Truth Promoter

THE MINISTRY OF PAUL WASHER

2010-08-31T21:24:00.004-04:00

Paul Washer is director of the HeartCry Missionary Society. He is a dynamic preacher of the Gospel. He preaches a powerful and compeling message on the assurance of salvation, the dangers of easy believing and the necessity of repentance in salvation. I came across this sermon on youtube. It is rather long, but worth every second of your time.

LOOKING FOR A CHURCH THAT WILL PRAY LIKE THIS

2010-08-02T21:46:00.013-04:00

The early church, namely the church of the book of Acts, presents to us an unbeatable pattern of prayer. How they prayed should be our utmost desire and envy. Their fervency in prayer was an over-flow of their minute-by-minute dependence on God. As persecution and suffering mounted, prayer issued from their hearts like an untapped fountain. And as they prayed, you can't help but sense as you read the text, a joy that is otherworldly. In Acts chapter 4, when their leaders Peter and John were put in prison, it unleashed a torrent of prayer that resulted in an in-filling of the Holy Spirit. Their praying was:

SPONTANEOUS - Acts 4:24 - Unrehearsed and united

SPIRIT-FILLED - Acts 4:31 - Only Spirit-filled saints can pray Spirit-filled prayers.

SCRIPTURAL - Acts 4:24-28 - Their praying was according to the revealed truth they knew from the writings of the Old Testament and from the revelation they had received from the mouths of the Apostles.

Oh, how I long for a church that will pray like this!

THE OTHER SIDE OF FAITH

2010-03-20T18:45:00.001-04:00

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A ONE-SIDED COIN?

The Christian life is described in Scripture as a walk of faith (II Cor. 5:7). Just as there are two sides to a coin, there are two sides to the walk of faith. On one side of our walk of faith there is comfort and ease. One this side, God seemingly answers our prayers rather quickly and we flow in almost uninterrupted victory.

On the other side of faith (the coin) there is suffering, trials, tribulations, persecutions, disappointments and sometimes flat out misery. If the truth be told, this is the side of faith that molds and fashions us into the kind of persons God what have us to be.

Normally, we do not grow spiritually when the road is easy. Therefore, God pre-ordains and decrees that we experience the other side of faith. If you are experiencing the other side of faith, here are a few nuggets of wisdom I have learned:

Faith doesn't always know where its going, it trusts the One who is leading.
Faith doesn't demand an explanation, it merely summons the grace and strength to endure.
Faith is not a blind leap into the dark, it is a deliberate step into the hands of a loving God with our eyes wide open.
Faith is not praying and getting from God what I asked for, it is praying and rejoicing over what He has chosen for me.
Faith is not a chance, but a certainty.
Faith is not a guessing, but a knowing.
Faith is not a mere contentment with human misery, it is a calming satisfaction in glorifying God.

Just as there is no one-sided coin, there is no one-sided walk of faith. Each aspect of our walk with Him is sovereignly decreed - the smooth, the rough and all that is in-between.

THE MINISTRY OF JUSTIN PETERS

2010-03-13T19:26:00.005-05:00

In January of this year, I attended a Winter Bible Conference at Grace Church of Tallahassee. The featured speaker for the conference was an evangelist named, Justin Peters. During the four day conference, Justin conducted a seminar titled, A Call For Discernment: A Biblical Critique of the Word of Faith Movement (Health and Wealth Gospel).

As a former Word of Faith adherent, I know first hand how the so-called prosperity gospel has wreaked havoc in the Church and has shipwrecked the faith of many. Justin pulls no punches in his critque of the Word of Faith movement. He discusses its metaphysical, cultic origins, its dangerous doctrines and outlandish manifestations. Most importantly, Justin concludes that the Word of Faith movement preaches a distorted view of the God-head and our Lord Jesus Christ. Furthermore, if they preach a different Jesus, then they preach a different Gospel; if they preach a different Gospel, then there can be no salvation.

The Word of Faith/Prosperity Gospel has run rampant in the Church, especially over the last 30 to 40 years. Spiritual discernment is at an all time low. I highly recommend Justin Peters' ministry to any church or Christian organization.

