Take That God!

Stopping Just Short of Gethsemane

There is a common refrain in the churchworld that - as long as what we do is done for Christ - then we are in God's will.  However, this belief is deadly because it is false.  There are numerous examples in Scripture of God's people offering Him what looks "good" in their own eyes, only to be rejected by Him for it.

God is not required nor has He promised to receive from us what we decide to do in His name.  In fact, He will only receive that which He inspires us to do by His Spirit.

We can live our entire lives doing "good" for Christ and never actually be in His will.  Did we really comprehend that?  We can continually make sacrifices, give offerings, produce worship, start ministries, preach the word, heal the sick...and never be doing God's will.

It is the difference between coming to Christ and looking up at the cross versus coming to Christ and getting up on the cross.  This is because many Christians never go through the winepress of Gethsemane.  Instead of denying their own will so that God's will can be accomplished through them, they use their own will to go about doing 'good works' for Him. God never accepts such offerings.

Don't think this is true?

"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. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." Matthew 7:21-23

Can we not say that those who were prophesying, casting out devils and such were doing "good" works? Indeed, the Scriptures say that these were "wonderful" works.  Yet, God did not receive ANY of them.  The question is, "Why?"  Why didn't God accept these offerings?  Because while they were doing good works, these people were not doing God's will.

Doesn't God want prophecy to come forth?  Doesn't He want demons to be cast out?  Doesn't He want to do wonderful works in the earth?  Yes.  However, God only accepts that which He fathers.  Further, we should note that even our "wonderful works" done in God's name are considered by Him to be works of iniquity if they are not birthed by Him.

In a previous article, we discussed what it means for God to be our Father.  We noted how the Greek word for father (the word pater) literally means to be the "originator and transmitter".  If God is not the originator or inspiration of our work, then it matters not how "good" the work seems; it still remains a dead work.

The barometer for whether our work is "of God" is not how we feel about it or even people's response to it.  It is whether our work was birthed by God or not.  Being inspired by God doesn't mean that we consider His goodness and our love form Him and then start thinking of things we can do for Him.  Inspiration is truly a spiritual term which speaks primarily of what God is doing through us, not what we are doing for Him.

An example of such "inspiration" is seen in the Scriptures (II Timothy 3:16).  Being inspired by God literally means to be "God-breathed."  A work originates solely from Him and His Spirit moves through men to bring that work to pass.  Scripture is not the work of man, but of God precisely because it was inspired by Him.  The same can be said of our works.  If our works do not originate solely from the Spirit of God, then it is not God working, but merely us working. 

Consider just a few more examples of people offering works to God which were not inspired by Him.

The first instance we see in Scripture is the story of Cain & Abel.  Each worked hard and toiled to offer a sacrifice of worship to God, but only one offering was accepted.  What was the difference?  Faith.  Abel's offerings was made by faith and Cain's was not (Hebrews 11:4).

So what does it mean for faith to be the motivation behind our works?  It doesn't mean to simply believe because even the demons believe, but they don't have faith. 

Faith is the action of obedience in response to believing God's word; it comes by hearing and obeying the word of God (Romans 1:5, 10:16-17, 16:26).  While Cain offered what he thought was good, Abel desired to know what God wanted him to offer...and did just that.  As a result, Abel was accepted.

"If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him." Genesis 4:7

Note that the words above from God were spoken to Cain before he killed Abel.  Not only was Cain's hard-wrought offering rejected, God said that it was "sin"!  Cain didn't get credit for having good intentions, for the time & effort he put into it, or for the fact that he was doing it for God.  It was all a work of the flesh because God had not inspired him to give what was offered.  Just as in Matthew 7:23, this good work was the equivalent of sin.

In Leviticus Chapter 9, we see the people of Israel coming forth to worship God and His glory descended among the people to receive their offering.

"And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD."  Leviticus 10:1-2

Were Nadab and Abihu making offerings to idols? No, they were making an offering to the Lord.  Again we see that God doesn't just take what we offer in His name.  Not only was this work rejected, but Nadab and Abihu were judged and destroyed because of this one act of "worship".

What was the problem?  They did not consider what God wanted them to offer, but gave what was right in their own sight, and this kindled God's wrath.  Once again, what was done as a work for the Lord was looked upon by God as sin.

