entitled, Mere Christianity, to introduce this topic. You may argue, "No fair, you're beginning with a starting point of Christianity."

Perhaps, but the fact is, I've studied this question most of my life, and I have arrived at the point of firmly understanding the truth of Christianity. So, even if you think my starting point is biased, I ask that you indulge the discussion with tolerance.

Maybe your patience will be calmed by considering that I'm not asking you to do anything that you don't do every single day. After all, most of the early scientists were Christians. Therefore many of the great scientific discoveries were made by Christians. Yet, you don't refuse to take Penicillin when you're ill, nor do you reject the fact that the planets revolve around the sun, simply because those ideas originate with Christians (Alexander Fleming and Nicolaus Copernicus, respectively). All I ask is that you consider this information so you can make an informed decision.

Let's begin with a simple question: Have you ever argued with someone?

Of course you have. Everyone has. But, why argue?

You argue, because you think you are right and the other person is wrong.

[A quick side note for those of you who make the claim, "There is no right or wrong." If you have ever had an argument (and you know you have), you have proven that you are wrong. Even the statement, "There is no right or wrong," is hypocritical (is that statement right, or wrong?).]

But even more important, you argue with others because you wish the other person to understand that you are right. But what do you base your position upon? C.S. Lewis stated that this position is based on a commonly understood standard of right and wrong. A standard understood by everyone, everywhere.

The proof is so obvious that most people don't even think about it, and that is: sometimes, the other person agrees with you.

Think about that. You disagree with someone. You argue. You point out where they are wrong, and they agree with you. Clearly you can only reach agreement when the other person shares your standard for what is right, and what is wrong.

For brevity, I'll assume that you see the point. We can now agree on the existence of the fact that there is a commonly understood standard of right and wrong. Let's call the standard for right, "Law".

The fact that people disobey these laws does not prove that they do not exist, only that people disobey them. Nor is is acceptable to claim that differences in laws prove there is no universal standard. The differences in laws we find from place to place are more anomalies than opposites.

We are currently witnessing an example of this principle. The 2008 Olympics are winding down in Beijing, China. There are a number of athletes and tourists from around the world gathered together in and around the host city. But we don't witness chaos, we see cooperation. Why? Because humanity has a common in-born agreement of what the laws of behavior are.

Of course, none of us are very good at keeping these laws. Worse, when we break them, we make excuses to justify our behavior. Watch any child who just stole a cookie from the cookie jar to see this in action. Watch the creativity for explaining the action away, denying what happened, or describing why the theft is reasonable. Why? Because our inner sense of the law tells us we must explain our poor adherence to the law. We twist reason and fact to try to convince ourselves and others that if not for a set of factors outside of our control, we'd be wonderful people in complete harmony with the law.

One final point about this inner-known law: respected people around the world agree that these laws exist. Want proof?

Listen to comments about people like Mother Theresa, Ghandi, and others who try to improve the human condition. They're called reformers, role models, great philosophers, more... They received awards during their lives, and get significant coverage in school discussions and textbooks. Even many so-called atheists agree that Jesus was a "good man", and a role-model. Based on what? It must be based on the internal law.

Finally, these internal laws are certainly not instinct (instinct being that inner voice that insists we not endanger ourselves, make life harder than it already is, and that we must preserve our DNA). Mother Theresa would not have lived in harsh conditions, Ghandi would not have gone on hunger strikes or sought peace at any cost. Firemen wouldn't rush into burning buildings, and men would not offer their seat to a weak elderly person, if instinct controlled our actions.

All of this brings us to the key question about this law: Where did it come from?

The answer to that important question will have to wait until my next post.

Three More Popular World Religions...

2008-08-22T09:35:00.000-04:00

Last time we looked at three of the world's most popular religions. Each had in common one key theme: people determine ultimate moral truth.

You, like me, might wonder: Suppose they're wrong? People are wrong about all sorts of things all the time. People frequently can't agree with each other, so they come to different conclusions. What if they're wrong about eternity? And, if people don't determine ultimate moral truth, then who, or what, does?

The three major religions we're about to discuss all agree that these humanistic philosophies are wrong. Moral truth, they argue, can only come from a supreme being. Let's take a quick look at these religions. They are: Islam, Judaism, and Christianity.

Islam teaches that after death your destination is either Paradise, or Hell. Allah is the name of their god. The only guaranteed way to Paradise is martyrdom. Everyone else must work their way into Paradise by complying with a series of rules known as Pillars.