TIGER WOODS, BRIT HUME AND JESUS CHRIST

2010-01-10T11:01:00.010-05:00

Unless you have been living in an igloo, by now you have heard about the marital indiscretions of famed golfer, Tiger Woods. I did not use the term "alleged" since Woods has admitted to marital "transgressions" and "personal failings" in an apology letter on his official website.

However, you may not have heard about a bit of unsolicited advise given to Tiger Woods by news journalist and former Fox News anchor, Brit Hume. Hume, in a bold, cut to the chase fashion urged Tiger to accept the "forgiveness and redemption offered by the Christian faith." For this advise, Hume has been vilified and ridiculed.

MSNBC's, David Shuster, called Hume's advise, "embarassing." Hume was lampooned and caricatured by Jon Stewart on The Daily Show. Additionally, he has been accused of proselytizing and disrespecting the Buddhist faith - the purported religion of Tiger Woods.

In my own, cut to the chase fashion, here are four things to keep in mind:

If Tiger is a Buddhist or follows some other religion, he needs the forgiveness of Jesus Christ.

Yes, salvation comes only through Jesus Christ. To say or imply this will always invite the wrath of those who are enemies of the Cross.

Brit Hume did what any true Christian (assuming he is one) should do - point a sinner to Jesus Christ and Him alone.

We must never kowtow to the pressure of putting Christianity on an equal plane with other religions.

The real crisis for Tiger Woods is not salvaging his marriage and career (though his marriage is immensely important.) The real crisis for him is the condition of his soul. A soul without the forgiveness of Jesus Christ will face eternal damnation and separation from God. Tiger Woods, just like all of us, needs a foreign rightousness that is outside of himself - an extraneous rightousness imputed to him by God through Christ.

This is the most important advise you can ever give a sinner. Brit Hume or any other Christian will pay a price for daring to do so. Tiger Woods will pay an infinitely higher price if he rejects it. This is no doubt the most important piece of unsolicited advise he will ever hear.

I pray that Tiger accepts it.

A CONCLUDING THOUGHT FOR THE BEGINNING OF A NEW YEAR

2010-01-04T14:23:00.011-05:00

This is the time of year when most of us will look back on 2009 with a critical eye. Some of us, depending on how hard we are on ourselves, will hate what we see at best or feel like hiding under a rock at worse. As a result, we will resolve to do better - better with our money, better with our relationships, better with our careers, better with our health and better with our spirituality. Then there are those self-deceived souls that harbor illusions of grandeur and feel that they are just fine - no adjustments necessary.

Purse and Pride

Most people look at how well they fared in 2009 in terms of their net worth and self worth. Net worth has to do with our purse, whereas self worth relates to pride. The year 2oo9 with its economic downturn tested the survival of both. According to the Federal Reserve, household net worth hit its lowest point ($48.5 trillion) during the first quarter of 2009. That new low was preceeded by three consecutive quarterly declines in 2008. Many experts are saying that it will be quite some time before household net worth reaches the historic high just two years ago.

According to some experts, King Solomon, the wealthiest person in the Bible, had an estimated yearly income measured by today's value of over $280 million. Yet Solomon near the end of his life, saw the folly in protecting his purse and pride at the expense of pleasing God. I want to echo his concluding words about life at the beginning of this new year,

"Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man." Ecclesiastes 12:13

Actually, the word duty in the verse was added by the translators. We can say that fearing God and keeping his commandments are the "whole of man." In other words, fearing God is the sine qua non of a life pleasing to Him. Without it nothing else really matters in comparison. Regardless of your self-assessment of how well you did in 2009, what really matters is fearing God and keeping His commandments.

What is the fear of the Lord?

The fear of the Lord is a desire or longing within us and a drawing outside of us to be close to God in reverential obedience.

God is the source of the longing within and the drawing without. He gets all the glory. Oswald Chambers wrote, "The remarkable thing about fearing God is that when you fear God, you fear nothing else; whereas when you do not fear God, you fear everything else." So, the big question is this, "What do you fear?"

Remember, whom you fear determines what you fear!