Similarly, we see in the Book of I Samuel that the Amalekites were defiled to God and He wanted King Saul to "utterly destroy" all that belonged to them; man, woman, child, and every animal (I Samuel 15:3).  Yet, Saul did not.

"And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD. And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear? And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed." I Samuel 5:13-15

Oh how this reflects the religious nature of man's heart!  We take away from God's commands to do what seems right to us and want to offer it to God while boldly (and falsely) proclaiming to be performing His will.  We see things in the world that look attractive to us and we decide to offer those things to God, even though He tells us not to (I John 2:16).

God had condemned the Amalekites and all that was associated with them.  There was nothing He wanted from them and more importantly, God had instructed His people to take nothing from them. All they had to do was obey.

However, just as what happens today, King Saul saw something in the Amalekites that he thought he could use; something he could salvage as an offering to God.  Afterall, wasn't it okay to do what God said not to do as long as he was doing it for God's glory?  Wouldn't God overlook his disobedience since he was trying to make a sacrifice to the Lord?  No!

No matter Saul's intentions or motivation, God only saw his disobedience (I Samuel 15:11).  God saw Saul's "sacrifice for God" as sin, as evil, as idolatry (I Samuel 15:16-23).

"And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king." I Samuel 15:22-23

As a result of this one act of "worship", the kingdom was rent from Saul's hands and he became rejected by God.

God does not need our help.  He doesn't need us to improve on His plans.  The only thing we can add to God's holy work is the flesh, and thereby we defile it.

Only that which is sanctified by God is able to be received by Him.  This is a lesson that Uzzah, the son of Abinadab, had to learn the hard way.

King David sought to have the ark of God (symbolic of His presence) returned to Israel from the house of Abinadab where it was held.  Abinadab's sons, Uzzah and Ahio, proceeded to drive the ark on a cart back to Israel when the following occurred:    

"And when they came to Nachon's threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God." II Samuel 6:6-7

Was Uzzah motivated to do a good work for the Lord?  Absolutely.  He was trying to stop the ark of the covenant from falling.  However, he was not permitted by God to touch it.  In spite of his good intentions, Uzzah's work was in "error" and resulted in his death.

Once more we see that it is not acceptable to God for us to disobey His commands, even if we do it with the mind of doing something for Him. 

God says that no flesh shall glory in His presence (I Corinthians 1:29).  Yet, what do we see today?  Flesh glorying before God and people claiming that such is ordained by Him.  Too many times we want to take the works of the flesh and pretend that they are sanctified before God. Yet, this is far from true.

God doesn't need our bright ideas; His thoughts are higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:9).

God doesn't need our money; all the gold and the silver are His (Haggai 2:8).

God doesn't need our strength; all power is in His hands (I Chronicles 29:12).

So what is God after?  Our very lives.  He is looking for us to present our bodies as living sacrifices.  What does it mean to have given God your bodies?  It means that He has control of your eyes (what you watch), your ears (what you listen to), your mouth (what you say), your feet (where you go), your hands (what you touch), your mind (what you think), your heart (what you desire)...It means that you truly no longer live for yourself; you have been crucified and Christ lives through you.

In order for this to happen, we cannot be driven by what we like or what we think.  Our wills must be subjected to His will so that we can receive the inspiration of what He wants to be done in us and allow His Spirit to perform it through us.

Obedience is better than sacrifice.

Christian Adultery?

Be Filthy Still

"He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still." Revelation 22:11

We cannot take things from the world, change it up, and label it Christian.

If all that is in the world is the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life - which is NOT of the Father - then why do so many professing Christians try to take the ways of the world and use it for ministry?

Some may wonder why I keep harping on this.  It's because there is a failure in much of the churchworld to separate that which is the soulish from that which is of the Spirit of God.  As a result, many continue to be blind and deceived while believing that such is Christianity.

This is part of what is addressed in Pastor Zac Poonen's message below entitled "Christian Rock: The Devil's Music."  How can he say that this is the devil's music? Because of who birthed it.

"For ALL that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world." I John 2:16

Whether it is Christian Rock, Christian Rap, Christian Hip Hop...so many times people will ask, "Why can't God use this to glorify Himself and win converts?  Why does it matter that this genre was first created by the world?"

