“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised [H]im from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”  (Romans 10:9)

What is it that makes a person into a Christ-ian” or what is it that changes a person and makes him into a new creature in Christ?

Persons Do Not Change…They Do Not!!!
Jeremiah said, in his prophecy, that people can change, people can change like a black man can change his skin color and a leopard can change his spots. Jeremiah’s point of course is that it is impossible for a person to change. A cheater is always a cheater; a liar is always a liar; a pedophile is always a pedophile.
Persons may curb there inclinations or their predelictions and they may even hide them and they may even, through medicine and therapy stop the practices themselves but they are still who they are at their very core. Persons  do not and cannot change, however the Scriptures speak about men being different from what they once were. Paul says, “and such were some of you.” People do not change but some are born again and become totally new creatures in Christ.

Miracles:
Each person that has been born again is a miracle. A miracle by definition. A miracle occurs when God breaks through the natural and does something supernatural which could not have been done except for God. This is the very definition of salvation, God doing something only God could do and that is causing a person to be made anew. The person that is made anew senses a difference in instinst, thought process, worldview, and focus. His focus is now upon Christ and Christ’s pleasures and purposes. In James we read that a double minded man is instable in all his ways. As that is true what can we deduce about a single minded man? The single minded man is stable in all his ways. Therefore if a man is single mindedly focused upon God he will be stable in all his ways. Is it any surprise we find in Isaiah 26, the man who has his mind steadfast upon Jehovah will have perfect peace?

How does one become born again?
There is much to say upon this subject.
1. A person is chosen to be saved from his sin, by God, from a point in eternity past. This is the doctrine of election.
2. In terms of time or the present, a person hears the Gospel, is given the understanding of the Gospel and acts upon that understanding.
3. To understand the Gospel, one understands one’s self to be lost and to be a servant to sin and (s)atan, and self centerness. One learns that one has no hope except an eternity of hopelessness in Hell outside the mercy of God. One understands this by looking upon one’s self and finding sin, sin, sin, and more sin. One learns that one is the object of God’s anger and potentially and object of His great wrath and untold fury.
4.After one understands this, they will understand that Christ is the only way of salvation from sin, (s)atan, and self. Christ becomes one’s only hope and only desire. One who understands the Gospel will call upon the Lordship of Christ, by repentance or a turning away from sin, (s)atan, and self. They will look to Christ as their only way of Salvation and they will seek Him to be their Saviour. They will understand that the Lord has taken their sin upon Himself at the Cross, and that He rose again to offer them justification and a life of holiness and an eternity with Him.

This is how a person is born again. We do not want you to marvel or be confused by what is written. When the Lord comes to save He clears all things up. There is no special prayer or the necessity of walking an aisle. It is simply a One on one exchange and engagement between The Spirit of God and a man in need of salvation. I believe this is what our Lord meant when He said to Nicodemas in John 3, “Marvel not that I said unto you, ‘ye must be born again.’ ”  Christ was simply telling Nicodemas, don’t worry about all the ins and outs, The Godhead has this covered. No man is saved before his time and no man will be too late in being saved. Every person is saved right on time and in accordance to God’s purposes and pleasure.

To Summarize:
One is not a Christ-ian because one attends the church, or one’s family is Christ-ian, No one has been a Christ-ian all their lives, one is not a Christ-ian because one has prayed a prayer or raised a hand or walked an aisle. One is not a Christ-ian because one knows certain facts or even believes certain facts.
One is a Christ-ian because one has been engaged by God and there has been a real spiritual exchange between God and a person. The Christ-ian is a new creature that believes the Word of God, Loves the brethren, Love God above all else, seeks to obey God in all things and confesses when he fails…when he fails… when he fails. A christ-ian is one who prays to God, praises God, and dwells upon the thought of God.
One is not a Christ-ian because a man has told you so but because God has shown you so.

Godspeed and readers, feel free to comment or ask questions in the comment section. I am not one to waste time in debate but time spent in discussion is time well spent.

“Let evry thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.”  (Psalms 150:6)

 

I enjoyed a Wednesday evening Bible study at Lighthouse Bible Church with Pastor Ronald Ruben, and some of the members from the church. It is always time well spent. He was speaking from Revelation 19 this evening and he spoke about praising God. We would like to pick up that theme and write upon praising God.

The topic, subject, doctrine of praise to God is replete through the Word of God. All the men in women that know God gave Him praise for they saw Him worthy thereof. They also could not help themselves from praising God. The Psalms is all about the praise of God. The epistles in the New Testament direct us to give praise to God. I would make a bold statement, Those in a right relationship with God, praise is a natural act and attitude. Praise, like prayer, should flow freely from the Christ-ian. One who walks with God and lives in a state of prayer, will find himself/herself praising God more than confessing sin and seeking things from Him. One will find one’s self thanking instead of asking.

Praising brings about joy:
Nahum, the prophet, said, “the joy of the LORD is my strength.” David made similar statements. I have found this to be very true. Some think that anger is an emotion that gives strength, but it is written, “The wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.” When one praises and worships God one experience joy from the Lord and joy in the Lord. This joy strengthens the believer in his ways, and in his works and gives meaning to his words. Praising God is the answer to unhappiness and sadness. Instead of focusing on the negative aspects of life and there may be many, one should look to the blessings and name them ton by ton. This cannot but bring joy to the spiritually minded person. This is a spiritual pricnciple and or law.

Withholding From God:
If you are not a person of praise, this should tell you a few things about yourself.
1. Your walk with God is not what it should be or could be and what He would have it be. In the Old Testament we are told that Adam and Eve walked with God, Abraham walked with God, Enoch walked with God, Noah walked with God. We see that Joshua spent time with God, the judges had a closeness with God, David…well David, had something all together different with God. We find our Lord, in the Gospels, departing the company of others to walk with His Father. Paul instaed of using a ship to get to his destination would often walk. This was time spent with God. 2. Your Christ-ian life is not what it could be or should be or what He would have it be. 3. You are not very thankful for all that God is, For all that God has done for you, all that God does for you, or for all that He shall do for you.
Reader, allow me to meddle. Do you walk with God? Do you spend much time with God? Do you spend your day in constant contact with God? Is God always on your mind, regardless of what you are thinking about? Is God involved in your decision making or in your choosing? Does God find a place inyour discussions with others? Do you thank God for your lunch and do you allow others to see you praying. Reader, if you are not walking with God you are denying Him that which He deserves and is most worthy to receive.