MY PREACHING ITINERARY

2009-12-18T15:45:00.011-05:00

JANUARY 2010

3rd - Mt. Olive P. B. Church, 819 Fletcher St., Thomasville, GA, 11:00AM - Pastor Ronnie Fields

DECEMBER 2009

6th - St. James P. B. Church, 545 Scotland Road, Havana, FL, 11:00AM - Pastor Robert Gaines

27th - New Canaan Baptist Church , 117 E. 7th Ave. Havana, FL, 10:00AM - Pastor Horace Dozier

NO GREATER WITNESS

2009-11-06T20:28:00.005-05:00

THERE IS NO GREATER WITNESS FOR CHRIST THAN A GODLY MARRIAGE.

How a man relates to his wife is the primary focus in building a healthy marriage. Here are three things a husband should do towards his wife: Love Her, Lead Her and Listen to Her.

LOVE HER

There is absolutely no mistake about it. The Christian husband is commanded by God to love his wife as Christ loved the Church. So brothers, the key to loving your wife is finding out how Christ loves the Church. It is given to us in Ephesians 5:25-31.

LEAD HER

To lead simply means to go before or to show the way. The husband is in a position of headship and leadership.
Ref. Ephesians 5:23; I Cor. 11:3, 8, 9; I Tim. 2:13

LISTEN TO HER

One of the most common complaints wives have about their husbands is, “My husband doesn’t listen to me.” Husbands usually find it hard to listen especially when their wives talk about problems. According to Jim Gray, in his book Men Are From Mars and Women are from Venus, men find it hard to listen because he feels she is holding him responsible; she talks about a problem he can do nothing about; or he is waiting for her to get to the bottom line and she keeps going and going and going and going…

This is what I've learned:

Listening shows INTEREST- she feels VALUED.
Listening secures INFORMATON - she feels VALIDATED.
Listening starts INTIMACY - she feels VINDICATED.

Remember guys, it is so easy for us to get side-tracked and neglect to LOVE, LEAD and LISTEN to our wives. Here's the key - love her like you would your own body; lead her as if you were in her place; listen to her as if every word were as important as a precious rain drop in a dry desert.

MY PREACHING ITINERARY

2009-11-06T16:35:00.008-05:00

NOVEMBER 2009

1st - New Zion P. B. Church, 3845 Miccosukee Road, Tallahassee FL, 11:00am - Pastor F. R. Rush

8th - Mt. Olive P. B. Church, 8 Spring Creek Highway, Crawfordville, FL, 11:30am - Pastor Samuel Hayes

15th - Friendship P. B. Church, 5775 Ben Bostick Road, Quincy, FL, 11:00am - Pastor Cedric Spradley

28th - St. Paul P. B. Church, 110 Lanier Drive, Gretna, FL, 6:00pm - Pastor Daniel Williams

29th - Mt. Zion P. B. Church, 20 South 9th Street, Quincy, FL, 11:00am - Pastor Melvin Mobley

This month is turning out to be very busy for me. I pray that the Lord would use me mightily to declare His truth with power and clarity. Glory to His name.

HOW IS A PERSON ADMITTED INTO THE PRIMITIVE BAPTIST CHURCH?

2009-06-29T19:23:00.012-04:00

As some of you are aware, I am an ordained minister in the Primitive Baptist Church. For the past four years, I have had the privilege of teaching a class of my fellow ministers from our Church Discipline at our annual Church School Convention. Our Discipline is a document that contains our Articles of Faith and bylaws. This year I chose to teach on how our denomination admits members. Below is a skeletel outline of the teaching.

1. ADMISSION BY LETTER

a. Courtesy

Each church owes the other the courtesy of sending a letter or asking for a letter.

b. Connection

By presenting a letter, the prospective church member is expressing a desire to connect with a church of like faith.

c. Continuation

The letter enables a prospective church member to join another church without a break in membership.

d. Commendation

The letter is basically a note of commendation which certifies the person’s character and standing with their previous church.

2. ADMISSION BY CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE

a. Communication

A person without a letter should clearly communicate to their new church an account of their conversion and Christian life. If this is not clearly communicated, then the church in which they desire membership has no basis to admit them.

b. Confession

The new member should make a public confession of faith in Christ (not to become a Christian because they have already trusted Christ as Savior and Lord) before the church they wish to join.