The answer is because God is the Creator, not Satan. God doesn't have to take what Satan establishes in the world and "use it" to minister to His people. In fact, we know for sure that He does not.  This is way beyond simply genres of music, but is about our very attitude, our lifestyle, our nature before God.  Have we truly become partakers of the divine nature or are we still trying to dress up the fallen nature to look like Christ?  What is inspiring us?  As Jesus rebuked His disciples, "Consider what spirit you are of." (Luke 9:55).  God has no fellowship with the works of darkness.

One way to understand God's attitude towards the things of the world is to look at the Adamic nature. God's answer for the fallen nature of man is not to reform it or clean & dress it up, but to crucify it.  There is nothing salvageable about that which is of the world and God borrows nothing from it.

"Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." James 4:4

That which is of God's Spirit it pure precisely because it has been birthed or fathered by Him.  May our love for God - and our very existence before Him - transcend the soulish and the sentimental to be truly holy...for He is holy.

The Letter to the Hebrews

The following 4-part sermon is a great study on the Book of Hebrews by Pastor Zac Poonen.

Although there are notes below each link to provide an overview of what is discussed, please do not take those notes as a substitute for listening to the message.

Hearing the message for yourself is sure to amplify your own personal study of this book.


Click Here for Hebrews - Part 1

• Hebrews Chapter 1 established the deity of Christ. 
• There is a difference between doing righteousness and loving righteousness.  We must love righteousness and hate sin if we want to be anointed with the oil of gladness (Hebrews 1:9).
• Jesus created the Heavens and the earth (Hebrews 1:10).
• Jesus is higher than the angels for God has never said to any angel what He has said to His Son (Hebrews 1:13). This is why the angels are to worship Jesus (Hebrews 1:6) for He has been eternally God, even before the incarnation.  Created beings can never receive worship for such is idolatry.
• Hebrews Chapter 2 establishes His humanity.  The humanity of Christ - the fact that Jesus is a man as well as God - means that we can follow Him as our example in being an overcomer.
• The danger for many is not that we will outright reject the Gospel, but that we will drift away from it through neglect (Hebrews 2:1-3).  This text is not written to the unbeliever.  The author says, "How shall WE escape if we neglect so great salvation."  It is a warning to the believer.
• Jesus Himself was given grace to undergo the death of the cross and that same grace could only come to us through Jesus (Hebrews 2:9).
• Grace is not the unmerited favor of God.  It is God's help and God's power.
• Like Jesus, we become perfect or mature through sufferings (Hebrews 2:10).
• We are the siblings of Jesus.  Whatever God did for Jesus, He will do for us for He is no respecter of persons.
• No child of God can die until Jesus opens the door for you to die because the power of death has been taken from Satan (Hebrews 2:14-15).
• Jesus was made like us so that He could be the author of our salvation (Hebrews 2:16-17).
• Believers can still have a heart of unbelief regarding the truths of the Gospel and the power of salvation given over sin.  This unbelief will cause us to depart from the Lord (Hebrews 3:12).  This is why we need to encourage each other to "consider Jesus" (Hebrews 3:1), our example.
• We are made partakers with Christ only IF we endure until the end (Hebrews 3:14).  We must abide in the faith. 
• God doing miracles for you is not the evidence that He is pleased with you.  He did many miracles for Israel in the wilderness, but was angry with them the whole time (Hebrews 3:17).  God is pleased when we enter into the land of Canaan and put those giants under our feet!
•  "Therefore let us fear..." (Hebrews 4:1).  This applies to us.  The illustration of Israel wandering for forty years in the Wilderness of Sin is given to us believers as an example (Hebrews 4:11). Do not believe the satanic lie which tells you that a believer can never later reject salvation; Scripture continually says otherwise.  Eternal security is conditional according to the word of God.
• You will only enter into the rest of God when you cease from your own works and struggles.  First, the rest of forgiveness of sin.  Then the rest of victory over sin.
• Law is man trying to do something for God.  Grace is God doing something for man.

Click Here for Hebrews - Part 2

• The word of God is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.  The old covenant could only deal with the outside or outward performance.  But in the new covenant, the word penetrates to the very heart of man.
• The word of God is meant to be a sharp sword.  We should not try to blunt the sword by holding back some of God's truths in order to lessen the impact.  
• The word of God also divides between soul and spirit.  Even today, many professional Christians cannot distinguish between what is soulish and what is spiritual.  There are many "good works" being done and "good words" being spoken in the name of Jesus, but they are soulish.  We must seek to know God's ways, and this can only be done as His Spirit makes this division or merismos in our souls.  We will be deceived if we cannot distinguish between soul power and spiritual power.
• There is only one person with whom we "have to do" (Hebrews 4:13-14).  There is only one person in the universe with whom we have to give an account of our life to, and that is Jesus.
  
