Twilight of the Idols

The nineteenth-century philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche is famous for his declaration that “God is dead.” That brief dictum does not give the whole story. According to Nietzsche, the cause of the Deity’s demise was compassion. He said, “God is dead; He died of pity.” But before the God who was the God of Judeo-Christianity perished, Nietzsche said that there were a multitude of deities who existed, such as those who resided on Mount Olympus. That is, at one time there was a plurality of gods. All of the rest of the gods perished when one day the Jewish God, Yahweh, stood up in their assembly and said, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” Hearing this, according to Nietzsche’s satirical summary, all of the rest of the gods and goddesses died. They died of laughter.

In our day, where pluralism reigns in the culture, there is as much satirical hostility to the idea of one God as there was in Nietzsche’s satire. But today, that repugnance to monotheism is not a laughing matter. In the culture of pluralism, the chief virtue is toleration, which is the notion that all religious views are to be tolerated, all political views are to be tolerated. The only thing that cannot be tolerated is a claim to exclusivity. There is a built-in, inherent antipathy towards all claims of exclusivity. To say that there is one God is repulsive to the pluralists. To say that one God has not revealed Himself by a plurality of avatars in history is also repugnant. A single God with an only begotten Son is a deity who adds insult to injury by claiming an exclusive Son. There cannot be only one Mediator between man and God. There must be many according to pluralists today. It is equally a truism among pluralists that if there is one way to God, there must be many ways to God, and certainly it cannot be accepted that there is only one way. The exclusive claims of Christianity in terms of God, in terms of Christ, in terms of salvation, cannot live in peaceful coexistence with pluralists. 

Beyond the question of the existence of God and of His Son, and of a singular way of salvation, there is also a rejection of any claim to having or possessing an exclusive source of divine revelation. At the time of the Reformation, the so-called solas of the Reformation were asserted. It was said that justification is by faith alone (sola fide), that it is through Christ alone (solus Christus), that it is through grace alone (sola gratia), and that it is for God’s glory alone (soli Deo gloria). But perhaps most repugnant to the modern pluralist is the exclusive claim of sola Scriptura. The idea of sola Scriptura is that there is only one written source of divine revelation, which can never be placed on a parallel status with confessional statements, creeds, or the traditions of the church. Scripture alone has the authority to bind the conscience precisely because only Scripture is the written revelation of almighty God. The implications of sola Scriptura for pluralism are many. Not the least of them is this: It carries a fundamental denial of the revelatory character of all other religious books. An advocate of sola Scriptura does not believe that God’s revealed Word is found in the Bible and in the Book of Mormon, the Bible and in the Koran, the Bible and in the Upanishads, the Bible and in the Bhagavad Gita; rather, the Christian faith stands on the singular and exclusive claim that the Bible and the Bible alone is God’s written word.

The motto of the United States is e pluribus unum. However, since the rise of the ideology of pluralism, the real Unum of that motto has been ripped from its foundation. What drives pluralism is the philosophical antecedent of relativism. All truth is relative; therefore, no one idea or source can be seen as having any kind of supremacy. Built into our law system is the idea of the equal toleration under the law of all religions. It is a short step in people’s thinking from equal toleration under the law to equal validity. The principle that all religions should be treated equally under the law and have equal rights does not carry with it the necessary inference that therefore all religions are valid. Even a cursory, comparative examination of the world’s religions reveals points of radical contradiction among them, and unless one is prepared to affirm the equal truth of contradictories, one must not be able to embrace this fallacious assumption. 

Sadly, with a philosophy of relativism and a philosophy of pluralism, the science of logic doesn’t matter. Logic is escorted to the door and is firmly booted out of the house onto the street. There is no room for logic in any system of pluralism and relativism. Indeed, it’s a misnomer to call either a system, because it is the idea of a consistent, coherent view of truth that is unacceptable to the pluralist. The fact that people reject exclusive claims to truth does not invalidate those claims. It is the Christian’s duty to hold firm to the uniqueness of God and of His Christ and not compromise with the advocates of pluralism.

R.C. Sproul

Tribulation and the Church

The Church in the Book of Revelation

There are several misperceptions that pre-tribulation rapture proponents bring forth concerning the book of Revelation. The two that I want to expound upon here are, the rapturist interpretation of Rev.3:10 and their assertion that after Revelation 4:1 and before Revelation 19, the church is not mentioned.

"Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from 
the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that 
dwell upon the earth." - Rev.3:10

Pre-trib theology states that in Rev.3:10, when Jesus says "I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation", he is speaking of the rapture of the Church prior to the great tribulation. This is nothing but wild speculation and conjecture. Lets break this scripture down and see what it says.

" Because thou hast kept the word of my patience". The Greek word for "kept" is tereo, which means: to attend to carefully, take care of, to guard, to observe. The Greek word for "patience" is hupomone , which means: steadfastness, consistency, endurance. In the NT, this word describes the character of a man who is not swerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and godliness by even the greatest trials and sufferings. This portion of verse amplified says, Because you have guarded, observed, and carefully attended to the word of my steadfast consistency and endurance,

" I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation" The Greek word for "keep" is the same as that for "kept" above (tereo). The meaning of the word "temptation" in the context used here means: the trial of man's fidelity, integrity, virtue, and consistency. What this portion of verse says is, I also will carefully attend to, take care of, and guard you from the appointed time of the trial of man's fidelity, integrity, virtue, and consistency,

" which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth ." The world used in this context means, the whole inhabited earth. The Greek word for "try" means: to tempt, to try or test one's faith, virtue, and character by enticement to sin.