Thy Will Be Done:
It is written, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” What do you think those in heaven are doing? They are praising God by their very existence and presence in heaven. It is a priviledge to praise God and He honours us by accepting it. We are told by the Lord Jesus that God seeks worshippers and servants. Notice the order, (1st) first those to worship Him and (2nd) second those to serve Him. God wants praise and worship first then service. If you are not properly praising and worshipping God you cannot be properly serving Him. Worship and service go together like justification and sanctification and faith and works, and like Lord and Saviour.

How does one offer praise?
One may offer praise through prayer, and song. Praise is given by thanking Him and stating, “I praise you for or because…” We praise God for God being our God, we praise God for loving us and saving us. We praise God for His Son and all that His Son did. We offer praise to the Son for all that He did, does and will do. We praise God for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and we give praise to the Holy Spirit for hss Presence and guidance and all that He does for us and in us and through us. We can praise God for all His gifts. The gift of His Presence, the gift of prayer and answered prayer. We can praise Him for all the spiritual blessing He has bestowed so generously upon us. We can praise Him for the Fruit of the Spirit, and that He has made us partakers of the divine nature. We can praise Him for the whole armour of God that has been tailored to our exact fit. We can praise God for being our Refuge, our High Tower, our Rock, our Santuary, our Strength, our Stong Confidence, our buckler and shield. We can praise Him for all the precious promises that we hope in. We can praise Him for His Word, whereby He speaks to us.
Reader do you get the idea? We can praise Him for trials and tribulations, for good times and trying times, we can praise Him for red lights and green lights. We can praise Him for air conditioning and heating. We can praise Him for health and for the Family we enjoy. We can praise Him for the Chruch fellowship that means so very much to us. We can praise God for so very much and when we withold it from Him we steal from Him.

To Summarize:
If you are breathing you should be praising God.

“Be ye angry and sin not…”  (Ephesians 4:26a.)

 

Not long ago I received a visit from (2) two men. These men were representatives from a church. (1) one of the men was a pleasure to talk with and I liked him very much. We found a lot in comman and respected each others differing views. The other man was very direct and as a I have dwelt upon our meeting, he was very rude.

At first it didn’t bother me as I am familiar with this man’s type of thinking. The first man and I found that we had a shared admiration for Sherlock Holmes, critical and clear thinking as well as the art and science of logic. He is an admitted arminian whereas I am an admitted (5) five point calvinist. This man, we’ll call him Jacob, brought up 1 John2:2 as a defense for Arminianism. We, with the truth of Holy Writ, explained his misunderstanding of that passage. That passage states, that Christ is “the propititaion for our sins , and not for our sins only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”

Jacob saw this passage as meaning that Christ died for Christians and propitiated for Christians but not only for Christians but for the sins of each person in the world. I explained to Jacob that his understanding is common but inaccurate. I shared with him a passage from Galatians that stated that Peter, James, and John were to be apostles of the Jews and Paul to the gentiles. Therefore if you understand that you will understand 1 John 2:2 this way, “And [H]e is the propitiation for our [jewish] sins: and not for our [Jewish] sins only, but for the sins of the whole [gentile] world. We shared with Jacob that Revelation 5:9 defines, “world” as “every kindred, and tongue, and people (not person), and nation..” Jacob took what I had said and put it away for further thought later.

The other man, we’ll call him Diotrephies from 3 John, was very much to the point. He was very skeptical of me. Allow me to tell you why. Our ministry is a bit different from other, “more acceptable” ministries. We teach and have taught the Scriptures from our home on Sundays at 11:00AM (DV). We attend Wednesday services at Lighthouse Church in Romeoville at Rasmussen College at 6PM. We also spend time with the pastor of Bible Baptist Church in Romeoville. Our children attend the private Christ-ian School, ROmeoville Christ-ian Academy, which is a ministry of Bible Baptist. We also spend much of our time writing for this website that is read by a number of persons.

Diotrphies was not appreciative of our ministry. He charges me with “forsaking the assembling of ourselves together.” His understanding of that passage was incorrect as well as Jacobs. The proper understanding of this verse is the Hebrew believers should not forsake the fellowship over jewish persecution. In one way we should be slow in blaming Jacob and Diotrephes for their misunderstanding as this is what they have been told to believe. However, in another way, we can as each man is responsible to study Scripture for themselves and to seek the Spirit’s guidance.

Diotrephes went on to charge me with ordaining myself because the Ordaining Church was Trinity Bible Fellowship and that is the name of our ministry. I laughed at him and explained how ordination works and pointed out to him the (4) four names on the left side of ordination license. I pointed out further that the name at the top was a man that had been associated with a man and a church that Diotrophes, himself, worships.

To sum up what Diotrephes thought of me goes like this, I’m a calvinist, that cares not for souls, I ordained myself, and ontop of all of that, he told me that I should bring my small ministry to his church where they can receive proper teaching. I was I-I this close to asking him to bring all of his people to my home instead as I am equal to his pastor. I charged him, instaed, with not understanding God’s call upon a man to serve Him in a Ministry chosen by God.

I did not back away from speaking very direct to this man but I did so with respect as Paul directs me to. I hold no grudge against Diotrephes but I do know that he is very skeptical of me. In future run ins with himI shared with him my appreciation and enjoyment regarding our Saturday afternoon meeting. He responsed likewise but got away from me as fast as possible.

A word about the church itself and it’s pastor. I find the church to be kind and firendly. More importantly that that however I have found the pastor to be sound in the cardinal doctrines of Scripture. His preaching is with passion adn he loves the flock. The pastor, himself rather fasinates me and I look forward to getting to know him more. I do sense he is a bit skeptical of me as well as Diotrephes but i suppose I can understand that.

In todays violent environment all Christ-ians should be a bit skeptical of new persons as the Christ-ian and the Christ-ian church is a target of hatred, prejudice, and terrorism. That being said, we need to be slow to be prejudice concerning Christ-ians with varying beliefs, lest these pose a threat of usurping authority. This usurping is not a thing that seldom occurs but is always happening somewhere in the church collective.