• There are at least 3 Heavens: one is what we see with the stars, moon, and sun; above that is the second heavenlies where Satan and his evil spirits dwell; the third heavenlies is where God dwells. 
• Jesus being a high priest who can sympathize with our situations doesn't mean that He just encourages us through it.  But, He is there with us, wants to help us through it, and carry our burdens.
• Financial difficulties are relative.  The greatest problem a person who is seeking after godliness faces is not finances, but being holy.
• Jesus was tempted just like we are, but never sinned (Hebrews 4:15).  We too can be tempted, but not sin.
• Mercy deals with our past sins.  Grace is given to help us overcome sin in the future.  Mercy was available in the old covenant, but grace came only by Jesus Christ.  The time of need where grace is required is before we fall; and it keeps us from falling (Hebrews 4:16).  To ask for help after a fall is to seek mercy.  To ask for help before we fall is to call upon grace. 
• How did Jesus pray throughout His life?  "...with strong crying and tears."  (Hebrews 5:7) Did He pray like that because He was the Son of God?  No, He prayed like that because He hated sin.  Do we pray like that?  Often man is too indifferent to sin to pray like that.
• The baptism in fire brings a zeal and longing in the heart for purity.
• Jesus was never afraid to die physically.  He came to die such a death.  He did not want the break in fellowship with God that comes from spiritual death.  This was the essence of His prayer at Gethsemane.  But He had to accept that break in fellowship with the Father in order to take on the sin of the world. 
• We can only move on to the meat from the milk of the word through obedience to God by pressing on to perfection.

Click Here for Hebrews - Part 3

• The burden of the author is to move Christians beyond milk, beyond being babies into maturity as we press on to perfection.  
• He then addresses the danger of not doing so by issuing a warning to those who have been born again.
• The person discussed has been enlightened which means that in the darkness of his heart, the light of God has come. He has tasted the Heavenly gift which is the gift God gave of His Son; he has tasted Jesus.  He has received the Holy Spirit.  He has responded to God's word.  He has experienced the supernatural power of God in His life. (Hebrews 6:4)
• Then Scripture tells us that such a person as described above falls away (Hebrews 6:6).  This is not talking about falling and getting up, but falling away completely.  If God says it is possible to fall away, then it is possible, irregardless of what your theology might say.
• We are told that such persons crucify the Son of God afresh.  How do we do that?  Through a willful continuation in sin.  Jesus was crucified because of sin.
• You can cross a line where you have done such despite to the grace of God, that you cannot be renewed again (Hebrews 6:6).
• Too many Christians want to drink forth blessings from God, but have no concern to bear Godly fruit and as a result wind up producing that which is cursed (Hebrews 6:7-9). The end for such is to be burned (Hebrews 6:8).
• Yet, the author has faith that his readers will not take sin lightly, but will continue in the same diligence with which we started until the end so as to inherit eternal life (Hebrews 6:10-12).
• In the Old Testament, if God blessed a man, then he had children.  In the New Testament, the same is true spiritually; you will have spiritual children. People will be brought to the Lord through your life (Hebrews 6:14).
• The hope for a Christian is two-fold:  That Jesus is coming again and that - at that time - we will be like Him.  This hope is an anchor for our souls (Hebrews 6:19-20).
• Jesus is called the Forerunner (after the order of Melchisedec) because He entered the holy of holies ahead of us thereby making the way for us to enter in.
• The priesthood of Melchisedec is far superior than the priesthood of Levi.  For one, Levi - while in the loins of Abraham - paid tithes to Melchisedec (Hebrews 7:1-11).  Second, the priesthood of Levi was based on certain earthly qualifications, but Melchisedec - as a type of Christ - is based on a Heavenly life with no earthly heritage and no beginning or ending of life (Hebrews 7:3).  Thirdly, the priesthood of Levi makes priests of men who are weak and must repeatedly offer sacrifice for sin (Hebrews 7:28), while Jesus Christ is holy and able to save to the utmost with one sacrifice for all sin.
• You can learn alot about Christian financial principles and Christian work by comparing the two priesthoods of Levi and Melchisedec.  Melchisedec was a King, and received gifts, but it was not according to law.  Melchisedec was not dependent upon Abraham's gift.  He took a gift from Abraham in order to bless Abraham.  Levi would teach people that they have to pay their tithes or be cursed.  When preachers tell you that you have to pay a tithe, they are appealing to the priesthood of Levi.  Many Christians are still bound by an old covenant type of thinking in believing they have to wear special clothes, believing that a building is the house of God, etc.  Don't condescend to a Levitical priesthood attitude if you wish to receive from the Lord for perfection does not come from this. 
• It is a tragic thing when people call themselves new covenant priests, but then go back to the old priesthood.  The glory of God will not come on this.  We must serve God according to the pattern that God has given in the new covenant.  This pattern is a person: Jesus Christ (Hebrews 8:1-2).
• The old testament law was faulty (Hebrews 8:7-8).  God had a purpose in this; He did not make a mistake.  God kept man under it to teach Him a lesson; namely, that no matter how hard you try, you will never come up to my standard or manifest my nature.
• The initial experience of many new Christians is to live like old covenant people.  We hear a message about victory and we "try".  The new covenant is not depending on human experience or ability.
• The old covenant says, "Thou shalt..." as man struggles to keep God's law.  In the new covenant, God says, "I will..." as He works within us to perform His will.