When we amplify Rev.3:10 based on what we see above, it says:

Because you have guarded, observed, and carefully attended to the word of my steadfast
consistency and endurance, I also will carefully attend to, take care of, and guard you
from the appointed time of the trial of man's fidelity, integrity, virtue, and consistency,
which shall come upon the whole inhabited earth, to test the faith, virtue, and character
by the enticement to sin of all them that dwell upon the earth.

Where, I ask, is there anything in this scripture that would indicate that Jesus is speaking of removing the Church from the earth? More to the point, it says that Jesus will guard, take care of, and attend to the saints in the time of trial because of their faithfulness and consistency (as in, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee-Heb.13:5). This scripture is consistent with Jn.17:15 where Jesus said, "I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep(tereo) them from the evil".

The Lord is not going to remove the Church during the tribulation period, for we are on this earth to be witnesses of the Lord Jesus Christ to get people saved. Even though the tribulation will be a time of terrible judgment upon the ungodly, God's people will be guarded, carefully attended to, and taken care of by the power of the most high himself. Does not God have the ability to perform this? Did he not keep Noah and his family without removing them from the earth? (Gen.7:13-23) Did he not protect Lotwithout removing him from the earth? (Gen.19:15-16) Were the children of Israel afflicted by the plagues brought upon Egypt? Were they not safe in Goshen? (Ex.8:22-23, 9:6,26, 10:23) Were they not saved by the blood of the Passover Lamb when death overshadowed the land? (Ex.12:27)

Let me ask you this: Where in all of the Bible do you see God removing his people from the earth when he brings forth his judgment upon the ungodly? It is never mentioned, past, present, or future. Concerning believers the word does say in 1Th.5:9, "For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ". Therefore, we as believers do not have anything to fear about God's wrath when it is poured out upon the world, because we are not the object of his wrath, the ungodly are.

Does that mean that during the tribulation period that saints will not undergo trial, persecution, and tribulation? No! It does not, for followers of the Lord Jesus Christ will not only be persecuted, but will be persecuted unto death (Rev. 6:9-11, 7:13-14,12:11,17, 13:7-10, 14:12-13). Is it God who brings this persecution and tribulation upon the saints? No! It is Satan and the ungodly who persecute the people of God.

Did Jesus ever promise believers that they would not suffer persecution and tribulation? No! On the contrary, he stated in Jn.15:20, "The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you". In Mt.24:9 when Jesus was speaking of the end times, he stated, "Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and you shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake". In Jn.16:33, Jesus said, "These things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world".

A Christian's reaction to persecution and affliction should be a witness to the world of Jesus Christ. For instance, in Acts 16:20-34 Paul and Silas were unjustly brought before the magistrates, they were  beaten and thrown into prison with their feet placed into stocks. Did they moan and complain to each other because they were mistreated? No! At the midnight hour they prayed and sang praises to God. Then there was an earthquake. Next we see the jailer falling down before Paul saying "what must I do to be saved?" and his whole house getting saved. Was it the earthquake that caused him to get saved? No! It was their witness of the Lord Jesus Christ, even in a time of persecution and affliction. As I stated earlier, the purpose of the Church on earth is to be a witness of the Lord Jesus Christ, preaching the gospel to the lost and getting them saved.

Pre-trib theology asserts that after Revelation 4:1, the Church is not mentioned again until Revelation 19. Their train of thought is that when John is caught up to heaven, that this is representative of the Church being "raptured". As we look at the scriptures, you will see that this is nothing more than a continuation of speculation, conjecture and hyperbole. In simple words: Absolutely false!

First, let us look at what the word says about the clothing of the Church. This will enable us to observe one obvious method of reference to the Church after Revelation 4:1. In Rev.3:4-5 it says, ""Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels". In Rev.3:18 when Jesus speaks to the Church of Laodicea, he says "I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment , that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear..." And again, look at what Rev.19:7-8 says concerning the wife of the Lamb, which is the Church: "And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints".

It is obvious from the scriptures that the Church is clothed in white robes. This is representative of those who have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ, being made righteous in the eyes of God. Therefore, any reference to believers in Revelation that wear or are arrayed in white robes must be referring to members of the Church.

Now go to Rev.6:9-11,  "I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held...And white robes were given unto every one of them". Isn't this describing members of the Church?

Next look at Rev.7:13-14 , "And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes ? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation , and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb". Isn't this also describing members of the Church? Only the Church has been cleansed by the blood of the Lamb. Doesn't it also say that these saints came out of great tribulation? How can that be if the Church was raptured?

Also, check out Rev.12:11, "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death". Is this not also referring to the Church? Who else has overcome by the blood of the Lamb?

Next, Rev.12:17 , "And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ". Again, this has to refer to the Church. Who else has the testimony of Jesus Christ?