3. ADMISSION BY BAPTISM

a. Candidacy

The person seeks admission in the universal Church and the local Church. He is a seeker.

b. Confession

The Bible is clear that before one is saved he must confess Jesus Christ as Lord. The word confession simply means to agree with the Word about who Jesus Christ is. (Romans 10:9-10; Matthew 16:16)

c. Conversion

Conversion occurs when one believes the Gospel. Dr. Lorraine Boettner defines the Gospel as, “The good news about the great salvation purchased by Jesus Christ, by which He reconciled sinful men to a holy God.” Mark Dever says the Gospel is about how God “graciously sent His Son to die the death we deserved for our sin, and He has credited Christ's acquittal to those who repent of their sins and believe in Jesus' death and resurrection.”

d. Ceremony

Baptism is a ceremony, a Christian rite. Properly administered, it is to follow conversion. Baptism is an outward symbol of an inward work of grace. This inward work of grace is the salvation of an undeserving sinner who has placed his trust in the finished work of Christ on the Cross. (Matthew 28:18-19)

DEACON DAVID KELLY

2009-04-19T20:42:00.003-04:00

1913 - 2009

David Kelly left this mundane shore to enter his eternal rest on February 16, 2009. We were blessed to have him with us for 95 years. He left us a rich legacy of faith and a constant reminder that God is in charge of all things.

Deacon Kelly became a Christian in 1928 and subsequently served faithfully as a deacom for over 60 years.

He was an encourager. I often tell others that he was my "Barnabas." He encouraged me each time I had the pleasure to speak with him. I always felt more confident after leaving his presence. I became his pastor during the twilight of his years and benefited immensely from his words of wisdom.

I look forward to seeing him again in the life to come.

THE TRUTH WILL STAND ON ITS OWN

2009-04-19T00:01:00.004-04:00

I thought I'd share with you an interesting post by Phil Johnson, Executive Director of Grace To You. In the post, Phil Johnson is responding to someone's question who asked what is the appropriate response when a non-believer is not intellectually satisfied with a biblical answer given in response to a biblical question. Here is his answer.

I totally agree with his answer for three main reasons.

A non-believer's anticipated response to Biblical truth should never diminish our resolve to boldly proclaim it.
When we hold back from sharing truth because of the anticipated response of the non-believer, our reluctance could be an indication that we are ashamed of the Gospel.
We must keep in mind that Biblical truth is big enough and strong enough to compete and stand on its own against competing world views.

What do you think?

PICTURES OF THE FAMILY

2009-02-16T22:15:00.011-05:00

The whole crew - Our kids (Twila, Kyle, Carlos and Kent Jr.) Me and My wife, Alesia

Is that me on the left or the right?

My wife, Alesia; daughter, Twila; sons, Kent Jr and Carlos
(Taken at Six Flags Over Georgia - Atlanta)

Kent Jr. - ready for church

THE EFFECTS OF POLITICAL CORRECTNESS ON THE EVANGELICAL CHURCH - Part 2

2009-02-14T17:25:00.005-05:00

FIRST EFFECT - THE MOVING TARGET OF ABSOLUTE TRUTH: A CONVENIENT OXYMORON

In my previous post, I mentioned that political correctness (PC) has had four key effects on evangelicals. I earlier defined PC as the social pressure to influence the thinking, words and actions of a person or group by convincing them that historical, cultural norms are insensitive, intolerant and divisive. Before I dive into the first key effect PC has had on evangelicals, I want to first answer the question, "What is an evangelical?"

The definition of an evangelical has changed over the years. It is not unusual to find that evangelicals themselves have difficulty defining the word. Some in the news media have given it a definition that does not even remotely hint at its original meaning. In a recent article in WorldNetDaily, Michael Youssef, pastor of The Church of the Apostles in Atlanta, mentions how political commentators ignore the theological origin of evangelicals and simply use it as a term to describe the politically conservative. Youssef goes on to give, what I believe is the purest definition of the term, when he says the name is applied to a person or group who believes that salvation, redemption and justification come through Jesus Christ and Him alone. He further adds that a belief in the authority of the Bible also defines evangelicals. In other words, being an evangelical is ideally about the exclusivity of the Gospel and the authority of Scripture. With this definition in mind, one has to conclude that the foundation of evangelicalism is biblical truth - truth about the Gospel and the authority of Scripture.