Click Here for Hebrews - Part 4

• In the Old Testament there was a constant remembrance of sin (Hebrews 7:27).  But in the new covenant, there is no remembrance of sin (Hebrews 8:12).  God does not hold your past life against you...no matter how wicked it may have been.

• The privilege under the new covenant is that we don't need any man or woman in order to know God.  We can each personally know God as a Father and friend through Jesus Christ.
• The model for what is required for us in the new covenant is seen in Mary, the mother of Jesus.  Mary could not have conceived Jesus no matter how hard she tried.  What she did have to do was submit to the work of the Holy Spirit, who alone could bring forth this new life in her.  Similarly, we cannot produce the life of Christ within.  It is God's responsibility to create righteousness in us, but we must submit to His work.
• Every person in the new covenant can be made perfect in our conscience through the Holy Spirit's power (Hebrews 9:9-14).  The Holy Spirit's power which presented Jesus without blemish to God is the same power by which we can do the same.  The law cannot make people perfect (Hebrews 10:1).  The mark of those under the old covenant is that they are afraid of the word perfection.
• God does not want your sacrifices, offerings, or tithes.  He wants your body (Hebrews 10:5).  The new covenant equivalent to the old testament 'tithe' is your body, your life.
• The central passage to the entire book of Hebrews is likely seen in verses 19-25; it is exhorting us to enter and walk by the new & living way into the most holy place.  This is the way of the cross.  Death to my own will and offering my body to do God's will.
• If you decide not to follow the way, but backslide by continuing willfully in sin, then we will be judged with the same judgment set for the enemies of God (Hebrews 10:26-27).
• If you live by faith, then you will make progress.  If you draw back or drift away, then God will have no pleasure in you and you will be destined for perdition (Hebrews 10:38-39).
• We can only walk this way by faith (Hebrews 11).  Some people think faith in God is just about calling down fire from Heaven, break the walls of Jericho, part the Red Sea, and shut the mouths of lions.  That is an example of faith.  But it is also faith to be able to stand in our confession of faith while being tortured, afflicted, and killed.  Faith is not just the power to walk in the supernatural or experience miracles, but the ability to endure until the end...even through hardship.
• Our faith is not looking unto Old Testament persons, but looking unto Jesus.  And when we look to Jesus, we will run this race (Hebrews 12:1-2).  We have to run.  Don't get discouraged if you fall down, just get back up and run. 
• Don't be like Esau and lose your eternal inheritance for some small earthly gain (Hebrew 12:16).  
• If somebody harms you, the old covenant Christian will cry out for judgment.  If you are a new covenant Christian, you will cry out for mercy (Hebrews 12:24).
• The final Chapter of Hebrews gives us a summary of exhortations which we will experience as we walk in this new and living way.

The Seventh Day Apostasy

"We believe the revelation and inspiration of both the Bible and Ellen White's writings to be of equal quality." SDA Ministry Magazine

People often contact me asking about the Seventh Day Adventist organization (SDA).  Likewise, people in line with SDA beliefs often link to this site based in part on our article "Sunday, the Mark of the Beast" which they falsely assume supports the necessity of a Sabbath day of worship for believers.