Next, Rev.13:7- , "And it was given unto him to make war with the saints , and to overcome them...". Many would say, how can this refer to the Church when these saints are overcome? This scripture goes hand in hand with Dan.12:7b, "and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished". To scatter the power means, to scatter or disperse the strength or power. Toward the end of the tribulation, Satan and his anti-christ will think that they have won the victory over the Lord and His Church, to the point that anti-christ will sit in the temple proclaiming himself to be god. Did not Jesus say in Mt.24:22, "but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened" and in verse 24, "for there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect"? This shall be a time of great persecution and suffering for the Church, but at the same time, though their strength may be dispersed, they will in the end see victory.

Finally, Rev.14:12, "Here is the patience of the saints : here are they that keep the commandments of God , and the faith of Jesus ". Who else keeps the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus except for the Church?

How can it honestly be said that after Rev.4:1, the Church isn't mentioned again until Rev.19?

Of more significant importance, how can it be said that the Church is raptured prior to the tribulation? I mean, the Church is the Church. Is part of the Church going to be glorified and part not? That does not align with the scriptures. The resurrection of the righteous is one event. Therefore, the whole Church will be glorified, receiving the fullness of the resurrection, at the same time. This can only occur at the second coming of our Lord to the earth.

The "New" Den of Robbers?

"And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of fthe money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.” Matthew 21:12,13


God is slowly stripping away, our securities in man and institutions, just as He has done with Israel. The old guards, of our political systems and institutions, who once protected our precious freedoms and rights, are practically all gone now. The same goes for our religious leaders and watchmen of truth. All that we are left with now is, marketing gurus, building multimillion dollar complexes and empires, to house their fans so they can be worshiped as rock stars. With multimillion bank accounts that they have accumulated by the peddling of their ideas and assumptions, in the replacement of the word of God as to How To's... You don't have to bring God's Word into these venues anymore, because it will be shown, throughout the multi million dollar giant screens. But you best bring their books as reference, to really understand as to what they really mean and how to really live that perfect life in Christ Jesus. And don't worry, if you didn't bring one of their books, you'll get a chance as you walk in or out of their million dollar conglomerate. They will all be waiting for you, all setup in a nice table, with someone with a big smile waiting to take your money.

Also, no need for worry, about learning of the complexity and mystery of this God in the "errancy of His manual". You'll have a chance to know truth, not only through their seminars, books and CD's, but also as you enroll in one of their 12 week courses. All this, while humankind falls through the spiral staircase of sin, unbelief, hunger, war, injustice, false doctrine, under our very noses. While they sleep comfortably under the blanket of freedom, next to their god of mammon.

"For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, AND THOSE WHO FIND IT ARE FEW". Matthew 7:14

"And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them, “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able". Luke 13:23,24

Emerging Into What?

The emerging, or emergent, church movement takes its name from the idea that as culture changes, a new church should emerge in response. In this case, it is a response by various church leaders to the current era of post-modernism. Although post-modernism began in the 1950s, the church didn't really seek to conform to its tenets until the 1990s. Post-modernism can be thought of as a dissolution of "cold, hard fact" in favor of "warm, fuzzy subjectivity."

The emerging / emergent church movement can be thought of the same way.

The emerging / emergent church movement falls into line with basic post-modernist thinking—it is about experience over reason, subjectivity over objectivity, spirituality over religion, images over words, outward over inward, feelings over truth. These are reactions to modernism and are thought to be necessary in order to actively engage contemporary culture. This movement is still fairly new, though, so there is not yet a standard method of "doing" church amongst the groups choosing to take a post-modern mindset. In fact, the emerging church rejects any standard methodology for doing anything. Therefore, there is a huge range of how far groups take a post-modernist approach to Christianity. Some groups go only a little way in order to impact their community for Christ, and remain biblically sound. Most groups, however, embrace post-modernist thinking, which eventually leads to a very liberal, loose translation of the Bible. This, in turn, lends to liberal doctrine and theology.



For example, because experience is valued more highly than reason, truth becomes relative. Relativism opens up all kinds of problems, as it destroys the standard that the Bible contains absolute truth, negating the belief that biblical truth can be absolute. If the Bible is not our source for absolute truth, and personal experience is allowed to define and interpret what truth actually is, a saving faith in Jesus Christ is rendered meaningless.



Another area where the emerging / emergent church movement has become anti-biblical is its focus on ecumenism. Unity among people coming from different religious and ethnic backgrounds and diversity in the expression of corporate worship are a strong focus of the emergent church movement. Being ecumenical means that compromise is taking place, and this results in a watering down of Scripture in favor of not offending an apostate. This is in direct opposition to passages such as Revelation 2:14-17, Jesus' letter to the church of Pergamum, in which the Church is warned against tolerating those who teach false doctrine.



doctrine seems to abound within the emerging / emergent church movement, though, as stated previously, not within every group espousing emerging / emergent church beliefs. Because of this, care must be taken when deciding whether or not to become involved with an emergent church group. We all need to take heed of Matthew 7:15-20, "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them."

While seeking new ways to witness to a changing culture is admirable, utilizing ways which compromise the Truth of the Gospel in any way is nothing more than promoting false doctrine and leading others away from Christ instead of to Him.

The Cross and the Crown

Many churches have embraced the strategies of twenty-first century evangelical entrepreneurs. In doing so, they have traded in the old rugged cross that once adorned the sanctuary’s chancel for a high-definition movie screen so that the congregation can watch commercials for the church’s mid-week programs between segments in the service. “But,” many will surely retort, “isn’t that what attracts people to go to church? And if people go to church, isn’t that a good thing?” Indeed, going to church is a good thing; hearing the testimony of a Christian football coach is a good thing; even watching commercials about the church’s programs is a good thing. However, not one of these things can be considered good if it is not centered on the fundamental reason for the church’s very existence, namely, the finished work of the crucified and risen Christ.