A key effect of PC has been its assault against truth. PC sees truth as a moving target. However, pure evangelicals see truth as fixated, ageless and never evolving. Truth can be newly discovered, but it can never newly exist. When Jesus said, "I am the Truth," (John 14:6) He was in effect saying, "I can be newly discovered, but I can never newly exist."

Modernism rejected absolute truth outright, while postmodernism does not. Postmodernism seductively allows for a truth that is a moving target and constantly evolving. This notion of an evolving, absolute truth is oxymoronic and stealthily dangerous. How can truth be absolute and evolving? Both postulates are mutually exclusive. PC takes this postmodern definition of truth and seeks to make it mainstream. Moreover, the engine that drives this vehicle - the postmodern definition of truth - is PC. In fact, it is being driven down the aisles, through the pews and into the pulpits of many evangelical churches.

When evangelicals make truth claims about salvation and the authority of Scripture, we are exercising what I refer to as sacred audacity. Sacred audacity is the freedom to boldly make a truth claim that is solely unique to one's theology or belief system, such as the exclusivity of the Gospel. If evangelicals continue to kowtow to the pressures of PC, we will relinquish our sacred audacity to proclaim our long held beliefs and become more indistinguishable from other faiths. We have to keep in mind that truth separates us (II Cor. 6:17); truth sanctifies us (John 17:17); truth saves us (John 8:32).

Sadly, a recent report from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life shows that many evangelicals are drifting away from a belief in the exclusivity of the Gospel. According to the report, 52% of American Christians believe that some non-Christian faiths can lead to eternal life. This disturbing statistic is clear evidence that postmodernism, through the apparatus of PC, has made significant inroads into the very fabric of American evangelicalism. PC has discouraged truth thinking, truth speaking and truth acting among evangelicals. There are a myriad of polls and surveys that show this - USA Today, Barna Group, and Association of Religious Data Archive (the ARDA), to name a few.

Only sound Biblical preaching can stem the tide of the PC assault on truth. God give us preachers with the sacred audacity to herald the truth claims of our faith without fear or compromise.

Next I will deal with the effects PC has had on gender roles in the church.

THE EFFECTS OF POLITICAL CORRECTNESS ON THE EVANGELICAL CHURCH - Part 1

2009-01-08T15:52:00.001-05:00

Over the past several decades there has been a gradual erosion of Biblical truth from the pulpits of evangelical churches and the theology of its members. I strongly believe that one of the reasons for this erosion is due to the subtle and dangerous effects political correctness (PC) is having on the church. According to WordNet, political correctness is defined as the "avoidance of expressions or actions that can be perceived to exclude or marginalize or insult people who are socially disadvantaged or discriminated against." My running definition of political correctness is the social pressure to influence the thinking, words and actions of a person or group by convincing them that historical, cultural norms are insensitive, intolerant and divisive.

Many have written and spoken out on the effects of PC in our Western culture and in other parts of the world. However, there has not been nearly as much outcry regarding PC in the church. This lack of outcry is evidence that PC has had influence. A politically correct church is a silent church. A politically correct church is a church with a muted message. It is preoccupied with the idea that the worst thing it can do is to offend the churched, the unchurched and all those in between.

The Bible is offensive and intolerant. It does not pass the PC smell test. The writers of Scripture make no apology for its claims. Paul concluded that the message of the Cross was offensive to many. He knew that if he excluded the Cross from his preaching, the offense would cease. (Gal. 5:11) In fact, Jesus is called a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense! (Rom. 9:33; I Pet. 2:8)

Over the next few weeks, I want to focus on four effects of PC on the thinking, words and actions of the church.

These four effects are:

The Moving Target of Absolute Truth - A Convenient Oxymoron

The Blurred Line of Gender Roles in the Church

The New Tolerance of Sexual Orientations

The Drifting Away from an Exclusive to an Inclusive Gospel

GOING THROUGH A DRY SEASON IN YOUR MINISTRY?

2008-12-29T21:25:00.002-05:00

Are you in a rut? Does it seem like God has put your ministry on the shelf? Are you facing a dry season in your ministry? You have set goals, devised a strategic plan and implemented initiatives to reach milestones, yet it all seems to be moving along at a snail-like pace or not at all. Has finding the traction to move forward been difficult for you recently? Does any of this describe where you are right now, or does every word of it describe your situation precisely?