I hold nothing against either of these men. In the long ago past, my wife accused me of being an angry Christ-ian. I suppose she was right. These days, on the other hand, it takes a great deal to anger me and for this I am most thankful to God. “The joy of the LORD is my Strenght”…   and not my anger as the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

To summarize, reader, Let us be very careful in prejudging or juding other ministries according to their size or their understanding of secondary issues. For the person in this ministry belongs to God, too.

 

“Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some of good will: The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds: But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel. What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.”

 

The Name of Jesus Christ is a Most Holy Name to them that love Him. It is the Name that the Godhead chose for Him therefore that Name is a Glorious Name. It is a Name that is above all names. The Name itself means Anointed Saviour. The Lord Jesus is the One and Only Saviour. There is no other. Christ-ians are called Christian because of the title of the One and Only Christ, Who Alone can and does and will save a man from sin. The Lord Jesus is the Only One that can save a man from the penalties of his sin. The Lord Jesus is the Only One Who can save a man from pleasuring in sin. The Lord Jesus is the Only One Who can and will save a man from the very presence of sin when it is time.

The world, on the other hand, does not venerate, lift up, love, or believe in or on that Name. The world does not identify itself with that Name. The only use the unbelieving world has for that Name is as a curse word or as an expletive. We have written before – when an individual uses or invokes that Name they are, by default, acknowledging the Power of the Lord Jesus. When an unbelieving person is frightened and they say, “Oh! My God!” they are, by default, calling upon the power of God even though they know it not.

As we sit and take in a movie or a television show and we hear that Glorious Name used improperly should we be angered or should we hope that somewhere someone is compelled to research that great Name? or can we do both? Be angry and be hopeful.

The Name of our Lord should be used only in a few ways:
1. The Name of Lord Jesus may be used when speaking to Him through the gift of prayer.
2. The Name of the Lord Jesus may be used when a God-called preacher or teacher is glorifying the Lord Jesus through preaching and or teaching.
3. The Name of the Lord Jesus may be used when speaking to others about the Lord Jesus, as in being a witness to His Greatness, Goodness, Righteousness, and Holiness.
4. The Name of the Lord Jesus may be used when singing praises to Him or in worship.
5. The Name of the Lord Jesus may be used when a believer is speaking to another believer.

There does not appear to be any other reason, that we can think of, to invoke the Name of the Lord Jesus.

The Title of Lord:
Christ-ians should not use the Name, Jesus, flippantly or alone without His title of Lord. Allow me to explain. Parents, good parents teach their children to use Mr. and Mrs. or other titles and they disallow the children from calling an elder person by the first name lest the first name is used with a title such as Mr. Brian or Miss Debbie.

If you, my reader, were to meet the President of the United States, would you address him as Don? Donald? the Donald? or as Trump? You would not. You would address him as, “Mr. President.” If you were to meet Queen Elizabeth, would you address her as, Liz, Liza, or Beth? You would not. You would address her as, “Your Majesty.”

With the above being said, why would we and why do we deny Christ His title of Lord? If one were to look into the Scriptures, one would not find Peter addressing Christ as Jesus. You would not find any of His disciples calling Him Jesus. You would find them calling Him Lord or Master. You would also find Christ saying, “Ye call me Lord and Master and in doing so, ye do well.” Right there Christ, Himself, tells us to address Him as Lord and Master.

If one were to look into Scripture one would find the enemies of Christ calling Him Jesus. The demons call Him Jesus, the Pharisees and other opponents of Christ refer to Him as Jesus. Do you see my point, reader?

In the epistles He is called the Lord Jesus Christ and very seldom is His Name, ‘Jesus’, used Alone. I have observed the very few times ‘Jesus’ is used with out His title, it is because the writer is writing about the human-ness of the Christ.

You may object with, “Yeah, but in the Gospels He is called Jesus.” This is true but remember Who the true Author is of Scripture…the Holy Spirit. He may call Him Jesus, we may not.

This is not a hobby horse. This doctrine is clear in Scripture. The enemies of God call Him ‘Jesus’ but those that worship Him and serve Him call Him Lord. In fact, Paul states in 1 Corinthians that no man can call Him Lord except by the Holy Spirit. To call Him Lord is a priviledge and a right given to God’s elect. To call Him Lord is one of the benefits of being a Christ-ian.

“…Love…Bless…Do Good…Pray…  (Part of Matthew 5:44)

Reader,
The above passage or portion thereof is the Biblical definition of love. The definition of love is defined in a deeper sense in 1 Corinthians 13. The definition from Matthew 5:44 will serve our purposes today as we have hopes of writing an exposition on 1 Corinthians 13 in the future, (DV).

We do not go to malls very often but I do shop in convenience stores often and the local Walmart on occasion and other local stores. One thing all of these stores have in common is, “Have a nice day, Thank you for shopping with us” or something similar. Then as prompted persons or customers will reply, “Thank you, you too.”

The sad truth is however, that most of the time no one really means it. That is not to say that it is hoped that the other has a bad day. Most persons are indifferent to the other persons day. This is not saying anything negative about either person on either side of the check out. The “Have a nice day” and the “You, too” are merely social constructs.

In a family owned business or in the small business the owners are usually very thankful for business and their, “Thank you” is probably meant. Another reason the greetings are not truly meant in larger stores is because the purchase that was just made makes very little difference to the clerk. We are not speaking evil or negative about anyone or anything, you understand. This is simply how things are. It is what it is.

However, on the Christ-ian side of things, “these things ought not to be.” When the Christ-ian hears from a clerk, “Thank you and have a nice day,”  The Christ-ian should take the time to share their hope that this person has a good day whether or not the person meant it or not. We should take the time to “love our neighbor.” We should, regardless of the other persons sincerity or lack thereof, hope that God’s blessing would fall upon this “neighbor.” We should take the time to wish them, “Godspeed.” We, as Christ-ians should let this neighbor know that they are important and acknowledge their service.

After we depart and get into our car we should, before driving away, seek God’s blessings and Godspeed for that clerk through prayer and spiritual thoughts. This beloved, is biblical love.

Another way to love your neighbor, the store’s clerk, is by sharing Christ with them by leaving them a tract and an invitation to church.