Perhaps never before in the history of the church have the people of God been so apathetic to the reality of the resurrection, ascension, intercession, and second coming of Christ. Nevertheless, we are called to celebrate Christ’s resurrection, ascension, and intercession, and we are called to proclaim boldly His second coming, not merely through a personal testimony, but by the preaching of the Good News of Jesus Christ so that the lost might believe and so that we might rightly live, before the face of God.

For God So Loved the World

Every Christian believes in limited atonement. That may sound ludicrous to my Arminian friends because it has long been assumed that only Calvinists hold to the dreaded “L” in TULIP. But if the death of Jesus Christ is recognized as an actual atonement (and not merely a potential one), then the question of limitation cannot be escaped, unless you believe the lie of universalism.

It is the recognition that Christ’s death actually atoned for sins that governs our interpretation of those wonderful texts that speak of the great breadth of His saving work. For example, John writes that Jesus is “the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2). The choice here is not between Calvinism and Arminianism. It is between Calvinism and universalism. If “world” means “each and every person who ever lived or will live” then everyone will be saved because of the objective nature of propitiation. No sin would be left unpaid for — including the sin of unbelief.

No one who takes seriously the Bible’s teachings on hell and judgment would ever affirm universalism, which means that John uses “world” here to mean something other than each and every person who will ever live (as he often does; see John 14:19; 16:8; 18:20; 1 John 2:15,). John’s concern is to assert that Jesus is the only Savior the world has. His death redeems people not just from among the Jews or Americans or from any one group, but from among the whole world.

Calvinism protects from the heresy of universalism on the one hand and the error of reducing the objective nature of the atonement on the other. The Calvinist recognizes that the death of Jesus saves everyone for whom it was designed. In other words, the atonement is viewed as limited in its scope and purpose. All for whom Christ died will be saved.

Arminianism, however, cannot successfully guard against such mistakes. The Arminian claims that the death of Jesus was designed to save each and every person in history without actually doing so. As such, the atonement did not save everyone for whom it was intended. In other words, the Arminian view, while claiming that the atonement is unlimited in its extent, is forced to conclude that it is limited in its efficacy. It failed to accomplish its universal purpose.

The difference between these two views is like the difference between a narrow bridge that extends all the way across a valley and a wider one that only goes halfway. Who cares how broad it is if it does not get you to the other side?

This difference is what made Charles Spurgeon argue that Arminianism, much more than Calvinism, limits the atonement of Christ. The Arminian says, “‘Christ has died that any man may be saved if’ — and then follow certain conditions of salvation. Now who is it that limits the death of Christ? Why, you. You say that Christ did not die so as infallibly to secure the salvation of anybody. We beg your pardon, when you say we limit Christ’s death; we say, ‘No, my dear sire, it is you that do it.’ We say Christ so died that he infallibly secured the salvation of a multitude that no man can number, who through Christ’s death not only may be saved, but are saved, must be saved and cannot by any possibility run the hazard of being anything but saved. You are welcome to your atonement; you may keep it. We will never renounce ours for the sake of it” (Spurgeon’s Sermons, vol. 4, p. 228).

Well, what is “our” view of the atonement that Spurgeon so passionately defended? Specifically, it is the understanding that Jesus actually redeemed everyone He intended to redeem when He shed His blood on the cross. Just as the high priest under the old covenant wore the names of the twelve tribes of Israel on his breastplate when he performed his sacrificial service, so our great High Priest under the new covenant had the names of His people inscribed on His heart as He offered up Himself as a sacrifice for their sins.

In John 10, Jesus clearly announces the particular focus of His atoning death. He calls Himself the “Good Shepherd” who “lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11). Shortly after this, He describes His sheep as those who have been given to Him by His Father. Furthermore, He bluntly declares to some unbelieving Israelites, “you do not believe, because you are not of my sheep” (John 10:26–29 NKJV).

Our Lord’s high priestly prayer in John 17 shows the same kind of limited scope. As He braces for His sacrificial death for His people, He prays specifically — indeed, exclusively — for them. They are the ones whom the Father had given Him out of the world (v. 6). Consequently, His priestly intercession was limited to them: “I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours” (v. 9). It is inconceivable that Jesus would fail to pray for those for whom He was about to die as a substitutionary sacrifice. The ones for whom He prayed are the same ones for whom He died.

The doctrine of limited atonement, or particular redemption, does not suggest any inadequacy in the death of Christ. Because of who it is that suffered, the death of Jesus is of infinite worth. The Canons of Dort go to great lengths to establish this point and declare plainly that “the death of the Son of God … is of infinite worth and value, abundantly sufficient to expiate the sins of the whole world” (2.3).

The limitation in the atonement stems from the intention and purpose of God in sending Jesus to the cross. Christ’s redemptive work was designed to be a particular atonement for His own people — those whom the Father had given Him. His death was intended to save the elect.

Jesus teaches that His whole redemptive ministry was carried out in fulfillment of a divinely prearranged plan. This is what He means in John 6:38–39: “For I have come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.”

