Sat, May 27th - 1:52AM

Clarification on Catholicism

            In exposing and denouncing the errors of a false religious system by the written word of God one seems to bring upon himself the accusation or, at least the implication that one is bringing condemnation on all who are a part of that system.  I constantly hear from Christians, as I did last night that there are “born-again” Catholics who truly know Christ as Lord, even priests and nuns.  Not having complete discernment into the hearts of all men, as only God does, I have no way of verifying or denying such claims, except by the word of God itself.  Martin Luther was a Roman Catholic priest, as were a number of the historic “reformers” who attempted to reform that institution to bring it into conformity with the Scriptures.  Most of those of that time period and all other periods who saw the truths concerning salvation in the Scriptures more clearly and attempted to live by them and teach them more accurately were either ejected from that church and/or severely persecuted even to the point of death.

            My question concerning these supposed “born-again” Catholics that seem to abound in our present era is that if they have indeed embraced Christ by faith for salvation from sin and truly understand the grace of God in their lives then why do they, why would they continue in such a false and even blasphemous religion that teaches another gospel than what Jesus and His apostles taught, a gospel of works, of religious ritual, of worship of Mary and “saints,” of the supremacy of church tradition and teaching over, or equal to Scripture, of the supremacy of a pope over all Christendom, and infallible in doctrine, a system that endorses the admixture of witchcraft and pagan belief and practices in many countries today with Christianity, a religion that has cursed those who believe in justification by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, a system that has consistently, historically and systematically persecuted true Christians from its inception, and a system that has perpetrated a sexually deviant priesthood and defended those who have done much harm in this way even to the very present, and otherwise done many other things to bring reproach on the blessed Name of the One they claim to represent?  Why would a truly born-again follower of Jesus remain in such a lying system after having come to know Him as Saviour and Lord? 

            The term “born-again obviously has many meanings to different people.  Claiming to be a frog does not make one a frog.  Living in a garage does not make one a car.  Claiming all the Biblical terminology applying to one who has come to know God through His Son does not in itself authenticate genuine discipleship, nor salvation for that person.  There are certain evidences given in the New Testament for a true follower of Christ such as fruit bearing, love for the brethren and the like.  But discernment as to who are true brethren is essential.  Jesus said, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”  Matt. 7:21  In that same passage He also said to beware of false prophets who come in sheeps clothing. V.15  Do I accept for fellowship everyone who says he is a Christian, regardless of that one’s stated beliefs and lifestyle?  That would be and is a very stupid thing to do.  That doesn’t mean that I condemn them if I doubt their profession.  I have no need to condemn, for the word of God condemns those who have not the Son.  Jn. 3:36 

            There is a movement afoot today that many, if not most Christians are unaware of, or at least unaware of the implications of.  Ecumenism is the concerted attempt to bring all professing Christians together under one religious system.  The second Vatican Council in the 1960s brought an official effort on the part of the Catholic Church to re-gather all of the so-called “separated brethren” of Protestantism back into the Roman fold.  A simultaneous movement can be traced to certain elements in more recent Protestant circles to bring about that same unity of faith in Christendom.  It should be obvious to even a casual reader of the Bible that the implications of such a movement would entail a very serious compromise of doctrinal truth for a true Christian or body of Christians.  And yet such well-respected “Evangelical” leaders as Charles Colson and J.I. Packer have endorsed this movement by their signing of a document called “Evangelicals and Catholics Together,” which is a virtual non-aggression pact between Evangelicals and the Catholic Church.  Here in Colorado Springs and throughout the world it has become an Evangelical taboo to speak against Catholicism, as though it were somehow uncharitable and “judgmental.”

            Promoting such an attitude in the churches today is really promoting the spirit of this present age, which is the spirit of antichrist.  Yes many Catholics are good people, as are many Mormons and Moslems.  They oppose abortion.  That’s wonderful!  But there is a difference on a deeper and higher level that all true Christians must eventually come to terms with.  We are commanded to “come out from among them,” that is the world and all of it’s religious systems and to be separate and holy as the people of God. 2Cor. 6:17   Helping Catholics to believe they are justified in the sight of God and helping to promote that antichrist religious system that they are a part of is not truly charitable to them, nor is it glorifying to Jesus Christ, the Lord of His true church.  Wake up, dear Christians, before you find yourselves in league with the enemies of your God!  This is my prayer for you!  Amen.