This way of loving the neighbor can be expanding to every person you pass in the street or in the market. As you pass someone and you say or hear, “Good morning,”  “Hello,”  “Hi,”  “Good afternoon/evening/night, etc.” take time and pray or seek God to bless that person. If you observe someone having a bad day, pray for them and if you have the courage tell them. Tell them, “I have noticed that you are having a rough go of it today. I am sorry for that. I have prayed for you.” Whether this person is a believer or not they will never forget that moment as long as they will live.

The Benefits of Loving One’s Neighbor:
* You will be obeying Christ’s commands. * You will do as Christ has done. * You will be setting up treasures in heaven. * You will be spending time with God by praying for these persons. * You will become a more caring and loving person and more Christ-like. * You will be using your time well and circumspectfully. * You will grow in grace. * You will be making a difference in this world via making a difference in someone’s life.

Further Reasons to Love others:
* It has been said, “You may be the only ‘Jesus’ others will ever see.”  * Paul said we, as Christ-ians, are God’s epistles to the world, what are they reading?  * You will grow a sensitivety to the Spirit’s leading and directing. His leading will be unmistakable.  * Readers, Why not do these things?

Who Else should we Love in this way?
We should love our enemies in this same manner. It is true, there are many in this world that are the enemies of Christ and those He has chosen from this world. They hate Christ and His elect…some without even knowing it. Many dislike “goody two shoes” without knowing that the goody two shoes are good because of God. The opponents of the goody two shoes are opponents of God’s righteousness without knowing it. Others hate Christ and His people with full knowledge. There are “evangelical” atheists in the world, did you know that? These militant atheists not only think they disbelieve but seek to make others disbelievers, including professing Christ-ians. Then there are the politicians and persons with influence (progressive democrats, George Soros, Michael Moore, the mainstream progressive media, etc) that seek to overthrow anything that is good or godly. Those that violently oppose authority are also hater of God without knowing it.

Loving without supporting:
God willing, we will stand against the machinations or evil plans of men like Soros, Moore, the media, and the progressive democrats as long as God allows us to. However, if any one of these evil persons fell down during a parade or in front of my home, I would be compelled by Scripture, directed by the Holy Spirit, and constrained by the love of Christ to help that person to the fullest extents of my ability and to do it in the Name of and for the Glory of God.

It is the same with the Catholic Church. I hate/oppose the Catholic church and it’s system. But, I have no negative feelings for the persons in the Catholic church. Many of the men and women that have been canonized, IE. Made saints by the church are, in fact, God made saints. Athanasius, Augustine, Benedict, Aquinas, Francis, Joan of Arc are all Crist-ian saints that believe Biblically or at least the cardinal doctrines of Scripture. Many of the Catholic Mystics are well worth your time. These are they that have been kidnapped by the catholic Church but were true to Scripture. The mystical thing with the mystic is they understood Scripture without, many of them, having any access to the Scriptures!!!
My point being, I am against the Catholic church but I am very much for the persons in the church and from the church’s history.

If the Catholic church were to discard the worship of Mary and other saints, IE idolatry, the belief in transubstantiation, and the general belief in works and the forbidding of marriage they could be on a path to soundness.
We have read much from “catholics” or those that have been claimed by the Catholic church. Athanasius on the Incarnation of our Lord is most excellent. The treatment of the Trinity by Augustine is second to none. Even the pope prior to this pope, IE. false prophet, Pope Benedict or Ratzinger was very sound in his theology even to the point of Salvation being by grace and faith!!! We read somewhere that one of his prized possessions is a leather bound edition of Calvin’s “The Institutes of the Christian Religion.” There is no wondering why he was removed so fast.

You see then, there is no ‘us vs. them’ in the Christ-ian faith. We have no enemies within the faith or within different denominations. Our enemies are of old,Our enemies are the flesh, IE. the carnal nature or the old man, (s)atan, and those that are in league with (s)atan whether they know it or not. Those in league with (s)atan are, as we have written before, The mainstream media, progressive democrats, and those that would degrade the Name of our Lord and Saviour. Those that degrade His Name may be television programs, songs, books, and the cults that deny Christ’s deity, IE. Those that take our LORD’S Name in vain every second of their existence, The Jehovah’s Witnesses, and those who add to and subtract from Scripture, IE. Mormons. These are our enemies because they are enemies to Christ and all that is Righteous.

True Christ-ianity stands united against these enemies of God, yet we will love the individuals that are part of the anti-Christ-ian machine and the anti-Christ-ian world view.

These are our orders from Christ, Himself.

“…And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.”  (Acts 11:26)

 

I am not ashamed to be known as a Calvinist but I do wish it were not necessary. I would rather be known as a Christ-ian. The trouble with being called a Christian today is that it means very little or rather it is not a title that lends itself to a single definition. Jehovah’s Witnesses (Those who take His Name in Vain) now allow themselves to be called Christian. If you were to attend the “Christian Church” you would find that they believe in baptismal regeneration, much like Apostolic Christians believe one must be baptized AND speak in tongues to be saved. So what is a Christian?

The Bible defines a Christian as one who follows The Lord Jesus Christ and believes the teachings that are found in the Holy Scriptures. A Christian is one who has repented of his/her sins and has believed in/on Jesus Christ as both Lord and Saviour. A Christian is one in whom the Holy Spirit dwells and grows His fruit. The Christian is one who is a partaker of the divine nature and has been blessed with all spiritual blessings. A Christian is one that prays to God, praises God, and worships God. A Christian views God as a Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, (3) three Persons, yet (1) One God. A Christian is one who believes Christ lived a holy life, died a sinners death in the stead of the sinner him/herself and rose again in (3) three days. A Christian believes that the holy life, the sinners death, and the resurrection is all imputed to the believing sinner, who is now a saint in the eyes of God. A Christian is one who loves, and trusts God and seeks to be like Christ. A Christian is one who shall rise to be with Christ at the time of death and his/her body shall be raised from the ground and united with the descending soul/spirit at Christ’s return and their bodies shall be glorified like unto Christ’s glorified and holy Body.

The above is the Biblical definition of a Christian. However, since the world and even some in the church are Biblically illiterate the word Christian can mean anything as we have already shown.