Theologians refer to this arrangement as the covenant of redemption in which, before history began, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit pledged to bring about the salvation of fallen people. Out of sheer mercy and grace, the Father chose individuals to be saved (Rom. 9:11–13; Eph. 1:4; 2 Thess. 2:13). These chosen ones He gave to His Son (John 6:37, 39; 17:6, 9, 24) who committed Himself to accomplish their salvation through His incarnate, redemptive mission (Mark 10:45; John 10:11). In keeping with this divine agenda, the Spirit is sent into the world by the Father and the Son (John 15:26; 16:5–15) to apply the work of Christ to those whom the Father gave the Son and for whom the Son died.

This view of the atonement guarantees the success of evangelism. God has a people who will be saved infallibly through the preaching of the Gospel. He has chosen them. Christ has died for them. And the Spirit will regenerate them through the message of salvation. This truth kept Paul going in the face of discouragement at Corinth (Acts 18:9–10), and it will keep us going on in our evangelistic efforts today — not only locally, but globally (Rev. 5:9).

A Corrupt Church For A Corrupt Age

Laodicea Revelation 3:17 "You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked."

Of the Churches of Asia, Laodicea stands alone. She is absolutely unique. She bears no suffering or persecution. There is no hunger or tribulation. Yet she is the most disgusting Church of the Ages. It is the ONLY Church of the ages to which the Lord has absolutely NOTHING good to say. What a repulsive thought! She is the product of her mother Babylon, who proudly stands among the nations and declares "I am a queen and have need of nothing" (Rev.18). She boasts her wealth as a sign of God's approval. She stoops to giving her miserly contributions to her sibling Churches in poor nations and slaps herself on the back for her bland effort. While her brothers and sisters dig for roots to eat in equatorial Africa, she entertains her lofty attendees. She is GRAND indeed. She is the expression of Babylon the Great----the Mother of Harlots. She is the Church of America. Yet, in God's eyes, she is the poorest of all. She is destitute in values. She is corrupted by her own wealth and beauty. Her days are spent looking in the mirror and seeing only her own loveliness. She is institutionally incestuous. She is narcissistic, blind and deaf. Her dainty odours veil the rotting of her flesh. At the same time, she is INSANE. Her doctrines are corrupted with deceit. Her master is that same Crowning Cherub who served as Heaven's Minister of Music. Only the strong medication of DESTRUCTION and POVERTY can return her to a right mind".

Why is it that we put our government under such a microscope (as we should) and yet we don't do the same as to our spiritual leaders? We hang on every word at every news conference that our political leaders hold. Search and research all day long, newspapers, internet, FB, Twitter, social media... as to what is being done and what is being said. We are extremely knowledgeable in the world's politics and affairs, but novices in the Kingdom of God. We haven't the slightest inkling, as to what or why things are being said by our representatives of God, our shepherds, our spiritual leaders, where it matters the most.

the Church (The Bride of Christ) less important? Can we say as it was once said in a state of the union. "I'm pleased to announce the condition of our nation is strong and without falter?" Can we say the same of our Church in general? Are they no longer wolves, false teachers...within our midsts? Are the Scriptures in error in warning us as to the last days, in the light of (2 Peter 2.1) If we would spend half the time in trying to warn everyone as to what our government is doing, instead as to what is going on in our own backyards, we wouldn't be experiencing such confusion and chaos as to doctrine, false teaching... We already know who the players are in our government and we also know the playbook like the back of our hands. And we should exercise our freedoms by voting them out, as our only alternative in changing candidates as elected officials and changing policy. But when it comes to our house of worship we can't tell you who said what and where, when it comes to our "Spiritual leaders" within Christendom. We are clueless as to what false message or gospel is being taught in our pulpits. We have a tendency to let others find out and keep us informed as to what they are doing or saying, and that also has been far and in between.

We are Saints, Soldiers in an army in obedience and under the authority of a King. Why are we in this army and what are we protecting? Are we defenders of Truth? Or are we Saints and Soldiers in name only? We are so apt in enjoying the benefits and blessings of this Kingdom, but the enemy has made us afraid of fighting for truth and never wanting to confront or speak out. We are afraid of attacking the Teflon Don's of our churches, afraid of the repercussions. Truth is to be fought for at ALL cost, and everywhere where it is misrepresented, not when it's convenient. Wolves and false teachers are to be exposed and ousted at every level within the body of Christ, His Bride. There should be no exemptions to the rule, under the authority of this Kingdom and its King.

The Gospel Message, Doctrine of Man?

Before we had Ruth Westheimer (Dr. Ruth, sex therapist) and now we have our new sex guru in the post-modern world and his name is Mark Driscoll in his book, "Real Marriage". "Emerging" as the healer of marriages and the healthier sex life as Christians. He has come to save our institutions, in explaining to us, in vivid details (porn), as to how it should be behind close doors in the privacy of our bedrooms. Really? We haven't been able to figure this out for thousands of years until Mark came along? Once again as I have said many times throughout the years, controversy will always follow this man. He thrives for attention and can't live without it. The complete narcissist.

I don't know what's worst, a pastor depicting scripture in a form of ungodliness (world, fowl language) or degrading the Gospel message, women, sex..., as a representative of God. Is this what our great commission is to look and sound like? Is this what God had in mind, when He spoke those words, Go out into the world and preach the Gospel of salvation"? Where has the reverence of God gone? Should the message of God be an R rated message that needs to be parental controlled?