As a young believer, I even attended an SDA bible study, although I had no idea that is was tied to SDA.  This was due in part to the fact that it was not promoted as such.  I have found that SDA materials and seminars often obscure the fact that they are disseminated by the SDA.  While I cannot speak as to why this is done, I have seen it being a source of confusion for others and thought it best to address it.  As with any deception, that which works best is that which incorporates some truth in with the lies.

The purpose of this article is not to speak about the relationship of the law to a believer.  We have done that many times before.  This article aims to provide information on where the SDA organization comes from and whether their teachings line up with the word of God.

The following video series "Seventh Day Adventism: The Spirit Behind the Church" discusses the life of Ellen G. White and the root & evolution of her spurious teachings and false prophecies.  Such teachings include that Christ's atonement for sin was incomplete, That Jesus Christ is Michael the Archangel, and that there is no hell.  The Jehovah's Witness is but one splinter group stemming from these false SDA teachings, including its own "inspired" versions of Scriptures.




The next video series "The Seventh Day Abomination (The SDA Mystery Babylon Connection)" shows how Ellen G. White's teachings were founded on the work of Freemason William Miller. It also connects these Millerite teachings back to their roots in freemasonry and Egyptian occult worship.

Egyptian pyramids were created to mirror the belt of Orion in astrology, which they believed to be the home of God. Ellen White makes various references in her writings to God being the "All-seeing eye" and God's home being in Orion. This is a continued theme in SDA teachings even today.

SDA also is at the forefront of the ecumenical movement to bring the world religions together under an Age of Aquarius "Rule of Law" as part of the new world order. The video shows how disunity between the SDA and the Roman Catholic Church is only a cunningly devised farce which will become more revealed as the two work closely together to bring about the ecumenical objectives.



**Potential Posters:  You are welcome to post comments here, but please ensure they are relevant to the content of this article.  As such, actually watching the videos before commenting is suggested.  This is not a platform for SDA members to proselytize or to explain why they love the SDA institution.  Nor is this a place to argue about the believer's relationship with the law.  If you have questions about the law, please review one of the blog's many articles on this topic and post any appropriate comments there.  Lastly, all assertions of truth should be accompanied with some Scriptural evidence.  The purpose here is not to serve as an ecumenical forum where everyone just shares their opinions, but to facilitate an honest search & study for the truths of God based on His holy word.  Comments not meeting these criteria may not be approved.  Feel free to peruse existing comments as well, for your questions may already be addressed.

Emergent Apostasy

Transforming the Church of Christ into the Temple of Belial

"Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first..." Thessalonians 2:3a

We know what is written.  There shall be a great falling away from revealed truth in Christianity as many are swept away into a delusion prior to Jesus' coming.  Even now, we can look around and see Christian cults veering into apostasy as they turn away from the truth of God's words.

Often, the term cult brings to mind pictures of anti-social groups of people, hidden away doing unspeakable acts.  However, what about the thousands openly walking away from the Lord while sitting in football-style arenas...often with hands and voices upraised, singing God's praises?  Do we believe that because something is popular, attractive, or expansive then it must be right?

Any church whose teachings diverge from the essential truths of the Gospel is indeed a cult.

In the sermon below, Pastor Mike Hoggard addresses the apostasy of the emergent church.  These fellowships are often the most known, for they believe that God's house of prayer needs to be a marketing machine as we "get the people in" at any cost.

When a church starts to focus on increasing membership, it has already taken its eyes off of Jesus.  The church should be so focused on Christ, that we can honestly say, "Who is Paul? Who is Apollos?  It is God who gives the increase."  Yet in much of the churchworld, the Gospel has been forsaken in deference to getting the "increase" - apart from the organic growth that comes naturally from planting and watering.  As such, many are failing to heed Paul's warning that we take care how we build...as long as we build.

This produces the current environment of heavy marketing and even competition which envelops many churches as they position themselves to show how relevant their services, sermons, and programs are to the world.

Need some suggestions on appropriate topics?  How about a sermon on "Desperate Households"?  "Lifeswap"? "Girls of the Bible Gone Crazy"?  Or, you can simply put in an ad at your local Hooters about how to have better sex....God's way!  Think I am kidding?  Just take a look at what is being done in the name of evangelism.

Yet, whose responsibility is it to grow the church?  