Judaism is based on the teachings of the Jewish Bible (known as the Old Testament to Christians). The Old Testament teaches that there are two eternal destinations: Heaven, or Hell. To enter Heaven, you must have faith in God, named Yahweh, and follow His Laws. Failure to follow His law requires sacrificial atonement for that sin.

Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the God of the Old Testament Bible, who became human and lived among us. They believe that the New Testament, together with the Old, is the true and accurate Word of God (Yahweh) and that this one God is also three distinct persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. As with Jews, they believe in only two eternal destinations: Heaven or Hell. However, they believe that the only way to enter Heaven is to repent (turn from your sinful ways) and place all of your faith in the atoning work of Jesus Christ.

As with other faiths, there are cultural Muslims (another name for those who follow Islam), cultural Jews, and cultural Christians. By 'cultural' I mean people who loosely follow the religion but have no firm conviction or belief. Some can even be classified as agnostic or atheist, even though they attend church functions and self-identify with one of these religions.

If you spend any amount of time learning about Islam, Judaism, and Christianity, you'll quickly realize that their beliefs in eternity, and how to enter Heaven (or Paradise) are each unique. If truth is knowable (and it is), and if truth is unchanging (it is) then only one can be correct.

Is there a God? If so, which of these religions, if any, follows the truth about this Him? Is God even a "Him"?

We'll explore these questions, and more, next time.

One From Column A, Two From Column B

2008-08-20T22:54:00.012-04:00

First, let me say that I'm very happy you're still vertical (see my previous post). About 150,000 others, unfortunately, won't be joining us today.

Now, on to today's topic.

I remember going to Chinese restaurants as a child. I was amazed by the number of selections on the menu. It seemed like you could order something different every time you visited, and never run out of selections.

I also recall how they sold combination plates. You could choose a main entree from Column A, then one, two, or three items from Column B, depending on the price. Using this method, you could personalize what appeared on your plate in endless ways.

That's fine for marketing and customer satisfaction, but it simply doesn't work for determining truth.

For example, on a math exam I can't choose a number from Column A, then from Column B choose my favorite operator, a second number, and then my personal choice for the answer to create my own personal answer-plate. Unless I choose the numbers carefully, I'll get the answer wrong.

I don't want to get the answer wrong on a math exam, and I certainly don't want to get the answer wrong if it matters for all of eternity.

Unfortunately, we're bombarded with beliefs about life after death that can look a lot like that Chinese restaurant menu. The number of choices from Column A is long, and limited only by man's imagination. The number of ways you can pick and choose components of a faith from the Column B of doctrine, philosophies, and rules allows us endless possibilities to create a lifestyle-plate to suit our personal desires.

Such a creation might make us comfortable for a time, but what if we create the wrong collection? How would we know it's wrong? Does it matter? Of course it does!

It matters because of something that many readers will find very hard to accept, and that is: Truth exists. In addition, truth is knowable.

But how do we determine what truth is? How can we know truth with regard to faith, life, death, and eternity?

Before we tackle that, let's take a look at a few of the choices from Column A, the world's major religions and philosophies.

Hinduism is a man-created set of beliefs. The beliefs that make up Hinduism are quite diverse. So diverse that you will find both agnostics (uncertain of the existence of God) and atheists (who dismiss the concept of God) who call themselves Hindu.

Hinduism is the world's third largest religion, and the oldest. Its beliefs have evolved over time, with many of them captured in various documents. There is no single god in Hinduism. There is no final creed or doctrine, and no single truth.

Even one of the most recognized followers of Hinduism recognized these limitations. Mahatma Ghandi said, "It is a constant torture to me that I am still so far from Him whom I know to be my very life and being." Why might Ghandi feel that he was so far from this supreme being that he sought, if he was in possession of the truth?

With little effort you can find a wealth of information on Hinduism. However, for our purposes this brief overview will do.

Closely related to Hinduism is Buddhism, the fourth largest of the world's religions. It too is based on man-created rules and teachings. The widely recognized founder of Buddhism, Budda Shakyamuni (usually referred to simply as "Buddha") saw himself as a teacher of self-discovered "truths".

Over the years, these truths have been augmented and modified. There is no central document or church. Because of this, you can also find agnostics and atheists who identify themselves as Buddhist and feel right at home. This is because the concept of God is not part of the core set of beliefs. Rather than pursue a god , they strive to live like their founder, known simply as the Buddha or the Enlightened One.