Well, welcome to the Dry Season Fraternity! You are a part of a company of notorious nincompoops, who sometimes labor in obscurity but never in vain. Every serious preacher I know will at some point join this exclusive fraternity. Having preached the Gospel for over twenty years now, I have experienced a few dry seasons myself. Here are a few things I have learned over the years that have helped me persevere:

God places His emphasis on the worker and not the work. We are His workmanship, not our ministry.

Many times our disappointment is His appointment.

Genuine faith never functions in a vacuum. It can only function in a hostile environment.

Applying simple truth sustains us during difficult times. His remedy for bringing us out is never complex.

A quote from General George S. Patton, "The more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war."

The reassuring part about going through a dry season is that we go through it. Our sovereign God provides the faith to sustain us, the season to mold us and the strength to help us bear fruit despite our circumstances. So embrace, not shun every dry season in your life and ministry. Hear the words of Paul, "For I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me." (Phil. 4:11-13, ESV)

PREACHER, BEWARE OF THE THREE G'S

2008-12-15T23:45:00.003-05:00

Why do some preachers fall? I don't mean failing to please the Lord in some area of our relationship with Him. Generally speaking, we all stumble and miss the mark as we try to live according to the truth we have embraced. Sometimes, we may even fail in the areas of our strongest convictions. However, I am referring to devastating moral failures that leave a trail of ruin and wreckage. The kind of failures that wreak havoc in the preacher's life, his family and in the lives of those to whom he ministers. There are three danger areas for preachers. I'll refer to them as the three G's - the Girls, the Gold and the Glory.

Simply put, the preacher must maintain appropriate relations with the opposite sex, avoid the temptations of money and materialism and no matter how God uses him; he must not glory in himself but rather give glory to God. Just a brief perusing through Scripture reveals that a careless approach to the three G's has caused more men of God to fall than anything. We can mention Jacob, Samson, David and Solomon as examples.

First Timothy, chapter three, lists fourteen qualifications for the church elder or leader. Of the fourteen, only one has to do with gifting or skill (able to teach). The rest deals with private character and public integrity. Character and integrity are the most important assets of the preacher. He must guard them with all his might, trusting in the Lord. Carelessness toward the three G's can ruin the character of any man of God. None of us are immune.

Preacher, beware of the three G's.

EATING ACORNS AND SHARING THE GOSPEL

2008-12-05T15:12:00.004-05:00

Would you eat this? Yes, it's an acorn. Again, would you eat it? "I would if I were starving," you might say. If you were a guest at some one's home and they were eating acorns and were kind enough to offer one to you, would you eat it? "Probably not," might be your answer.

One day a friend of mine went street witnessing with a church group at a local housing project. He came across a group of kids playing outside. As he approached them, he noticed one small kid was eating acorns. As he proceeded to share the Gospel with them, the kid, very innocently, offered him an acorn. Without thinking, my friend took the acorn and ... Gulp. The taste? It was awful. Yet, he did not gag, frown or spit. Most importantly, he kept sharing the Gospel.

As my friend shared his experience with me, I thought to myself, "What a small price to pay in order to share the Gospel." You see, what my friend and I knew intuitively, is that we are not only called to verbally share the Gospel, but to also identify when needed with those to whom we share it. Paul, in his second letter to the Corinthians, chapter 9, verses 21-23 stated, "To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings." (ESV)

So, eating an acorn is not all that terrible in light of the eternal consequences. Go ahead, take the plunge. You just might acquire the taste.

FAITH IN THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL

2008-11-24T23:12:00.001-05:00

One of the most fascinating occurrences in nature is the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly through metamorphosis. This process has baffled scientists for centuries. An ugly caterpillar spins a cocoon and emerges from it as a beautiful butterfly. This transformation is a fitting object lesson to illustrate the power of the Gospel to save the lost.

