Is God's Word relevant today?

Is the power of the resurrection relevant today? Is the Bible relevant today? Is the Christianity that the pagans saw in the first century relevant today?
NO; absolutely not.
The only message you could preach from the Bible today from the Word of God and be somewhat relevant is ‘God is love’, and ‘Love your neighbor’.
God is love is understood by society that God accepts and tolerates us.
‘Love your neighbor’ is understood to mean toleration of the acts of your fellow human being. This is why abortion is legal, gay marriage is legal, children rights in the home are on the court docket to undermine the authority of the parent, pedophilia organizations are working to lower the age of consent, drunkenness is now an ‘ism’, God’s law is restricting to our very self being, and the biggest proof of the irrelevance of the Bible today is that it does not promote me, it does not make ME feel good for who I am.
The definition of relevance is ‘appropriate or to the purpose’. With this meaning of the word relevance, God’s word is not, should not, and never has been relevant for us. The real question should be, ‘are WE relevant to the Word of God?’
The normal procedure for most people is to remove and get rid of items that are not relevant to one’s life, or lifestyle. Example being the microwave replaced the toaster oven, the mp3 player replaced the walkman, the VHS replaced the BETA, email has mostly replaced paper mail, cell phone has replace the home phone, each decade or less we improve something to replace something. This has created a dangerous habit of thought that we see today: we must reprint or replace the Bible.
‘I will put no wicked thing before my eyes’ has been replaced with movie ratings from the world that make it relevant for us to go see things according to society’s standard. The ‘abstain from all appearance of evil’ has been replaced with the cushy word of ‘balance’, and a misinterpretation of the word of God.
The fact is WE are not relevant to God. But he has given his Spirit for us to walk in, not as a tool to get close to him, not as the method to live according to his Word, but the only way to be relevant to himself. Walk in the Spirit and ye won’t fulfill the lust of the flesh. Flesh is not relevant to God, but the Spirit is. God has to make us relevant to his purpose; he must make us appropriate for his use. Man has this thing turned around which has caused the diminishing of the Word of God in our society today.
Pilate asked Jesus, ‘what is truth?’, and today we ask, ‘what is relevant?’ William James, the father of psychology, said ‘truth is relevant to situation, circumstance, and time’. This philosophy has found its way into the church today, as a plague. WE need to be relevant to God.
America in her arrogance may think God owes her revival because of the missionaries she has sent worldwide; The declaration of ‘who we trust’ on our currency; the godly monuments displayed across this great country; the fundamental truths of God’s Word buried deep in the fabric of this land. BUT, Revival doesn’t come to America because it’s America, just as produce doesn’t come to a grocery store because it’s a grocery store. But because a need was seen, a deficiency was found, and a call was put in to the supplier. God is our supplier, and though we have served him well with our land: AT ONE TIME. We need to see the need, the deficiency, and make the call!
The call to our supplier: God.
The urgent call to fill the empty pews of our churches.
The urgent call to fill our empty hearts.
The urgent call for a cleanup in aisle one, two, and three., with the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
The urgent call to bring people to the altar and get filled up.
God has not changed, WE have. WE have changed, NOT God.
Let's begin now.

A time to laugh

It's bad enough that there is a major industrial accident at the bottom of the ocean that seems to be out of control. BUT when the concern of the outcome of the oil damage is directed toward 450 birds, and 30 dolphins, and some protected wetlands, it's time to realize that MAN is out of control. This could easily be a rant about the millions of babies we purposely murder, (that's Bible language for abortion). This could easily be a rant about how we worship the creature rather than the creator. But I digress.
I read Proverbs 1:24-27 the other day and immediately thought of this situation. The passage says that God called, and we refused; he stretched out his hand, and no man took it; we ignored his word, and listened to none of his advice, (All Paraphrased), but in verse 26 and 27 says, "I also will laugh at your calamity, I will mock when your fear cometh. When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you."
Some may say 'how mean!, I thought God was love'. Yes, he is love. Not a door mat. God's judgement is here in America today. More of it is coming soon. We allow the gay crowd to get into our teaching institutions, we allow science (this includes psychology) to take a dominant role in our existence. We teach tolerance, remove absolutes, and expect our kids to stand for something.
God is probably laughing now. So, what do we do? Be still, know that he is God, and that there is none other, then repent.

The Appointment

Send this to your lost friends.

The Potter

The God of second chances.

Jeremiah 18:4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

Balance?