I think a fair summary of the core beliefs would be something like this: Life is filled with suffering. Suffering is caused by selfish desires. Suffering will end when all desires end. If you live like Buddha, desires and suffering will end. In the meantime, you are endlessly reincarnated to try, try again.

The other set of beliefs we'll look at today is what has become known as the New Age Movement.

New Age is harder to define. My wife would use the word "hodge-podge" to discuss its set of beliefs. It's sort of like the old saying, "Too many cooks spoil the broth." You sort of know what it is, but it's full of so many things it's hard to define with specificity.

In general, the New Age movement is a philosophy that is self-defined and regulated. It's filled with people who have pulled beliefs from a range of other religions, world-views, and philosophies, especially those of the East. Those who consider themselves New Agers believe that people can figure out what is ultimately true and what is ultimately right. In addition, what is ultimately true and right for you, might be different from what is true and right for everyone else. That, according to the New Ager, is perfectly O.K.

But, then again, New Agers can change their mind at any time, so by the time you read this, ultimate truth may be the same for everyone.

I can't ignore the fact that, if true, having everone define individual truths and right will always lead to complete chaos. New Agers seem to ignore this fact, though history proves it repeatedly.

I also can't ingore the fact that New Ager beliefs about life and eternity are sort of like the weather. If you don't like it right now, just wait a little while and it will change.

Let's have a summary for today.

New Age can't be true. If nothing is absolutely right, and nothing is absolutely wrong then nothing can be true either. Any set of beliefs that refuse to take a firm stand (other than insisting that everyone can take their own stand) is contradictory, and can't be true since truth is knowable and unchanging. New Age-ism might help people who wish to avoid conflict, but at most it's a philosophy that lasts only until a bigger, meaner New Ager comes along and tells you what his truth is. It also won't help you 1000 years from now.

What of Hinduism and Buddhism? I would argue, though others might disagree, that any philosophy based on rules, policies, and morals that are created by men, is fatally flawed. A quick look at the despots of history is all that is needed to show how evil mankind can be when given power and the authority to impose personal beliefs on those around him (or her).

You may not find my logic conclusive. That's O.K. for now. Even more important is the earlier statement: Truth exists and is knowable. If I can prove that Buddhism and Hinduism, and any other world religion, is in conflict with truth, then there is not need to argue further.

Next time we'll review a few more of the popular world religions. After that, we'll take a closer look at truth.

Life Is Great... And Then?

2008-08-20T08:40:00.005-04:00

People say the most interesting things.

I used to work with a man, let's call him Bob, who would answer a morning greeting of "Hello, how are you?" with the matter of fact reply, "Still vertical."

It's early in the day. Everyone is getting down to work. Most people are in a good mood. It's all smiles and greetings.

Then Bob brings up death!

What were Bob's parents thinking? Didn't they teach him that people don't like to begin their day thinking about the last minutes of their life? Here I am enjoying my bagel and trying desperately to finalize a project, and Bob tells me that the best he can do is remind us that he's still alive. Maybe not tomorrow, or even later today, but at least for now Bob is upright and breathing. Well, yippee.

But, maybe Bob has it right. Maybe we should think about death early, so that we don't have to worry about it.

I'm not talking about worrying over the hospital bills, funeral arrangements, travel plans, announcements, thank you cards, etc. The people who are 'still vertical' will worry about all those details for you.

But what about preparing for the eternity that awaits after you take your last breath?

What will you be doing while your friends and family are gathering to remember your life?

Nothing? Reincarnating as a butterfly? Do you think you'll come back to live again as a different person, until you get this thing called life right? Or will you face a Creator who's a bit upset that you ignored all the signs and wonders He showed you, and now requires that you give an account for all the things you did to disobey Him?

Next time, we'll look at a few of these possibilities, and explore if any one is more probable than the others.

In the meantime, stay vertical!

Why Start the Faith-Full Witness Blog?

2008-08-19T14:34:00.001-04:00

Everyone has a story to tell.

Rather than tell you my story, at least right off the bat, let me tell you two conclusions that I've reached as a result of my story.

1) The Bible is true. Literally.

2) We're all going to die.

In fact, in the time it takes most people to read to right here... twenty eight people took their last breath and died.

What if... fourteen seconds from now, you were one of those people?

What would happen to you?

Would you go to heaven, or hell?

How could you know for certain?

Perhaps you're not sure. If you keep reading, you'll find that this blog is written for you, but indirectly.

Perhaps you are certain. This blog is definitely written for you. Directly.

Stay tuned, and you'll both understand.