How shall we define a Calvinist (DV)?
A Calvinist is one who believes in the “Doctrines of Grace.” Another way one can define a Calvinist is one that subscribes to “Tulip.” Let me be clear, Calvinism, at least for me, has nothing to do with John Calvin, himself. we are not a John Calvinist as that would be borderline idolatry. Having said that, let me say this, the word Calvinism sums up the beliefs and views of that “system” of theology.

Allow us to define, “Tulip.” T=Total Depravity of man.  U=Unconditional Election.  L=Limited Atonement (I prefer Definite Atonement).  I=Irresistable Grace.  P= Perseverance of the saint. We will explain these as we move on.

The Doctrines of Grace:
The doctrines of grace include the following: Election, Justification, Sanctification, and Glorification. Each of the above doctrines have their sub-doctrines. Along with election there is foreknowledge and calling. Justification is a doctrine that brings great glory or rather draws our attention to God’s great glory. Justification speakes to the imputed righteousness of Christ and the exchange or sin for grace and grace for sin. Sanctification has much to teach us as there are different types of sanctification, different stages of sanctification as well as different time we have been sanctified. Surprisingly for some, predestination belongs to this doctrine and not to the doctrine of election. Glorification speaks to the glorified body that is to come, it speaks also to the fact that once God sets a decree into action it is finished in terms of destiny and God’s view of it but not finished in terms of time.

Since the first thing a person thinks about when they hear the term Calvinism or Calvinist is election or predestination let us address this Biblical doctrine. Prior to defining this doctrine let us share an observation. We have observed that when men study the Bible autodidactically (self teaching) or rather, along side the Spirit as teaching is one of His offices they understand Scripture in a calvinistic way. When men attend  a Bible school they view things with arminian colored glasses. We have also observed that when the school taught men go into the mission field they become calvinistic in doctrine or in other words, Bible believers. The definition of election is: God’s election of some to salvation while passing over others. Another definition, Some receive mercy as others receive judgement. A trait of election: Those that receice justice are those that deserve justice. Those that receive mercy are those deserving of justice but find mercy that is according to God’s will.

We will make a very bold statement hear. This statement is not meant to hurt anyone or to start a debate. This bold statement is simply a statement that is founded upon truth and can be proven to be true with open minds, and the Presence of the Holy Spirit. Here is my statement, Arminian believers are not Total Bible believers. Arminian believers believe as they have been told to believe and they believe what they have been told to believe. The same can be said of Calvinistic believers as well. Lest one believes in accordance to the Sprit’s teaching and guidance and has been persuaded by the Holy Spirit they are taught and persuaded according to man. Each man must be persuade by the Holy Spirit of God in all the teaching found in the Word of God.

The passages in Holy Writ regarding election are unassailable. Of course some men will twist them and  wrest them as they did paul’s teachings in the past, but if these passages are read and studied out with the Spirit’s guidance, one cannot doubt them nor can they believe otherwise.

How did we become “Calvinistic?”
We heard a sermon from a man that we respected greatly. We did not know he had calvinistic leanings and he did not bring it up. I noted some of the things he had said to be a bit different from what I had heard or learned before or had been told what to believe.

I began to study and meditate upon some of the verses he had used during the message. I found them to be saying that God chose some persons to salvation. This was frightening because i preached against this kind of thinking even though I did not understand them for myself, just as I had spoken evil of Billy Graham without ever reading Billy Graham.

The next step was to look into a concordance and look up any and all words relating to this doctrine of election. Once I completed that I was in a state of awe due to what the Bible had to say about election. The next step was to argue against the doctrine and see if I could be successful. Once I failed to win the argument, I shared these findings with others. Some doors were shut in my face, metaphorically speaking. Some began to see what I was seeing but held off crossing the line, my wife was not pleased and became angry at times with me. My mother-in-law simply said, “Well, it’s written right there, why not believe it.” Some pastors didn’t want to get into it. Finally, I called the evangelist that started it all and asked him if I am understanding things properly and he said, “Son, you are.” By the way, all the persons above, excepting the pastors, came to understand and believe the doctrine of election.

The fallout:
I began sharing this with my adult sunday school class. I didn’t ask them what they though about it as I did not want to push too quickly. Some caught onto it as they too studied it out. Some began to make it an issue and cause trouble for the pastor and the pastor had asked this person to leave. I felt obliged to leave as well as this person was removed due to my teachings from God’s Word. We began teaching out of our home and on different online sites for the next decade.

God is Good and man Is foolish:
(10) ten years or so, I crossed paths with the pastor of the church from the above paragraph. I saw him and I had a choice to make, avoid him as he did not see me or address him. I chose to address him.  We spoke for many minutes, agreed to meet for lunch and have become very good friends!!! We have luch often, we speak on the phone weekly, and I attend his Wednesday evening Bible study. We both have grown and have found that differing views do not an enemy make. I have preached at his church, have attended a few Sunday services and have been much blessed. We have made contact with church members we used to fellowship with and it has been great.

The Church is Lighthouse Church (baptist leaning). The services are held at Creekside Elementary School in Plainfield/Romeoville. The Phone number is 815-886-3909. The Pastor’s name is Ronald Ruben. They have Wednesday services at Rasmussen College of of Normantown Road and Weber Rd. along I-55. The music is a blend of older hymns and comtemporary. They do not have Sunday evening services. They have Sunday morning services for all ages.

The last (2) two paragraphs demonstrate why “my” calvinism is not problematic lest others make it so.

Other observations:
Those opposed to calvinism are calvinists in prayer. Those opposed to calvinism pray for loved ones to be saved. Readers, if loved ones wanted to be saved they would be saved according to the arminian view. So when an arminian prays for the salvation of a loved one He is acting God to save them against their will. Is this not what arminian accuse calvinists of believing?
Those opposed to calvinism go door to door wishing someoe will be saved. The calvinist is one who knows persons will be saved as God has ordained it (John 10:11,26; 16; Acts 13:48).
When one looks into Missions history, one finds that most are calvinists as they went to the field knowing God had persons selected for them to find.
When one peruses the books and authors that have survived for hundreds of years one finds a common denominator which is calvinism.
Even America is founded upon calvinistic principles, research the forefathers on calvinism. Our financial system is based on Calvinism.
The KJV, humanly speaking, owes it’s existence to Calvinism. The Geneva Bible was the first Bible to have notes. In these notes the people are taught that God’s law(s) over-ride Man’s law if they ever conflict one with the other. King James, upon reading this, authorized a new version to be produced.