"And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." Acts 2:47a

Such efforts at self-promotion are the evidence that these churches are not only ignorant of how the church grows, but they are likewise ignorant of even who the church is.  It reveals that the Spirit of the Lord is not behind their evangelism. 

As a result, they must offer a synthetic gospel, counterfeit spiritual experiences, and man-centered worship in order to mimic the real move of God's Spirit.  Like the pied piper, the worldly "Christian" music itself becomes the minister as it leads the people off to their own destruction.

* By the way, I am not a KJV-only proponent.  However, the info shared about efforts to water down God's word is certainly worth consideration.

Planned Slaughterhood

The Valley of Slaughter

We have written before about the origins of Planned Parenthood and how it was established by Eugenicist Margaret Sanger as a means to control/reduce the populations of minorities, the disabled, and the poor.

Today, Planned Parenthood remains the largest abortion provider in the United States and continues to enjoy lavish government support.  In fact, since 1987, Planned Parenthood has received over $3.9 billion in tax-payer funds, including over $350 million in 2008 alone.

Where has such money gone?  So glad you ask.  For one, it supports the opening of school-based or school-linked clinics where school administrators can send young girls for STD treatment and even abortions without parental consent (such procedures would also be widely promoted under Obama's Health "Care" plan).  It has been used to support centers openly targeting minority babies for extermination.  And now it seems, it is also being used to help proliferate the sex trafficking of underage girls.  Love those tax dollars at work.

In response to recent evidence that some centers' are prepared to assist in the illegal prostitution of minors, Planned Parenthood spokesperson Stuart Schear had the following to say:

"When Planned Parenthood learns of an operation that exploits young women, we vigilantly work with law enforcement authorities to uncover and stop this abhorrent activity.  Planned Parenthood's top priority is the health and safety of our patients and the health and well-being of women and teens across the country, and we have been in contact with federal and local authorities to identify the persons involved in these visits."

Is this not encouraging?!  Planned Parenthood is "against" and "abhors" the exploitation of women.  Their "top priority" is the "health and well-being of women and teens".  One might say it is appropriate for Planned Parenthood to use such strong language against its staff members who were caught on tape aiding and abetting what they believed to be an illegal underage sex ring.  However, what is surprising - or maybe not so - is that Planned Parenthood did not make this statement against its own staffers, but against those who exposed their criminal behavior.

In the exposé, Planned Parenthood was taped consulting with a man and woman who pretend to be seeking advise on how to obtain services for their stable of Asian sex slave minors.  In one New Jersey Planned Parenthood facility, the Office Manager prides herself on skirting the rules with her fellow "partner in crime" co-workers and advises the pimp about how to lie to avoid reporting requirements, how to put the girls immediately back to work from the "waist up" after an abortion, and where to get abortions for girls under the age of 14 years of age.

While this is not the public face Planned Parenthood would like you to see, it is surely a glimpse at what is really going on behind the scenes.  It is an unveiling of the evil heart in people which allows them to continually turn a blind eye to these types of activities.  It is the face of a nation whose back is turned to God and from which the fear of the Lord has departed.

What is needed is repentance and prayer.  The only thing left is the judgment of God. 

"And say, Hear ye the word of the LORD, O kings of Judah, and inhabitants of Jerusalem; Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, the which whosoever heareth, his ears shall tingle. Because they have forsaken me, and have estranged this place, and have burned incense in it unto other gods, whom neither they nor their fathers have known, nor the kings of Judah, and have filled this place with the blood of innocents; They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind: Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that this place shall no more be called Tophet, nor The valley of the son of Hinnom, but The valley of slaughter." Jeremiah 19:3-6

Looking for a Job

The Pathway of Suffering IS the Pathway to Perfection

Did you know that the Book of Job is widely considered to be one of the oldest books of the Bible...and perhaps even the first written book of the Bible?

Consider then the significance of this message being potentially chosen as God's first documented words to man.  There is much for us to learn from Job, especially as we encounter the trials of life.

In the two-part message linked below, Pastor Zac Poonen discusses the Book of Job and important truths we can learn for our lives today.

God is looking for a Job; a person who is blameless, upright, fearing God, and turning away from evil (Job 1:1).  Those are perhaps the very first words of inspired Scripture that God gave to man.