Mosab Hassan Yousef can testify to the power of the Gospel. He is a recent convert to Christianity. What makes Mosab's conversion unique is that he is a former Muslim reared in a strict Islamic home and his father is an influential leader in the terrorist organization, Hamas. History is replete with evidence attesting to the power of the Gospel to save. Yet many in Christendom seem to not have confidence in the power of the simple, pure Gospel. When churches spend thousands of dollars to conduct marketing analyses and surveys to find the felt needs of weekly attendees. When they devise programs to improve the self esteem of attendees seeking a better life, this indicates a lack of faith in the power of the Gospel. C. H. Spurgeon said, "Never lose heart in the power of the gospel. Do not believe that there exists any man, much less any race of men, for whom the gospel is not fitted."

Paul, the apostle, was wholly convinced of the power of the Gospel when he wrote in Romans 1:16-17, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith ; as it is written, "but the righteous man shall live by faith." We can have faith in the power of the Gospel because the Gospel is the power of God.

This power is demonstrated three ways in Romans 1:15-17

THE GOSPEL IS THE POWER OF GOD PARTICULARLY - because it is the Gospel of Christ. It is of Him, by Him and through Him. George Owen said, "The world has many religions; it has but one gospel." The power of the Gospel is derived from its exclusivity. All other messages are excluded. The moment the Gospel is made to be inclusive of other ways and beliefs, it has no power and is no longer the Gospel of Christ. (1:16)

THE GOSPEL IS THE POWER OF GOD DECLARATIVELY - because God demonstrates His power by providing a means whereby the Gospel is declared despite enormous opposition, persecution and suffering. In other words, inherent in the Gospel message is the power to preach it! Paul knew that going to Rome to preach the Gospel would be met with much opposition, yet he boldly proclaims, "I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also." (1:15) Emperor Nero of Rome during the first century inflicted unspeakable cruelties against the Church. Foxes Book of Martyrs records that Nero, "contrived all manner of punishments for the Christians that the most infernal imagination could design. In particular, he had some sewed up in skins of wild beasts, and then worried by dogs until they expired...This persecution was general throughout the whole Roman Empire; but it rather increased than diminished the spirit of Christianity."

THE GOSPEL IS THE POWER OF GOD REGENERATIVELY - because it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believe. (1: 16) The power to save is in the Gospel. In this verse, the word power is dunamis in the Greek. According to the NAS New Testament Greek Lexicon, it means inherent power, power residing in a thing by virtue of its nature.

WHY DOES THE GOSPEL SAVE? - because in the Gospel the righteousness of God is revealed. (1:17) Since the righteousness of God is necessary for salvation to be obtained and the Gospel is the only place where that righteousness can be found, we have to conclude that that is what gives the Gospel its power! This is exactly what Paul is getting at. John Piper puts it this way, “What is revealed in the gospel is the righteousness of God for us that he demands from us. The reason the gospel is the power of God for salvation - the way that the gospel saves believers is that in it God reveals a righteousness for us that God demands from us. What we had to have, but could not create or supply or perform, God gives us freely, namely, his own righteousness, the righteousness of God.”

Hallelujah!

We can have faith in the power of the Gospel!

Three Important Contributions Fathers Make To Their Families

2008-11-20T21:19:00.024-05:00

(I recently contributed an article in Wisermen Magazine about the importance of fatherhood. Here is an excerpt from the article. I hope it inspires more fathers to be the servant-leaders God has ordained them to be.)

In Luke chapter 15, Jesus tells the story of the prodigal son. In this story a young man asks his father for the portion of the inheritance due him. He takes the inheritance and then leaves for a far country and wastes his substance on riotous living. In other words, he began to live an unprincipled life devoid of constraint and moral boundaries.

This story is titled after its so-called main character, the prodigal son. However, a closer examination of this story shows us that the main character is the father and the central theme is his unconditional love for a son who has gone astray. In this story we see three important contributions the father made in the life of his son. These contributions are just as relevant today as they were over two thousand years ago when Jesus told the story. Before we examine these three contributions, lets answer the question, what is a father?

In the Hebrew language, the word for father is ab. It means source or sustainer. To be an ab one must produce and sustain his offspring. The Greek word for father is pater. It means source, nourisher and sustainer.