Fri, May 26th - 2:03AM

Evangelical Religious-Correctness

And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees;

When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.  So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.  Lk. 21:29-31

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.  Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:  And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that [spirit] of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.  1Jn. 4:1-3

            How can Christians be so undiscerning, dull and easily deceived?  The truths contained in the above passages, and in several other New Testament portions have never been more alive to me.  A friend of mine remarked today that he was removed from a “Christian” web site because the statement he made concerning the evils of Roman Catholicism were deemed “judgmental” by the webmaster.  If this were some isolated case it would be of little note.  Sadly and frighteningly this spirit of spiritual compromise encapsulated in magnanimous ecumenism has engulfed nearly all of the professing Christian community from its highest representative leaders to the common person in the pew.  Without casting any aspersions, it would not surprise me if I myself were banned here for the statement I am making in this essay.  How interesting that literature like the “Left Behind” series of novels and others of that genre have piqued interest in the rapture and end time events, while, perhaps implanting a false confidence in many professing believers that these events will be escaped by the church.  The “Passion of Christ” film, so acclaimed in the Protestant world for its supposed realistic depiction of our Lord’s suffering and death on the cross has added to the stew by giving a Roman view of Christ’s last hours, as well as a dimension of blasphemy  by employing at least one notorious pornographic film actress in portraying Jesus’ mother.  How could we be so duped by these deceptive portrayals?  Jesus was very accurate in His Olivet discourse in stating that the very elect of God would be deceived in the last hour, if it were possible.  Matt. 24:24   

False teachers and false prophets abound in Charismatic circles, and even more subtly in other parts of the professing church.  Our beloved Evangelical “pope” Billy Graham, who “can do no wrong” has been a part of this charade from the very beginning of his crusades, and has done wrong by including Catholic priests and nuns, as well as liberal Protestants in his crusade counseling staff and referring converts to Catholic and liberal Protestant churches if that were their back-round.  Some of his statements to men such as Robert Schuller and Larry King concerning the universality of salvation have failed to raise even an eyebrow, except from non-professors such as King himself.  And, again as Jesus said, those who truly follow Him in discipleship and the crucified way, are hated and betrayed by even “brethren” all the while.  (Luke 21:16) 

Should His faithful followers be surprised at all these things that are now upon the world?  I think not.  “For the disciple is not above his master...”  Matt. 10:24.  He promised His disciples the hatred of the world, and even that those who would persecute and kill them would believe that they were doing God service.  (Jn. 16:20)  I’ll never forget the look of hatred in that senior elder’s eyes when he had me thrust out of a very large church here in Colorado Springs by a police officer one Sunday morning about two years ago.  My offense was publicly challenging a young pastor in class concerning his new church organizational concepts and refusing to remain silent about it.  What a difficult impression of prophetic truth to my soul!

How important is it to abide in Christ, and to allow Him to abide in one who desires true discipleship, full surrender and absolute obedience to the leadership of the Spirit of God within, in accordance with the written word of God?  In my previous essays I have attempted to establish, and continue here in that attempt to show the necessity of employing the cross in the believer’s life as the essential life-principle for his continued existence here on this earth.  This has always been, is now and until the coming of our blessed Lord to receive his own, shall be the distinguishing mark of those who know Him.  Do they bear the cross, suffer with Him, and present a joy-filled living witness to the world around them, despite the misunderstanding and rejection of God-haters around them, just as all the saints who have gone before?  It is not that they deliberately make themselves obnoxious to the world, but by the very nature of their new identities, and the enmity that the world and the so-called professing religious community has for the Lord of all creation, they find themselves despised and rejected by them.  If, dear friends, you find my writings conspicuously absent in the near future, know this: that the antichrist has struck again.  But know also that his time is short and as John stated in the Revelation, “...and they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.  Rev. 12:11.”

Mon, May 15th - 12:50AM

True Christian Living

Originally posted:

Sat, May 6th - 4:43PM

The Cross as a Way of Life

And he said to [them] all, If any [man] will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.  (Luke 9:23,24)

            Most professing Christians know little of the cross in its practical aspect.  What they are generally taught and are acquainted with is the aspect of forgiveness (or justification) that Jesus provided for them by dying on it.  But really that is only half the message of the Gospel. 

And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

Mark 1:15

The Lord Jesus and His apostles preached a message that is not commonly proclaimed in modern Evangelicalism.  Their Gospel (that of Christ and His apostles) entailed a total change of heart that was evidenced in a change of life-style and behaviour.  It was by no means a mere intellectual assent to historical facts concerning the ministry and death of Christ, but a faith that produced conversion in the heart and soul.  The life of a true disciple of Jesus Christ is one of on-going repentance from the self-efforts of the flesh to produce holiness of life and character. For all the evangelistic efforts launched today in nearly all of the so-called Evangelical denominations and para-church organizations, very few of the "decisions" for Christ result in a genuine life-long change.  This is a mere statistical fact that can be easily verified. 