One critic of the book wrote; "It’s not difficult to imagine how this brash sloganeering has angered both conservative and liberal evangelicals. The Driscolls’ new book falls into that predictable divide, drawing fire from critics who dislike Driscoll’s aggressively “complementarian” view of gender roles (i.e., female submission), and from conservatives who think maybe the church just shouldn’t talk about anal sex. It has something to offend everyone, including a chapter titled “The Respectful Wife,” and another titled “Can We _____?” that gives qualified approval to oral sex, anal sex, masturbation, and other common evangelical taboos, as long as they’re in the context of heterosexual marriage

This is what the Emerging Church is all about and the dangers it poses to the church. Here is where we say, "The devil is in the details" What a disgrace for Driscoll to call himself a "Calvinist." "Reformer" and give REAL Calvinist, reformers, and John Calvin a black eye to his theology and conduct.

Blogger David Moore of Fuller Theological, who wrote several posts on the book, said that even though he’s “not much of a feminist,” Driscoll’s dramatic overreaction to his wife’s high-school affair struck him as another example of the guy’s view of his wife as his sexual servant. Moore picks out numerous passages from Real Marriage that seem to show Driscoll primarily concerned with the sexual needs of men. “This book is an astoundingly unbelievable work of disrespect for women,” Moore wrote.
“Grace is often cast as the damaged and sinful wife who withholds sex from her deserving husband, Mark the hero who is justified in leaving his wife but instead comes along to rescue her,” wrote Rachel Held Evans, a popular evangelical blogger and author, discussing the dream episode. “The amount of guilt and shame that pervades this part of the book makes me so sad.”

This really tells you where we are in the church today. How this supposedly "representative of God, could stand up there and spew this garbage out of his mouth, and the masses take it all in and embrace it, as if it was a message from God in our so called post-modern world, with open arms like a rock star, is beyond comprehension. If anyone does not think that we are in the last days, just take a good of one of the best examples within the church.

"In the last days, men will be lovers of themselves"
1 John 4:1 "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world".

Romans 16:17-18 "I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive".

Attack on The Work of Christ?

We have become debased sheep. Our commitment is not to our shepherd (Jesus), but to whomever is famous and popular at the moment.

Do we dare question pastors, who are propagating a false condition of grace, within the body of Christ, His Bride, His Church? Are some given a pass, because of their popularity with a certain segment of the congregation, as long as they're preaching Christ?

This movement is, in principle, a redis-covery of the Roman Catholic doctrine of salvation, within Evangelical Churches. To all appearances, the proponents of this Neolegalist theology intend to stay in Pro-testant churches and, in effect, transform them into theological colonies of Rome.

John Piper says; "future grace" is conditional, and it is we personally, not Christ, who must meet those conditions."

Piper denies justification by faith alone while professing to accept Biblical soteriology—which makes his work all the more dangerous. The most effective attack on truth, the most subversive attack on the doctrine of the completeness and efficacy of the work of Christ for the salvation of his people, is always couched in pious language and Biblical phraseology.

We partly know where Piper came up with this doctrine, as we look briefly at his main mentor, Daniel Fuller. Fuller, Pro-fessor at Fuller Theological Seminary in California, a liberal institution whose faculty denies the inerrancy of Scripture, is one of the most influential propo-nents of Neolegalism. His two books, Gospel and Law: Contrast or Continuum? and The Unity of the Bible: Un-folding God’s Plan for Humanity, have deeply influenced Piper and others. Fuller specially thanks Piper for his help in producing The Unity of the Bible, and Piper acknowledges his profound debt to Fuller in Future Grace. In his Foreword to The Unity of the Bible, Piper wrote:
"No book besides the Bible has had a greater influence on my life than Daniel Fuller’s The Unity of the Bible. When I first read it as a classroom syllabus over twenty years ago, everything began to change…. God’s law stopped being at odds with the gospel. It stopped being a job description for earning wages under a so-called covenant of works (which I never could find in the Bible)…."

“How many conditions are there, in order for us to receive this "future grace?” Piper has actually enumerated 11 conditions we must meet if we want any “future grace”:

1.loving God,
2.being humble
3.drawing near to God
4.crying out to God from the heart
5.fearing God
6.delighting in God
7.hoping in God
8.taking refuge in God
9.waiting for God
10.trusting in God
11.and keeping God’s covenant, which he says is the summary of the first 10.

Do not get me wrong these are all great things for us to follow and remember. But are they new laws or commandments to keep, in receiving "future grace?"

John Piper proclaims: “I am hard pressed to imagine something more important for our lives than fulfilling the covenant that God has made with us for our final salvation.”

"Martin Luther, in his commentary on Galatians, says that to add any religious work to the gospel of grace seems to be a trivial matter, but “it does more damage than human reason can imagine. Not only does it mar and obscure the knowledge of grace but it also removes Christ and all of his blessings and it completely overthrows the gospel.” Kangas Commune

There are many people with some desire to be religious, but not enough desire to dig in to read and study the Bible. Many of these just find a man, a preacher, and trust him. Whatever he says, they depend upon; he is their "man of God," in a sense beyond the biblical. They believe what he says; trust his answers to every question, resting the salvation of their souls in him. They still read and study the Bible some, but always take his word.