My challenge to the opponents of calvinism: Get a concordance and look up and study each and every term related to the doctrine of election, prayerfully study them without bias and call upon the Holy Spirit for His guidance.

Please note one thing. No where in the above have I, at anytime, sought to or tried to turn anyone into a calvinist. That’s not my job or my goal. The Spirit of God, the Word of God, and a pure heart and an opened mind will do that.

Godspeed

“But By The Grace Of God I am What I am…”  (1 Corinthians 15:10a.)

 

We have been around the people of God and in churches long enoung to have observed much. I have spent time in Missionary Baptist Churches, Independent Baptist Churches, Baptist Churches, Black Churches, Christian Churches, Non denomination churches, Pentacostal Churches, etc.

One of the observations I have made is that in many of these churches they have more in common with each other and the church denomination than they do with Scripture. We will now share some of these observations (DV).  These observations will be general than specific. We will keep our observations to the independent baptist churches in general, than of each type.

In the independent Baptist church they tend to be associated with an independent Baptist College, they are KJV only and frown on any other version and anyone that uses a different version. They tend to be “cookie cutter” in appearance, IE. Clothing, hair style, standards. Such standards as entertainment options like music, movies, games, television, etc. Their music options are limited to a certain type of Chritian music, In most churches movies are forbidden, games are limited, and television options are limited if allowed at all. Re: the King James Version, some will consider you lost if you use any other version. Some Indep. churches will even call themselves “King James Bible Baptist Church.”

A word concerning the standards listed above. If these are adopted because thay are a personal choice and not forced that is fine. However, if these are standards that have been adopted due to peer pressure that is problematic. We have certain personal standards that we have adopted over the years. These are personal and we due not seek to impose them on others.

Some of our personal standard are these: We do not where shirts that advertize for teams, stores, persons, fictional or real. We do not advertise for political candidates, movies, etc.  Our persoal view on this is that we have been purchases by Another and He Alone do we advertize for. Again this is a personal choice and is not pushed on others.

Standards concerning our preaching, We do not preach the same message twice as this limits the Spirit as well as limits our dependence upon Him. We leave ourself open to His Influence. We cannot tell you how many times the Sunday message has been changed before service time or in the middle of preaching. Also, we do not preach Chistmas or Easter messages on those days, lest the Spirit directs us. To us it seems contrary to the Spirits working to give the same sermon topic to every preachers worldwide at the same time. Again these are personal views and personal standars and are not meant to be forced upon others.

Other personal views concerning preaching: We do not spend a week preparing for Sunday. We know others ministers that will spend Monday -Sunday morning preparing, we know another that spends Wednesday thru Sunday morning preparing. We know another that will spend Saturday evening preparing.  Before you think this man ill prepared, let me give you his name. His Name? Charles Haddon Spurgeon!!! Martyn Lloyd Jones will pray for (20) minutes from the pulpit before beginning a sermon as He awaits the anointing or the unction. Personally, I study all week on different topics, I study a book or two throughout the week, I pray without ceasing and then I begin planning for the sermon when God gives it and this may not be until I am in the pulpit. My method of prep is simply meditating over that which God has given me and praying over it. You see then, there are different ways of preparing and each man of God has his. One preachers prep would not suit another but it suits him.

In the independent Baptist Church, the majority of ministers prepare in the same way as others. They prepare as they have been shown or taught. It is anything but independent as are their standard anything but independent. To be fair, however. I do not know the philosophy of the cookie cutter, but let me say a good word concerning this philosophy.

I will use the world of franchising as an analogy. In the world of franchising, each independent franchisee is taught to do things in an identical way that all other franchisees are taught to do things or procedures.  However, once the franchisee is on their own they may adopt different methods but the original methods are still known. This is true of cookie cutter schooling. An example, We knew a good man that “believed” leather to be a sign of rebellion. After a number of years post schooling, he wears a leather. This is not hypocrisy, this is growth. We know another, not from a school,  that saw Christmas as pagan and he warred against it and used it as a standard for others. Today, he does Christmas. This is not Hypocrisy, this is growth.

I think their is a dynamic in these Independent Baptist colleges and churches that disallow them from having an open mind.  Their is the danger of thinking everyone else is bad. However, when these students get out into the world and meet other believers that think differently on the secondary issues, the graduate finds things to be different.

One of the great dangers concerning pushing one’s standards on others is the snowball effect. For instance, Let’s say I begin pushing my personal standard of not advertizing for anyone but Christ in my apparel. Others, no doubt, would adopt this view. Some of the persons that adopt this view will enforce it upon their family. Some of those who adopt this view will begin to use it as a standard of others spirituality. Now members in the church will feel pressured to adopt this view and will give away some of their liberties. Sooner or later someone will teach on the truth that Christ-ians are bought with the great price of Christ’s blood and we are not our own and advertizing for another will find it’s place in this teaching. Now, not advertizing for anyone but Christ id doctine!!!

This is how women in pants = Sin came about. This is how movies = Sin came about. This is how only certain types of Christ-ian movies came about and other types of Christ-ian music = sin came about,etc. Did you know that “Amazing Grace” was contemporary once?

A word on the KJV.
The use of the KJV is a personal choice for me. we use it because we believe it is the preserved Word of God for He promised to preserve His Word. we find it to be the best Bible to study from. We use it because it is the best and not because of what some think about Wescott and Hort, or the urban legends associated with it. We do use other versions for comparison. We find the Amplified most helpful, the ESV can be useful as is the NASV. We use a parallel Bible that has been of tremendous use. But the KJV stands alone in its accuracy, its pedigree is second to none.
There are those as I have mentioned that are KJV only and it is not a secondary issue with them. It is an issue to war over, and it is a standard they use to judge others by. (3) (7) seven questions I would ask them, even though the KJV is a personal choice with me.
1. Can A person be saved out of other versions, even the NIV?
2. Are tracts inspired?
3. Does God use tracts?
4. Did not God use a Baalam’s Ass?
5. Then Cannot God use anything and any version?
6. Is God limited by different versions?
7. Does not God use the foolish, weak, and base of this world?