            Another evidence of the faulty and incomplete gospel being perpetrated in the churches today, and there are many, is the proliferation of humanistic counseling by professionals in the churches.  Generally, this form of "Christian" counseling is a blend of some Biblical truth with human psychological theory and addictions-recovery techniques (such as Alcoholics Anonymous).  This counseling by supposedly certified and often seminary trained, government licensed counselors largely adds to the confusion that many believers have concerning their emotional, mental and spiritual condition.  The proverb comes to mind, There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof [are] the ways of death.  (Prov. 14:12)

The main idea in advancing and providing these counseling services in the churches seems to be that "the best of both worlds" can be used in helping Christians address their problems.  The problem with this theory is that human psychology is nothing more than a collection of theories proposed mostly by godless and god-hating men and women, who were attempting to find an alternative to the problems of the human soul, rather than approach the Creator for the answers.  Alcoholics Anonymous, is much the same, though it supposedly was devised by two Christians, and derived and based upon the Bible.  Actually much false, heretical and cultic teaching derives from a distortion of the Bible, and AA is just one of the many of such.   I shall never forget a Sunday School discussion in a large church here in Colorado Springs in which one man, the leader of the group announced that he was "clinically depressed."  What he was saying in essence was that because he put up that sign before us, we were not permitted to minister truth to him from the word of God that might actually bring relief and healing to his state of mind.  Denying the faith, he was actually stating that the blood of Christ was powerless in his particular case.  His stubbornness was to reign supreme in his life.  How sad, but by no means an uncommon situation in the contemporary churches.

 What is this aspect of the cross that is so neglected, misunderstood, scarcely taught and often out-rightly rejected by many who profess to know the Saviour?  In a word it is the ongoing, voluntary death of the believer to the life of self and sin so imbedded in his human soul.  "I die daily" the apostle states with boldness.  And it is in that daily death that true resurrection life, (life in the Spirit) can and must be found.  There is no alternative.  Elaborate and innovative programs for human fulfillment, dynamic worship and entertainment in the sanctuary, charismatic leadership personalities or anything else we may conjure up in our human flesh cannot duplicate (effectively, that is) a true walk in the Holy Spirit resulting from this death to self.  It's all a useless heap of dead works(Heb. 9:14), as the Scripture would put it , dung.  I'm sorry that I need to use this negative approach calling attention to the error before I can present the life giving truth so needed by my brothers and sisters throughout the body of Christ today.  But the message of the cross is indeed foolishness as the Bible clearly teaches to those who are perishing and to those whose faith the Devil would snatch away from them. (1Cor. 1:18)

When are we going to wake up to this vital and fundamental truth concerning the Christian life?  How long must we play church and see our Christian brothers and sisters, and ourselves fall away in hopeless frustration and confusion, and be destroyed by the craftiness of the enemy of our souls?  How long must we play footsie with the world in our flirtation with its pleasures, ever-changing trends and desire for human acceptance?  "Take up the cross, die, hate this life and your own life (the opposite of 'self-esteem') and follow me," says Jesus (Luke 14:26).  A man cannot serve two masters, for he will hate the one and love the other.  For many years, I myself lived the tormented life of a double-minded Christian, at once high in my love for God, and then loving my own self and desires (personal goals and lusts).  God had to discipline me very severely in order to show me His jealous love and concern for me as an adopted son.  Absolute surrender is what He requires.  This is not some option in the smorgasbord of Christian experience.  Would you husbands permit your wives to freely date other men?  Carry that as an analogy to our relationship with God.  And yet, all of His many wonderful blessings are ours when we willingly and knowingly surrender all to Him, and trust that in His time and in His way and by His great love for us He will bring us to a new level of living, living in the eternal realm  such as we have not heretofore known (John 10:10). 

Give it up to Him, my friends, allow Him to manifest the fullness of His salvation in your life today!  Don't be content with the supposed "ticket to heaven" you got at some past point and be greatly disappointed when you get there to the gate.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.  (John 12:24)

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.  (Gal. 2:20

Wed, May 3rd - 1:10AM

Unity Amongst Christians 2Cor. 6:14

On all hands we hear cries for unity in this, and unity in that; but to our mind the main need of this age is not compromise, but conscientiousness. First pure, then peaceable. It is easy to cry a confederacy,but that union which is not based upon the truth of God is rather a conspiracy than a communion. Charity by all means; but honesty also. Love, of course, but love to God as well as love to men, and love of truth as well as love of union. It is exceedingly difficult in these times to preserve one's fidelity before God and one's fraternity among men. Should not the former be preferred to the latter if both cannot be maintained? We think so.

 Charles Haddon Spurgeon, The Down Grade - Second Article, The Sword and the Trowel, April 1887