Click here for Book of Job - Part 1

• Shows us that something happens in the Heavenly realm when God's children suffer on earth; many things which happen on earth are being closely watched by God, the angels, Satan, and all in the Heavenlies.
• When a man is godly, God allows him (and his family) to become the target of Satan's attacks...but God does not forsake him.
• Just because a man is godly does not mean his wife will be...and vice versa.
• A godly man will be misunderstood by religious people; religious people do not know God, but know facts about God.
• A godly man is often a lonely man because a spiritual man can only be understood by those who are spiritual.
• God pointed out to Satan a man who "feared God and eschewed evil", and the mouth of the accuser of the brethren was shut.
• The prosperity 'health and wealth' gospel has its roots in this first book of Scripture.  It was first preached by three men (Job's friends) who did not know God.  Job lost his health and his wealth and was completely in the will of God.
• A godly man has concern to bring up his children in godly ways.
• A godly man is concerned with sin in the heart.
• A man is godly because he has a life hidden away in continual communion with God.  He makes offerings to God even in good times when there is no trouble.
• You can never be a servant of Christ if you seek to please even one man (Galatians 1:10).  Seek to please God only.
• God has put a hedge of protection around a godly man's life, his family, and his possessions (Job 1:10).  Satan cannot touch a godly person without God's permission.
• God is omnipresent, but Satan can only be at one place at a time.
• Satan cannot see the future.
• Upon hearing of the destruction of his children and property, Job's first response to worship God (Job 1:20).
• Satan often uses our loved ones to tempt us.  A lot of believers are waiting on calamity to hit godly men - and are secretly happy when it does - because of jealousy.

Click here for Book of Job - Part 2

• Job's three friends offer their thoughts on Job's situation, but God eventually says "My wrath is kindled against thee...for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right." (Job 42:7)  What they said was wrong because the spirit behind their words was wrong.  Men may find a lot of people's sayings 'right', but God will find it 'wrong' based on the motive behind the words.
• Eliphaz concluded that Job was suffering because of sin in his life (Job 4:8), but he was wrong.  He believed that secret visions, angelic visitations, and supernatural experiences made him authoritative about the things of God (Job 4:12-16).  However, we must be sure that the spirit behind the supernatural is the Holy Spirit; and in Eliphaz's case, it was not.
• Bildad assumed that Job's children must have sinned (Job 8:4-5).  Again, this was false.  He believed he represented God's authority because he appealed to the traditions of their forefathers (Job 8:8-19).  Yet, man's beliefs and traditions are not the standard for God's anointing.
• Zophar accused Job of being a wicked man who didn't really serve God at all (Job 11:3-12); yet again we know he was wrong for God later calls Job the most godly of the bunch.  Zophar was a self-appointed critic, offering a fleshly imitation of Godly judgment (Job 11:2-20).  He was an angry man who used harsh words to find fault with others and cut them to pieces.  This is not the anointing of God.
• The problem with each of Job's three friends is that none of them knew the character of God.
• After all have said their peace, a young man named Elihu speaks.  God had no criticism for Elihu's words for they were true, but Elihu had never been through trials himself. While Elihu understood the character of God, he had not gone through the deep waters with God to have that character forged in him; therefore God's anointing also did not rest on his words.   You can be a 'good' man/woman and even have a 'good' ministry, but remain shallow because you've had no experience with suffering.
• It is false to believe that only the wicked suffer.  The truth is that wicked people often live long, are wealthy, are able to see their offspring grow, retain their possessions, have businesses that prosper, spend their days in pleasure, and are not under God's chastening (Job 21:7-13).  Our earthly situations (which are temporal) are no determinant of our standing with God.
• When God speaks to Job, reminding him of God's omniscience and power, Job is convicted.  God is in complete control and nothing occurs by happenstance.  God doesn't speak to Job about his sin or his children's sin; He simply reminds Job of His own greatness and all Job could say is, "I am nothing." (Job 40:4-5)
•  Although Job was an upright man, he also had spiritual pride in his godliness.  That is why God took him through this trial: to make him godly and humble.  Paul was also taken through suffering by God to keep him humble (II Corinthians 12:7).  This is the reason why God allows His people to suffer, so that He can keep them humble and thereby keep them as vessels of His grace (James 4:6).
• God restored Job after he prayed for his friends.  A godly man prays for those who persecute him, loves his enemies, and does good to those who harm him.

"Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him. He also shall be my salvation..." Job 13:15-16a