God is the Father of creation. He is the source and sustainer of creation and the universe. Hebrews 1:3 says that God upholds and sustains all things by the word of His power. God did not create the universe and then abandon it. The universe is presently being sustained and kept by the word of His power. Just as God sustains what He has created, a human father also sustains and takes care of the children he produces.

The first contribution a father makes to his family is giving them an IDENTITY. A family is identified by its founder or father. More specifically, children receive their identity through their father. In verse 19 of Luke chapter 15, the prodigal son rehearsed saying to his father, “ I am no more worthy to be called thy son.” His identity was interwoven within his father.

Identity can be broken down in three key areas – name, values and character. When a father gives his family his name, values and character, we can truly say he has given them an identity. An excellent example of this is in Genesis 18: 17-19, “And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.” (Emphasis added by author.)

David Blankenhorn in his book, “Fatherless America”, calls the passing along of these three things (name, values and character), “paternal cultural transmission.” This transmission from the father to his children is the most contributing factor of their identity.

The second key contribution fathers make to their families is SECURITY. In verse 17 of Luke chapter 15 the prodigal son says, “How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!” He was at the point of starvation, yet he knew there was security at his father’s house.

A father provides security to his family through provision and protection. This is why the wife and children naturally look to the father for security. The woman did not come from the soil. She came out of the man. (I Corinthians 11:8-9) The man is therefore, the source and sustainer of the woman. The Bible never says the woman should leave her father to find a mate. Only the man leaves the security of his parents to find a mate. He is to find a woman who is under the security of her father and then marry her and continue to provide security to her. In a sense, when a woman marries, she comes under another father – her husband. (Genesis 2:23-24)

The third key contribution a father makes to his family is STABILITY. This stability comes in the form of commitment and consistency. There is hardly anything more devastating to a family than a father who is not committed and is inconsistent in his care and devotion. The prodigal son knew that at his father’s house there was stability because his father was committed to him and was consistent in his love towards him. This is beautifully illustrated when the son finally returns home. Instead of greeting his wayward son with scolding and condemnation, the father was overjoyed to see him and honored him with a new wardrobe and a festive celebration! (Luke 15:20-24)

The father’s words are profoundly indicative of his heart attitude towards his son, “For this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.”

As I stated earlier, the key character in this story is not the son, but rather the father. His actions and attitude mirror our heavenly Father’s unconditional love for us, His children. Despite our often disobedience and foolish decisions, He never wavers in His love for us. In I John 3:1, it says, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.”

If you are a Christian father with a family, there is an enormous responsibility on your shoulders to provide them with an IDENTITY, SECURITY and STABILITY. You may have failed miserably in these areas, but you can look to your heavenly Father, who is the Father of mercy and the God of all comfort. You can do all things through Him. Ask Him in prayer to give you the strength and wisdom to love your family unconditionally.

2008-11-19T08:45:00.010-05:00

IT'S OFFICIAL!

I am finally a blogger. This is my first posting to my newly created blog site. I pray that God will use it to spiritually enrich the lives of those who take the time to visit and read. I intend to use this blog as a new avenue for ministry and to hone my writing skills. I anticipate many changes along the way as I prayerfully ask the Lord for direction with this new ministry opportunity. As of now, my postings will be under the following labels or categories:

Taste of Honey - God's word is said to be sweeter than honey. (Psalm 19:10) Here I will give a short exposition of Scripture gleaned from my personal study and sermon excerpts.

Worth Sharing - Here I will share the material of other authors along with my personal reviews and thoughts about their work.

Monday Morning Musing (3M) - We all know Sunday is a busy day for pastors. However, I feel Monday is crucial since it sometimes sets the tone for the rest of the week. In this section I will share helpful information with pastors and offer needed encouragement.

Presenting Pulpit Pablum (3P) - In this section I will address erroneous, false and watered down teaching that is prevalent in the Church, which I refer to as "Pulpit Pablum."

What's Up With Me? - Here I will chronicle my spiritual journey - how is the Lord dealing with me? I will also share my personal ventures, hobbies, interests, etc.

My Wit, My Wisdom, My Whatever (3W) - A light-hearted discussion about everyday life with a taste of my personal wit and humor.

Announcements - Information about what is going on at my church and other places.

Again, I pray that this blog will be visited by many and will be a source of edification.

All to the glory of God!