Again, allow me to be clear, We are KJV by personal choice but not by the influence or judgement of others. We are in no way trying to get others to cease their use of the KJV. We are simply asking why do you use it?

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.”  (2 Corinthians 5:17)

“…[T]he Spirit dwell[s] in you…”  (Portion of Romans 8:11)

“…Christ liveth in me…”  (a portion of Galatians 2:20)

 

What made Peter Parker the Spiderman?
What gives Superman his powers?

The infusion with an outside agent made Parker into Spiderman, in his case it was a spider.
The sun gives Superman his power.

Do you see where we’re going?
We are infused with an outside Agent, The Holy Ghost.
Our powers are due to the Son…The Son of God.

Christ-ians Are Super Heroes: 

Let us begin, walk with me, walk with me.
Superheroes are persons made super by an outside agent, by another’s gifting them with powers (Green Lantern), by the infusion of a chemical (Captain America) or other agent.  Super heroes are not born, they are made; Our Great Hero, God’s Son being the Exception.

In the Marvel Universe, the X-Men are persons with outstanding mutations.  In Christ, we are persons blessed with Spiritual Gifts and the Spirit’s Fruit….AND Peter tells us we are partakers of the Divine Nature!!! The Christ-ian is a Super hero!!! The Christ-ian is gifted by God, the Christ-ian is infused with the Holy Spirit!!! And some sweet day we will even flYYYYYYY!!!, We will have glorified bodies that can permeate or go through walls. We will be visible and we can be invisible. These truths are from Scripture. If you can believe Christ died and rose again, you can believe this.

WEAPONS/ABILITIES:

1. God’s gifting of Faith
2. Prayer. Prayer for things and prayer against things; prayer for persons and prayer against persons.
3. The Holy Spirit Who dwells within our mind, our thoughts, and our instincts.
4. The Sword of the Spirit, The Word of God.
5. Christ-ian fellowship
6. God’s love for us and our love for Him, and for neighbors and for enemies. To love one’s enemy is a super power.
7. The Gifts of the Spirit, severally as He wills.
8. The Fruit of the Spirit is all super powered as it is supernatural. With the Fruit of the Spirit, we do things and feel things that others do not and cannot.
9. Christ-likeness.
10. The shielding of being in Christ
11. Showing others the Glorious Gospel of Christ.
    12.Living a holy life; living for others, living and walking as He walks are all supernatural powers of our Salvation.
    Mission:

1. Cultivate the Gifts and Fruit of the Holy Spirit.
2.Grow in the Grace and Knowledge of the Lord Jesus.
3Consistenly, Continuosly, Continually Walk with God.
4. Be Instant in Prayer.
5. Pray ceaselessly.
6. Prove All Things.
7. Quench not the Spirit.
8. Die Daily to self, deny thyself, take up the cross and follow Him.
9. Watch and pray.
10.Look for, long for and love His appearing.

So there you have it. Christ-ians have supernatural powers, Christ-ians have weapons and abilities; Christ-ians have a mission………………….AND we have the Super Suit, IE. The Whole Armour Of God.

What is our secret identity you migjht ask. Our Secret Identity is the Meekness of Christ.

What’s your Super Hero Name? “Righteous Man/Woman?”  “Justified Man/Girl/Woman?”   “Santified Man/Boy/ Girl/Woman?” “New Creature?” “Salt Man?”  Light Man”” How about “Faithful Man?” or “The Administrator?” Joy Man?” “Long suffering Man?”  “Humble Man?” ……Mine?…..I choose….SILENT KNIGHT the HOLY KNIGHT or Door Keeper or How about Servant Man or Minister Man? How about “Loved by God Man?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Fear not little Flock.”  (Our Shepherd)

 

Our Lord had (12) twelve. Gideon’s army was shrunk to (300) three-hundred. Christ fed (4000) four thousand and (5000) five thousand. (3000) Three thousand were saved at Pentacost. Cornelius’ whole house was saved as was those of the Ephesian’s jailors, household. Among the great multitude of impotent folks at the pool, Christ healed only one.

God is sovereign and God is able to use few and God is able to use many, it is His choice and we should not judge the Lord’s choice of numbers. In fact, when David by (s)atan’s influence and God’s allowance numbered or counted the people, David, earned God’s wrath. Counting equals doubt, fear, worry, and faithlessness. To be fair, however, sometimes there is a practical matter to knowing the numbers. To be sure there is a fine line between the two.

In this article, we will not beat up on large churches or mega churches. In this article we will (DV) speak of the blessings of the small church.

The Feeding:
God does not withold His spiritual blessing based upon the small number of God’s people being present in church. God is not “good” when many people attend and then only “kinda good” when few people attend. It has been said many times that if fewer persons attend a dinner there is more food for everyone else. I have observed that this is true in the spiritual. When there are fewer of God’s people are present, greater are the blessings. He does not do this as a punishment to those away or on vacation or what not, He does this not against them but for the few present. Think the Transfiguration, (3) three were present. Think the garden of Gethsemene, again, (3) three were present or closest. Think about the birth of the church, churches were in homes. The New Testament mentions many time the church as being in someone’s home. The good stuff was being presented to get the church growing and going.

The Closeness of the Brethren:

When a church is small the people become a tight knit fellowship. The trials, the tribulations, the hardships are shared as the few weep with the one that is weeping. Also are the good times, the blessings, the gifts, the love are all felt as the few rejoice with the one that is rejoicing. And the old proverb, “Blood is thicker than water.” is proven wrong. The waters of baptism are thicker than family blood. In the church of the few, prayer can be a real thing as there are not thousands to pray for. In the church of the few, the financial, the physical, and the emotional burdens are more likely to be taken seriously and taken into hands…the right hands. The few can provoke each other to faithfulness and good works. Accountability is a real thing when there are few…everyone is needed.

 

The Blessings to the Pastor:

The Pastor can tend to the flock in a very real and a very present and helpful way. The dangers of hero worship are greatly decreased. The pastor can focus his energies on the persons that are in need, he can keep an eye upon the people. The same dynamic is seen in small class rooms in schools. when there are fewer students the teacher can spent more time with each student. The parallel is exact.
The pastor is responsible for the conduct, growth, and faithfulness of the people. This is Biblical as the pastor will asnswer to God for the people under his watch. The fewer to watch over the better and more attentive can the pastor be.
When the last days arrive, there will be less for him to gather together and to protect.