Not a good idea because no man is infallible. Regardless of how much you love someone, that affection does not make them infallible. Men may prove themselves to be educated, eloquent, charming and able to fill buildings with people. Yet they remain fallible, capable of error.

Those in Berea searched the Scriptures daily, to see if what they were hearing was true to God's Word (Acts 17:11).
John and Peter both warned of false teachers, and Jesus said they may come to us in sheep's clothing (Matt. 7:15); (1 John 4:1); (2 Pet. 2:1)). John said our duty is to "test the spirits," and Paul said: "Test everything. Hold on to the good." (1 Thess. 5:21)).

Why is it that we put our government under such a microscope (as we should) and yet we don't do the same as to our spiritual leaders? Is the Church (The Bride of Christ) less important? Can we say as it was once said in a state of the union. "I'm pleased to announce the condition of our nation is strong and without falter?" Can we say the same of our houses of worship and the Church in general? Are they no longer wolves, false teachers...within our midsts? We are Saints, Soldiers in an army in obedience and under the authority of a King. Why are we in this army and what are we protecting? Are we defenders of truth or are we Saints and Soldiers in name only? We are so apt in enjoying the benefits and blessings of this Kingdom, but we are not willing to fight for it. The enemy has made us indifferent, unconcerned in this battle that is constantly being fought, until our King returns.

There is one body of religious instruction that should govern all that we believe, teach and practice. That is, the Word of God. Nothing should be accepted as true; nothing should be practiced or recommended – unless it is taught in the Word of God. Each individual must take this obligation seriously.

The Child of God, in a Hostile Fallen World

We Christians, sometimes are like the prodigal son, stubborn, prideful, selfish, indignant, refusing to accept direction, counsel. We ratter waste time and effort, cleaning the pigpen, and refusing to realize that we are a child of a King, in a Kingdom that's not of this world. We have decided to discard our armor of a soldier and enjoy a meal with the swines, instead of enjoying a full banquet, as an heir of a Kingdom that awaits us at the end of that traveled road. To all intents and purposes, we have induced our own amnesia and have totally forgotten as to who we are, why we are here, or where we are going and our purpose in life. Not caring of the consequences that befall on each and every one of us who decides to walk in our own paths and strength. As the repentant prodigal came to his senses, we must also visit that place, where we say, "I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to Him, "Father, I have sinned against Heaven and before you." (Luke 15:18,19) 

It is not easy living in these fleshly mortal bodies, that at times cannot see or understand what is really happening all around us, in that invisible war that's taking place within our midst. That is where Prophets of old, Apostles and our Lord Himself lived most of the times, by walking and relying on the Spirit for guidance, wisdom, discernment, knowledge and strength. As in the old Testament, as soon as they sinned or lost focus as to the task at hand that was given to them specifically by the LORD Himself, the Spirit of God immediately left them, and the power, wisdom strength... was drained from their bodies. They became mere men, walking aimlessly with no purpose without the counsel of God, like many Christians in today's world. The consequences where always the same, no direction, helpless blind-men without a guide. They lost the light that keep them from darkness, in a dark world of confusion.

This is why God, through the writers of the Holy Scriptures, spend so much time in conveying His message to us, as to the work and power of the Holy Spirit for our lives. Always warning us about this invisible war (Spiritual Warfare) that we face every single day. As to why, it was so important to our Lord Jesus to convey this message to his disciples, before he ascended to the Father. "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you." (John 14:26) 

What we have done is a great injustice to God The Holy Spirit. We have taken this great gift from God and we have turned Him into a "force", a thing, something that does things for our own gain and purpose. Not relying upon Him as God, only calling upon Him as we have run out of options, and our own strength has been depleted. We have grieved, sin against and have totally rejected His counsel and Holiness, always using Him as our third and last option. One of the gravest mistakes that we have committed in not worshiping Him as God, The Holy Spirit. 

We can do nothing without the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. He is our counselor, comforter, helper, who will teach us ALL things and bring to our remembrance all that the Lord said and did for us. This is one, if not, the main reason, as to why, we as sojourners, walk this earth aimlessly wounded, weak, hungry and disoriented soldiers, from a constant battle that never lets up and will only continue until we are called home. Confused, not really sure if we belong, where we are headed or the direction of our true home. We are caught between two worlds, torn between the two. And at times, without realizing, we find ourselves serving two masters at the same time, devoted to the one and despising the other. (Matthew 6:24). And without the help of the Comforter, teacher, helper...Holy Spirit, we will continue on that same path of confusion with no directive, as past defeated men of God fell into the snare of the enemy.

You may ask; How do we gap that schism? How do we make that leap? How do we bridge that gulf?...By renewing our minds. Not being comformed to this world and its lust. We need to be completely transformed, to what is good, acceptable and perfect. It is a minute by minute process that we need to work on with the help of the Holy Spirit. We must do this, not only continually, but must also be consistent in His fellowship, as we walk, think and act, that we might not grief Him and stop His dunamis power, that we desperately need as we sojourn through this vast wasteland. 

Ephesians 6:17, depicts "the sword of the Spirit" as the only offensive weapon in the whole armor of God, that we can use in this spiritual battle. It refers to this weapon as "the sword of the Spirit" who's sword is it? Is it ours? Is this the sword that we have in our hands as an offensive weapon against all enemies. We do have His Word, but I strongly believe that it is the Holy Spirit, who is holding that Sword as He, (God) goes before us to do battle in our behalf as the LORD of Hosts, just as He did in the old Testament for Israel.