Where in the Bible does it teach to have a 'balanced' life? Maybe in Ecclesiastes where it talks about 'a time for this a time for that'? The more I read the Bible and the lives of the apostles, Jesus, and those that came after outside the Bible like Whitfield, Spurgeon, Moody, Hyles, Booth, Bounds, and countless others I find that balance is definitely not what God wants.
To us balance is to put the Bible away, put the tracts away, and spend time with family. Maybe watching TV, or going to a sports game, or visiting relatives, or whatever. THAT is good stuff. BUT why leave the Bible at home? Why leave the tracts on the counter? I think many Christians will be caught in the balances, and found lacking.
For the past year I have observed my church, visited churches, talked to other people about their own church, visited numerous websites of churches, talked to people on the street about church, and this is my conclusion. Put your seat belt on.
#1 I believe there is a close percentage of equal value between backslidden Christians outside the church and dead Christians inside the church.
#2 I have seen a very close resemblance between a social club with rules and standards and many of our independent churches today. Instead of being ALIVE, HOLY toward God, and making a difference in the lives around us, the church today has seemed to settle in to a comfortable padded, gas warmed, electric cooled, indoor plumbing, running water building where a group of really, really good people congregate to listen to a weekly message of which the majority have no intent of applying to their lives.
#3 I am under the impression that sign up sheets for get-togethers for food, fun, or fellowship activities use more ink in comparison to the gas it would take to drive to the church to come for a prayer meeting. That gas is still in the tank.
#4 I have literally seen a parking lot full of cars going to a youth rally but empty for visitation. Then the youths are not rallied to do anything other than wait for the next youth rally.
#5 It use to be when men were called to preach they would go off to school and learn as much as possible about the Bible and then go out and serve the Lord. But many who now are called run to the nearest 'sign up' sheet for any open preaching opportunity and think they have fulfilled their godly calling.
#6 As we continue to teach about David and Goliath, Samson and Delilah, Noah's Ark, Jonah and the whale, we have Jehovah Witnesses, Muslims, Mormons,Shamanism, New Agers and other cults falsely indoctrinating their youth to proselyte others.
#7 I have seen a wicked contentment of 'waiting on the Lord'. I am not encouraged
'to go' as often as I think I should be by others.

So, what does all this mean? Well, first of all, if you are offended by any of this then you may be part of the problem. I am not the perfect Christian by any stretch of the imagination, but I do desire to get back to what Jesus actually had in mind for his church. AND if hell is real, and heaven divine, then why are we so selective in our witnessing? I want to see families unite their time for Jesus. I want to see our churches under attack by Satan. Isn't that a sign that we are doing something for Christ? I think it is.
Well, this could go on and on, but I want it to end with an emotion from our Lord and Saviour, author of our salvation, Jesus. Found in John 11:35 'Jesus wept'.
I believe Jesus wept because of those around him weeping. He saw they knew they had NO HOPE. We need to see others around us that they have NO HOPE.
I trust if this blog did anything, it would be to ask yourself, 'what did Jesus really want my church to be like?"

God bless.

Christ is coming!

What if Christ was to come this Friday at 4:45? God dropped fliers from heaven! The whole world knows! Would we jump for joy? Not go to work?Not do the dishes? Not make our beds? Forget the lawn and yard chores? Quit school? Would we be rejoicing? Would we be singing hosanna, and holy, holy, holy, Hail Christ Almighty? Would we be calling all our friends/family and begging them to listen to the plan that Jesus laid out for eternal life? Would we pray to God for power in our 'last of the last days' of witnessing? Would we fast and witness? Would we stay up without sleep praying at night and witnessing by day KNOWING that the Lord of the harvest returneth this Friday at 4:45? What would you be doing at 4:44? crying, because you KNOW those left behind will never sit on a curb of the streets of gold with you? Will your heart be so swollen with hurt because you know your loved ones will NEVER be standing with you watching the river sparkle from the glory that Jesus provides as he is the LIGHT? At 4:44 on that Friday afternoon, one minute before Jesus BUSTS through the clouds to receive unto himself those that believe and trust the blood he shed for the remission of sin, where will you be? Who will you be leaving behind? Who will you never see again, until the Great White Thrown judgement where they will be cast into the Lake of Fire, forever? Well, we don't have a flier, but we do have where Jesus says 'get busy' in so many words, and he did give us signs to look for and these signs are definitely being fulfilled, so, it may not be prudent to quit school, or your job, BUT how about joining your church with its soul winning outreach program? How about calling a friend and inviting them to church? how about praying for courage now? memorize some soul winning passages now? How about fasting and praying now? NOW, is the time we have to work. NOW is the time we have to pray. NOW is the only time there will ever be for salvation. NOW is the accepted time, behold TODAY is the day of salvation. God help us.
I am not afraid to admit to others that I do not want to see Christ come right now. I believe this is why God offers a crown of righteousness to those who love his appearing as He understands how heart breaking it will be to depart this world with loved ones lost forever to an eternal hell without hope. Let's get busy while there is still time.
God bless.

Church Invite

I hope this encourages you to invite someone to hear the gospel this Sunday.