 

Proof from the Mega Churches:

What do the large churches do with their large numbers? They break the large group into bite size smaller groups. The large churches, in truth, are many “churches of the few” under one roof. There are pros and cons in the larger churches. One of the cons is the small groups can become cliqish. One of the pros is having a large influence and a large impact. However, all these things are in God’s Hands and under His Sovereign and wise control. We need not be concerned with the numbers for there is a seal that stands still…God knows them that are His.

“Diotrephes…loveth to have the preeminence…he receiveth us not.  (3 John :9)

“Ye men of Athens, I perceive…ye are too superstitious.”  (Acts 17:22)

“…they called Barnabas, Jupiter…”  (Acts 14:12)

“When Jesus therefore perceived that they…would take [H]im [and] make [H]im king, [H]e departed…[A]lone.” (John 6:15)

“And immediatly the angel of the Lord smote [Herod], because he gave not God glory: and he was eaten of worms, and he gave up the ghost.”  (Acts 12:23)

 

“Lord, I am prone to wonder, Lord, I feel it.” These words are lyrics to an old hymn. These words also cause us to think of the Psalms. David would speak about his flesh desiring to wonder off as did his sheep of old.

In the visible church…in Christendom, persons are prone to wander into the great sin of hero worship. That is to say, worshipping the pastor or a preacher as one’s hero. This sin is gradual, slow moving and subtle. By the adjectives we used in the last sentence we know it is of (s)atanic origins. It is (s)atanic. Humans demand something to worship whether they know it or not; whether they admit it or not. As the old man, the old nature, the carnal remains in us after salvation is begun, we are prone to hero-worship.

Think back to Exodus. Moses is gone for a stretch and the people wanted something to worship hence, the golden calf. We learn from Samuel that some people were still worshipping the brazen serpent of very, very, long ago. Is it any wonder that both the body of Moses and the Ark of the Covenant are hidden today?

Examine the practices of the Roman Catholic Show. They still are worshipping relics and saints. The Shroud of Turin is an object of worship. This is the strongest argument against it’s validity. It also argues for God’s way of sending strong delusion to weed out false believers.

Let us also examine the reaction of young people that, literally…and I mean it…literally, worship celebrities today. Posters on walls, emulation by physical likeness, IE. same haircut, same clothing style, same attitude, same politics, Crying and screaming and praising the celebrity if ever in their presence. etc. This is hero worship, this is Idolatry!!! Paul speaks about this when he speaks of people comparing themselves by themselves and among themselves…think Hollywood award season?

THE DANGERS OF HERO WORSHIP:

1. It is a spiritual disease and is contageous.
2. Ministers fall into the condemnation of (s)atan.
3. God Shrinks in the sight of the (un)faithful.
4. The people become sheople and follow the hero worshipped pastor and not Christ, the Over and the Good Shepherd.
5. The Sheople want to be like the pastor and forget about Christ. The pastor fills the vacuum of Christ’s physical absence….think Pope.
7.The pastor’s opinions, likes, dislikes become tradition and then doctrine and then others are judged according to these standards and not the Standard(s) of Scripture.
8. The Sheople fall into the trap of judgementalness.
9. Pride takes over.
10. (s)atan defeats the sheople and laughs at God.

THE TEMPTATION:

The truth being told, some men call themselves to the ministry so that they can have power and control over others. Some see a pastor being worshipped and they say, like Simon the magician, “I want that.” Some are psychopaths or sociopaths that see the ministry as a kingdom for themselves. Some see the ministry as an easy life…no math, no quotas, no bosses, no pressures, no accountability, no goals to reach, etc.

Some are called by God, and over the years they start to believe their own press. They start to see themselves as, “The Man,” as “Needed,” as Necessary,” as the Pope, as, the Holy Spirit. Think King Saul…Think Diotrephes….think of the many ministers that have fallen as the world spotlights them.

Some are called by God and are very aware of the dangers of being a leader and realize that some will want to worship them and they resist all of it as they know where it all ends. These are those that are blessed because they are humbled by their carnal nature, the old man, and the flesh…they are humbled by sin. these are they that preach Him, Him, Him, He, He, He, Christ, Christ, Christ !!! and not, I did, I would, I will, I want, I can… I, ,I, I, I, and  Me, Me, Me, Me.
These are they that can be trusted with God’s Glory and Christ’s Gospel. These are they that still mourn over their sin.

THE OUTCOME OF THE HERO WORSHIPPED:

Those that accept the worship and fall into the condemnation of (s)atan become the “Anti-Mind of Christ.” These heed not Paul’s words, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: Butmade of [H]imself no reputation, and took upon [H]imself the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in the fashion as a man, [H]e humbled [H]imself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” These love the world, though they preach against worldliness; they are of the world for they love that which the world loves. Those that love the world are enemies of God and they make their worshippers the enemies of God….They are zealous of God but not according to knowledge.

QUESTIONS TO ASK ONE”S SELF:

1. Am I seeking the Kingdom of God first and it’s growth?
2. Am I growing a church? Why Am I growing this church?
3. Am I growing a kingdom unto myself?
4. Is Knowing the Word of God the same a knowing and loving the God of that Word?
5. Am I sufficient for all of this?
6. Am I or do I lean upon the Lord?
7. Why do I desire the salvation of others? A. So they are saved from hell?  B. So that they are saved from sin? C. So that the praise and worship of God grows?  If your answer is A, you are in danger of vain glory. If your answer is B, you are Scripturally sound, If C is your answer, you are on the right track and Godspeed to you!
8. Do I talk to man more than I talk to God? .
9. Do I speak of myself more than I speak of the Lord Jesus?
10. Could I be happy and satisfied doing something else?

SUMMARY:

Hero worship and Idolatry are not new, but is ancient and is prevalent. This sin is a very clear and present danger, this sin is destructive and is (s)atanic as it is used by (s)atan as he covers it under a false righteousness though it is a very true unrighteousness.
Saints, Look to Christ, Look for Christ, Look like Christ.

Godspeed.