We as Christians have deal with so many obstacles in our daily lives. Not only do we struggle with our flesh continually warring against the Spirit and visa versa, opposing each other, to keep us from doing the things that we want and need to do (Galatians 5:17). But always doing battle against a world who has contempt for us because of a conveying message from a King that they revile and detested from the very beginning, (John15:18,19); (John 3:13). But before we can catch our breath, we are also waging a campaign against the hosts of hell and their leader (Satan), who will stop at nothing from spreading the Gospel message. Like a roaring lion, (1 Peter 5:8) he comes to rob, steal and destroy (John 10:10), not for the world, but specifically for us. He has his full concentrated and undivided attention on God's very elect at all times.

He (Satan) will rob us, of our spiritual sight, in trying to keep us blind as to our surroundings.

Steal, our joy and anything else he is allowed to put his hands on.

Destroy, our perception of who God is, His truth, Word, and question His plans for our very lives.

So the next time that someone says to you, that being becoming a Christian is Joy, peace, love, prosperity... and everything is, and all will be okay, once you "accept" Christ into your life. Yes, we also do posses those beautiful blessing that our heavenly Father freely have giving His children. Love, peace, joy... BUT we must also understand that we are in the middle of a fierce battle. We must wake up from our slumber and keep our eyes on the battlefield at hand, if we want to be victorious Christians. We need to be prepared always, not just on Sunday mornings. We have a responsibility to our brothers and sisters, in making sure they understand the severity of this present darkness. You will save them from future misery. Not that we should not rejoice in all of those blessings that are bestowed upon us as a child of God. But only speaking for myself, those come far an in between, in a war that is persistently tries to rob, steal and destroy our very existence. Those blessings are places in our lives where we rest and reflect as to why we are in this war and what we are fighting for in our Kingdom and for our King, which are not of this world. It is not, if tribulation comes and pays a visit, or knocks at the door of our lives, but when. "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33); (Acts 14:22)

Being drafted and hand pick by the commanding officer Himself (God) in this invisible army, is not for the faint-hearted. It takes, conviction, courage and a faith that goes beyond our reason or comprehension. The comfort that we have within that faith, that He gives to all His children, is that we have a loving God that goes before us to do battle. And we will always be conquers, through His precious Son, Lord of lords and King of kings, Christ our Lord! The battle cry and hymn, to all who enter this invisible war. 


"Not by might or by power, but by my Spirit says the LORD of Hosts. Zechariah 4:6

Presence of God and The World

We as christians say that we walk with God, but when things happen we are surprised. We scream and yell out to our tv, radios, social media pages, at the absurdities of its contents with astonishment. We look at our government and its leaders in amazement as to their arrogance, disregard of morals and their schemes..., as if we should expect more from the depravity of fallen men. 

We say that we practice the presence of God, that we LOVE God and "truly" believe in Him, but at the same time we accept everything that He abhors. We cheer and give credence to everything that the world has to offers, (abortion, homosexuality, adultery, drugs, infidelity, pornography and anything and everything man can conjure up,..) And at the same time we embrace all the things that He (God) says He hates and could not even be in His presence. We love, serve and exult the creature (man) more than the creator (Romans 1:25). We spend countless hours, days, months and a lifetime trying to figure out the meaning of all this, trying our best to do something, when He is standing right in front of us, trying to get our attention to give us the answers to our dilemma and questions, but the voice of the world drowns out the small still voice of God. We have been so consumed with the things of the world that we can't recognize or hear His voice. And what's more tragic than anything else is that the world cannot distinguish us, between them or the so called Christian. We have been sitting with the scoffers for so long, walking in the counsel of the wicked, we don't recognize or even realize that our fire has been extinguished. We go around invoking the name of the Lord as if nothing has happened. Our effectiveness of bringing the good news to a dying world that we have been commissioned to do has ceased and replaced by the thoughts, ideas and philosophy of a chaotic world. We have been blinded as to our future and we walk in a state of amnesia, not knowing who we are and our real purpose in life, that God has chosen for us from the beginning of time. An heir of a kingdom, without the guidance of the King. 

 If we say that we practice the presence of God in our lives, then we should be seeing the world through His eyes, not ours. Our thoughts, our actions and desires should be as our Father in Heaven, where our citizenship is. We are only sojourners passing by a dying world who is an enemy of God. We are to fight with the help of the Holy Spirit to continue in our journey with our hearts, souls and might, as we continue to focus on our commanding officer's marching orders, until we have finished the course and have fought the good fight.

The casualties are piling up by the wayside within the church, because we have taken our eyes off our commanding officer and we have decided to help the world with it's problems. We are spending precious time in getting into the business of the world and not into the work that we have been called to do. Yes, we are in the world, but not of it. Yes, we are to get involved in bringing forth a message of hope and pointing the lost to our saviour upon the cross at Calvary. But at the same time we must be careful that we don't get entangle in the quicksand of the world where we can't pull ourselves out of it and become ineffective and have to walk the rest of our lives as a lost prodigal son or daughter, Where he has come to a place, where he can't or wont and is unwilling to run into the arms of the Father and cannot find their way back home, because of the snares of the enemy and the seduction of the world. Let us not become a casualty of the invisible war. May we hear, when it is all said and done;  "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter!